Evidence of meeting #23 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 child.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Andrew Griffith  Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Rick Stewart  Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Nicole Girard  Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Yes. How many have been granted?

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

Unfortunately, I do not have the numbers with me today. I will follow up with the committee.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

We know from what was said that there were 75 or thereabouts still left behind.

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

From the testimony last week?

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

That's right.

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

I heard Mr. Chapman's testimony last week.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Yes. So is that about the right number? These would be people who have applied and were turned down.

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

No. The cases that Mr. Chapman was referring to last week are cases that are in the system and before us at some stage in the process.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Do you, by and large, approve these or not? You can't generalize? Surely your department would have.... Is it for half of them you can prove there is undue hardship and the other half you can't?

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

I will follow up with the committee.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

You know, Ms. Chow--

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

We won't know. Never mind. I won't go there.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

--I think you should move on.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Yes, I know.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

You're putting the witness in a difficult position.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Fine.

9:30 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative David Tilson

Thank you.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

A child of an adopted Canadian born outside of Canada can become stateless because that child was born outside of Canada. How would this child come to Canada if he is stateless and doesn't have a travel document? There's a provision that if they live in Canada for three years, then perhaps they could be granted citizenship. But if they have no right to a passport, how would they come to Canada?

9:30 a.m.

Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Andrew Griffith

Mr. Chair, we do have the provision of providing a single-journey travel document precisely for those situations, to allow people in those situations to come to Canada.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

I see, but a stateless person would have no rights in the country where he's stateless, nor would he have any rights when he comes to Canada. Would this stateless person's stateless child, born of an adopted Canadian, qualify for OHIP, for example?

9:30 a.m.

Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Andrew Griffith

I'd rather limit my comments more to the citizenship angle.

They could come to Canada. They could be sponsored under the family class as a permanent resident. Then again, given that--

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

In Canada?

9:30 a.m.

Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Andrew Griffith

They can be sponsored as family class members. They'd become permanent residents. Then again, any child under 18 doesn't have the normal residency requirement of three years before he can apply for a grant of citizenship.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

So I'm this adopted person and my child is left, let's say, in China. I would apply for her to come to Canada to join me. That could easily take a year or two years. Would I be separated from my child for two years? Or do you want her to come here and then I would sponsor this child in Canada, knowing full well--

9:30 a.m.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Rick Stewart

You can sponsor the child while you're still overseas as long as you're demonstrating an attempt that you're going to move to Canada to take up permanent residence. In declaring that sponsorship intent, and in submitting a sponsorship application, even if the child is stateless and needs a travel document to be able to travel to Canada, we will issue a single-journey travel document to facilitate the travel to Canada, because the ultimate intent is clear. The intent is to sponsor the child as a permanent resident and put her on that track to permanent residency and citizenship.

As for arrival in Canada, because for a minor who's under the age of 18 the normal three-year window period of waiting to apply for citizenship does not apply, you can apply immediately upon arrival in Canada for citizenship for the child.