Tell Us What You Think: Ongoing Consultations on 2013 Immigration Levels and the Immigrant Investor Program
CIC’s Parliamentary Secretaries Chungsen Leung and Rick Dykstra have launched a series of cross-country consultations on the appropriate level and mix of immigration for Canada in the coming years. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has welcomed the highest sustained levels of immigration in Canadian history.
The Parliamentary Secretaries are hosting meetings with stakeholders in Toronto, Windsor, Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa. Online consultations are also open to the public and stakeholders for input from July 31 to August 31, 2012. These consultations present an important opportunity to generate greater public understanding of the difficult decisions involved in managing a global immigration system. Engaging stakeholders and the broader public is key to CIC’s development of an overall strategy for Canada moving forward.
CIC also launched online consultations July 31, 2012, to engage the public on ways to improve the federal Immigrant Investor Program. This delivers on Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012, which announced that business immigration programs will be reformed to target more active investment for Canadian growth companies.
CIC is now inviting online submissions from stakeholders and the public on how the department can:
- Increase the economic benefit that immigrant investment capital brings to Canada;
- Attract experienced, international investors with the skills and resources needed to ensure they integrate into Canada’s economy; and
- Develop efficient and cost-effective ways of delivering an investment program.
Canadian Visitor Visas Soar to Record Number
CIC is on track to issue a record number of visitor visas this year with over 500,000 issued since the start of 2012. This is a 10 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
This does not include visas issued to students or temporary workers which are also experiencing high volumes. In some cases, high volumes can lead to processing delays, so applicants are encouraged to apply early for all temporary visas.
Grants and Contributions – Call For Proposals
CIC is currently accepting applications under a Call for Proposals (CFP) for projects that will be funded under the Department’s Settlement and Resettlement programs. The CFP is a competitive process to fund delivery of services to newcomers and for projects that are regional/local, national or international in scope. The CFP will determine which projects will be funded for 2013 and beyond.
CIC is aiming for a slightly more modernized approach to the application process this year by offering an e-submission page from which applicants will be able to upload their application form and submit it online once completed. There will also be on-line tutorials and FAQs to assist applicants in completing their applications.
Applications can be submitted online until September 7, 2012.
Refugee Reform Laws Pass
On June 28, 2012, new legislation that brings further reforms to Canada’s refugee determination system was passed. These changes build on reforms that were passed in June 2010 as part of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act.
While every eligible refugee claimant will continue to receive a hearing at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, key to this new system is faster refugee claim decisions. One way this will be accomplished is through the use of the new designated country of origin (DCO) policy.
DCOs are countries that do not normally produce refugees. Claimants from these countries will receive accelerated processing of their claim, will have limited access to appeals and limited access to work permits.
Some of the changes to the refugee system are already in effect such as changes to pre-removal risk assessments and applications for permanent resident status based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations. The other changes to the refugee system will come into effect later this year at a date that will be determined by the government.
Supporting regulations for this legislation will be published in Canada Gazette for comments later this summer/early fall.
New! Discover Canada Audio Guide
CIC recently launched the newest audio version of the popular citizenship study guide, Discover Canada: the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.A number of individuals participated in the recording of the new audio guide, including several high profile Canadians. Some of the readers include television journalist Ian Hanomansing, actor Albert Schultz, operatic tenor Richard Margison and professional narrator Jean-Benoît Rainville.
For Canadian citizenship to be meaningful, we need to share a common understanding of our rights and responsibilities, our history and our values. Thanks to the prominent Canadians who have helped bring the story of Canada to life, the importance of citizenship is now accessible to more people.
Changes to CIC Regional Offices
On June 1, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) closed 19 small regional offices across Canada. CIC offices across Canada that remain open will no longer provide walk-in service and applicants will only have access to these offices by appointment.
CIC realizes that this change is an adjustment for the people we serve but does not expect service wait times to increase. With more and more of CIC’s services being provided electronically, fewer individuals will find it necessary to visit local offices.
Applicants will be able to conduct routine business with CIC quickly and easily online. In addition, CIC will offer some in-person services on an itinerant or travelling basis in some of the communities where offices have closed.
Canada Is Working With Other Countries to Deter Fraud
Over the past few years, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has turned more of its attention to deterring fraud of all kinds. CIC has tightened rules governing immigration consultants, developed increasingly more sophisticated fraud detection techniques, and launched ad campaigns warning fraudsters against trying to dupe the system.
Canada is not the only target of immigration fraud. Other immigrant-receiving countries are also popular destinations for those wishing to immigrate in any way possible.
In June, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia held a joint press conference in India, to warn prospective visitors and immigrants of the dangers of being misled by unscrupulous immigration agents.
With the recognition that each country faces similar challenges, Canada and its partners have united their voices to warn against immigration scams.
Marriage fraud, for example, has been a particular problem in some countries that are major sources of applicants for immigration to Canada. In many cases, sponsors and foreign applicants arrange a “marriage of convenience”: a marriage or common-law relationship where the sole purpose is for the sponsored spouse to immigrate to Canada. Some of these plans are put together by crooked consultants, advising their clients that this is an easy way to get into Canada.
Soccer Opens Doors for Newcomers
Even though the climate, currency and the culture of Canada was not familiar to Edgar Musonda when he first emigrated to Canada from Zambia, he felt right at home when he stepped onto a soccer field at a park in Ottawa.
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