Good afternoon, everyone.
The Quebec Immigration Lawyers Association, the AQAADI, is the largest association of francophone lawyers in Canada. We now have more than 450 members, most of whom practise immigration law.
As you know, processing times have a major impact on applicants' lives, regardless of the process in which they are involved. Immigration cases have a determinant effect on the lives of applicants, and the current major problem of delays leaves them highly vulnerable.
We want to address the issue from three angles: first, the delays and, especially, the unfair manner in which submitted files are processed; second, the lack of transparency and predictability; and, third, communication with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, more specifically on how to reduce the number of IRCC web forms that must be filed and the resulting workload for MPs' offices.
I now invite Ms. Krishna Gagné, our association's vice-president, to address you.