Total complete applications received since July 1, 2011

On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.

Between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a maximum of 10,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.

Starting November 5, 2011, CIC will accept a total of 1,000 applications from international students who have completed at least two years of study towards a PhD and or who graduated from a Canadian PhD program in the 12 months before the date their application is received byCIC. Find out more about eligibility for this category or see the number of applications received to date on this site.

These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).

Applications received toward the overall cap: 6 205 of 10,000 as of January 3, 2012

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation (by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)	Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 – Restaurant and Food Service Managers	500 (Cap reached)**
0811 – Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)	64
1122 – Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management	500 (Cap reached)**
1233 – Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners	217
2121 – Biologists and Related Scientists	500 (Cap reached)**
2151 – Architects	309
3111 – Specialist Physicians	447
3112 – General Practitioners and Family Physicians	467
3113 – Dentists	463
3131 – Pharmacists	500 (Cap reached)**
3142 – Physiotherapists	122
3152 – Registered Nurses	500 (Cap reached)**
3215 – Medical Radiation Technologists	33
3222 – Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists	21
3233 – Licensed Practical Nurses	293
4151 – Psychologists	75
4152 – Social Workers	304
6241 – Chefs	66
6242 – Cooks	159
7215 – Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades	82
7216 – Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades	194
7241 – Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)	83
7242 – Industrial Electricians	97
7251 – Plumbers	22
7265 – Welders and Related Machine Operators	33
7312 – Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics	34
7371 – Crane Operators	6
7372 – Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction	6
8222 – Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service	86

*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of January 3, 2012 is approximate.

**Once the cap has been reached, we can only accept applications for this occupation from people with an existing offer of arranged employment.

Note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, the CIO cannot review each application for completeness on the same day it arrives at the office. The numbers on this page are updated at least once a week, but these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap by the time it reaches the CIO. We are looking into ways to minimize the effect of this on website updates.

Applications received from PhDapplicants:

Applications received toward the overall cap: 37 of 1,000as of December 28, 2011

Government of Canada to cut backlog and wait times for family reunification – Phase I of Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification

Ottawa, November 4, 2011 — The Government of Canada is taking immediate action to cut the backlog and wait times for sponsored parents and grandparents, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a final decision. Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) receives applications for sponsorship of nearly 38,000 parents and grandparents, a number that will only continue to expand if no action is taken.

“Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable,” said Minister Kenney. “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”

To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is announcing Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

First – The Government of Canada will increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 – the highest level in nearly two decades.

Second – The government is introducing the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,”which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.

Third – The government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future. The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.

Fourth – To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.

“The Government of Canada is fully committed to helping families reunite,” said Minister Kenney. “We recognize that what parents and grandparents want most is to be able to spend time with their families.”

“If we do not take real action now, the large and growing backlog in the parents and grandparents program will lead to completely unmanageable wait times. Through this balanced series of measures, we will be able to dramatically reduce the backlog and wait times, while the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will allow more family members to pay extended visits to their loved ones,” added the Minister. “We anticipate that in about two years, following our consultations, Phase II of our Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will come into effect, ensuring that future applicants are processed quickly and that the program can operate on an efficient and sustainable basis.”

For additional information on Phase I of CIC’s Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, see the attached backgrounder.

A photograph of Minister Kenney will be available later today atwww.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/photos/high-res/index.asp.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Candice Malcolm
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

CIC Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.