Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is back to normal operations. However, IRCC will have limited capacity, and you may experience delays in processing your application. In-person appointments and events, including citizenship ceremonies, as well as contact via email or social media, will be impacted. PSAC and the Federal Government reached a tentative agreement that will bring over 155,000 impacted public servants back to work as early as this morning. The deal includes higher wages to combat inflation and greater flexibility for working from home.
Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is Back to Normal Operations After 12 Days of Strike after causing a delay in the processing of immigration applications. This includes refugee claimants, sponsored family members and foreign students. In the past week, tens of thousands of files have been delayed or canceled, which is having an impact on the lives of those involved. The government is arguing that the union’s demands are unreasonable and that it cannot afford to give in. The NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has urged PM Justin Trudeau to get directly involved in the negotiations.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Canadian government have reached a tentative agreement on a deal to end the ongoing strike that began April 19. PSAC has instructed its members to return to work this morning at 9 AM ET or during their next available shift. The deal includes higher wages that will close the gap with inflation, and new and improved language relating to telework.
IRCC Strike Reason
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has ended its strike after the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) reached a tentative agreement with the federal government. The deal includes wage increases, new language around remote work, and additional perks for members. However, IRCC still needs to address significant backlogs that will result in delays in application processing, citizenship ceremonies, and in-person appointments.
The strike is expected to impact the following services: processing applications, in-person appointments, contacting IRCC via email or social media, consular citizenship and passport services inside and outside Canada, and citizenship ceremonies. It will also affect extending your stay in Canada. IRCC will continue to update its website as more information becomes available about the impacts of the strike.
The IRCC workers who participated in the strike have now returned to work, restoring the agency’s processing capacity. The ircc strike will likely cause delays for people seeking visas, but the agency says it is working to minimize them as much as possible. Non-essential government services that were halted during the strike will also resume. These include the processing of passports and other travel documents. They will also be available at border crossings. The strike will affect fewer people than the massive Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency strikes that began last month.