Flagpoling will be discontinued, according to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). "Flagpoling will no longer be an option," stated Immigration Minister Marc Miller during a Tuesday, December 17 broadcast statement.
The flagpole method of obtaining same-day assistance for immigration petitions will no longer be available.
According to Miller, temporary residents will need to apply online to extend their stay after this change takes effect. Miller said that by removing flagpoling, border inspectors will have more time to concentrate on other tasks, which will reduce border strain.
He went on to say that the government is bolstering the integrity of the immigration system in part by "closing the loophole." The minister stated that the IRCC wants to execute the adjustment "as soon as possible," although he has not specified when it will take effect.
Describing Flagpoling?
"Flagpoling" is the practice of foreign nationals leaving Canada and then coming back right away to obtain same-day immigration services at a port of entry, so avoiding the typical wait times involved in online applications for work or study permits. The Canadian government offered newcomers a practical and lawful way to expedite their immigration procedures.
The procedure was originally altered in May of this year by Canadian and U.S. border officials, who reduced service hours at 12 Canada-U.S. border crossings by restricting newcomers' ability to flagpole.
Citing the increased workload for border inspectors and delays in travel and the movement of goods and services across the border, Immigration Minister Marc Miller declared in June 2024 that he would be discontinuing flagpoling services for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applicants. About 20% of all flagpolers were PGWP applicants in the year before this statement.
Many candidates had to wait months for their applications to be completed because to the significant backlog of applications that the IRCC had accumulated during 2024.
An application is considered backlogged by the IRCC if its processing times surpass its stated service criteria. Eighty percent of applicants must be processed within service standards, according to IRCC's goal.
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