Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair and committee members, it is my pleasure to come before you as a witness on the issue of application backlogs and processing times.
CAPIC represents over 4,000 immigration and citizenship consultants, who represent thousands of clients and applicants before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Joining me today is Ms. Avni Marfatia, who is the chair of the CAPIC board and a practitioner as an immigration consultant for over 20 years.
We are very pleased to be able to appear before you today, particularly in person, after all this time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on processing times and operational delivery of immigration applications. The processing system is not yet back to full capacity. As a result, the demands for temporary resident programs continue to rise by more than 30% of 2019 levels. More than 70% of the backlog consists of temporary residents' visa files. The backlog continues to grow, increasing the stress on the system, with now more than 900,000 temporary files in the backlog.
Some IT systems, as you have probably heard, are new, have issues and require time to be tested. As a result, multiple applications are filed for the same benefit, so there are multiple counts.
Applicants are facing extraordinary delays in processing time, and it's jeopardizing their future. The shortage of labour is causing economic stress for employers. Consequently, the immigration system's integrity is threatened.
As desperate applicants continue to look for other options, the pressure on the system should be urgently alleviated with the introduction of these non-regulatory measures. CAPIC recommends the following. First, declare some countries as visa-exempt for short-term visitors. Second, use enhanced eTA to control security and monitor intentions. Third, reinstate a high-in-demand NOC list for the LMIA-exempt. Fourth, implement the SDS, the student direct stream, for all student study permit applications and automatic issuance of post-graduate work permits for successful completion of studies. The minister today made a decision in the right direction.
Our recommendations include measures that can be implemented promptly to reduce the backlog and improve efficiency across the entire system.
Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members.
I'll be happy to answer your questions in French or in English.