A study was commissioned and in fact presented by a number of business associations in January or February of this year that included the Canada China Business Council, the Canada Africa Business Council, the CABC, and others, of course.
The challenge we face is that our visa standards have been far more rigorous and I'd say administratively difficult than our competitors', and that includes the Middle East.
Now, the government, to its credit, has taken some significant steps to move from what was a one-year, I think one-time visa for countries such as Saudi Arabia to--for business visitors--up to a five-year visa.
I was at a conference in Montreal on Wednesday, and there were three presenters from Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, who were going to meet with and present to that conference on the opportunities for Canadians in Saudi Aramco. Two of those presenters had not been able to receive their visas within a three-week period of time. Well, I can't emphasize what a critical opportunity this was for Canadians and Canadian companies.
Equally, on the education side—I don't have all of these figures in my head—certainly for a number of countries, including China I was told, education is our largest export. That's a staggering realization, and it actually feeds back into this tax credit issue.
But in the case, again, of a number of Middle East countries, they were being given.... A student would be accepted at a Canadian university, perhaps the Université de Montréal or the University of Ottawa or whatever for a four-year term. They would be given a one-year visa, non-renewable, and would have to leave the country. Well, that's the right hand and the left hand just going by each other.
Now there are steps to improve these things, but again, I think these issues fall within this trade committee. I honestly do, most sincerely, because if we don't get our act right, it's all going to go elsewhere--Australia, the United States--and we have a wonderful opportunity.
Thank you.