Evidence of meeting #3 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 visa.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Your time is up, Ms. Martinez Ferrada.
If the members and the witnesses are okay, we can have two more rounds of questions: two and a half minutes from Ms. Normandin and two and a half minutes from Ms. Kwan. We can end with Ms. Kwan.
Is everyone okay? Can the witnesses stay?
We seem to be in agreement.
Ms. Normandin, you have two and a half minutes for your questioning.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
My first question is for David Edward-Ooi Poon.
Some people, such as unmarried spouses, have to fill out the IMM 0006 form to obtain authorization to enter Canada. One of the problems we've heard about is how hard it is to find commissioners of oaths during the pandemic. Have you heard about that, as well?
I'd also like to hear your comments on the possibility of having more services available remotely, including access to commissioners of oaths.
Founder, Faces of Advocacy
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair, the first issue with the form was that it did not have a signature panel for [Technical difficulty—Editor] Canadian. That meant an entire day of people with a form that notaries would not sign. Now this was rectified by the Faces of Advocacy with our high-level discussion, but, without an ombudsman, later on how would this get fixed?
The second issue is that there was no clarity if you could use it online. I asked IRCC, but we never got the exact answer. However, it does appear that online has been accepted. The problem is that if the Faces of Advocacy did not exist with its public messaging, how could any of the Canadian people fill out the form properly, and how would the first few people even know that their issues were being processed since there's no transparency in a system that doesn't allow them to check? This is the major problem, and that is how we're going to fix it.
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you.
Mr. Ojo, I'd like to ask you something about your group.
Is there anyone who received their confirmation of permanent residence after March 18 and, because of that, can't come to Canada right now and complete the process?
Bloc
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
I was wondering whether any members of the group you represent had received their confirmation of permanent residence after March 18 but were unable to come to Canada, even if their country allowed them to travel.
As an Individual
In the group I represent, we are individuals whose applications were approved before March 18, 2020, so we are exempt from the current travel restrictions. The only thing that is left, I think, since—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Mr. Ojo, the time is up. Sorry for interrupting.
We will have to move onto Ms. Kwan.
Ms. Kwan, you have two and a half minutes.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
My question is this. I think it was mentioned that IRCC.... Inf fact we're doing Parliament virtually, we're doing committees virtually, and yet we can't seem to really get the ball rolling with virtual interviews or for citizenship swearing-in ceremonies to really move forward so that people can get their status.
Maybe I'll start with you, Ms. Desloges. Going forward, do you think the government should be utilizing technology to facilitate these kinds of processes for interviews and for citizenship tests, for example, and in order for swearing-in ceremonies to take place?
Senior Partner, Desloges Law Group, As an Individual
Absolutely. This is technology that the private sector has been using for decades. It's baffling to me how we can't use it in IRCC matters.
A couple of weeks ago an entire refugee hearing was done online via Microsoft Teams. That is perhaps the most sensitive subject matter I could even imagine. If the Refugee Board can hold a refugee hearing online, it is beyond me why a visa officer cannot also interview a spousal sponsorship applicant or a visa applicant online. This technology is out there. It's available to everyone. It's as secure as it could possibly be. You're never going to have a perfect system, but anybody who has a bank account has personal information online. I think the government just has to accept that there's going to be a little bit of a risk that will have to be taken in order to bring the system into the 21st century.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
Just to build on bringing things into the 21st century, it's very confusing to me how we cannot have an online system for representatives or for the applicant to go online to check the status of the application instead of having to phone into IRCC and then often getting inconsistent information and contradictory information. What are your thoughts on that?
Senior Partner, Desloges Law Group, As an Individual
Yes, the computer system and the IT infrastructure at IRCC are notoriously out of date. I really think that the government of the day has to bite the bullet and just invest in upgrading that infrastructure. Yes, it's a headache; it's difficult, and it's going to be expensive, but if you look at the human cost, and even just the literal cost of all of these mistakes and inaccuracies and all of this back and forth—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Ms. Desloges, I'm sorry for interrupting you, but the time is up.
Thanks to all for this. We have come to the end of the round of questioning.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you witnesses for appearing before the committee today. If there is anything that you want to highlight and have not been able to discuss with us today, you can send in written submissions to the clerk of the committee as we continue this study.
On behalf of all of the members, thanks to all of the witnesses for appearing before the committee and providing important information as we get through this.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Before we close, Madam Chair, I wonder if we can also ask the clerk to extend that offer to the first panel of witnesses to ensure that they too can submit additional information. As we noted, many of the panellists were cut off—even for them to provide a quick answer. I think it would be very useful and helpful if we extended that invitation to them to submit further comments if they would like to.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
We will do that. I did say that at the end of the last panel, but if this panel has any issues they want to raise, please send in your written submissions.
With that, thank you to all members for joining the meeting.
The meeting is now adjourned.