At the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) meeting, Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed that due to a reduction in IRCC staff in India, only 20,000 of the projected 38,000 visas will be processed by December. This will lead to slower processing times, responses to enquiries, and return of visas or passports. Consequently, around 17,500 Indian applications will be backlogged by 2024. Despite a pause in in-person services at Indian consulates due to staff reduction, applications will continue to be processed. The remaining staff will focus on urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment, and oversight of key partners.
