Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Nov. 24th, 2016

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I'll stop with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you.

Mr. Tabbara, for five minutes, please.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

On several occasions, there have been constituents of mine who have applied to sponsor their spouses. They've informed me that their applications are complete, including medical, criminal, and security checks, and they've been in the queue for an officer review for the past few months.

Could you tell me what else may be taking so long for their application to be processed?

[Robert Orr]

Usually in those circumstances, if everything of that nature is complete, it's purely the volume. It's getting time when an officer is able to get to that particular application.

Obviously, as well, we have to stay within the levels. We're not going to be issuing more visas in a particular year than the target, the levels space, allows.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Could you explain how the income threshold for an application to sponsor a parent or grandparent is calculated?

[Robert Orr]

Mr. Chair, it goes back to some of the comments we were talking about with Statistics Canada. We work very closely with them, and they establish the minimum income levels.

We're going to be looking at the individual's income for the previous three years to ensure financial stability over that period. It's basically a formulaic process provided to us by Statistics Canada.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I want to again go back to this question, which was already raised by Ms. Dzerowicz, about the applications for parents and grandparents, for parent sponsorships, starting in 2017. We've increased it to 10,000.

There have been constituents of mine who have already applied. They applied on the exact date with their application fully done, but their parents didn't get accepted. What would you recommend that I tell them this second time? Should they follow the same procedure as they did last year?

[Robert Orr]

I think it's going to be following the procedures, as we lay them out in the coming weeks. It is unfortunate, but there's a far greater demand than there are spaces. We have to find a means of taking the 10,000. We can't go beyond that number, and unfortunately, there are some people who are left out in that.

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Thank you.

That's my question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Borys Wrzesnewskyj]

Thank you.

Mr. Tilson, for five minutes, please.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Orr, Ms. Rempel asked for some information about caregivers. A number of witnesses have said they'd like the applications for parents and grandparents to be raised to 20,000 or 30,000, and some even said to take the cap off completely. Obviously, we're interested in the effect of that. You indicated that it would take some time for you to get that information.

The problem we have, Mr. Orr, is that this is the last meeting, and now the analysts are preparing a report. For both those questions that Ms. Rempel asked, the one about caregivers and the one about what it would take to make these increases, these are very important questions. They're probably part of the core of the whole hearing.

I understand that Christmas is coming, and you're thinking, “Why are they asking us to do this now?”

Our problem is, we're going to do a report soon. My question is, when can you get this information to us?

[Robert Orr]

Mr. Chair, perhaps I could give you just a few factoids that might be helpful.

For instance, we did a survey that indicated 85% of parents and grandparents provide child care often or sometimes in a family. On average, the economic outcomes of parents and grandparents are below that of all immigrants, but that's not unexpected. Parents and grandparents have an average age of about 65 at the time of admission to Canada.

For immigrants who were admitted between 2003 and 2013, 49% of parents and grandparents report employment earnings one year after arriving in Canada, compared to 66% of all immigrants. The percentage of parents and grandparents who report employment earnings decreases over the first eight years in Canada, while the percentage of all immigrants reporting employment earnings remains stable. We found that 8% of parents and grandparents report self-employment earnings one year after arriving, compared to 9% of all immigrants, so that's fairly close. The proportion of parents and grandparents reporting self-employment earnings increases to 13% eight years after arriving in Canada, compared to 15% of all immigrants.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

I think, Mr. Orr, I'm going to yield the floor for a second, as long as she doesn't take over a specific question.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

To clarify Mr. Tilson's question, when can you have the data for us on, and let's give specific parameters, how many additional resources, staff, and cost, etc. it would take to increase the number of spots by increments of 10,000?

[Robert Orr]

Mr. Chair, I'm not in a position to say exactly when we can get it to you, given the complexity of some of these questions. Nevertheless, we can certainly make every effort to do it as rapidly as we can.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Thank you.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Well, this is probably one of the main reasons we've asked you back, because people said to raise it by 10,000, or 20,000, or lift the cap. To do that, I'm sure there's an effect. Either you have to hire more staff, or you have to cut something. Someone said that might be an alternative, to cut other areas to do this.

We need advice to properly prepare our report.

[Robert Orr]

Mr. Chair, if we are to increase parents and grandparents significantly, and if it's not at the expense of another part of the program, then we have to consider that it's not just if we cut here, then we would give it there. There can be differences in complexity on how we deal with the different applications. It's not necessarily that we can take some from here and apply it exactly there.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

We would have to cut something else.

[Robert Orr]

Without new resources, yes, that would have to be the case.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

The government budgeted $25 million for processing time reductions for 2016, and $15 million for each of the next three years. Does that allow you to hire more staff for these applications?

[Robert Orr]

That is primarily being used in the spousal and children category. Yes, it certainly does allow us to increase our staffing in those areas, among other activities that we're doing. Certainly, staffing is part of it.

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Would it be able to resolve these suggested increases of about 10,000 to 20,000 or lifting the cap?

[Robert Orr]

I'm sorry. I'm not sure—

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Would it be able to resolve the issue of raising the number of applications to either 10,000 or 20,000 or, indeed, removing the cap?