Evidence of meeting #9 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was year.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:30 a.m.
Immigration Program Manager, Chandigarh, India, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you.
There is one way of counting fraud, and that is the number of applicants we find inadmissible because of confirmed frauds. We find them inadmissible for two years because of the fraud that was committed.
Last year we had 654 such applications, where we discovered and verified fraud. We offer the applicants the opportunity to respond to those concerns. If they respond, then we assess the response and make our determination. That is a long process, especially when we're giving the applicant time to respond. We give them 30 days.
It is something that we do, but I would say that we don't do it in every single case. If we find highly suspect documents, and there are other reasons that we would not be satisfied that the applicant meets our requirements or is inadmissible, we may simply refuse.
We don't have numbers for those cases. The figure of 654 is a firm number, but I would say we have discovered fraud in a number of other cases but did not go to that length to find the person inadmissible.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Frank, can you give me a short answer, please?
11:30 a.m.
Immigration Program Manager, New Delhi, India, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The majority of applications refused by us, especially those for temporary resident visas, involve fraud or false statements. As Ms. Zadravetz explained, we can refuse applications under section 40 of the act. We don't do that all the time, especially during the high season. However, it's true that people are going to make false statements to give us the impression that they're working at a certain place, although they aren't working, that they've completed certain studies that they haven't really done, or that they have money in a certain bank account, which in fact doesn't exist. This practice is very widespread among many of the applications we refuse.
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
11:30 a.m.
Conservative
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Thank you.
On a somewhat more positive note, our Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, has done a lot of work and met lots of people. Two weeks ago, he announced the creation of the
parents and grandparents super visa, which I suspect you've heard about. It will provide a 10-year multi-entry visa to encourage people to apply for temporary visas, as opposed to permanent residence. This is the most generous visa offered in our immigration system, I'm told.
Can you tell us how this might affect processing times, please?
Let's start with Mr. Francis.
11:35 a.m.
Acting Immigration Program Manager, Manila, Philippines, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The super visa is something we look forward to. In some respects we've already been doing something similar with our parents and grandparents, because we recognize that our processing times are long. We're hoping that over the next year, as we get into more and more of our parents and grandparents cases, we'll be able to reduce our processing times even further as we deal with more and more of our inventory.
It is my understanding that the super visa, as it stands right now, will apply to those parents who are currently in the queue, or those who could be sponsored at some later date.
One of the things we have encountered in the Philippines is that many of our parents and grandparents do not actually stay a long time in Canada, and we encounter them when they apply for permanent resident travel documents. So the super visa may discourage them from applying because they wish to be long-term visitors, as opposed to permanent residents. We think it may have a positive impact by taking some of the pressure off the category as it currently exists.
11:35 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Thank you, Mr. Francis.
I'm sorry, Mr. Weston, we're out of time.
We will proceed with Mr. Davies, who represents the New Democratic Party caucus.
November 15th, 2011 / 11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'd like to pick up on the issue of the so-called super visa, so we can understand how this might play out.
I understand that Canada has had a five-year multiple-entry visa for years. Is that your understanding?
11:35 a.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Yes, that's correct.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
11:35 a.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I've been in the business for over 20 years, and we've had them that entire time.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I have a press release from CIC dated July 20 announcing a new 10-year multiple-entry visa. So CIC created a 10-year multiple-entry visa to coincide with the extension of the passports of many countries from five years to 10 years this past July. Is that correct?
11:35 a.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
That reflects the fact that some passports are valid for 10 years.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
In this press release it says that this practice, already recommended for parents and grandparents with sponsorships in process, may now be extended to other clientele, such as business visitors.
So it's true that the 10-year multiple-entry visa was created in July. Is that right?
11:35 a.m.
Director General, International Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
It was rolled out in July, yes.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thanks.
It says we receive some 30,000 temporary resident visa applications per year in Manila. Chandigarh says there were 20,000 visitor applications. In the presentation it says that Chandigarh is now increasingly issuing longer term multiple-entry visas.
Can Chandigarh or Manila tell me how many five-year multiple-entry visas you have issued a year over the previous 10 years? I know you probably don't have the figure at your fingertips, but give us a general idea of how many you have issued every year.
11:35 a.m.
Immigration Program Manager, Chandigarh, India, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The office in Chandigarh opened in 2004, so we can't go back 10 years. I would not be able to give you a figure at all. I would have to see if we could get those numbers. I'm not really sure.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Could you please forward those numbers to the committee for each year since 2004, how many five-year multiple-entry visas you've issued annually?
11:35 a.m.
Immigration Program Manager, Chandigarh, India, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I'll see if that information is even available. It was in a different system. We can look into it, but I don't know whether that information is easily obtainable, about how many we've issued.
11:35 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
If you could, send it to the clerk.
You don't know if you have the number of five-year multiple-entry visas your office has issued annually since 2004?
11:35 a.m.
Immigration Program Manager, Chandigarh, India, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
No. I'll have to inquire whether there is a way to run that. I just don't know whether we can. If we can do it, we'll send the information.
11:40 a.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
In Manila, do you know how many five-year multiple-entry visas you've issued over the last 10 years on average?
11:40 a.m.
Acting Immigration Program Manager, Manila, Philippines, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Again, we have the same technical problems. The system that we would use to run that, called CAIPS, is antiquated and may not necessarily be able to produce that information.
One of the things you have to bear in mind in terms of the multiple-entry visa is that the cost-recovery fees that are payable differ for a single-entry visa versus a multiple-entry visa, and we find many of our parents and grandparents applying for only a single-entry visa.