Canada has announced scrapping the 10-year multiple-entry visa accorded to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in a bid to cut its increasing immigration population post-COVID-19.
The multiple-entry visa, previously allowing holders to enter and exit Canada freely within ten years, will no longer be offered as the “standard document,” announced by the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Wednesday.
This shift in policy has the effect of giving immigration officers the discretion of a single or multiple-entry visa and allowing them to determine how long the visa is valid.
To this end, IRCC has indicated that what is required is an approach which is more flexible but controlled, given the current context in which the country is managing its immigration system under growing pressures.
Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document, that statement reads in part.
Officers may exercise their judgement in deciding whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and in determining the validity period, the statement added.
The IRCC recently announced reductions in its targets for permanent residency. In October, Canada reduced its permanent resident admission target for 2025 from 500,000 to 395,000. Planned admissions will further decline, with a target of 380,000 for 2026 and 365,000 for 2027.
Canada, for years, had remained a prime destination for many Nigerians and other nationals, particularly in the last few years, with an increasing immigration rate due to insecurity, inflation, and economic instability at home.
Canada welcomed skilled immigrants, which also helped the country balance out its low birth rate and meet workforce demands. However, this new policy is coming after population growth surges in the country. Its immigration system shows increasing signs of straining, and the government is reconsidering how to manage new arrivals.
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