Citizenship and Immigration committee  While I will be concentrating on the temporary resident visa program, many of my comments, in terms of our efforts towards ensuring program integrity and modernizing our operations—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  —to be as facilitative as possible for genuine applicants while minimizing risks to Canadians.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. Good morning, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Sharon Chomyn. I am the director general of the international region for Citizenship and Immigration. I am pleased to appear before you today and hope that our testimony will be helpful as you undert

Canadian Heritage committee  I'll take that question. It's a reality that in certain locations and certain visa offices there are longer delays—

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you. I was just in the process of saying that you're absolutely correct that there are some locations where there are longer waits than others. With regard to the offices that process applicants within the occupational categories that I think the committee is most interest

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, I have only read that there are varying experiences with the use of bonds. I don't know the details, I'm sorry that I can't answer your question.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  What I had read is that the U.S. at one point had a system of bonds, but they no longer do. Why that is the case, I'm afraid I don't know.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's absolutely true.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can tell you that as a department, and within individual offices, we are constantly doing program integrity reviews of the decisions, and going back over files and notes to see the basis for the decisions, to see whether decisions are being taken in a consistent matter, and to

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Application forms are to be filled out in either English or French. If there are difficulties with translations, the source of that might be the applicant himself or herself and whoever assisted them with the form. Are you still collecting the Chinese script in China?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We're certainly looking forward to the introduction of biometrics to see the benefits that system will bring, in terms of protecting the security of Canada and Canadians, and the integrity of the visa system.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  If you're suggesting that perhaps the officer should be more motivated to refuse applications than to accept applications, that is not the case at all.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it that way.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chairman, is the question whether Canada would set up a process of accepting bonds to guarantee the veracity of the visit?