Evidence of meeting #2 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was immigration.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Ms. Chow, the problem is that you've given the minister about one and a half minutes to answer his questions.
NDP
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
I'll do my best.
On the backlog, we were receiving applications between February 28 and the November launch of the action plan. Those applications for skilled foreign workers went into the inventory, so it's not fair to say that no applications were being received. Those applications are included in the total inventory for skilled foreign workers I mentioned, which is now down by 15%.
On the advertising expenses that are before us, the department had authorization to spend those moneys. I can give you detailed information on how the funds were spent. There was $90,000 in production costs; $900,000 on placement in 143 ethnic media print publications for 714 insertions; $200,000 in the budget for ethnic radio ads on 57 stations with 4,728 spots; $85,000 for mainstream free publications in six publications for 36 insertions; and $87,000 for the required public opinion research, which was translated into 21 languages, including French and English. The target audience was newcomers to Canada of less than five years, based on the list of source country. A total of $1.45 million was spent, which is less than the budget forecast.
We do this because the principal source of information for many newcomers is not so-called mainstream media; it's non-official language media. We want to make sure those people are included and get information that's important to them about immigration and citizenship programs.
On the budget for the citizenship program, that was a result of the loss of one-time money that had ended, which typically happens. I could perhaps invite Mr. Ganim to elaborate.
Wayne Ganim Chief Financial Officer, Finance Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Basically we were able to secure funding for two years to decrease the backlog. Those moneys were sunsetted, and we are currently in the process of seeking additional funds to again deal with that backlog situation.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
We're now up to eight minutes. If the committee has no problem, we'll continue.
Mr. Minister, proceed.
Conservative
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
I'm very keen on having a more robust citizenship program. I've asked our officials to come to me with recommendations for a more robust citizenship program, in terms of educational materials, a test, and symbolic elements. I think we have adequate resources.
Obviously there is a backlog in proofs of citizenship, and that does concern me. Since coming to office we have increased the overall budget for CIC quite considerably. In 2004-05 it was in the range of $900 million, and it is now $3.6 billion. It's difficult in these economic times for me to go to the Minister of Finance and say that we need endless increases. We have to manage our resources better internally.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, for appearing this morning.
It's certainly not easy to jump into getting involved in a new ministry right away, but you are obviously prepared and ready for the committee.
One of the comments you just made was about the additional investments we've made over the last three years in the ministry. Perhaps you could comment further on that.
One of the additional investments we made was the $109 million over five years to reduce our backlog. You've done a very good job of outlining how we've addressed that backlog in the 2008-09 budget, and we're seeing the results of that investment. It was implemented based on the action plan for faster immigration. Perhaps you could describe further the effort and work put forward, and what that additional investment will mean for immigrants who come to our country.
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
Thank you very much.
First I need to correct myself. I just had a brain lapse and read the wrong number. In fact, our spending total in the department now is $1.3 billion.
Let me say, Mr. Chairman, in response to Mr. Dykstra's question, that I think we're all very concerned about the backlog. As I point out, this total backlog grew from about 50,000 cases in 1993 to more than 800,000 when our government took office. Because of the action plan for faster immigration we've begun to turn the corner significantly in the largest inventory, which is skilled foreign workers. The $109 million that was included in last year's budget will also assist the department in accelerating processing in different inventories.
The department has made certain operational improvements: for instance, moving the processing of files in really busy operational centres like New Delhi to other immigration bureaus that have a little more flexibility, to help accelerate things. They're constantly seeking ways to innovate and improve. Because this is an operational question, I'd like to invite the deputy to supplement that answer.
Richard Fadden Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We've done a variety of things to make use of the funds that have been made available to us. We've significantly increased the number of temporary duty officers. We often hire people who are retired, and we send them to the various posts that need to have their backlogs worked on. We've created a number of term positions in London and Singapore, where they have very large backlogs. We've also done two things that Mr. Kenney's predecessor talked about.
One thing is that we've coded all the files that are in the backlog. We're in the process of doing that, and if they have not expressed a preference for a particular province, we'll be referring those to the provinces in the event they're interested in making use of those files. That would lower the backlog.
As well, we're trying an experiment in writing to something like 60,000 of the older file holders to ask them if they're still interested, because unless they consciously and expressly withdraw, they have to stay in the backlog.
So it's been a combination of things like the coding and the letter writing, but also the assignment of additional officers throughout our system and the movement of officers between busy and less busy places, as the minister has indicated.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Thank you.
It leads me to the next question, and it was touched on. There are two streams that we are now working on from a ministerial perspective, and perhaps you, Mr. Minister, and perhaps Mr. Fadden, could just comment on how our efforts are working on both streams, that there isn't a preference to one over the other.
Conservative
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
The backlog, the cases that we deal with post February 27, 2008, and those that are already in the queue.
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
Well, anyone who submitted an application as a federal skilled worker prior to the 2008 budget retains their place in the queue for processing. For those who have made applications since that time, should they fall within the 38 identified occupational priority categories, their applications will be processed on an expedited basis.
Individuals who would like to apply but don't fall within those 38 categories have other opportunities available to them. They can either come to Canada as temporary foreign workers—and they now have, at least potentially, a pathway to permanent residency through the Canadian experience class—or through provincial nomination programs, which are more sensitive to regional economic needs. We're also working with the provinces to make available for them those applicants in the federal skilled worker category who do not qualify for the action plan under the ministerial instructions. We're dedicating 70% of our resources to reducing the backlog and 30% to processing the current inventory.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I don't have a lot of time left, but I did want to just ask this. Mr. Bevilacqua mentioned the combination of some pretty large numbers, and you referred to it both in your opening statements and obviously in response to questions. How did we get to the situation we did, in terms of why the backlog is so big?
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
I'm not entirely sure. A number of policy decisions were made. I know that in the late 1980s and early 1990s Canada was receiving record high numbers of permanent residents. In fact, in 1993, 256,000 permanent residents were received in Canada. So there were high levels of intake and there were apparently adequate resources.
There was a change of government in 1993, and one of the first things that happened was that the number of permanent residents in the subsequent several years was cut fairly dramatically. I think policy decisions were taken with respect to the points system in 2002 that had a significant impact. Of course, there was also no limit to the number of people who could apply, so there was an unlimited demand on the application side; consequently, we saw this massive backlog develop.
What really concerns me is that the processing times went from six months, on average, to over four years, which has put us out of the game of competing for the best and the brightest, so to speak, who seek immigration from developing countries in particular.
February 10th, 2009 / 9:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
Mr. Karygiannis, we're now into five-minute rounds.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Minister, good morning.
You're talking about immigration timelines. You agree that 2005 was an exceptional year as far as timelines were concerned, because of the tsunami and other mishaps. You and I travelled to Sri Lanka with the Prime Minister in 2005. We allocated resources from bringing in skilled workers to bringing in the family class. So you will agree with me that 2005 was not a good benchmark. If we use 2004 as the last Liberal benchmark, I think you would agree with that. The 2004-05 timelines were not regular.
Minister, I'd like you to justify how we went from, in Beijing, 47 months to 68 months for skilled workers; in Manilla, from 53 to 65; in New Delhi, from 50 months in 2004 to 73 months in 2007; in Islamabad, from 44 months to 70 months; and in Damascus, from 55 months to 71 months. These are processing times. In those posts, Minister, we bring in 50% of our skilled worker category. So 80% of our skilled workers were coming in, in a processing time of 53 months overall in 2004 to 68 months currently. That, Minister, to me signifies an increase of 58% longer processing times for skilled workers.
The previous speaker gave you a couple of easy questions, and you sat there and justified this.
Conservative
Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB
Thank you, Mr. Karygiannis, for your question--or your statement.
First of all, I'll have to review the numbers you've offered. I am aware that when my predecessor appeared before this committee you had suggested that there was something like a 43% increase in the waiting time in Beijing. Our officials analysed that and found that that was completely and wholly inaccurate, that there were in fact faster processing times in many inventories in Beijing over the period that you had mentioned. So I'm afraid I cannot accept at face value your analysis of the figures.
