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The Government of Canada tabled the 2019 Budget in March. Here’s a breakdown of what it means for IRCC and Canadian immigration:

Client service

• $42.9 million over 2 years will be provided to IRCC to improve immigration client service by adding call centre agents, with a focus on business lines with the longest delays.
• $78.6 million over 2 years is to be invested to ease and increase the efficiency of the entry of visitors to Canada, while protecting the health and security of Canadians. The funds will also ensure the resources needed to process global demand for Canadian visitor visas, work and study permits.

Border security

• $1.18 billion over 5 years starting in 2019 to 2020, and $55 million per year ongoing, to support the Border Enforcement Strategy, process 50,000 asylum claims per year and facilitate the removal of failed asylum claimants in a timely matter. Resources will also strengthen processes at the border and accelerate the processing of claims and removals to increase the efficiency of the system.

Immigration consultants

• $51.9 million over 5 years, starting in 2019 to 2020, and $10.1 million per year ongoing to help protect newcomers and applicants wishing to obtain services from legitimate service providers. This will improve the government’s oversight of immigration consultants and support public awareness activities that will help new immigrants and applicants protect themselves from fraudsters and scammers.