As of October 1, 2024, the Federal Court has launched a pilot project to streamline the application for leave and judicial review process for refused study permit applications.
Under the pilot project, those who apply for leave and judicial review will be able to complete the judicial review process in five months, compared to the current timeline of 14 to 18 months.
Applications submitted under the pilot project will not require a hearing and judges will be able to rule on leave and judicial review at the same time. In each case, applicants and IRCC must both agree to the expedited process and they must also agree on the facts, which will be contained in what the Court is calling a Simplified Certified Tribunal Record.
The pilot project comes after an influx of immigration-related proceedings at the Court for a third year in a row, with the Court expecting 24,000 immigration filings by the end of 2024. By September 24, 2024, the Court had already received 17,576 immigration filings for this year.[1]
The pilot project was created in collaboration with IRCC and members of the Federal Court Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Law Bar Liaison Committee.
If your study permit application was recently refused, contact Heron Law Offices today to explore if the pilot project is right for you.
[1] Federal Court of Canada, “Study Permit Pilot Project” (26 September 2024), online (news release): <www.fct-cf.gc.ca/Content/assets/pdf/base/2024-09-26-News-Bullletin-Study-Permits-Pilot-Project.pdf>; Federal Court of Canada, “Statistics” (last modified 25 July 2024), online: <www.fct-cf.gc.ca/en/pages/about-the-court/reports-and-statistics/statistics>.
