Canada Plans to Revamp Immigration System to Handle Post COVID-19 Application Influx
IRCC Seeking Bids to Help Modernize Aging Computer Systems, Applications, and Interviews
In anticipation of the loosening of travel restrictions post COVID-19, the federal government is planning to revamp and modernize Canada’s immigration system to help respond to an expected surge in applications.
“When travel restrictions begin to ease, a significant surge of applications and support requirements is anticipated, putting tremendous demand on our global operations and supporting branches,” stated a tender request published on the government’s procurement website.
The purpose of the tender request is to solicit bids from vendors that can help Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) fulfill its plan to modernize the immigration application process.
According to the request, the main issues that will be addressed include aging computer systems, paper applications, and in-person interviews.
“IRCC needs to act quickly to develop (i) updated and new strategies, and (ii) processes and digital systems to cope with the rapid change it is undergoing.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration operations in Canada have been significantly affected. Besides the travel restrictions barring many immigrants and refugees from entering Canada, the government has closed or significantly scaled back immigration operations. This includes in-person interviews, the collection of biometrics, along with the closure of international visa centers.
Despite the travel restrictions in place since March, IRCC has been allowing certain individuals to enter Canada or apply for permanent residency. This includes:
- Immediate family members of permanent residents and citizens
- Asylum seekers working in the healthcare sector
- Temporary foreign workers working in the agri-food industry
- IEC Visa holders
- Certain asylum seekers
- Study permit holders
“In the face of so many challenges, IRCC has made great efforts to adapt, for instance, by prioritizing applications from Canadians returning to Canada, vulnerable people and people who perform or support essential services,” said IRCC spokesperson Nancy Caron in an email to the Canadian Press.
“We are processing those as quickly as possible.”
But with things starting to slowly reopen and travel restrictions loosening, Canada is expecting an influx of applications that will be difficult to process in a timely manner without implementing a new, more modern system.
The Ramifications Of Maintaining Travel Restrictions
It’s important to remember that the Liberal government had previously pledged to welcome as many as 371,000 new permanent residents in 2020. But now, with these plans up in the air due to the global pandemic, it’s uncertain what kind of lasting effect reduced immigration could have.
One recent report from RBC Economics found that a reduction in immigration levels due to COVID-19 could have a detrimental impact on Canada’s economy as it’s estimated that Canada would welcome 170,000 fewer permanent residents than planned if the travel restrictions are extended to the end of the summer.
Hopefully though, with fewer COVID-19 cases being reported every day, along with the government’s plans to improve the application process and modernize Canada’s immigration system, Canada will soon get back on track to welcoming more newcomers and restoring immigration levels.
Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and its Implication on Racialized Immigrants
Examining Racism and Inequality in Canada
As protests and calls for action have arisen following the murder of George Floyd and other disproportionate levels of police brutality against Black Americans, the reverberations have been felt internationally. Different societies have begun examining their own issues of discrimination, police brutality, and racial and ethnic inequality.
Canada has also felt this call for action as issues of systemic racism and inequality persist for visible minorities and Indigenous Canadians throughout the country. Statistics from the 2016 Canadian Census paints a less than favourable picture of Canada regarding its issues of visible minority-based income inequality.
- 25% lower total incomes for Indigenous Canadians compared to non-indigenous Canadians
- 26% lower total incomes for visible minorities compared to non-visible minorities
Recent immigrants, the majority of which are visible minorities, fare even worse with a total income that is 37% lower than that of Canadians born here. When comparing the data of the 2016 Census to that of 2006, little improvement for these groups is shown, with marginal improvements of 2% for Indigenous Canadians and recent immigrants and a small widening of 1% for visible minorities.
Anti-Racism Strategy and Policy in Canada
With issues of inequality and discrimination towards racialized peoples being magnified in recent weeks, discussions of anti-racism policy have become focal point in the minds of the Canadian public.
Canada, in fact, has both an Anti-Racism Action Program (ARAP) and, more recently, an Anti-Racism strategy known as “Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022.” These two initiatives work closely together with numerous communities, branches of government, departments, and organizations.
Some of the general principles and goals of these two anti-racism initiatives are as follows:
- Demonstrate federal leadership in addressing systemic racism and discrimination within federal institutions and in public policy, programs and services
- Establish an anti-racism secretariat to coordinate federal action and engage with minority communities and indigenous communities
- Empower communities by funding projects at the local community level
- Build awareness and educate the public on the historical roots of racism in Canada and the impact that is continues to have today
- Promote intercultural and interfaith understanding and foster equitable opportunities to participate fully in Canadian society
- Increase the availability and accessibility of data, evidence and community insights regarding the disparities experienced by Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, and religious minorities.
Anti-Racism Regarding Immigration to Canada
Racism is a matter that affects all racialized Canadians, but also exhibits itself in some unique ways in Canadian immigration policy. The following are only some of the systemic issues that disproportionately impact immigrants economically and in obtaining permanent residence:
- A landing fee of $975 required to obtain permanent residency. This fee disproportionately affects immigrants from lower income countries where many of these immigrants are visible minorities.
- Stricter identification requirements for obtaining permanent residency. This negatively impacts immigrants and refugees that come from an environment where they may not have, or have lost such official documents.
- The invalidation of professional qualifications held by many immigrants in other countries, making it difficult for them to enter the labour market. This in turn leads to higher rates of unemployment and underemployment among immigrants to Canada, particularly racialized Canadians.
- Recent immigrants to Canada receive lower wages as a result of having less seniority within their place of work, compared to their non-immigrant counterparts.
Much of the racial inequality existing in Canada could be addressed by making changes to current immigration and employment law and policy, which by design, inadvertently places visible minority immigrants to Canada at a disadvantage.
The Former Minister of Immigration, Ahmed Hussen, has in particular been quite vocal in recent weeks in suggesting anti-racism policy ideas that could be implemented by the Federal Government to address issues of systemic racism in Canada.
Many of Hussen’s suggestions, such as collecting more data on inequalities and barriers facing minority groups, as well as to provide a platform where racial minorities can share their voices, fall in line with the goals and aims of Canada’s Anti-Racism strategy, as laid out above.
Hussen has, however, made some good recommendations that could be implemented more immediately, while policy change recommendations from Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy materialize.
One of these policies is to implement a name-blind hiring practice for federal government jobs. This would remove some potential racial or religious bias from the hiring process as the names of government job applicants would be hidden.
This policy could be a good first step in tackling the high rates of unemployment and underemployment amongst visible and religious minority Canadians, many of whom are immigrants. This change in the hiring process could also lead to better representation of minority groups in the federal government, which can in turn, lead to future progress in achieving the goal of eliminating systemic racism in Canada.
It is too soon to see what results will come of Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy or Hussen’s suggestions. However, the discussions happening publicly, and through government financed anti-racism engagement sessions, are a first step towards properly assessing what legislative changes need to be made to advance the goal of eliminating discrimination and inequality amongst all minority groups, including immigrants.
Sources
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E
https://ccrweb.ca/files/arreport.pdf
“Come to Canada” Says Immigration Minister in Response to U.S Immigration Ban
Mendicino Confirms Canada Has No Plans to Follow Trump’s Lead by Suspending Visas
The global COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, but Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino, is preparing to welcome newcomers with open arms.
In a recent television interview with CTV News, Mendicino responded to reports that the United States had suspended all temporary resident visas, with a simple message: “Come to Canada,” he said.
The Executive Order in question signed by President Donald Trump bars new green card holders and temporary foreign workers from coming to the U.S. in 2020.
In stark contrast to Trump’s anti-immigration stance in the wake of the global pandemic, Mendicino has consistently maintained that Canada will remain committed to welcoming immigrants, temporary foreign workers, and international students. The hope is that immigration will help boost Canada’s economy, which has taken a serious hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, when asked by CTV for his opinion on the recent visa suspension in the U.S., Mendicino said that that the U.S’ loss is Canada’s gain and will “spring Canada’s economic recovery.”
“We have a plan in place that looks to leverage the best and the brightest from around the world,” he said. “We’ve got pathways like the Express Entry program, and the Global Talent Stream, which will help to bring entrepreneurs, engineers, and innovators. We’ve also got pathways for manual laborers and skilled laborers.”
Before a global pandemic was declared, back in 2019, Canada had pledged to welcome 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020. This target does not include temporary foreign workers and international students.
Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions put in place by the federal government back in March, it doesn’t appear likely that Canada will be able to meet its initial target.
Despite certain exceptions put in place for family members, temporary foreign workers, and certain asylum seekers, it’s estimated that Canada will welcome 170,000 fewer immigrants this year than anticipated if the travel restrictions are not lifted by the end of the summer.
However, with travel restrictions and other COVID-19 measures starting to loosen, plus Trump’s recent immigration ban, Canada may just see an influx in immigration applications in the next few months. Especially considering the Liberal government’s track record for welcoming newcomers and prioritizing immigration.
Canada Considers Permanent Residency For Refugee Healthcare Workers
Asylum Seekers Working in Healthcare During Pandemic May Be Eligible For Permanent Residence
The Canadian government has announced a plan to provide assistance to asylum seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering permanent residence to refugees working in healthcare occupations.
The measure will include asylum seekers from across all of Canada, including Quebec, working in any healthcare-related job. This includes security guards, nurses aides, and long-term care home workers. It will not apply to asylum seekers working in any other sector, even if their occupation was classified as essential during the pandemic.
The measure is not yet in place, as it currently is awaiting approval from the cabinet committee. The project was only just recently presented by Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Cabinet Committee last week.
If approved, the program is expected to launch within the next few weeks.
It has not yet been disclosed how many asylum seekers would be eligible for permanent residence, however, it’s believed that potentially thousands will be affected.
The province of Quebec is believed to be where the majority of the asylum seekers who could be eligible for the new measure are located.
According to CIC News, a Quebec-based support organization for migrants estimates that over 1,000 asylum seekers living in Quebec are currently working in the province’s health sector.
Many of these individuals have had their refugee claims rejected or are waiting for a decision from the government but have continued to work throughout the global pandemic.
According to CBC, Quebec and Ottawa have had several meetings to discuss the plan but have not yet reached an agreement.
"We are at work. Discussions are continuing with the federal government, since asylum seekers are currently a federal process," Marc-André Gosselin, a spokesperson for Quebec's Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette told CBC.
Who Is Eligible
Besides being a healthcare worker, asylum seekers must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for permanent residence under the new program:
- Be an asylum seeker. Claims that are pending or have been rejected are also eligible.
- Have requested asylum before the measure is formally announced by the federal government
- Hold a valid work permit
- Have worked at least four weeks or 120 hours between January 25, 2020 and the date the measure is announced.
Although the special measure is not yet set in stone, this is great news for hardworking asylum seekers that have been working on the frontlines of this pandemic and helping keep Canadians safe.
Canada Lifts Travel Restrictions For Family Of Citizens And Permanent Residents
Canadians Now Able to Reunite With Family Members Living Abroad During COVID-19
As Canada slowly begins to loosen COVID-19 measures, the federal government is lifting the travel restriction that barred foreign national family members of Canadians from reuniting with their families.
According to a recent news release from Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), as of June 8, foreign nationals who are immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be permitted to travel to Canada, as long as they do not have COVID-19 or exhibit any signs or symptoms of the virus. There is also no requirement for them to demonstrate that the purpose of their trip to Canada is essential.
The goal of exempting family members from the ongoing travel restrictions to Canada is to help reunite families that have been separated since the global pandemic broke out earlier this year.
"This is an incredibly difficult time to be apart from a spouse, a child, or mom or dad," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a news conference.
The CBSA news release also added that “The Government recognizes however that the temporary border measures put in place to fight the spread of COVID-19, while necessary, have created challenges for some families. The Government has therefore been looking at ways to keep families together and support unity while respecting the need for continued vigilance and border measures at this time.”
Who The Exemption Applies To
According to the criteria outlined in the news release, Canada considers the following individuals to be immediate family members and therefore exempt from travel restrictions:
- Spouses and common-law partners
- A dependent child, as defined in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
- A dependent child of an individual’s spouse or common-law partner
- Parents and step-parents
- Parents and step-parents of an individual’s spouse or common-law partner
- Guardians and tutors
The main stipulation for foreign national family members who choose to travel to Canada is that they must be staying with their immediate family member(s) for at least 15 days, and must also quarantine themselves for 14 days.
This requirement may be difficult for many separated families to meet. For example, if a person’s work, such as an active duty military member, does not permit staying in Canada for 15 days, they may be prevented from seeing their close family members.
Upon arrival, the family member will also have to confirm these details and verify that they have a “suitable place to quarantine” for at least 14 days and will have access to basic necessities. They will not be able to have contact with anyone deemed a “vulnerable” person, such as adults over the age of 65, or anyone with a pre-existing medical condition (unless the vulnerable person is either a consenting adult or the parent or child in a parent-child relationship).
It’s important to note that those who would require a temporary resident visa (TRVs) and electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) to enter Canada under normal circumstances will still be required to retain them. Fortunately, processing of these applications will continue as normal, whereas other TRVs and eTA applications remain suspended.
Steep Penalties for Non-Compliance
Those that do not follow quarantine restrictions on arrival will face fines up to $750,000 and or imprisonment for six months. If they put someone else’s life at risk by ignoring those restrictions, they can face up to $1 million dollar fines and up to three years in prison.
These new measures are only valid until June 30th when Canada’s Covid-19 travel restrictions are set to expire. However, the government has stated that it will provide another update regarding the travel restrictions before this date of expiration.