2021 Cabinet immigration Minister revealed

Sean Fraser is Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship. The 37-year old Nova Scotia-based MP takes the Canadian immigration hot seat in the cabinet at a time when immigration candidates and applicants around the world grow increasingly frustrated by application delays and, in many cases, a perceived lack of transparency from IRCC.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hands Fraser the reins as a new Canadian government takes shape following last month’s election, which resulted in a parliament that looks remarkably similar to the previous one and another Liberal minority government.

People around the world striving to move to Canada, as well as those already in Canada who wish to settle permanently, will be looking to the new Minister of Immigration for answers on a range of issues.

Among them are federal skilled worker (FSW) candidates who have waited nearly a year since the last Express Entry draw that included FSW candidates. These candidates have made practical, emotional, and financial sacrifices to enter the Express Entry pool, with the legitimate expectation that their points total would be the main indicator of whether or not they would be invited to apply and, ultimately, approved to build lives and careers in Canada.

To date, there has been no public government statement for why Canada continues to prioritize Express Entry candidates who are more likely to already be in Canada while welcoming visitors, temporary workers, and international students under certain pandemic-related conditions.

Indeed, many FSW candidates have witnessed Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates with lower scores be invited to apply. FSW candidates will hope for a return to all-program Express Entry draws in the near future, or at least a full explanation of why they have not been considered and the milestones that need to be satisfied for all-program Express Entry draws to take place again.

Also, approved applicants with expired Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) documents will look to the Fraser-led IRCC for a more streamlined process for renewal of their landing documents. Many COPR holders remain outside Canada, despite their clear desire to move to Canada.

In family sponsorship, rarely a day goes by when Canadian media does not report heartbreaking situations of couples waiting to reunite in Canada. In many such cases, children are living without one of their parents due to processing delays. These families will expect speedier processing and more information from IRCC about their applications.