Evidence of meeting #5 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was back.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Harpreet Kochhar  Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Catrina Tapley  Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

10:10 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar

As we morph operationally, depending on the volumes and the capacity and the resources available in this line of business, we strive to operate in such a way that, as I mentioned earlier, we provide the best client service. If this is the way we reduce the client pain points, we would continue to refine our processes and bring the guidance to our front-line staff to assist the clients.

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Thank you.

Ms. Kwan, you have six minutes.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Just to follow up on that question, I'll tell you that one case I have before me is that of a missing signature, and the entire application was sent back. In another case, one wrong certificate was sent in, and the entire application was sent back. As a result of that, both of those individuals had their work permits expire and they are now in quite a conundrum with respect to this. Had the application been sent back, they would have been able to quickly fix it and get the correct certificate sent into IRCC. No one contacted them.

This was studied by this committee in the last Parliament, and it was indicated that this would be fixed. Here we are, in the second Parliament after the study, and the same thing is happening again.

I can't emphasize enough how frustrating this is, not for me as a parliamentarian per se, but for the applicants and in the workload that is created for the IRCC themselves to have to reinitiate and reprocess another application. I'm spending way too much of my six minutes on this.

I want to ask this question. On the funding shortfall that has existed in the ministry, and given that the ministry has underspent by close to $20 million, could you provide to the committee where the programs are that were underspent and by how much in this last fiscal year?

For example, if you get into resettlement services, on the grant applications and for each of the areas, what's the differential in terms of actual spending versus allocated dollars? If I could just get an acknowledgement—I suspect you don't have those numbers here today—that this would be passed on to the chair for the committee, I would appreciate it.

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

I can do a first pass, Madam Chair.

Our lapse when it came to settlement services and the money we spend on this was less than 1%. That's really tight for us, and actually we're quite proud of that because it means more money is in the hands of settlement—

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Sorry, I don't want to interrupt, but I really want the actual figures for the programs in terms of the underspending. Could I receive that for the committee, please?

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

I assume this is on the settlement side, our grants and contributions side.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

No, for the entire ministry, with $20 million underspending, where did the difference come from? Where are the programs with that differential?

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

We'll get back with exact figures.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Thank you very much.

I'd like to ask some questions about the caregivers piece. Several committee meetings ago, I asked about that. Could you provide the committee with the figures on how many caregivers since 2014 have received their PR and how many of those applications are in process? If I can get confirmation that we can get that figure, that would be appreciated.

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

I have the most recent year figures, but I don't have them since 2014. So, again, we are happy to come back with that figure.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Okay, thank you.

For the people who have been denied in terms of the application, at the last committee I asked for a breakdown of that. Could you make sure that the number also includes the interim pathway process under that stream of people who have been denied of the application?

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

On the caregivers program, is proof of funds required for a caregiver to apply for permanent residence under the new pilot?

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

Yes, there is a proof of funds that is required under the new pilot.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Okay. What type of proof of funds is required? Is it an actual bank deposit or proof of income or wages? What is required?

10:15 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Catrina Tapley

What is required is proof that you can sustain yourself when you come to Canada. We're prepared to look at a number of different documents on that.

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Could you provide that to the committee, please?

Actually, for all of the guidelines, specifically under these two new programs, what are the specific guidelines by which the caregiver must show? So, aside from the proof of funds—which is not on your website, by the way. It would be really good for the public and members of Parliament to know what exactly are all of the requirements and the details of how one would be able to show that they have met those requirements.

10:20 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar

Madam Chair, I would say that the information the member is seeking is on the new pathways, the one we have for the home support workers as well as for the home child care.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Correct.

10:20 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar

We can provide that information, but it's very much depicted in the pilot that, when somebody applies for that, they will be assessed for their ability to sustain themselves and their dependants in Canada to begin with. That's at an officer's discretion. There is no numerical value that is actually put on to that.

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

You have 20 seconds.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Okay.

What does the government do to monitor an abusive employer of caregivers?

10:20 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations, Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar

In terms of looking at a situation where an employer is not holding to a social contract with a caregiver, a caregiver has the opportunity to come out and seek another open visa work permit from us.

10:20 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid

Your time is up, Ms. Kwan.

We will now move on to Mr. Seeback, for five minutes.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

I am going to pass my time to Mr. Chiu, since he didn't get a chance in the last round.