Skip to content
Chinook IRCC - Processing

IRCC Says Chinook Does not Change The Way Decisions Are Made

Last Updated On 24 January 2023, 10:14 AM EST (Toronto Time)


IRCC officially revealed details on Chinook in the beginning of 2022. It is a tool used by visa officers to process temporary resident visa, study permit, and work permit applications in different visa offices across the globe.

This tool was initially highlighted in public during the hearing in the case of “Abigail Ocran v. the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

A lot of criticism was done by immigration pundits after use of Chinook became public. And, it still continues and use of Chinook is still under the gray area since a lot less is known about this.

Anyhow, this article discusses the key revelations made public by IRCC regarding the use of Chinook.

IRCC defines Chinook as “A Microsoft Excel-based tool developed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for temporary resident application processing to increase efficiency and to improve client service by decreasing the impacts of system and broadband latency, thus improving processing times.”

As per IRCC, Chinook was initially introduced as a pilot in processing offices in 2018. Following this, it was officially launched in 2019.

Since then, IRCC officers are using it discretionally, for assessing temporary resident visa, study permit and work permit applications.

Adding to this, IRCC claims that Chinook doesn’t utilize artificial intelligence (AI). Neither it uses advanced analytics for decision-making nor it has any built in decision-making algorithms.

It is designed to just simplify the visual representation of a client’s information.

This Excel based tool extracts information from client’s application and presents it in a user-friendly fashion.

Check Latest IRCC Processing Times As of April 18

Here are the latest official IRCC processing times as updated on April 18, 2023 as well as a comparison with last week’s processing times. Please carefully read below information to properly understand what these processing times actually mean. These processing times have been monitored by us for more than a year and updated weekly for…

As a result, it streamlines the administrative steps and reduces review time per application, increasing the productivity.

A sample study in December 2020 was done to measure performance of Chinook in outside Canada offices.

Result of this sample study revealed that this tool resulted in 18-30% gain in efficiency.

Additionally, IRCC states that all the decision are based on The Immigration Refugee Protection Act and Regulations (IRPA/IRPR). They say, “Chinook does not change the way decisions are made; it is always an officer – not the Chinook spreadsheet – that makes final decisions and provides the rationale for them.”

Red Flags

IRCC’s director of international-network optimization and modernization, Andie Daponte testified in Abigail Ocran case.

He revealed that this tool was originally created without legal oversight and is being used to process applications for study permit, temporary resident visa, and work permit, since March 2018.

The Court dismissed the application for judicial review by Abigail Ocran on February 10, 2022.

The Court did not rule on the Certified Tribunal Records (CTR issue) as it was not in direct dispute between the parties.

However, Andie Daponte revealed (outside court) that he was part of a team of immigration officers with backgrounds in temporary-resident visa applications and in-house technical experts versed in “immigration processing or computer sciences” who created the first version of Chinook using Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel.

He also added that in some IRCC offices, a web- or cloud-based version of this tool is now in use.

Although, IRCC says Chinook does not make final decision on an application.

But, concerns are that visa officers might be using Chinook to categorize (whether to approve or refuse) applications based on information sorted by this tool.

Chinook was introduced in March 2018 and refusal rates increased significantly. Study visa refusal rate jumped from 34% in 2018 to 40% in 2019.

Furthermore, refusal rate increased from 40% to 53% in 2020. Also, the study permit refusal rate for India increased from 34% in 2018 to 57% in 2020.

IRCC Chinook

File Processed using Chinook 3+

Source: IRCC


Canada To Ease IELTS Score For SDS Study Visa W.E.F. Aug 10

As per official IDP IELTS website, Canada study visa applicants via SDS will no longer need IELTS Score (Academic) of 6 bands in each module. Instead, only an overall score of 6 will be required in IELTS Academic starting August 10, 2023. For example, if you have a score of 5.5 in Reading and Writing,…

Spousal Open Work Permit Extension ‘Opt-In’ Is Now Open

Spousal Open Work Permit Extension: “Opt-In” option to get an open work permit extension for up to 18 months is now available to eligible candidates until June 28, 2023. Canada Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced this 18-month extension for For Spousal & Family class applicants on May 26, 2023, in an effort improve family reunification.…

International Students Protesting Deportations From Canada

International students have joined hands to protest in front of CBSA office in Mississauga to stop the deportations in fake offer letter case. Since May 29, 2023 students have been demonstrating near 6900 Airport Road day and night without any break. International students facing deportations met with CBSA officers and presented their demands on June…

IRCC Adds 13 New Nations To List Of Visa-Free Countries

Today, Minister of IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) Sean Fraser announced addition of 13 new nations to the list of eligible countries for visa-free travel to Canada. As per one of the expectations posted by INC – Immigration News Canada, IRCC adds 13 nations to the list of visa-free countries. New countries eligible for…

New OINP Draw Invites 417 Francophone Express Entry Profiles

Today, first Ontario-OINP draw of June 2023 invites 417 Express Entry profiles targeting only francophone candidates with 98 NOC codes as their primary occupation. Express Entry profiles created between June 5, 2022 – June 5, 2023 with CLB level 7 or higher in French as well as CLB level 6 or higher in English are eligible for…

Government Of Canada IT Jobs Hiring Now For 40 Locations

Correctional Service Canada is currently accepting resume for multiple IT Jobs at 40 locations without any prior experience. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is the federal government body in charge of enforcing sentences of two years or more imposed by the courts. CSC is in charge of administering facilities of varying security levels as…

Canadian-Afghans Sue Feds For Discrimination In Immigration

2 of the Afghan Canadians who worked for the Canadian military in Afghanistan filed a lawsuit alleging the Federal Government of discriminatory immigration policies. In an application with the Federal Court, these two Canadian Afghans alleged that the Canadian government offered “superior immigration benefits” to Ukrainians as compared to those offered to Afghans. “Ukrainians are…

New IEC 2023 Round of Invitations | June 3

This article provides information regarding the new IEC 2023 round of invitations for the week ending June 3, 2023. Canada has set a quota of 90,000 work permits across three categories for the IEC 2023 season, to be filled by individuals from over 35 eligible countries. This week, 1,364 individuals have been invited to apply…

International Students Deportation Case: NDP Calls For PR Pathway

NDP’s Jenny Kwan wrote to immigration minister Sean Fraser last week to stay the international students deportation affected in the fake offer letter case. Jenny Kwan is the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East and NDP’s critic for IRCC. She also wrote to Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino to work on resolving the situation…

Top 10 Tourist Attractions In Canada You Must Visit

Tourists and Visitors come from all over the world to experience the abundance of unique tourist attractions in Canada. If you are planning to apply for tourist visa, then you can include one or more of these marvels in your itinerary. Niagara Falls The Niagara Falls is widely considered to be one of the most…

New Targeted Express Entry Draws 2023 Selection Criteria

Today, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced new targeted Express Entry draws in 2023 implementation with category-based selection for Canada permanent residency (PR). This effort by IRCC is to address labor shortages and strengthen its communities within its flagship economic immigration management system, Express Entry. By inviting prospective permanent residents with specific skills, training, or language…

New Targeted Express Entry Draws: List Of Eligible NOC Codes

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced full list of occupations eligible for new targeted Express Entry draws for 2023. To be eligible for one of the targeted Express Entry draws, candidates must have at least 6 months of continuous work experience (in Canada or abroad) during the last 3 years, in any of the occupation listed…

13,500 New Canadian Citizens Took Oath In Citizenship Week

Canada welcomed over 13,500 new Canadian citizens during the citizenship week of 2023 in 105 citizenship ceremonies. To put in perspective, this was almost double the annual average for the number of new Canadians welcomed each week. Most of the Canada aspirants entering as international students, foreign workers, or permanent residents eagerly wait for the…

Best Universities in Canada for International Students 2023

Are you a foreign student thinking about attending one of the best universities in Canada? Stop right there! Canada is noted for its great education, welcoming culture, and diverse people. In this piece, we’ll take a look at the best universities in Canada for international students in 2023. How Were These Universities Selected When choosing…

Canadian Citizenship: Know About 7 Key Benefits For Citizens

Getting Canadian citizenship is a significant milestone that offers a multitude of advantages, transforming your status from a permanent resident to a fully recognized member of the Canadian community. In this comprehensive article, we will explore the 7 most compelling benefits of obtaining Canadian citizenship. From the freedom from status renewal to expanded job opportunities,…

In-Demand Jobs In British Columbia That Pay $30-$40 Per Hour

This article enlist most in-demand jobs in British Columbia that have a pay between $30 to $40 per hour. Furthermore, these jobs are expected to be in more demand and pay more than others over the next 10 years, as per the government of British Columbia. This list of high opportunity jobs in British Columbia…

IEC 2023 New Round of Invitations | May 27

This article provides information about IEC 2023 new round of invitations which is officially updated by the IRCC every Friday. For the IEC 2023 season, Canada has set a quota of 90,000 work permits across three categories to be filled by individuals from more than 35 eligible countries. Last week, we (INC – Immigration News…

New Open Work Permit Eligibility For Spousal & Family class Applicants

Today, immigration minister Sean Fraser announced a new temporary public policy offering an open work permit for spousal and family class applicants. INC – Immigration News Canada provided live updates and extensive coverage of new announcement by immigration minister on family reunification. Eligibility Criteria For Open Work Permit For Spousal & Family Class Applicants The…

4 New English Tests For Canada Study Visa Under SDS

IRCC will start accepting 4 new English tests for Canada study visa under Student Direct Stream (SDS) beginning August 10, 2023. Previously, only IELTS general or academic were acceptable English proficiency test for Canada study visa under SDS. Remember, in-person testing is required for all the tests. SDS candidates cannot take remote-proctored examinations online. Resident…

Loading…

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.