Citizenship and Immigration committee  No. There are other visa offices that have more applications but shorter processing times.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It definitely varies. As I said about the 20-month processing time at Accra, you have the interview with the visa officer, at which point there is a determination whether the relationship is bona fide. As I mentioned in my previous submission—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If it's a bona fide relationship, it would be difficult to say if I don't have the exact facts, but presumably at the interview the permanent resident application could then begin to be processed if everything is deemed to be legitimate.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Well, 20 months in terms of processing, plus about three months to go to the visa office. That's 23 months in Accra and 28 months in Nairobi. Actually, probably at that point medicals have to be redone, because it's past the 12-month mark. That adds another how many months until medicals—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's hard to determine exactly, but say, for instance—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Let's say roughly six months. What happens is that when you go for you medical and it's in Accra, let's say, you have to use a designated medical practitioner. That office then submits everything to the Paris office for the medicals to be examined. Depending on when you do your medical, you might not get those results sent right away.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes. It's around that time for Accra.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If it's refused, then it's a whole different battle.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm not sure if this is correct—you can correct me if I'm incorrect—but I heard that it was through diplomatic bag. That takes a very long time, right?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I've heard four times a year, but I-- Is it two times? Okay.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's quite a long time. At that point you have to get a new criminal check and a new medical check. All that has to be processed again, along with waiting for the medical practitioner to send the results to Paris.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm not sure. Do you have an estimate? I'm not exactly sure.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you so much. Good morning, Chair, Vice-Chairs, and members of the committee on citizenship and immigration. I consider it a great honour to be here with you today to speak on such a very important matter. I would like to begin today by sharing a question that is on the minds of many Canadian families who are wishing absent family members were here in Canada as we speak.