Thank you, Madam Chair.
I wish to move a motion. This motion is in consideration of the overturn of the entire immigration system in the world and how many human lives are impacted by that both at home and abroad.
In that context, I move:
That, pursuant to standing order 108(2), the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration commence a study on examining the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Canada’s immigration system, and that this study evaluate, review and examine all issues relevant to this situation, including the following: 1. application backlogs and processing times for the different streams of family reunification and the barriers preventing the timely reunification of loved ones, such as denials of temporary resident visas because of section 179(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and the ongoing closures of Visa Application Centers; 2. examine the government’s decision to reintroduce a lottery system for the reunification of parents and grandparents; to compare it to previous iterations of application processes for this stream of family reunification, including a look at processing times and the criteria required for successful sponsorship; 3. temporary resident visa processing, authorization to travel to Canada by individuals with an expired Confirmation of Permanent Residency; use of expired security and background checks for permanent immigration;