What is happening to federal skilled worker applications filed between February 28, 2008 and June 25, 2010?

Processing time for applications filed after February 28, 2008 is substantially shortened. As per the Ministerial Instructions (MI1) in force between Feb 28, 2008 and June 25, 2010, all applications must be sent to the Central Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Sydney office would then forward eligible applications to visa offices abroad for processing. As of December 2010, the backlog of cases received is estimated at 165,000, and the processing times are currently seventeen months. With the coming into force of MI1, some clients withdrew their applications previously filed and submitted a new one.  Many of them have received a decision.

Our next blog will discuss Canada’s current skilled worker program and what is happening to those applications filed after June 25, 2010.