Canada has a plan in the works to fast track some visitor visas

This step is not the first in Canada's efforts to improve services for visitor visa applicants. In June of the current year, IRCC expanded its list of "partial visa exempt countries" by adding 13 more nations, bringing the total to 67. This allows travellers from these countries to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a traditional visitor visa. Notably, eTA applications are typically approved much faster, often within minutes, providing a more efficient process for eligible visitors.

 While much attention is usually directed towards permanent residence and long-term immigration, IRCC emphasizes that temporary residents, including visitor visa applicants, are a significant aspect of Canada's immigration system. Towards the end of the previous year, the department acknowledged a surge in visitor visa applications, noting that Canada is now processing more applications than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, in November 2022, IRCC processed over 260,000 visitor isas, surpassing the monthly average of 180,000 applications in 2019.