Canadian government chooses to outsource some visa services

The Canadian government has opted to outsource parts of the visa application process. According to the Canwest News Service, the Federal Government has opted to outsource at some of the biggest embassies around the world, to improve waiting times for people applying for a Canadian visa.

The Canadian embassy in China has already introduced this process and “has arrangements at 17 visa applications centres around the world” including Indonesia and India, Katharine Trim from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration told the news provider. It is hoped Canadian visa applicants will get a faster service and avoid backlogs in the system.

Ms Trim said outsourcing practices have been in place since 2005, but Canadian visa applicants can still have their application processed at an embassy. "But visa application centres give applicants the option of applying at a location that may be closer to their home than the visa office," she told Canwest. Recently, the first changes to the Canadian visa system were approved after the Government passed a new bill, which will see certain professions fast-tracked over others.

Canada welcomes new immigrants: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.