Evidence of meeting #35 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pool.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
Mr. Sandhu, when I speak you have to stop. You may agree and you may not, but I'm just pointing it out. We'll let the question go, but I don't think that topic is in the supplementary estimates.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Jasbir Sandhu NDP Surrey North, BC
At the onset I pointed out that, since the department heads are here, it may be convenient for us to ask them questions that have been coming up in my constituency, and I'm here to represent my constituents. I think I have the right to ask those questions of the department heads.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I said you could, but I'm just pointing out to you that it's not in the supplementary estimates, so just that one question, please.
4:10 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, the issue of spousal processing is one that's very important to us, and that's why there is considerable space in the levels program to deal with these applications. About 48,000 people will be admitted through that category this year.
We're doing our utmost to try to reduce the processing times and to be very clear on what is required in this process. It is one that can be a very complicated process, but we are certainly making every effort to try to reduce the processing times as much as we can and work within the levels space that is available.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Jasbir Sandhu NDP Surrey North, BC
Great. Under the live-in caregiver program, under the new rules that were kicked in on Sunday, there's now a cap on the number of live-in caregivers who can even apply for permanent residence.
When you announced the changes you had a backgrounder that stated that 4,500 people applied annually for permanent residency.
If the new rules had been in place over two years ago, can you confirm how many of those 4,500 people would have been applying in the caring for children pathway versus the caring for people with high medical needs pathway?
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Costas Menegakis Conservative Richmond Hill, ON
I don't believe that's a supplementary estimate question. It's clearly a policy question. I believe you made it very clear at the outset of the meeting that the officials are not here to respond to political questions or policy questions. They're here to respond to programs that are in the estimates, and I'm sure they're willing and able to do that.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I agree with you. It's not in the supplementary estimates. However, your side asked a question on that topic. So, if it's fair for you, it's fair for them.
4:10 p.m.
Acting Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I can't give a precise answer to your question. Over the last three years the number of caregivers coming in on work permits at the front end of the program have been in the range of 4,000 to 6,000.
The new program will allow permanent resident applications for about 5,500 per year, so there's a broad consistency in the size of the recent arrival numbers as temporary foreign worker live-in caregivers and the space available in the new programs.
As for what percentage of those who came in previously would qualify for the two different new caregiver programs, I can't speculate on that. I don't have that data before me. We would have to do a quite detailed analysis of their occupational history.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses as well.
I don't want to make any political comment. Despite all the opposition from both parties, we are successful in bringing in new programs, but I'll focus on express entry.
In your presentation, which I agree with, Canada must attract the best of the best to bring to Canada for the economic success of this country. I have a little bit of clarification that I am looking for, because I came here as an immigrant and I can remember that in those days it took me a while to be economically successful, whether it was my education or some other reasons. It seems with this program there are very good chances that success will come with immigration. Is that true? If that is true, could you make some comment on that?
4:15 p.m.
Acting Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Well, we all want immigrants to succeed as rapidly as possible; it's in our economic and social benefit. There is nothing that helps integration of immigrants and healthy families of immigrants more than gaining employment. So the idea of express entry is very much to not make a false choice between meeting labour market needs and human capital.
We believe that Canada is a highly attractive destination country that can have it both ways, that can maximize the linkages between new immigrants and employers before they get here, while at the same time ensuring a strong human capital base of our new immigrants so that they can adjust over their careers—as many of us have to—to changes in the economy and in the labour market.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
In your presentation, even though you did not read it, it says that it is critical to ensure we protect and strengthen the immense value of Canadian citizenship, and that we remind individuals of all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges it entails.
I'll be talking about the strengthening of the Canadian Citizenship Act, and I want to hear of the outcome of that, because I remember last year this particular issue was discussed during the study of that act, and of course, none of the opposition supported it.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Tilson
I guess anything goes. We shouldn't be allowing anything here. Go ahead, but I thought we were on supplementary estimates.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB
Mr. Chair, may I make a submission that when we talk about the new program that the department shows us, I just want to have their comments and the outcome of the previous subject we studied just a year ago. Thank you.
We talked about civic participation, economic success, and we talked about how important it is that to succeed in Canadian society one must know one of the official languages; and we changed the age extension to 14 to 64. I'd like you to elaborate on the outcome of all of those. Was there any success measured during this past year after that act became the law?
4:15 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Chair, it may be a little premature to really comment on the impact of some of the specific changes. What I can comment on, though, is the processing, and there have been significant advances there. As you will recall, there was $44 million given to the department over two years under the economic action plan of 2013, to look at processing times for routine cases and try to get them to below one year by the end of fiscal year 2015-16.
I think I can report good progress on that front. Canada has welcomed close to 220,000 new citizens from the beginning of the year to the end of October, which is more than double the number in 2013. The new decision-making process which came into effect on August 1, 2014, has already led to increased productivity, but, importantly, to sustaining an emphasis on program integrity and ensuring that we're very careful on processing those applications. In fact, about 75,000 individuals have become citizens from August 1 to October 31, 2014, which is 131% more than the same time in the period the year before.
In addition, our inventory of cases is coming down significantly. It's now at about 250,000 individuals who are waiting for their application to be studied for Canadian citizenship.