Facing mounting criticism over 19-month processing times, IRCC on July 13 quietly introduced a policy that requires decision-makers to finalise Bill C-3 citizenship applications within a defined service standard—reportedly 12 months—backed by internal performance penalties. Independent outlet IRCC.com confirmed the change on July 14 after obtaining departmental briefing notes. Bill C-3, which came into force earlier this year, expanded citizenship-by-descent rights and triggered a surge of applications from Canadians born abroad and their children. The resulting queue now tops 100,000 files. Under the new measure, any application exceeding the service standard will automatically escalate to a senior officer for same-week review, with monthly compliance audits sent to the Minister’s office. For corporate mobility programs, quicker citizenship decisions can be game-changing. Executives who obtain passports rather than permanent resident cards gain visa-free access to 185 countries, simplifying assignment logistics and eliminating residency-day counting. Families already in Canada on work permits may accelerate plans to naturalise, aiding retention. IRCC has not published the policy text, but sources say additional triage staff have been reassigned from lower-volume visitor-visa units, and digital-workflow upgrades rolled out last quarter will allow e-signature of oath documents. Applicants are urged to keep online accounts current; cases missing fingerprints or police checks will be excluded from the fast-track. Industry observers caution that the initiative tackles only Bill C-3 files; standard naturalisation applications still face lengthy waits. Nonetheless, the move signals a broader willingness by IRCC to experiment with time-bound guarantees—an approach already piloted in the passport division earlier this year.
Source: IRCC.com
