Correspondence between our crew and Citizenship and Immigration Canada

The Backlog Team. February 4, 2015

Good day,

I’m a filmmaker with residence in Montreal in the last 4 years. I am also a permanent resident and a taxpayer.

I’m writing this e-mail to let you know that after carefully reading the testimony of the members of The Canada Inland Spousal Sponsorship Facebook group, I decided to start a documentary on this subject.

The film The Backlog: Life doesn’t Wait will focus on how the waiting time for applications have increased from 6 months to 25 months since Minister Chris Alexander took office, and how this affects the life of the applicants. We will follow their struggles as they try to live in Canada for more than two years without having the possibility to work or have access to neither health care nor education, and how this will affect their overall process of integration to their new country.

To help put things in perspective we will also compare Canada’s immigration policies with those implemented in Australia and New Zealand. We will also study how these two countries managed to drastically reduce the waiting times for their different programs, specially the Australian Express Entry which Canada tried unsuccessfully to emulate.

We will also study the precedent of the Government of Canada’s Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act, which terminated close to 96,700 applications for Skilled Workers due to lack of resources to process them. We will also study how these applicants sued the Government Of Canada and lost.

Finally we will try to answer why this backlog is taking place. Is it lack of resources? Inaccurate planning? We will follow the journey of MP Jinny Simms to audit the CIC and how the members of the group started a petition to find answer to a process that they accuse of not being transparent. We will also contact leaders of all political parties to find their position on the subject, if any.

We will also consult experts so they give us an analysis of the impact that this backlog has in the Canadian economy.

Please be aware that this documentary is not being made out of “vested self interest” or partisanship. This production has three main goals:

1) To bring this matter to a broader audience: the Canadian taxpayers who deserve to know how effectively their taxes are being used.

2) To alert potential skilled immigrants or spouses of Canadians citizens on the increase of the processing times so they can make an informed decision on establishing in Canada or finding residence elsewhere.

3) To make a testimony of the struggle of new Canadians and how much help (or lack of help) they found in the government of a country where they did not born, but where they decided to spend their productive years.

Finally, and most importantly, we would like to have the cooperation of the pertinent authorities. After all, this will not be televised report that fades away after one broadcast, but a documentary available in many platforms years to come and a constant reminder of the legacy of the current administration regarding the immigration policies of Canada, and the struggles of those who wanted to improve them.

Best regards,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. February 5, 2015

Hi Mr. Lopez,

Thank you for your email. We would be more than happy to respond to your questions. If you could, please send them to cic-media-relations@cic.gc.ca.

Regards,

Nancy Caron
Media Relations Advisor/Spokesperson | Les Relations avec les médias/Porte-parole
NHQ - Communications | AC - Communications

The Backlog team. February 6, 2015

Good morning, Mrs. Caron.

Thank you very much for your quick reply. We can gladly send the list of questions we have to the address you provided.

However, if you could, we would also appreciate to schedule an interview with you. For us is very important to have the perspective of the CIC on camera.

We can provide the questions in advance, specially considering that most of them would consist on facts and numbers. You can take the time you need to prepare the answers to those questions prior to the interview.

We are not in a hurry and we can adjust to your availability. In case you are not available, we can interview anyone in your department that can be considered an authorized spokeperson for the CIC.

Best regards,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. February 6, 2015

Good morning,

I am sorry but no one is available to do an on-camera interview. As I indicated, we would be more than happy to respond to your questions in writing. If you could, please send them to cic-media-relations@cic.gc.ca.

Nancy Caron
Media Relations Advisor/Spokesperson | Les Relations avec les médias/Porte-parole
NHQ - Communications | AC - Communications
Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

The Backlog team. February 12, 2015

Good day,

In response to the e-mail from Nancy Caron inviting to send our questions about the backlog experienced in the Inland Spouse Sponsorship category, we proceed to send a first batch of questions.

These questions are focusing only in the aforementioned category, but since we had numerous feedback from applicants, we might send more questions about this and other categories in the future. As we also plan to inquire immigration departments in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand to compare procedures, other questions might arise.

We hope we can count with your collaboration:

List of questions to the CIC (Sponsorship of family members)

1. How many Inland Sponsorship applications are waiting to be processed by CIC? How many agents are appointed to process this applications?
2. Why does the Spousal Sponsorship process takes three times longer on average if done inside Canada than if done outside Canada?
3. The Inland Sponsorship processing times for stage 1 increased from 6 months in 2013 to 17 months (and counting) in 2015. Why?
4. Did the PAFSO-APASE diplomat strike in 2013 had any effect on this backlog?
5. Chris Day has gone on record inviting spouses to apply through the Express Entry Program. If an applicant choses to do so, will CIC reimburse the fees already paid for the Inland Sponsorship application?
6. Applicants have complained that when they call CIC they can get different answers by different agents even on the same day. Does CIC has the plan to unify all the information under one platform so agents know for real the status of the application?
7. Applicants have complained that CIC is not processing the applications in chronological order, with Chris Day even recognizing that they don’t have enough resources to organize the application in chronological order. Is there any criteria in the processing order of the applications or is it completely random?
8. In 2014 CIC decided to increase the fees for Spouse Sponsorship application to have “more resources to decrease the waiting times”? How have the extra resources been invested and why have the waiting times increased instead of decreased?
9. Why can’t Inland Sponsorship applicants check the status of their application online after months or even years of submitting their applications? We understand that one of the Organizational Priorities CIC had for 2013-2014 was to improve service and access to electronic self-service systems for applicants. Why is it not the case for this application stream?
10. Has CIC considered/measured the economic impact of the current processing times for Inland Spousal Sponsorship in terms of tax contribution and decrease of consumption habits, which goes against the most recent goals of the National Bank?
11. CIC decreased their planned spending for Family Class immigration from 42.4 million dollars in 2013-2014 to 38 million dollars in the current period. Due to the current backlog and the 25 month processing timeframe, is CIC preparing to close this category? And if that’s the case, how will this work in the future for Canadians marrying foreigners?
12. Do your plans to reduce the current backlog include the return of applications as it was done in 2012 for the Federal Skilled Worker Program under the administration of Jason Kenney?  
13. If CIC has an expected number of applications to be approved by year for each category (for example, a high of 48,500 applications for Spouses, partners and children for 2013), why does CIC continue to receive applications in a given year after surpassing the goal number, knowingly being short in resources to process them?
14. In your Report of Plans and Priorities for 2013-14, you explain the budget reduction in the Inland Sponsorship stream with the following sentence: “Explanation of Change: In 2014–2015, planned spending decreases by $3 million, primarily due to planned reductions in funding to modernize the immigration system and manage backlogs.” Does this mean that your spending would be reduced due to modernization and backlog clearance, or that you reduced the budget used to modernization and backlog clearance?
15. What are your plans for the Parents and Grandparents category, which has been on hold since 2013 and changes are yet to be announced?
16. The recent pilot program granting Open Work Permits for Principal Applicants solves just a few of the problems couples under this stream are suffering, but it’s just a temporary solution that does not solve the real problem. Does this OWP program mean there are no foreseeable plans to reduce processing times in this category?
17. The applicants of this category have planned a protest March 1st  to demand the audit of this program. Is there a precedent of applicants doing street demonstration demanding more transparency and efficiency from CIC?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. February 12, 2015

Good afternoon,

Can you let us know your deadline please?

Thank you

Remi Lariviere
Media Relations | Relations avec les médias
NHQ - Communications | AC - Communications
Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

The Backlog Team. February 16, 2015

Hello and sorry for the late reply. The deadline for this questionnaire would be for the end of March. Thank you very much.

The Backlog Team. February 23, 2015

Good afternoon,

For the second time I'm contacting the Minister to formally request an Intreview for the documentary The Backlog: Life Doesn't Wait.

This documentary will focus on how the waiting times for Stage 1 of the Inland Spouse Sponsorship have tripled since 2013, coincidentally, the same year that Minister Chris Alexander took office.

Since the Minister was sponsor himself, we would like to interview him regarding the current delays and ask him to compare the current scenario with the one he faced when sponsoring his wife.

We hope we can count with your collaboration.

Best regards,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. February 23, 2015

Good afternoon,

I’m following up on your recent media requests. The Minister is not available for an interview; we are currently doing our best to respond to the questions your team has submitted and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

Corinne Crichlow
Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

The Backlog Team. March 17, 2015

Good day,

We can't say we're all that surprised with your response. However, we thank you for the work you're putting into answering the first batch of questions we sent. We're going to send a second batch in the upcoming days.

After the overwhelming response we've had from the applicants, we decided to speed up the filming and have the documentary ready for release by September.

We appreciate your time and we would love to have some goods news to include in the documentary. Sadly, at the current rate the backlog seems to be getting worse, which is creating more frustration within the community. This, added to the expected demonstrations in the upcoming months and the lack of response, does not present a positive portrait of CIC.

We hope you take advantage of the opportunity you have to present your side of the story.

Best regards,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. March 27, 2015

Good afternoon,

Thank you for submitting your media request. Below are answers to your questions. Should you have further questions, please submit them via e-mail to cic-media-relations@cic.gc.ca.

On the Sponsorship Program

The Government of Canada is committed to reuniting as many spouses and partners as possible, as quickly as possible, while ensuring permanent resident targets are met for all immigrant categories.

Canada already has one of the most generous family class immigration programs in the world; in 2015, nearly 70,000 people will be admitted to Canada in these streams.

We have maintained the highest levels of family class immigration in recent years.

We are working to eliminate backlogs and reduce processing times of all kinds.

You will be pleased to learn that we recently launched a pilot project to allow certain sponsored spouses the chance to work much sooner than before.

This pilot program will ensure that, during the processing period, applicants will be able to work, provide for their families and contribute to the Canadian economy.

That has been very well received.

It is precisely because of the importance we and the public place on family class immigration that we will ensure that anything further we may do with respect to this stream will be of immediate help to applicants and their families.

On Parent and Grandparent Program

After a two-year pause, the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) re-opened, with a cap of 5,000 new applications, in January 2014 and again in 2015.

Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the world. We admit more parents and family members than most other developed countries.

Had no action been taken, it was predicted that the backlog could have increased to 250,000 persons with wait times of 15 years by 2015. Because of these decisive actions, wait times are now expected to be just one fifth of that time.

Improving the efficiency of the program will inevitably speed up the process of family reunification for sponsors and applicants.

The Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification has been a success as the government is meeting all of the commitments outlined in the plan.

Additional background information

Applications are processed in the order they are received. Processing times depend on many factors including the number of applications received in a given period of time, the complexity of the cases, applicant’s response to requests for additional information, and other factors.

There was no fee increase for sponsoring spouses in 2014.

The electronic Client Application Status tool is available for Sponsoring a spouse or common-law partner in Canada applications.

CIC annually meets, and even exceeds, the family class targets set in its annual levels immigration plan.

In Budget 2008, the Department received significant funding to modernize the immigration systems. We have modernized our IT system and are now in a maintenance phase which require less funding.

We do not track demonstrations, but you can rest assured that we are in contact with representatives of the inland spousal sponsorship group.

If you wish to obtain specific data that is not publicly available, please visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/requests-atip.asp to find out how to make a request under the Access to Information Act.

Kind regards,

Corinne Crichlow
Media Relations | Relations avec les medias
Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada

The Backlog Team. April 1, 2015

Thanks for your reply.

After reading your e-mail carefully we realized that most of our questions remain unanswered.

In this second batch we will resend those questions of the first batch that you did not answer in the hopes that you will do it this time. Please take into account that if you fail to provide the information requested we will simply say that you refused to give official data and we will keep working with our estimates.

To give an example: we estimate that there are between 12000 and 16000 applications in the Inland Spousal Sponsorship stream, and only 5 agents appointed to work on them. If you don’t provide your own official numbers, those are the numbers that we’ll use in the documentary.

We can also estimate that you had an income of between 12 and 16 million dollars in applications fees that you are not using to process these cases, and instead you are using Inland Sponsorship fees to process other streams (like Temporary Foreign Worker applications). Again, if you don’t explain in detail how the fees are being used, we will simply say you refuse to give official data.

So, as we requested before, here are the questions of the second batch:

1. In January 2014 you transferred the Inland Sponsorship files from Vegreville to Mississauga to “improve processing times”. However, the waiting times for Stage 1 have increased from 12 months in 2014 to 17 months and second stage has increased from 8 to 10 months in 2015. Given the results, do you evaluate this measure as successful?
2. There are currently more than 16.000 applications for Inland Spousal Sponsorship waiting to be processed. Last year, CIC processed only 580 applications of this stream. At this pace, it would take almost 30 years to process applications currently awaiting. What are the actions you are taking to improve processing times this and when they will take effect?
3. You said that the OWP program “has been very well received”. By whom? Do you have evidence to support that claim?
4. Sponsored spouses currently out of status are excluded from the 1-year pilot program for Open Work Permits. However, many of these spouses lost their implied status when they got their packages returned by CIC after forms were changed in August, 2014. Are you taking any measures to help this demographic or do they have to wait 17+ months to be able to work and/or study?
5. We have noticed a trend: the majority of the spouses that lost their status due to CIC asking for more documentation are usually non-caucasian and/or members of a same-sex marriage. Is CIC deliberately targeting those groups to forbid them to work?
6. OWPs issued under the pilot program are valid for two years. Does that mean you estimate their process will take that longer until DM?
7. Chris Day has gone on the record asking Inland Spouses to apply to Express Entry for faster processing. Does that mean that CIC has the resources to process applications quicker but is prioritizing Express Entry over Spousal Sponsorship?
8. Minister Chris Alexander has said that Express Entry wants to give priority to people with “high chances of succeeding in Canada”. For the record, CIC believes that someone outside Canada with a job offer will integrate better to the Canadian society that someone living in Canada and married with a Canadian citizen (or Permanent Resident)?
9. Before August, 2014, letters to request a Certificate of Selection of Quebec were sent to applicants 2 months after receiving AOR. This way, applicants could do this process in advance and have it ready when they received AIP. Now, they don’t receive this letter until AIP is granted. All the time it takes for the MICC to send the CSQ is additional waiting time for second stage approval. How does that change of procedure improve processing times?
10. You stated that you are “in contact with representatives of the inland spousal sponsorship group”. However, when we asked the representatives of the group, they denied being in contact with anyone at CIC since December, 2014, when Chris Day sent a rude and intimidating reply to a request from a group coordinator. Can you provide the full names of your representatives and the representatives of the groups that supposedly you are in contact with?

We are also resending the questions for the first batch that you did not answer:

1               How many Inland Sponsorship applications are waiting to be processed by CIC? How many agents are appointed to process these applications?

2               Why does the Spousal Sponsorship process takes three times longer on average if done inside Canada than if done outside Canada?

3               The Inland Sponsorship processing times for stage 1 increased from 6 months in 2013 to 17 months (and counting) in 2015. Why?

4               Did the PAFSO-APASE diplomat strike in 2013 have any effect on this backlog?

5               Chris Day has gone on record inviting spouses to apply through the Express Entry Program. If an applicant choses to do so, will CIC reimburse the fees already paid for the Inland Sponsorship application?

6               Applicants have complained that when they call CIC they can get different answers by different agents even on the same day. Does CIC have the plan to unify all the information under one platform so agents know for real the status of the application?

7               Applicants have complained that CIC is not processing the applications in chronological order, with Chris Day even recognizing that they don’t have enough resources to organize the application in chronological order. Are there any criteria in the processing order of the applications or is it completely random?

8               In 2014 CIC decided to increase the fees for Spouse Sponsorship application to have “more resources to decrease the waiting times”? How have the extra resources been invested and why have the waiting times increased instead of decreased?

9               Why can’t Inland Sponsorship applicants check the status of their application online after months or even years of submitting their applications? We understand that one of the Organizational Priorities CIC had for 2013-2014 was to improve service and access to electronic self-service systems for applicants. Why is it not the case for this application stream?

10           Has CIC considered/measured the economic impact of the current processing times for Inland Spousal Sponsorship in terms of tax contribution and decrease of consumption habits, which goes against the most recent goals of the National Bank?

11           CIC decreased their planned spending for Family Class immigration from 42.4 million dollars in 2013-2014 to 38 million dollars in the current period. Due to the current backlog and the 25 month processing timeframe, is CIC preparing to close this category? And if that’s the case, how will this work in the future for Canadians marrying foreigners?

12           Do your plans to reduce the current backlog include the return of applications as it was done in 2012 for the Federal Skilled Worker Program under the administration of Jason Kenney?  

13           If CIC has an expected number of applications to be approved by year for each category (for example, a high of 48,500 applications for Spouses, partners and children for 2013), why does CIC continue to receive applications in a given year after surpassing the goal number, knowingly being short in resources to process them?

Due to production timelines that we take very seriously and want to respect, we would need to have the answers to our questions to be sent by email by Friday April 10^th at 4 pm. If we don’t receive them by then we will assume you refused to provide the information requested.

Best regards,

Citizenship and Immigration Canada. April 1, 2015

Good evening,

CIC has nothing to add to its previous response.

Best regards,

Sonia

Sonia LesageMedia Relations Advisor/Spokesperson | Les Relations avec les médias/Porte-parole
Western Region - Communications | Région de l’Ouest - Communications
Citizenship and Immigration Canada | Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada