Evidence of meeting #26 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 applicants.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Cheema, I understand what you're saying about there being fraud or unscrupulous immigration consultants. Particularly, I guess, let's focus on India. It seems to be the basis of some discussion today.
In Chandigarh, for instance, there is a rejection rate of 53% of visitor visas. That's CIC's own figure. I mean, literally thousands and thousands of those applications are rejected every year.
I've been a member of Parliament for going on four years, and I can tell you there are many applications for TRVs that are turned down, not because they think an MP can help them, and not because they think there are forged documents or that they haven't put in documents. Actually, these are applications where they're putting in bank statements and copies of land titles, and they have family in India—they come from good solid families in Vancouver, where I'm from—and they're still turned down.
With your political experience, I think you must know that as well. Surely you're not saying that every application that's turned down in Punjab from Chandigarh is because of forgery or fraud, are you?
As an Individual
No, absolutely not.
I think that with most individuals who want to visit their families, for example, for a wedding, a death, or a special function, the majority of them are all positive. They have no problem going back.
I'm talking about the individuals who are potential immigrants. With their medical files and how often the medical exams are done, if they have a period of one year or two years to wait, what happens within that period with their health status? If my health status is good today, how do I make sure that within one year it's still the same thing?
I'm not saying that everyone is not abiding by the rules and the laws. I'm talking about people who are exploiting the community right here and also in Punjab.
I think it's the responsibility of individuals like you and others to make sure we don't send a message that the applications are being rejected because it's the politics. I think we have to say that if you present your documents properly, and you follow the rules and you have gone back, you have not violated the rules—
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I understand. My point is just that, though. I'm seeing many, many cases, and many MPs are seeing cases, where people are putting in those applications and still getting rejected.
That's the problem.
As an Individual
In that case I think you need to make sure you talk to the Minister of Immigration, and maybe the visa officers. Maybe they need to do more outreach.
People forget one thing: when you have 800,000 Indo-Canadians in this country, you're going to have marriages, you're going to have deaths, and you're going to have functions, so you have to allow a certain amount of resources for those applications to be processed.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Thank you, Dr. Cheema, and Monsieur Bohbot. We appreciate your contributions in assisting the committee on this study. Thank you very much.
This meeting is adjourned.
