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| Subject: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004 |
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This is an interesting report of activities if CIC in 2004. For those interested in statistics and facts, you can access the report in
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/immigration2004-e.pdf
A couple of facts called my attention:
1. CIC works with targets numbers for PR applications. For example, the target range for spouse immigration levels in the year 2005 is 46,000-50,000. My question is: Does the number of applications ever excess the target? What does CIC do when this happens? How do they apply selection procedures to admit the surplus of applicants?
2. The US ranks as number six, in terms of nationality of Permanent Residents admitted in 2003, with 5,990 US migrants. Assume all of the applicants applied in Buffalo (which is the only consulate in US soil that processes PR), then Buffalo CIC finalized, on average, 499 applications per month!!! Assume for the moment Buffalo employs permanently 16 immigration officers, this means each officer might on average finalize 30 applications per month. In other words, assuming each immigration officer finalizes one PR application per day, Buffalo needs at least 16 immigration officer to admit 5990 US citizens that apply in Buffalo IN ONE YEAR. These figures confirm one thing: Buffalo RPC is seriously understaffed. They shoudl start sharing their workload with consulates in Detroit, N.Y., L.A., etc.
[28-10-2004,13:44]
ozz |
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good question! (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
if they get to 50,000 do they stall the application until the following year... or is that number about equal to the applications that are received annually. You missed one calculation. Your numbers reflect APPROVED applications, so we need to factor in the applications that are rejected too. When we start to look at some of the other large consulates like India or Indonesia... no wonder the wait can be up to 4 years. CIC can only process the number of applications that Canada can absorb in a given year. There is some low level chatter about using the lottery system so that each year the backlog gets eliminated. Not sure if that scheme would work or ever happen.
[28-10-2004,14:07]
sharon |
wow (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Very very intuitive.. I in many ways feel bad for the immigrations agents. I don´t even want to imagine the stacks on their desks. And I imagine ALL the paper work they have is important and nothing can be misplaced!
Regardless, do you think it actually take a whole day to review one application? I doubt it. Because they can look over all the documents for a SINGLE person in just over an hour and know whether they are going to be granted PR or not. I know it seems like a lot of forms but seriously there isn´t a ton to evaluate.
For ´approval in principle´ for spousal sponsorship that could take 20minutes to look over. My goodness, either the sponsor is financially able to perform the duties of a sponsor or not. Its a matter of looking at a relative income to expendature ratio. If children are involved then there is more complication, but not a whole heck of a lot, because they have set guidlines for required income and assets....
Who knows... feedback?
[28-10-2004,14:07]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Yes, Sharon... The numbers above refer only to Admitted cases. I´m sorry I used the word FINALIZED, it is a bit misleading. However, I do not expect, in the US case, the gap between FINALIZED and ADMITTED to be large.
On the other hand, there is a need to factor in those applications also processed in BUFFALO from NON-US applicants, like myself! It is not possible to get those numbers from their report.
However, the point is clear: The serious backlogiing effect is caused by the LARGE number of applications processed by the SMALL number of immigration officers.
Let´s apply a little bit of economics. Assume CIC receives on average CD $1,500 per applicant. Since there are 5,990 approved applicants, CIC immigration fees recepits are nearly CD $8,985,000 . Assume no administration costs, and that that RPC in Buffalo hires 16 immigration officers... which leads to receipts of about CD $561,562 PER IMMIGRATION OFFICER. I have no idea how much they spend in administration, but in the hypothetical case RPC in Buffalo would finance immigration officer´s salaries with immigration fees receipts, they should be able to hire more officers... clearly, this is all hypothetical.
[28-10-2004,14:30]
ozz |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Anonymous,
As clarified above, the statistics refer to "APPROVED" cases. These figures do not include "REJECTED" cases.
My guess is that in a typical day an immigration officer might "read" 6-8 cases. Assuming that he does 1 case per hour.
[28-10-2004,14:36]
ozz |
2 things (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
don´t forget, you do not pay your landing fees until you are accepted. so the revenue is less by more than 50%. One hour per file... I would think it takes longer. The burning question always is... can this applicant make a go of it in Canada. Yes, the clear point system etc gives them some tools to work with, but it still takes time to take an application through each step.
Canada could hire 1,000 more CIC staff but it would still not change the assimilation capacity of the country. We want to make sure there is a good chance of employement, housing, medical care etc. for our new citizens. No point in allowing people into the country and have them worse off than where they came from.
[28-10-2004,15:37]
sharon |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Sharon,
The idea of increasing the number of immigrations officers is not to allow too many people to the country. It is to make the immigration offices more efficent and faster. The processing time for those who are admitted as well those whose application is rejected have to be much faster than the current pace. Come on it should not take them more than a year to tell you that your application is rejected. In suggestion the whole process whatever the case may be should not take more than six months.
P.S. It seems to me that if you were the minister responsible you would keep the status quo and go ahead with the current processing time which sometimes exceedes more than 40 months!!
[28-10-2004,19:51]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Anonymous:
Unlike Sharon, you got the idea!!!
The idea is: CIC should hire more people to process the applications faster, not to allow more people into the country. Clearly, as stated above, CIC has targets. By itself the targets take into account the capacity Canada has to acommodate newcomers. I´m not suggesting the target should be changed. I´m suggesting hiring more officers to simultaneously expedite the immigration process and achieve the targets.
[28-10-2004,20:16]
ozz |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Sharon,
It does not matter when CIC get the money: at the beginning of the process, in the middle or at the end of it. The fact of the matter is they receive an amount of money for each PR application processed. There is no reason to say the revenue CIC receives is 50% less of what I presented above.
Again, the targets are a good idea. I agree 100% with you in that it is not a good idea to bring more people into the country if that makes everybody worse off. I strongly believe that is what the targets try to accomplish: receive people according to Canada´s accomodation capacity.
However, I´m not suggesting the targets should be changed. I´m suggesting sharing the work load with other Consulates in the US like Detroit, New York, Los Angeles. They could also hire more officers. In conclusion, I´m suggesting CIC should make efforts to expedite the immigration process within the target limitations.
[28-10-2004,20:29]
ozz |
point taken (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
I take your point about fees. Not sure the Canadian government is putting much of the cash into general revenue after it pays all the admin costs. I also do not know how our fees compare to other countries.
According to the performance reports the shortest time an application takes is about 9 months (interview waived)12 months with an interview. I think it is a reasonable wait given all the things that have to happen. Does anyone know how Canada compares to France, UK or Austrailia.
[28-10-2004,21:01]
sharon |
(in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
Do you find 12 months of family separation, for the spouse class, reasonable?
I don´t know if you have a family, but for me 12 months of separation from my wife and my 4-year-old son is not acceptable in any way!
I two cases in the spouse category that have taken 5 months. That is acceptable.... but 12 months is not!!!! No way!!!
[28-10-2004,21:09]
ozz |
12 months (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
I was referring to skilled worker category.
[29-10-2004,02:15]
sharon |
12 months (in reply to: IMMIGRATION REPORT-2004)
I was referring to skilled worker category. How can you approve and applicant and then not let them in? Canada cannot say to someone - yes you qualify to come but we cannot let you in until 2007. That is no solution either.
[29-10-2004,02:17]
sharon |
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