Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Oct. 7th, 2022

[Krishna Gagné]

Good afternoon.

We think that IRCC should establish communication and client services that are efficient and respectful of clients, lawyers and representatives. IRCC's web form is currently the only form of contact available to us. This system is congested, and it takes approximately two months to process an application. As a result, decisions are made based on files, whereas the information has already been submitted on the web form but not received.

When applications are denied for this type of reason, we have to request a case review, once again through IRCC's web form, to resolve a situation that could have been resolved at the outset. We suggest adding boxes to the portal enabling applicants to update their files. The system would thus be less clogged and files could be updated more quickly.

This would also avoid case reviews that generally clog up the entire system. At the moment, we have to wait for an officer to examine the application and request additional documents at his or her discretion—which is not always done—so we can access the additional box in order to file documents.

[Bob Benzen, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Are there any comments from the other witnesses?

[Irena Sompaseuth]

I can go next.

I agree that with IRCC there has been a trend of moving toward online submission of applications, which is definitely convenient, but there should also be an option for paper applications. Through the work I do with newcomers, I see that many applicants with strong technology literacy and English-language skills find it very easy and convenient to submit their applications online. However, we can't forget about individuals with low English levels and low literacy skills who simply struggle with that. They should have the option to continue to do so on paper with hard copies.

In terms of one recommendation or one major suggestion, I would say that it's very similar to the previous comment as well. It's having contact, having customer service, having an email or a phone number where applicants can simply connect to an agent. As I mentioned in my opening statement, there is a phone number, but it's impossible to connect with an agent and receive an update. The web forms have been helpful, but they do take some time to receive a response, and they can clog the system as well.

Allocating more staffing resources in the call centres so that people can call and receive information would definitely be very helpful.

[Bob Benzen, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Leblanc, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on how you would take a business point of view to improve the efficiency and productivity—

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Mr. Benzen, I don't see Mr. Leblanc. I think he has left the meeting.

[Bob Benzen, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Okay. I'll wrap it up right there, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Thank you, Mr. Benzen.

Thank you for your trust in the chair.

We will proceed to Mr. Sidhu.

You have five minutes for your round of questioning. Please begin.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'll be splitting my time with my colleague Marie-France Lalonde.

I understand the immigration minister and IRCC are working hard to look at efficiencies to streamline many processes, as mentioned by my colleague in the previous question. Just this morning, Minister Fraser made an announcement that international students will be able to work more than 20 hours a week, which will assist and help businesses on the ground. As we heard from our witnesses here today, businesses need support and labour. We see “help wanted” signs on almost every Main Street across the country. This is one innovative way to help our economy and businesses.

You may ask, “How?” Today's announcement means that over 500,000 international students will be able to help grow our economy and businesses, so I think that's very important to mention. It's a great decision taken this morning by the minister and IRCC.

Ms. Irena Sompaseuth mentioned many challenges. As you know, Canada is a top destination for individuals all over the world, and it's good to be at the top. However, this presents many challenges, given the exponential growth in applications. There have to be innovative approaches, and Minister Fraser has already put into place many solutions, but, of course, there's more to be done.

There was a question that was cut short in the previous question period. Ms. Gagné or Ms. Sompaseuth may want to speak to innovative approaches that they think should be put to use.

[The Clerk]

I believe Ms. Valois would like to speak.

[Stéphanie Valois]

Thank you.

I'd like to continue along the same lines as my colleagues. A portal has just been established for asylum claimants to simplify and expedite processing of asylum claims. The current waiting period is more than one year for persons who claim asylum within Canada and whose files must be processed by IRCC. The department has established a portal that we were informed of on the same day it was launched and that doesn't work at all. There are technical problems.

Creating a portal may be a good idea, but, at the very least, IRCC should test it before launching it. It could also ask us what we think of it. Asylum claimants obviously aren't always able to use the portals, as Ms. Sompaseuth said. It's very complicated for someone who speaks neither English nor French and doesn't have the necessary technological equipment to use them.

Consequently, there has to be better communication among the partners on the ground.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Madam Chair, I'll let my colleague Ms. Lalonde jump in.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Thank you very much.

Once again, I'd like to thank the witnesses who are here with us.

My question will be for all the witnesses.

What do you think are the ideal permanent residence thresholds that would help reduce processing times in obtaining permanent residence in Quebec? I've put that question to other witnesses, and I'd like to know what you think.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

Ms. Valois or Ms. Sompaseuth, who would like to comment?

[Stéphanie Valois]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

Canada can't establish thresholds for asylum claimants because it obviously has to process the files of claimants who are on Canadian soil.

Our association couldn't comment on preferable thresholds for economic immigration purposes. It's somewhat difficult for us to take a position on that. It's more of a political issue.

All we can ask for is that more officials be assigned to IRCC to process files that are already pending. You have to take into account the fact that immigration candidates pay to have their files processed. At the moment, however, we're not talking about processing delays, but rather waiting periods, so that's not an acceptable customer service for applicants.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

There may be a misconception that there's no real desire to process file numbers that are greater than the thresholds…

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

I'm sorry for interrupting, Ms. Lalonde, but your time is up.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Salma Zahid]

We will now proceed to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe.

Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe, you will have five minutes. You can begin, please.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thanks to all the witnesses for being with us today.

I apologize once again for what the witness saw earlier; it wasn't nice.

My next questions will be for the AQAADI lawyers.

You didn't have time to present all your proposals in your opening statement.

What we're interested in, here on the committee, are people like you who work on the ground and who observe the real problems. They're part of your everyday life. We'd like to know your proposals for shortening processing times.

[Krishna Gagné]

Thank you for the opportunity to expand on our proposals.

As we noted earlier, IRCC's web form isn't a workable solution for managing files.

We propose that every file be assigned a unique number and that IRCC publish, on a daily or weekly basis, the number of the application being processed. That way, we'd be able to direct clients to the website, and they'd be able to see whether their applications are being processed. As Ms. Valois said earlier, we aren't talking about processing time but rather waiting times before applications are processed. Several months may elapse between the moment documents are submitted and when applications are processed.

Posting a number on IRCC's website would promote transparency and predictability. It would also ensure that files are processed on a first-come, first-served basis rather than randomly, as we currently observe on the ground.

Earlier we discussed the possibility of creating boxes in the portal. That would make it possible to update files until a decision is made, as is currently the case in judicial proceedings, where files can be amended until a decision is rendered.

For IRCC applications, it should be possible to update files and documents, such as passports, through the representatives portal and the application portal.

That's it for our proposals.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much.

In our studies, regardless of the study we're conducting in committee, we hear talk about the department's lack of transparency and its opacity.

Have you noticed the same problem? If so, do you have any solutions to propose? For example, some people have suggested creating an ombudsman position that might help improve the situation.

You may have further solutions to suggest in that regard, but have you made the same observation?

[Krishna Gagné]

Yes, we have made the same observation. There's no transparency or predictability, and that undermines the system.

Certain decisions are made, but we have no idea of the underlying reasons for them since they aren't based on the evidence that's been submitted. Then we have to explain the situation to our clients and tell them we don't understand why such and such a decision was made.

We also don't have anyone we can contact. We absolutely have to go through our MPs' offices. We're clogging up the entire system that will send a…

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Yes, I'm aware of that.

[Krishna Gagné]

I believe that's something you care about.

Then you have to send in all the Internet forms, which further clogs up the system. If there were a complaints commissioner, like the one at Quebec's ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration, or if there were an ombudsman whose mandate was to supervise IRCC's work, it would provide enhanced monitoring and more transparency, thus generating more confidence in the system.

We sometimes get exactly the same application from two different people. One gets an affirmative response and the other a negative response. It's often the work of the lawyer involved in those applications because the decisions are completely illogical.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Since the introduction of the Chinook system, are you finding even less transparency in the generic responses being sent to state the reasons for a rejection?