Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the government department that processes all immigration applications, is backlogged, and “review required” may mean that your application has fallen through the cracks.
After months or years of silence from IRCC, many clients order Global Case Management System notes and find out that they’re stuck in “review required” in one of the key assessment criteria,
- Eligibility;
- Security;
- Human or international rights violation;
- Criminality; and
- Medical.
What does “review required” mean?
IRCC receives about 2.5 to 3 million applications across the board per year, and as of December 2024, about 1.1 million applications are backlogged.
Having said that, “review required” generally means that a junior immigration officer has flagged an issue in your application to have it reviewed by a senior immigration officer, and your application is automatically categorized as somewhat complex.
In practice, applications marked as “review required” often take longer because they need to be reviewed by a senior immigration officer. Since IRCC processes a high volume of applications every year, files that require additional review may not be prioritized, which can lead to long periods of inactivity
This also means that your application may be in the backlogged category, and in many cases, files marked as “review required” can remain untouched for long periods of time without any clear timeline for review.
Why is my application stuck in “review required”?
The primary reasons your application may be stuck in “review required” is because of a lack of employment records, admissibility or security-related issues, and proof of funds.
How do I get out of “review required”?
Every case is different, and the right approach depends on the specific reason your application was flagged for review.
However, in situations where an application has been stuck in “review required” for an unreasonable amount of time, seeking a mandamus order may be an effective way to move the application forward.
How can Kabir & Alam help me get out of “review required”?
In order to get out of “review required,” you’ll probably need to seek a mandamus order, which involves litigation. And because we’re litigation lawyers, we think of all counterarguments, so that we can submit the strongest application to the Federal Court, maximizing the chance of approval.
Book a consultation with us today to find out more about how we can help you get out of “review required.”