Introducing IRCC's New Automation Tool for IEC Work Permits.
Canada’s immigration department, IRCC, is making it faster to process work permits for International Experience Canada (IEC) applicants. They’re using a new tool that sorts applications by difficulty level and checks if they meet the usual requirements, which will help speed up the process.
Efficiency in the Canadian immigration department would improve by enabling certain applicants to get faster decisions.
Furthermore, this will assist in the growth of International Experience Canada, making it simpler for young individuals from abroad to work and visit Canada.
As part of IRCC’s commitment to ethically using technology to enhance the immigration system for all applicants, they have introduced automated technologies.
To ensure that these tools work correctly and produce results similar to for applications that go through a comprehensive human evaluation, IRCC regularly evaluates the tools.
With the work permit tool’s triage feature handling most of the repetitive administrative tasks in application sorting, immigration officers can focus on reviewing applications and making decisions.
The tool, developed by experienced IRCC officers and following program rules and legal requirements, assigns priority to applications.
This prioritization aligns with the specific capabilities and experience of the office and immigration officer. For quicker processing, the tool uses criteria established by officers to identify routine applications within the eligibility assessment.
Following this initial evaluation, the applicant’s case is handed over to an immigration officer, who makes the final decision regarding the applicant’s eligibility to enter Canada.
Applications that don’t meet automatic approval criteria based on eligibility may still be approved after a manual review by an immigration officer.
IRCC wants to make it clear that automated technology cannot reject applications; only their officers have the authority to do so. In alignment with privacy regulations and the protection of human rights, IRCC is committed to using data-driven technologies in an ethical manner.
To ensure fairness and accountability, the tool for processing IEC work permit applications underwent an algorithmic impact assessment (AIA).
This assessment was conducted as part of IRCC’s efforts and adheres to Canada’s Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision-Making.
To minimize potential risks, various precautions are in place, and the AIA categorized the system’s impact level as moderate.
These precautions involve evaluating the tool’s design for privacy and security, examining any possible discriminatory outcomes, and granting officers the authority to override the tool’s decisions.
What can you do to ensure that an automation tool processes your application smoothly?
To make sure your application is considered eligible by the new automated tool, you should:
- Verify that the application you submitted is complete.
- Fill out all the required fields on all forms.
- Give advance notice of any supporting documentation.
- Include a letter of explanation in your application if there is anything out of the ordinary or unexpected.
- Provide as much clarity as you can in your application and letter of explanation.