Canada’s immigration minister appeared before the Standing Committee as part of a study on the affect coronavirus has had on Canada’s immigration system.
• Operations during coronavirus
• Family sponsorship
• Expired COPRs
• Post Graduation Work Permit
• Pathways for temporary residence to permanent residence
• About the study
Operations during coronavirus
Mendicino listed the measures that Canada took to help immigrants during the pandemic. He also boasted the new virtual landing process, which has reduced the time it takes to land new permanent residents.
He also discussed the amount of decisions being made on immigration applications in the week ending on November 14. Overall, about 80 per cent of decisions on applications were made in comparison with 2019. Certain programs saw much higher rates of processing, such as the Provincial Nominee Program which saw a 232% year-over-year increase, and the Protected Persons Class which saw a 557% increase year-over-year.
The minister also promised that citizenship applicants between the ages of 50 and 54 will be able to submit applications electronically. The new online platform will begin January 1, 2021. The minister called this measure a “big step forward.”
Mendicino also added that the government will continue to apply policy flexibilities to minimize the disruptions caused by the pandemic, including those that affect the Caregiver Program. He did not promise any measures for the program, specifically.
After the minister’s time was done, Christine Normandin from the Bloc Québécois asked IRCC officials if work permit applicants in the hospitality sector were being overlooked. Marian Campbell Jarvis, assistant deputy minister in charge of IRCC program policy, replied that the immigration department is triaging work permit applications in the context of the pandemic. Positions in healthcare and other essential services are being prioritized over other areas, which do not necessarily mean that hospitality sector positions are being ignored.
Normandin also asked if it is a possibility for IRCC to allow biometrics to be done at the border when immigration applicants arrive in Canada. Tapley replied that biometrics must be done before foreign nationals enter the country so that IRCC can confirm their identity, as part of a security measure. Mendicino also had previously drawn attention to the number of Visa Application Centres reopening around the world, including locations like the U.S. and India where many immigration applicants reside.
Family sponsorship
Mendicino promised that 49,000 spousal applications would be processed by the end of the year. The minister said that a special task force has been assigned at IRCC to process these applications,.
Shadow Minister Raquel Dancho, from the Conservative Party, provided the minister with a list of about 100 names of people who applied for a travel exemption as extended family members and did not hear anything from IRCC. The minister agreed to personally look at the list.
Tapley later explained that the service standard for these applications was back to the 14-day standard, after committee members were told by the IRCC call centre that they were being processed in 21 business days. The deputy minister said they have received about 50,000 email inquiries for family reunification. Not all of these represent a specific case, but each needs to be examined.
Kwan raised the issue of family class applicants who are constantly being blocked from getting visitor visas to Canada due to policy 179 (b). This clause states that visitor visa applicants must demonstrate that they will leave the country at the end of their authorized stay, and they must do this by satisfying the immigration officer that they have ties to their home country. They are allowed to come to Canada as a visitor if they have a permanent residency application pending thanks to the concept of dual intent.
However, Kwan asserted, “Dual intent is not working.” She said it is because the decision largely rests on the individual officer handling the case.
Kwan asked Mendicino if he would consider suspending 179 (b) for applicants applying with dual intent, or issue a special visitor visa, like the Super Visa for the Parents and Grandparents Program.
The immigration minister said he is “open minded to exploring flexibilities where necessary,” adding that each case is evaluated on their merits.
Kwan also asked about people whose permanent residency cards have expired in Canada, who are looking to travel abroad to see sick or dying loved ones. Kwan said her constituents were told they need to already have a plane ticket in order to be considered urgent cases. Tapley said they will look into this issue.
Expired COPRs
Dancho asked Tapley to explain the situation for expired-Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders, who were approved for permanent residence but were unable to come to Canada as a result of the pandemic.
The Deputy Minister said that expired-COPR holders who were approved for permanent residence before March 18 are not in Canada because they chose not to travel during the pandemic. She said this could have been for many reasons “including conditions at home.” Tapley said that they have been moving through these files since September, starting with family class and now moving into economic class applicants. IRCC is issuing the letters of authorization, which expired-COPR holders need in order to travel, individually and in order from when they expired. They are not processing them on a geographical or country-by-country basis. IRCC has never had to handle expired-COPR holder requests in this way before, Tapley said.
Sections of Tapley’s response spurred criticism from expired-COPR holders. Specifically, when she implied that COPR holders chose not to come during the pandemic and that their documents are typically valid for 12 months. Countries like India and Nigeria, where many expired-COPR holders live, grounded international flights in the early days of the pandemic. Expired COPR-holders took to social media with claims that their documents were not valid for 12 months, as the deputy minister had suggested. Some asserting that their COPRs were valid for less than one month.
Kwan asked the IRCC officials if they could issue letters of authorization automatically, so that whoever still wanted to come to Canada could opt in, rather than going through cases individually, which is a laborious process.
Immigration minister said that it would be better client service to issue authorization letters individually, and it would be better for Canadian Border Services Agency. Mills said that they have 7,000 more people to reach and they are looking for a strategy that is more proactive to communicate with them.
Post Graduation Work Permit
Kwan asked if the minister would extend Post Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) or make them renewable for those who were affected by the pandemic.
Mendicino said, “No international student is going to be removed by virtue alone of having an expired visa. We will allow for a period of time for them to restore that status.”
Tapley later confirmed that PGWP holders will benefit from an implied status while IRCC is working on a way to possibly extend the work permit.
Pathways for temporary residence to permanent residence
Jasraj Singh Hallan, from the Conservative Party, asked the minister if there would be a pathway to permanent residence for low-skilled workers who provided essential services during the pandemic.
As Mendicino previously mentioned in the media, he suggested that Canada is looking into offering a pathway to permanent residence for workers who are contributing to essential parts for the economy. He specifically named occupations where there are dire needs such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support workers.
Canada has already opened up an immigration option for asylum seekers working in healthcare. Mendicino suggested that the government would look to temporary workers and students next.
After the study is finished, the committee will report its findings to the House. The government then has 120 days to table a response, which may or may not amount to changes in policy.
