Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is enhancing the processing of spousal and partner applications within the family class by incorporating advanced analytics and automated technology.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is enhancing the processing of spousal and partner applications within the family class by incorporating advanced analytics and automated technology. These new tools aim to expedite the processing of applications, reuniting families more swiftly while maintaining oversight and adherence to privacy and human rights standards.

Expansion of Advanced Technology:

• IRCC is now using advanced analytics and automated tools for all spousal and partner applications under the family class.
• Two specific tools will assist in processing overseas family class spousal and partner applications.

Application Components:

• Spousal and partner applications consist of two parts: the sponsorship part and the principal applicant part.
• Both parts must be reviewed before approval, with final decisions made by IRCC officers.

Role of New Tools:

Sponsorship Tool:

• Assesses the sponsorship part to identify routine cases for automatic approval.
• Non-routine cases are sent to officers for manual review.
• Automation allows officers to focus on complex cases, speeding up overall processing.

Principal Applicant Tool:

• Streamlines processing by identifying routine applications for eligibility approval.
• Eligible applications are sent to officers to determine admissibility and make the final decision.
• Non-routine cases undergo manual review by officers.

Commitment to Responsible Use:

• IRCC ensures the responsible deployment of data-driven technologies, aligning with privacy and human rights protection.
• Regular reviews of the tools ensure consistent results with manual reviews.
• An algorithmic impact assessment (AIA) categorized the system's impact as moderate, with measures to mitigate risks.

Mitigation Measures:

• Reviews for potential discriminatory impacts.
• Gender-Based Analysis Plus and a quality assurance plan

Privacy and security elements integrated into the tool's design.

Officers retain the authority to overturn tool decisions. IRCC Is integration of advanced analytics and automated technology in processing spousal and partner applications aims to expedite reunification of families while ensuring rigorous review and adherence to privacy and human rights standards.