Citizenship and Immigration committee  Chair, we take a step back and consider Statistics Canada's definition of the low-income cut-off, I think that's a good place to start. The low-income cut-off is the threshold below which a family will devote a much larger share of its income in comparison to the average family to basic necessities, such as food and shelter and clothing.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's correct. Legislation can take months and years to pass. Whereas, ministerial instructions, depending on the complexity of the issue involved, can be drafted in weeks to months, with a level of flexibility that is really desirable in these types of situations. I would say that in the context of the super visa, new ministerial instructions could be drafted and signed in weeks.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think the government is watching closely what's happening with this bill and is open to making changes to enhance the super visa as well as other lines of business.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm pleased to join the committee, and would like to take a moment to acknowledge that the land from which I'm joining you today is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation. As director general of the Immigration Branch within the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, I am happy to speak today about the super visa and the proposed amendments presented by Bill C‑242.

Official Languages committee  Thank you. Yes. Absolutely. Combatting all forms of discrimination, whether based on language or anything else, is a priority at the department. We have a zero-tolerance policy against any discrimination, and that applies to the corporate culture, the workforce, the teams, the programs, the policies and the decision-making.

Official Languages committee  Thank you for that question. The applications are in fact individual, but then so is each review. Every single application is evaluated separately. We do some coaching and awareness training abroad to ensure that the applications are properly completed by our clients. I'll give the floor to Ms.

Official Languages committee  We are trying to see…

Official Languages committee  As I said earlier, there are many reasons why a study permit for someone from Africa might be refused. We take allegations of unconscious prejudice very seriously. Decision-makers are given very specific training in order to be able to determine whether the presence of unconscious prejudices has influenced decisions.

Official Languages committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The department takes all matters related to discrimination and racism very seriously. With respect to the review of study permit applications from Africa, some specially-designed training programs to combat racism and prejudice have been made available to decision-makers.

Official Languages committee  The refusal rate for study permits fluctuates from year to year and from country to country, and it does this for several reasons.

Official Languages committee  I'd have to be able to consult the document in question. Every study permit application is assessed individually in accordance with the same criteria. I explained these three criteria earlier…

Official Languages committee  Thanks for the question, Mr. Beaulieu. I don't have the figures you're talking about in front of me at the moment, but I'd like to reiterate the fact that refusals and approvals fluctuate from year to year. Sometimes there is a higher approval rate at some universities compared to others, with the opposite occurring the following year.

Official Languages committee  Thank you for that question, Mr. Chair. The acceptance rate for study permit applications varies widely from year to year and country to country. Sometimes we see discrepancies. Our analysis shows that the discrepancies have been quite minor to date, if you compare certain African countries.

Official Languages committee  Thanks to the member for his question. Yes, intention to leave the country at the end of the authorized stay is the third criterion. It's all right to have a dual intention, to apply for temporary residence and then permanent residence. However, there's no guarantee that permanent residence will be granted to a non-citizen seeking it.

Official Languages committee  Thanks to the member for his question on refusal rates associated with foreign students. First of all, I would repeat that foreign students are a priority for the department for many reasons…