Operational Bulletin 572 – April 29, 2014
Issue
This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides guides Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) officers. It instructs them on the process they need to follow while processing:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST) applications and,
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications
It also provides guidance to these officers on the twelfth set of Ministerial Instructions (MI12). The twelfth set of Ministerial Instructions comes into effect on May 01, 2014.
Summary
The twelfth set of Ministerial Instructions (MI12) came into effect on May 01, 2014. It prescribed maximum caps for CIC officers processing FSW, FST and CEC applications. Under the provisions of MI12, officers would only process:
- A maximum of 25,500 new Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications
- These applications would not have any offer of arranged employment and,
- This maximum cap of 25,500 applications would include 500 applications in the PhD student or graduate stream
- A maximum of 5,000 new Federal Skilled Trades (FST) applications and,
- A maximum of 8,000 new Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications
Applicants would need to submit complete applications to the CIC (see Note). CIC officers would need to include the applications they process, within the caps prescribed for each program.
According to the Ministerial Instructions, these caps prescribed in MI12 are valid for the period from May 01, 2014 to April 30, 2015. This is applicable unless otherwise indicated in a future Ministerial Instruction.
Note:
- The CIC officers would only deem an application as complete if:
- The application meets all the application kit requirements prescribed at the time of application receipt and,
- The application meets all criteria specified in the Ministerial Instructions
Background
The authorities amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) on June 18, 2008. The amendment gave the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration certain authorities and powers. One of these enabled the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to guide CIC officers on the manner in which they would need to process applications and requests.
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration would need to ensure that CIC officers process requests and applications in a specific manner. The manner in which CIC officers process these applications and requests must support the attainment of the immigration goals prescribed by the Government of Canada.
As a result, the twelfth set of Ministerial Instructions (MI12) came into force on May 01, 2014. These instructions are only applicable to:
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications
- Federal Skilled Trades (FST) applications and,
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications
- FSW, FST and CEC applications received by the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia on or after May 01, 2014
The Canada Gazette contains further details on these Ministerial Instructions.
The New Limit Prescribed by MI12 on the Number of Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Applications
The New Limit Prescribed by MI12 on the Number of Federal Skilled Trades (FST) Applications
The New Limit Prescribed by MI12 on the Number of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Applications
The Guidelines for Processing New and Existing FSW, FST and CEC Applications
The Instructions for Processing FSW Applications
The Instructions for Processing FST Applications
The Instructions for Processing CEC Applications
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
