Evidence of meeting #70 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
What are the elements that happen at that in-person ceremony? Could you please enlighten me a little bit? Is it a shortened thing? What happens there?
Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
As I mentioned, these are the kinds of issues that will be further developed as part of implementation plans to support an initiative like this one. I think it's fair to say that ceremonies could look as they look today. There are not necessarily any plans at this time to change that.
Thank you.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I just noted in the news article that came out that it said that, for the second half of 2022, less than 10% of citizenship ceremonies were done in person. Therefore, obviously 90% were done online or would be through this if it was available.
Is there's a planned ratio by the department of how many should be one-click and how many should be in person? Is there planning that has been done by the department on where those numbers would fall?
Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Madam Chair, I'm not aware of any planned ratio.
As I mentioned, as part of our effort to improve service, we're really proposing to give the choice to applicants. Because this is an important day in people's lives, an important event in people's lives, as many have mentioned, we anticipate that there could be some quite significant demand by persons who would wish to continue to take their oaths at a ceremony, as is currently the case.
I'm not aware of any planned ratio. That would be down to the choices of applicants.
Thank you.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
Given the numbers that have been reported, and I assume that they're correct—10% were in person—are we to, then, assume that it was the choice of individuals, that 10% of them chose to do it in person and that 90% of them chose a different method?
Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Madam Chair, that's not a correct assumption since this proposal is at the proposal stage and has not been implemented.
What the member is referring to are statistics that relate to how the current program is being administered postpandemic. It doesn't reflect what applicants may choose to do once a proposal like this is implemented.
Thank you.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
The current system that's being used by the department is skewing heavily towards Zoom citizenship ceremonies. Is that a true statement?
Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
I don't have statistics for 2023 in front of me.
I'm mindful that the member has quoted statistics from last year, which is a breakdown that I don't have in front of me, so I can't confirm or correct that statement. I'd have to check the data before I could say anything on that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you, Ms. Girard.
Mr. Redekopp, she does not have those figures. We can try to get them, but it will not be possible for her to provide that right now.
Conservative
Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK
I appreciate that. If you could get them, that would be great because it just seems odd to me that this is how people would request it. It seems to me more like it's something that's being pushed onto people without their having a choice. That's my curiosity on that.
I'm done.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
What is the goal? You mentioned that we're out to 22 months right now and that we want to streamline it. We were at 12 months before. Then you mentioned three to five months.
Ideally, is it, if we could click and pass the test, we could become a citizen? What is the ultimate goal on this whole process?
Director General, Citizenship Policy, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Currently, the goal is to get back to the 12-month processing standard. The proposal under discussion—the regulatory proposal—would reduce the wait time for those at the ceremony stage. There's potential to get that average processing time down to below 12 months. I'm sure everyone would agree that this would be a good thing because we would like to include new citizens sooner and see that happen a lot sooner.
Thank you.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Thank you, Chair.
Thanks again. Thanks for the hospitality today.
I would like to move an amendment to the amendment, which would add, after the words “online web form”, the following: “or click-through option”.
To that end, I would like it if we could suspend to translate this and make sure—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Will you please repeat it in English? Everyone has translation services available. It will be translated.
If you can, please repeat it. Everyone has the translation. Yes.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Yes, I can do that. After the words “online web forum”, it will say, “or click-through option”.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Give me one second.
Can I ask everyone to be quiet and direct their questions through the chair?
Mr. Aboultaif, you have repeated that added after “web form”, the words “or click-through option” should be added. That's your subamendment.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Yes, after the words “online web form”, it would add “or click-through option”.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
We have the subamendment on the floor. I think everyone has got it through translation.
Mr. Aboultaif has asked to add after “web form” the words “or click-through option”. We have the subamendment on the floor.
Go ahead, Mr. Hoback.
Conservative
