Thank you, Chair and committee members.
I appreciate this opportunity to contribute to the study. As many of you know, OCASI is the umbrella organization for agencies working with immigrants and other newcomers here in Ontario, where I'm located.
It comes as no surprise that there have been many delays in all immigration, refugee, international student and migrant worker streams. For many, the delays existed even before the pandemic.
A big concern for all streams is that dependent children would age out and become ineligible to be sponsored. We recommend that the age of dependent children be locked in as of March 1, 2020, so that regardless of when the application is reopened, these children are included in the application.
Family members who are approved for sponsorship still cannot travel into Canada in most cases because of travel bans or difficulty in arranging travel. Many families overseas have not been able to find out what will happen when the visa to land in Canada expires, or how and when a new one would be issued to allow them to land. We recommend that all landing dates be extended at least until the borders are fully opened and travel fully resumes, or IRCC should land overseas applicants via email, as they are beginning to do now for people already in Canada. That would allow them to come here as permanent residents regardless of current travel restrictions.
Permanent resident card renewals are also delayed. Some permanent residents whose cards expired are stranded outside Canada with no hope of being able to return. Most if not all embassies are still closed, and stranded permanent residents have nowhere to turn for help. We are recommending that the Canadian government issue a public communication so that those overseas and/or their families here will know that those with PR will continue to be recognized as permanent residents in spite of the expiration of their PR cards.
As for refugees, IRCC's level for family members of refugees accepted in Canada is far lower than the number of people who are awaiting family reunification. The combination of low numbers, existing processing delays and COVID-related delays will only make people wait longer for family reunification. We recommend that the total number of refugee family reunifications be increased.
There are gaps and delays in communications from IRCC. The only information is what is being posted on the website. That is sometimes unclear and doesn't speak to the specific situations people are facing because of COVID. We appreciate that IRCC has tried to keep the public informed of most measures, but there is still a need for consistent, clear and more comprehensive information about migration offices overseas, as well as local offices here, as to exactly what is available and what is not. Inadequate communication is one of the biggest concerns we have heard from our member agencies and their clients. We recommend that IRCC show more flexibility and compassion during this extraordinary period.
Before I move on to my last point, I am sure you've all been receiving emails from many sponsored spouses. We've been hearing story after story of months and months, sometimes as long as 28 months, which is the last story I saw this morning in an email from a spouse. There is no information, and people want to know when they can have their spouses here in Canada.
On parents and grandparents, we appreciate the government's recent announcement to expedite spousal sponsorship, to allow the entry of extended family and to temporarily ease the minimum necessary income requirement.
Introduction of the minimum necessary income and the later 30% increase have been a tremendous hardship for many Canadian residents. Until Canada dismantles structural disadvantage and ends income inequality, racialized Canadians, especially racialized immigrant women, will be disproportionately excluded from family reunification. This has been over the last six to seven years.
For this reason, we are again recommending that the minimum necessary income be eliminated to make the immigration system both fair and equitable—