Evidence of meeting #3 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 application.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Chow has brought this forward with, it seems, good intentions, but I want some clarification on the wording. My understanding is that for in-Canada spousal applications, there is one person who makes the application and one person who sponsors the applicant.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
Well, this says any applicant who has filed their first in-Canada spousal or common-law sponsorship application.
9:25 a.m.
An hon. member
Yes--
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
The application for permanent residency in Canada is made with the applicant who wants to be a permanent resident of Canada, and that person has to be sponsored by someone. So what does it mean when it says it's their first in-Canada spousal sponsorship? Are we talking about the applicant or the sponsor?
Thank you.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Ms. Chow, it appears there's another question for you. Or maybe you have no comment, and that's fine too.
9:25 a.m.
NDP
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
I wasn't the person who added “in-Canada spousal”. As I recall the discussion at the time, I think it was to apply to people who have not been previously sponsored. For example, it's my first marriage; it's not that I've been married, someone sponsored me, and then it didn't quite happen or I've been divorced.
So I think that was the intention.
9:25 a.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
If I may, I think the question here is that there are two applications in this process, one for sponsorship and one for permanent residency. Obviously, yes, you have to have both, so you have to add something about permanent residency to make it a proper motion.
9:25 a.m.
Conservative
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Yes, to add an application for permanent residency. The process has to have both.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
You would add it for “any application...who has filed their first in-Canada spousal or common law sponsorship application as well as a permanent residency application”.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Accompanied by a permanent residency application, yes.
9:30 a.m.
Liberal
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Okay, so are we treating this as one motion? She's agreed, so that's one motion.
Ms. Wong.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
I'm proposing an amendment. After the words “the following motions to Parliament”, I would like to add “and allow the government the opportunity to respond”. Right now we have already brought a lot of technical challenges here, so I would like to see that the government would have the opportunity to respond.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
Alice Wong Conservative Richmond, BC
Right after “the motions to Parliament”; and then instead of a semicolon, put a colon and add “and allow the government the opportunity to respond” and then colon.
