The provincial government is nearing its cap for immigration in 2024, meaning they have switched to a priority processing system for the remainder of the year.
Government says the decision is due to “historic demand and limited spaces provided by the federal government.”
As such, government will be prioritizing applications in sectors facing labour shortages, such as health care, early learning, and construction. Applications from people with extenuating circumstances will continue to be processed.
As a result, there will be longer processing times for everyone else.
Applications under the Provincial Nominee Program are still being accepted. The standard 25-day processing time will resume in January.
Government says they forecasted such a demand, and requested an increase from the federal government, which was not granted.
Immigration Minister Sarah Stoodley says government currently has 3,050 spaces allocated by the feds. They have requested a 15 per cent increase to that again this year, but there are concerns that the province could end up losing instead of gaining.