Evidence of meeting #59 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 eta.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Maybe the airport kiosks are other means, and not online. Maybe that's not connected to the Internet.
Senior Vice-President, Corporate and Business Development, NextgenID Canada Inc.
Yes, that could be, too. I just heard that earlier.
NDP
Rathika Sitsabaiesan NDP Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Yes, that's what we heard from the citizenship officials earlier.
Should a foreign national have any recourse if his or her application to an eTA is denied? If so, what would be your recommendations? What recourse do you believe CIC should provide to these foreign nationals if their eTA application is denied?
Board of Directors, Centre for Immigration Policy Reform, As an Individual
I think I already mentioned that. Maybe I'm wrong, but I assume the system provides that if your eTA has been refused and you think a mistake has been made or you want to discuss it, you can do so with a visa officer in the country where you're located.
Conservative
Conservative
Chungsen Leung Conservative Willowdale, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Before I entered politics, I travelled a lot on business to over 30, 40-plus countries. I find that this eTA or even the visa is an entirely reasonable measure because it does facilitate entry. But there are two points I wish to address to Mr. Bell and perhaps to Mr. Bissett.
As we go to a more internationalized world, where people have different surnames and there's a question of whether we use the right Chinese character or whether we use the right Arabic spelling, as in “al” or “el”...I find that the eTA is a much more simplified tool to address these issues, because now you're not relying on the standard tombstone data and how someone, whether they came from a French background or an English background, translated your name as you entered the country. That's one point.
The other point is that in the entire Asia-Pacific area—Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong—I think there's heavy reliance on these types of biometric data. I wish to actually confirm that this is in fact true, that we are totally culturally sensitive to these issues.
Also, once you're a business traveller, as Mr. Bissett mentioned...I would certainly want to know that I can enter a country before I'm met at the doorstep and someone says I cannot enter. Some of the questions I have been faced with answering have been: Have you ever been refused visa entry to any other country? Do you have a communicable disease? Are you bringing any commercial goods in? Also, another question might be, have you ever been refused entry to this country? Those are pretty standard questions. I would have no issue with any of those questions being asked of me, as a business traveller.
Mr. Bell.
November 19th, 2012 / 12:50 p.m.
Senior Vice-President, Corporate and Business Development, NextgenID Canada Inc.
I too have probably travelled in 40 or 50 countries, so I empathize with you.
In regard to your first question on names, and spelling of names and different interpretation of names, I'm not sure the eTA addresses that. I think that's where biometrics will help you.
Conservative
Senior Vice-President, Corporate and Business Development, NextgenID Canada Inc.
That's where biometrics will help. It's a classic use for biometrics.
On the question about acceptance in Asian countries, certainly we've seen that Hong Kong, in automating its borders, was certainly a pioneer in that area. Malaysia, in going to an e-passport, was a pioneer in that area. We're seeing the other Asian countries, from Korea all the way down, implementing to some extent some biometrics at their borders. So it's common, and it seems to be accepted.
Was there another part to your question?
Conservative
Chungsen Leung Conservative Willowdale, ON
It was with regard to being a business traveller, being asked to give totally reasonable answers.
Senior Vice-President, Corporate and Business Development, NextgenID Canada Inc.
Yes, exactly. I mean, if you travel to Australia frequently, the travel agent does it, or you do it at the airport. It's not a hardship.
Conservative
Board of Directors, Centre for Immigration Policy Reform, As an Individual
No, I agree entirely that we have to go that way, to biometrics. We know now that the concept or the principle of pre-examination has existed for a long time. I mean, if you travel to the United States out of Ottawa, you go up to the airport, and if you're there unluckily on a bad day, there is a tremendous lineup, and you may have to wait to the point where you in all possibility will lose your flight.
So this new system has I think nothing but advantages for the travelling public.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
To the witnesses, thank you for coming. Mr. Bissett, Mr. Bell, Mr. Collacott, we appreciated your words, which will help us understand these sections better.
Thank you very much.
We will now go in camera, where we have some committee business to discuss.
[Proceedings continue in camera]