The parliament Committee responsible to improve call center services and tracking process with the help of 24 recommendations from minister is in applying all required necessary changes.
The fact that workload shared by IRCC staff should not be underestimated. Last year, the department handled more than two million temporary resident applications alone, with customer service interactions totalling many times that number. In addition to applications for temporary entry to Canada, IRCC handles files relating to permanent residence, refugees (including protected persons), citizenship, and passport requests made by citizens.
Indeed, streamlining the call centre so that advisors and agents specialize in particular areas of expertise is among the recommendations made by the Committee.
Below is a complete list of the recommendations submitted to Parliament by the Committee. Each recommendation applies to the department of IRCC, currently headed by Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen.
Call Centre improvements
RECOMMENDATION 1
Train all Call Centre agents on client service excellence and on how to communicate with people who may have limited English or French speaking abilities.
RECOMMENDATION 2
Provide a standard process to facilitate calls between a client and a Call Centre agent when an interpreter is used.
RECOMMENDATION 3
Have a 15-minute standard for clients to be connected with an advisor or agent for all Call Centre operations.
RECOMMENDATION 4
Consider including specializations and subject-matter experts for Call Centre advisors and agents based on application type, including (1) temporary residence, (2) permanent residence, (3) refugees, including protected persons, (4) citizenship and (5) passports.
IRCC Website
RECOMMENDATION 5
Consider, as part of the redesign of its website, using (1) client-centric design principles to produce digital channels for each business line, (2) plain language, (3) languages other than French and English, similar to what the Government of British Columbia is doing, and (4) virtual assistance.
RECOMMENDATION 6
Make improvements to “My Account” to allow clients to view and print applications before filing and during processing, and allow applicants to maintain a complete record of every application filed.
RECOMMENDATION 7
Improve the ability for applicants and their representatives to link paper applications with online accounts.
RECOMMENDATION 8
Provide alternative payment methods for individuals without access to online payment services and credit cards, such as returning to the previous policy of accepting proof of payment at a bank.
Providing more frequent and useful information
RECOMMENDATION 9
Contact clients via email or other channels when (1) processing exceeds times provided at the time of application (2) an incorrect payment is made (3) common or simple errors are made on the application.
RECOMMENDATION 10
Implement an online portal for clients and authorized representatives to track application progress, including but not limited to: (1) current status of the application, (2) any reasons for delays, (3) an estimated time for decision and (4) any missing information or complications with the application.
RECOMMENDATION 11
Provide more information and details to clients on the reasons for negative decisions.
RECOMMENDATION 12
Examine ways, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, to increase the number of pre-arrival service sessions available, including attendance, in Foreign Service locations.
RECOMMENDATION 13
Ensure Members of Parliament and Senators continue to have access to the Ministerial Enquiries Division.
Application forms
RECOMMENDATION 14
Regularly review all application forms to (1) simplify the form, (2) improve the client experience, and (3) evaluate common patterns in mistakes and errors made on applications.
RECOMMENDATION 15
Establish a process for notifying applicants when forms are changed and establish a mechanism to ensure that completed applications submitted with once-current forms are not rejected due to form changes.
Processing Times
RECOMMENDATION 16
Consider establishing service standards and processing times for all business lines and publish the standards on the website.
RECOMMENDATION 17
Extend the validity period of work permits from six months to one year to take into account processing times at the department.
Performance Measurement and Client Feedback
RECOMMENDATION 18
Offer automatic client service feedback forms for applications to the department.
RECOMMENDATION 19
Review key performance indicators for all client service channels and review best practices from other immigration systems around the world, such as those of the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Reconsideration
RECOMMENDATION 20
Create a “Reconsideration Committee” to deal with reconsideration requests within applicants’ 15-day deadline.
Continuous Improvement in Customer Service
RECOMMENDATION 21
Conduct “client service and delivery” consultations with customer and client service experts, the private sector, former and current clients of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and all Canadians on how the department can better provide service.
RECOMMENDATION 22
Consult with refugees to determine their issues with client service and take steps to address them; the review would include (but would not be limited to) the website, Call Centre, languages used, access to technology and payments.
RECOMMENDATION 23
Work to better serve Canadian businesses and employers by studying the possible benefits of the department creating a trusted employer program to offer employers an expedited service for assessments (subject to a fee); that this study include input from Canadian businesses and employers; and that IRCC make its findings available to the Committee.
RECOMMENDATION 24
Conduct a cost benefit analysis on having regional immigration offices to deliver in person service similar to Passport Canada and Service Canada locations.
The Committee, which met on four occasions between December, 2016 and March, 2017, has requested a response from the federal government to the conclusions and recommendations. Among the 10 Committee Members were six Liberals MPs, three Conservative MPs, and one New Democratic Party MP.
