Canada Immigration Visas

Canadian Immigration wait times have surged more than 20 per cent since 2004, according to statistics released by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis.

Karygiannis obtained the figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada through the Access to Information Act.

The figures also reveal disparities in the way Canada processes applications from different countries.

Some immigrants are forced to wait a staggering 2,300 per cent longer than others depending on where they’re from and what immigration category they fall under.

A dependent child whose file is dealt with by Canadian officials in Beijing, Seoul or Ankara, for instance, has an 80 per cent chance of being processed within four months. But a child’s average wait time is 13 months in Singapore, 19 months in Guatemala and 34 months in Cairo.

Similar disparities occur in the skilled workers category.

A skilled worker could expect to be processed within 14 months in Lima and 15 months in Paris but would likely wait up to 71 months in Kyiv.

The 2006 figures released to Karygiannis indicate:

-For dependent children, although 80 per cent of overall cases were processed within 11 months, there were significant variations by geographic area. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within three months in Vienna, five months in Jamaica, seven months in Damascus, eight months in London, and 19 months in Haiti and Guatemala.

-For parents and grandparents, 80 per cent of cases were processed within 40 months. But the figures were eight months in Sao Paolo, 11 months in London, 19 months in Mexico, 30 months in Colombo, 34 months in Beijing, 36 months in Rabat and Guatemala, 40 months in Islamabad, and 45 months in New Delhi.

-For skilled workers, 80 per cent of cases were processed within 62 months - an increase from 43 months in 2004. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within 14 months in Lima, 15 months in Paris, 31 months in Vienna, 54 months in London, 59 months in Rome, 62 months in New Delhi, 63 months in Islamabad, 64 months in Beijing and 71 months in Kyiv.

-Processing times increased most dramatically in the skilled workers category. The parents/grandparents category also saw a sizeable increase, while processing times fell significantly for children and slightly for spouses.

-For spouses and partners, 80 per cent of cases were processed within nine months. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within five months in Taipei, 13 months in Buffalo, N.Y., and Buenos Aires registered among the longest wait times at 15 months.

-The overall percentage of applications for temporary resident visas refused by Canadian officials has remained stable.

-In 2006, 32 per cent of applications for temporary resident visas were rejected from Africa and the Middle East. That compares with a rejection rate of 19 per cent for the Asia-Pacific region and 14 per cent from the Americas.

Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Diane Finley, has announced that Canada expects between 240,000-265,000 immigrants in 2008.
The target is set out in the 2007 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tabled today in the House of Commons. The report provides information on immigration activities in 2006 and outlines the immigration plan for 2008.

“Our government believes that immigration plays an important role in building our communities and growing our economy,” said Minister Finley. “The immigration targets tabled today will help ensure that Canada continues to grow and benefit from all that newcomers and their families bring to our country.”

The Canadian Experience Class, first announced in the 2007 budget and a key element of the government’s long-term immigration plan, will be implemented in 2008 for certain skilled temporary workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. Once the class is established and for the first time, individuals meeting specific criteria will be able to apply for permanent resident status from within Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class adds to other initiatives to address labour market needs and to help in the successful integration of newcomers. These include establishing the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), improving the Temporary Foreign Worker program and expanding the Provincial Nominee Program.

The FCRO is working with the provinces and territories to help internationally trained individuals get their skills assessed and recognized. The Provincial Nominee Program allows provinces and territories to identify and nominate immigrants who will address their labour market needs.

Canada is continuing its humanitarian tradition by, for example, resettling 800 Karen refugees from Thailand and committing to welcoming 2,000 more. Canada also played an important role in negotiations on the protracted situation of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, agreeing to resettle 5,000 of them over the next few years.

The federal government has also committed an additional $1.3 billion in settlement funding over five years, and $342 million per year ongoing, to help newcomers succeed.

The Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, which must be tabled by November 1 each year, is a requirement under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

A new federal pilot project has been launched to speed up the recruitment of temporary foreign workers in Alberta and British Columbia for the following occupations which have been identified as being in high demand:

• carpenters
• crane operators
• dental technicians
• food counter attendants
• food and beverage servers
• hotel and hospitality room attendants
• hotel front desk clerks
• pharmacists
• registered nurses
• retail sales clerks
• snowboard and ski instructors
• tour and travel guides

Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg said that rather than waiting as long as five months for a government labour market opinion about the need to bring in temporary foreign workers, employers will have an answer in five days.
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