Citizenship and Immigration Committee on April 13th, 2010

[Claudette Deschênes]

Again, it's difficult for us. It's a bit like comparing apples and oranges. You'll remember that during that period the Canada Border Services Agency was also created, so a number of staff were moved over there.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I totally understand that. Yes, and there was also Foreign Affairs.

[Claudette Deschênes]

Right.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Still, we should be able to compare it collectively because staff is staff, whether it's at Foreign Affairs, CBSA, or CIC, right?

[Claudette Deschênes]

Right, so we'll do a bit of work and try to bring out the picture--

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

It's hard to talk about increasing resources and whether resources have already been increased in the last few years or not.

On another area there is a question, though. Because of the delay in getting the PR card, you cannot get your social insurance number and therefore you can't work. I'm correct in that assumption. As a result, wouldn't there be any lost earnings? The PR card takes five or six months. We're not getting the tax dollars if they can't work, or that's a wash. Getting a PR card takes, what, six months or so, or is it a lot faster?

[Claudette Deschênes]

At this moment, the processing time is 88 days.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

It's 88 days, so there's really not.... If it's faster, wouldn't it actually allow people to work and get their social insurance card immediately?

[Paul Armstrong, Director General, Centralized Processing Region, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

I don't believe people need the permanent resident card. The permanent resident card is your card--

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Okay, so it's not the problem.

[Paul Armstrong]

--for travel, if you intend to travel.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

It's only for travel. You don't need to worry about your SIN. It's separate.

[Paul Armstrong]

No, they don't, because they should have a confirmation of permanent residence.

[Claudette Deschênes]

You need to be a permanent resident to get the SIN.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Of course.

[Claudette Deschênes]

You can be temporarily.... I don't think they're connected. We can double-check that.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Okay. Thank you for clearing that up.

Again, when sponsoring a spouse in the mid-1980s, you didn't really have to have an income level. Am I correct on that? I remember a period when CIC did not require it, because of humanitarian grounds. If you sponsored a spouse, you did not need--

[Claudette Deschênes]

I believe that's still true.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Then in terms of sponsoring a spouse, because I heard that conversation earlier on, that is still the case. If I am trying to sponsor a husband or a wife, there isn't an income level, but it is the case for children.

[Claudette Deschênes]

I think that's it, but I'm really not absolutely sure, so I would prefer to check before I tell you that.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

In the question and answer earlier on, the witnesses ahead of you said that some people are split apart because the spouse couldn't afford babysitting, they can't go and work, they have to take care of the kids, the wife is overseas, and they can't bring their wife over. That tells me there is an income level you need. That was sort of my understanding. Am I not correct in that?

[Claudette Deschênes]

I'm not sure that all the facts were there, so I'd have to go back and check. We did check about being on welfare, and we confirmed that it's not a bar forever. You have to repay the welfare before you can sponsor, so if you have been on welfare—

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

For a spouse or for a father and mother?

[Claudette Deschênes]

Generally, to be able to sponsor. I think parents--

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

I thought for a father and mother it was different than for spouses—