Evidence of meeting #16 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was global.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:15 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
May I make a comment here with your permission, Madam Chairman, and Mr. Hallan?
9:15 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
We first started working for the Canadian government in China in 2008 with this FMC and we informed the Canadian government that it was our intention to use this FMC. On a more general note, I would just like to say we do not force any client government to use—
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Sorry for interrupting, Mr. Dix, the time is up. Maybe you will get an opportunity to come back. Now we will go on to Mr. Serré.
Mr. Serré, you have six minutes for your round of questioning.
You can please proceed.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for your comprehensive global testimony here, it's very useful for the committee to clarify a lot of the misinformation that has been given to the committee, especially by the opposition members. The Library of Parliament says that you are the largest visa application company in the world. You mentioned about 147 centres. Can you just briefly outline how many you run on behalf of the Canadian government, and how many do you run in China, quickly please?
9:15 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
Sure I can certainly do that, Mr. Serré.
We work across the globe for the Canadian government and we operate 163 application centres in 163 cities around the world, and that's in 108 countries.
9:15 a.m.
Regional, Group Chief Operating Officer- APAC, CIS, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global
If I can respond to that, sir, on behalf of Chris, in China VFS operates for 33 client governments. Our presence in China has been since 2004-05. Across the network in China we operate close to 380 visa application centres.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
How long have you been operating in Canada for the Canadian government? Also, the opposition has tired to paint VFS as neglectful, for a breach of security. I did some research with The Globe and Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star, and I couldn't find one security breach that identified any individuals in Hong Kong. I just wanted to see if you could clarify the issue about the security breach. That's the core of your business.
9:15 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
Thank you, Mr. Serré, I'll answer that question. We've worked for Canada for a number of years. We very much value the relationship with IRCC. We have not had any data security breach for Canada, or any other client government in China or Hong Kong.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
Thank you.
Earlier the question by the opposition was about the Chengdong Investment Corporation. My understanding is if it was you or other companies operating in China, the law in China requires that there be a facility management company. Your parent company is worth about $6 billion. Can you just clarify in regard to the Chengdong Investment Corporation that it's about 25,000 Euros, which is about $30,000 Canadian? How is that small amount of money influencing your decisions, which it is according to the opposition?
9:20 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
Yes, I think your numbers are more or less correct in terms of the size of the EQT VII fund, which is the fund that contains the VFS Global.
For legal reasons, the identity of investors in the fund cannot be identified; however, if the investment you're referring to were to be of 25,000 euros, that would equate to approximately 0.0004% of the overall fund.
As you can imagine, it's frankly ludicrous to say that the investor would have control of the fund. In fact, no investors of that kind have any control of the fund.
February 22nd, 2021 / 9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Marc Serré Liberal Nickel Belt, ON
There have been no security breaches of any individuals, and you mentioned that you don't store any Canadian data. Would you maybe take the remaining two minutes I have left to talk a bit about the process?
You've been a contractor with the Canadian government since 2012. What is the process in terms of your security and the storing of information and how secure it is? There haven't been any breaches, so I want you to elaborate on that a bit just to assure the Canadian population—and the Hong Kong people too—about the security.
9:20 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
We've actually worked with the Canadian government since 2008, and from 2012 under a global contract, which was then retendered and won by us in 2018 in a competitive tender process.
As I've mentioned, we take data security and the protection of personal information as our most important job. We ensure that all data that concerns Canadian visa applicants is stored in Canada on servers operated there. It's a contractual requirement that we do that.
We send all data, fully encrypted, to Canada, and it is then only accessible by authorized personnel of the Canadian government. We ourselves—
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
I am sorry for interrupting, Mr. Dix. The time is up.
We will have to now move to the next member.
Madame Normandin will now have her six minutes for her round of questioning.
9:20 a.m.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
I'd like to thank the witnesses very much for being with us and for the responses they've given.
I'd like to make sure that I've understood what you've said. You mentioned that VFS Global has been a partner with Canada for its offices in China since about 2004 or 2005.
Is that correct?
9:20 a.m.
Head of Business Development, VFS Global
Since 2008, we have been a partner with Canada in China.
9:20 a.m.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Could you confirm for me exactly how long VFS Global has been subcontracting to BSFSC?
9:20 a.m.
Regional, Group Chief Operating Officer- APAC, CIS, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global
Madam Chair, may I respond to that?
VFS has been operating in China since 2004-05. VFS has been operating through a number of facility management companies in China since 2004-05, and BSFSC is one of them.
9:25 a.m.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
And as far as IRCC is concerned, how long has VFS Global been doing business with BSFSC?
9:25 a.m.
Regional, Group Chief Operating Officer- APAC, CIS, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global
VFS has been working with BSFSC for IRCC since the inception—i.e., 2008—and thereafter with the global contract in 2012.
9:25 a.m.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
How did VFS Global come to work with BSFSC? Was this an offer that BSFSC made to VFS Global, or did VFS Global put out a request for proposal for a subcontractor?
9:25 a.m.
Regional, Group Chief Operating Officer- APAC, CIS, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global
Madam Chair, the operating environment in China is as unique as a number of other countries, the 64 client governments that we work for across 140-plus countries.
In China, since 2004-05 one of the prerequisites of the regulatory requisite is for companies to have an entry/exit licence. Foreign companies like VFS Global and some of our competitors are required to work with local facility management companies. It's these companies that have the requisite entry/exit licences, and that is where the requirement is to work with these companies, following a thorough due diligence process and the requisite approvals from our client governments.
9:25 a.m.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Please confirm that I've understood.
VFS Global had no possible partners other than BFSFC.
9:25 a.m.
Regional, Group Chief Operating Officer- APAC, CIS, Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, VFS Global
VFS operates with a number of facility management companies across China. BSFSC happens to be just one of them.
Following, one, the entry/exit licence requirements, two, the requirements of our client governments, and finally a thorough due diligence process, BSFSC and our other FMCs are appointed.