The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration is once again under fire, as the air smells of elections again, which threaten to be called either by the ruling Conservatives or opposition parties. The shortcomings of this body are pointed out, in particular, by opposition Liberal Party MP Jim Karygiannis. Having studied the statistics of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and compared data from 2004 to 2006, he stated that the processing times for immigration applications increased by an average of 20% over that period. Moreover, processing times vary greatly across different embassies for the same categories of immigrants. The same applies to different classes under which applicants immigrate.
For example, for children sponsored under family sponsorship, processing times average 11 months. However, they differ across embassies: in Vienna the process takes 3 months, in Jamaica – 5, in London – 8, in Haiti and Guatemala – 19.
For parents and grandparents sponsored under family sponsorship, 80% of cases are processed within 40 months. Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo (Brazil) this period is only 8 months, in London – 11, in Beijing – 34, in Islamabad – 40, in Delhi – 45.
For family sponsorship of spouses and partners, 80% of applications are processed within 9 months. Meanwhile, in Taipei (Taiwan) these times are only 5 months, in Buffalo (USA) – 13, in Buenos Aires (Argentina) – 15 months (the longest times for this category).
In the Skilled Worker category, 80% of cases are processed within 62 months. For comparison, in 2004 this period was 43 months. The processing time in Lima is currently 14 months, in Paris – 15, in Vienna – 31, in London – 54, in Rome – 59, in Delhi – 62, in Islamabad – 63, in Beijing – 64, in Kyiv – 71 months. As we can see, inequality is clearly evident.
Based on the above data, Jim Karygiannis claims that discrimination against certain categories of immigrants is taking place. He also accuses the Conservative Party of causing increased processing times for immigration cases. The Conservatives, in turn, blame the Liberal Party, which was in power for many years before them. In particular, the Conservatives point out that when they came to power in 2006, over 800,000 unprocessed cases had already accumulated in embassies. In response, the Liberals reminded that the Conservatives in their election promises threatened to solve this issue, but the cart is still there.
To be honest, from our perspective the situation looks somewhat different than how the MP presented it. Firstly, comparing the situation in 2004 and 2006 is not entirely correct. The fact is that in 2004 (after the announcement of draconian pass requirements in June 2002), far fewer applications were submitted to embassies. Only in September 2003, after the introduction of some relaxations, did the flow of applications begin to increase in 2004.
Secondly, under the Conservatives the situation remains stable, which cannot be said about the years of Liberal rule. Then, starting from 1998, processing times increased at catastrophic rates. Finally, under the Liberals, a controversial immigration law with retroactivity and strict pass requirements came into effect. Undoubtedly, the Conservatives could have significantly improved the situation if they had allocated money primarily to measures to reduce processing times, rather than engaging in populist reductions in immigration fees and opening help centers for newly arriving immigrants.
Finally, there are doubts about the statistics cited by Karygiannis, which in his view reflect the current situation. At least, the observations of immigration experts differ noticeably from them. In particular, over the past two years, processing times at the Canadian embassy in Moscow are approximately one year, in Kyiv – no more than two years. Moreover, almost all of our clients are exempted from interviews. In recent years, there have been only two or three cases that took longer because a security check was required. We also note that some applicants who formally do not meet the pass mark nevertheless receive immigrant visas. That is, for now, regarding processing times in Kyiv and Moscow, as well as the approach to their handling, immigration lawyers have no particular complaints about Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
It is difficult to predict how long this situation will last at the moment – much depends on the actions of the Canadian government. We believe we should be prepared for the possibility that processing times in both Kyiv and Moscow may increase.
Karygiannis sees a way out of the current situation in a more even redistribution of personnel across all embassies. Another measure he mentions is increasing the number of embassy staff. In early February 2008, the Canadian government already announced an additional $1.9 million to expand the embassy in Manila (Philippines) and increase staff to reduce immigration processing times. Karygiannis states that this is not enough, that much more money needs to be injected and the staff of Canadian embassies around the world expanded.
If the Conservatives respond to the criticism with action (it can be assumed that they will, since Karygiannis's statement has received wide resonance) – then, for example, in Moscow the situation with immigration processing times could noticeably worsen. It is unlikely that the government will be able to allocate sufficient funds to increase staff – it is much simpler to transfer workers from less busy centers to problem points, as the MP advises. And this will negatively affect primarily those embassies where the situation is more or less normal.
Elena Ryabinina.
«Russian Toronto»