Response to parliamentary committees and external audits

Response to parliamentary committees

Report 3 - Situation at the Russia-Ukraine Border, March 29, 2022

That the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration report the following to the House: We

  1. condemn the unwarranted and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a clear violation of international law;
  2. call on the Government of Canada to support Ukrainians and people residing in Ukraine who are impacted by this conflict and ensure that it is prepared to process immigration applications on an urgent basis without compromising needs in other areas; and
  3. implement visa-free travel from Ukraine to Canada, including by the rapid issuance of an electronic travel authorization (eTA), and increase staffing resources so that the existing backlog for all immigration streams is not further impacted by this humanitarian crisis.

No Government Response requested

Report 2 - Immigration in the Time of Covid-19: Issues and Challenges, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, February 4, 2022, Initially tabled May 13, 2021

By restricting travel, policies to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 have delayed and altered the immigration system. The Report examined the impact of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on the family reunification, international students, economic immigrants, and refugee and asylum seekers stream. It also explored the economic immigration incentives put in place by the Government of Canada to respond to the current situation in Hong Kong. The Committee heard witness testimony describing how individuals across Canada and around the world saw their plans to visit, study, work or establish themselves in Canada altered by the pandemic.

There were 38 recommendation, including: fully digitizing immigration systems while also retaining the option of paper applications; extending the validity of medical exams; funding visa application centres in Francophone Africa to increase staff to accelerate the process of student biometrics and permits; and, releasing to applicants full justification for the refusals of their applications.

Government Response

Report 1 - Safe Haven in Canada: Special Immigration and Refugee Measures are Urgently Needed for the People of Hong Kong, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, February 4, 2022

The special immigration measures introduced by the Government of Canada help pro-democracy activists and other Hong Kongers who need or want to leave their city, provided that they qualify under existing pathways or recently graduated university, and have secured a job in Canada with approval under the new work permits.

The Report highlighted witness testimony about potential gaps in these measures and in existing immigration and refugee policies, suggesting potential improvements. It also raised concerns about how Hong Kongers fleeing their home can find a safe haven in Canada through various Canadian immigration and refugee pathways.

Among the 15 recommendations, the Committee recommended the Department issue study permits with relaxed criteria; extend the young professionals Working Holiday work permit for individuals from Hong Kong; and, review the criteria for the open three-year work permit. It asked the Department to adopt an inclusive approach and create a pathway to permanent residence based on more humanitarian considerations, while ensuring a pathway to permanent residence for Hong Kong residents who complete their studies in Canada. In addition, the Committee stressed that all Hong Kongers should be exempted from non-essential pandemic travel restrictions.

Government Response

Report 8 - Immigration Programs to Meet Labour Market Needs, Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, June 22, 2021

The Report examined the immigration programs designed to respond to Canada’s labour needs. It recommended policy improvements that help both employers and workers. It discussed the Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic Immigration Program, Home Child Care Provider Pilot, Home Support Worker Pilot programs, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program and the Agri-Food Pilot program. It also considered the Government of Canada’s recently announced pathways to permanent residence for essential temporary workers and international graduates. The Report highlighted witness testimony about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its related Labour Market Impact Assessment process. It also considered the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of labour shortages throughout the country, paying particular attention to municipalities and rural communities, and the Canada–Quebec Accord Relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens (Canada–Quebec Accord).

The Report included 13 recommendations to the Government.

The Committee recommended that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offer more accessible pathways to permanent residence in order to prevent the abuse of foreign workers with precarious status or of out-of-status individuals; provide continued support to rural and northern communities through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program; and recognize industry-specific training and accepting on‑the-job training as equivalent to formal education. The Committee asked IRCC to provide more advance notice and details of requirements when announcing new public policies or programs, and had additional recommendations that touch on the flexibility, mobility and protection of foreign labour. Finally, the Committee recommended that IRCC, as part of the recently announced pathways, reimburses part of the fee if a low-wage permanent resident application is unsuccessful.

The request for this Government Response died with the dissolution of Parliament in June 2021 and was not retabled in the following Parliament.

Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

Report 1—Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations, 2022

As outlined in the Report, benefit programs are intended to reduce poverty and inequality by providing help to low‑income Canadians, with hard‑to‑reach populations presenting a unique service delivery challenge. Having a clear understanding of the demographics of, and barriers impacting, these people enables departments to tailor their outreach approaches in a responsive and effective manner.

Primary entities within scope of the audit included the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) as leads for the selected benefits and Statistics Canada as a supporting organization providing information and analytical support to the entities in the design and implementation of their outreach approaches. Indigenous Services Canada and IRCC were included in relation to how they are involved in supporting outreach to their specific clientele (for example, Indigenous people and newcomers to Canada).

The audit found that CRA and ESDC had an incomplete picture of potentially eligible people who were not receiving benefits and did not know whether most of their targeted outreach activities had helped to increase benefit take‑up rates for hard‑to‑reach populations. The audit recommended that to better understand the effectiveness of outreach approaches, CRA and ESDC should develop and implement consistent results‑based performance measures for targeted outreach to hard‑to‑reach populations. Additionally, the audit recommended the departments should collaborate to establish a seamless client service experience to address the needs of those requiring a high level of support to access benefits.

Government Response

Report 13—Health and Safety of Agricultural Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada during the COVID-19 Pandemic, December 2021

As outlined in the Report, employers receiving funding from the Temporary Foreign Workers Program must adhere to requirements, including Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, to prevent the spread of COVID‑19 and provide safe conditions for agricultural temporary foreign workers.

The audit focused on whether ESDC implemented a robust process regarding the inspection of employers and whether Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada met program terms and conditions for two of its COVID‑19 support programs intended to help protect the health and safety of workers on farms and support their ability to quarantine safely.

The audit found that inspections provided little assurance of protection for the health and safety of agricultural temporary foreign workers, and that ESDC did not address longstanding concerns about worker accommodations and did not meet the commitments to improve living conditions for agricultural temporary foreign workers that it had made in previous years.

Government Response

Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

In 2021–22, there were no Public Service Commission of Canada or Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages audits requiring a response from IRCC.

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