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CIMM Committee Report

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KEY OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations in this report cover various aspects of our overseas immigration processing. Program integrity issues and the marketing of Canada are of course important, but the main focus of our study relates to operational improvements. These improvements will enable us to better meet our demographic needs and ensure economic development. The following recommendations relate specifically to program operations.

RECOMMENDATION 1

Skilled worker immigration applications should be given second priority in processing. Within that group, the highest priority should be given to those with arranged employment.

RECOMMENDATION 2

In order to achieve a balance that is in Canada’s best interests, the components of non-discretionary processing should be analyzed.

RECOMMENDATION 3

Realistic service standards should be established and publicized for processing skilled worker applications.

RECOMMENDATION 4

Units dedicated exclusively to processing skilled worker applications should be established on a pilot project basis.

RECOMMENDATION 5

A system of inventory management should be fair and transparent; should promote excellence; should be efficient, simple and cost effective; should safeguard program integrity and security; and, should be sufficiently flexible to respond to Canada’s overall interests.

RECOMMENDATION 6

Accurate skilled worker processing times for each post should be publicized on their Web sites.

RECOMMENDATION 10

More resources should be provided so that all customer service programs, including the Department’s call centres and the e-CAS system, can be improved to provide more information to clients.

RECOMMENDATION 13

As a part of the Department’s commitment to customer service, the flow of information to applicants should continue to be improved.

RECOMMENDATION 14

The Centralized Imaging Pilot should be expanded with due caution, and further options to centralize administrative processes should be examined. However, all major decisions must be made by overseas officers to maintain program integrity.

RECOMMENDATION 15

Additional resources should be allocated to process skilled worker immigrant applications at our missions abroad.

RECOMMENDATION 16

Additional resources should be used to enable:

•	Skilled workers to be given second priority and to be processed faster;

•	Immigration levels to be increased;

•	Physical infrastructure to be expanded where facilities are currently stretched to the maximum; and

•	Selective targeting and recruitment of highly skilled immigrants.

RECOMMENDATION 17

Where a lack of space in Canada’s primary location in a country precludes effectively utilizing additional personnel, the government should consider expanding the use for immigration purposes of the consulates in the country or establishing new satellite offices.

RECOMMENDATION 18

Departmental budgeting should be flexible enough to address the increasing volumes of non-immigrant applications to ensure that the processing of skilled worker applications is not interrupted.

RECOMMENDATION 19

Consideration should be given to allocating application fees for non‑immigrant visas to the processing mission as a means of alleviating the budgetary impact of increasing volumes.

RECOMMENDATION 27

In order to prevent mission shopping, applicants for immigration should be required to submit their applications to the post that serves the country in which they have been living for a least one year.

RECOMMENDATION 28

Citizenship and Immigration Canada should not move files from post to post in an attempt to relieve processing bottlenecks.

RECOMMENDATION 39

Provinces and territories should be encouraged to enter the provincial nominee program, or, if they already have an agreement under the program, to continue to develop and refine it.

RECOMMENDATION 40

Provinces participating in the provincial nominee program should ensure that local employers are fully informed about the program’s potential to assist them in attracting the skilled workers they need.

RECOMMENDATION 42

The possibility of municipalities, in partnership with the provinces and the private sector, directly recruiting immigrants to suit their particular needs should be explored.

RECOMMENDATION 52

Incentives should be provided to encourage individuals to obtain a provincial professional or trade assessment prior to applying for permanent residence.

RECOMMENDATION 53

The future business plan of each mission should reflect the Committee’s recommendations and should specify, taking into account the particular pressures on the post in question, how they will be implemented.