Hi Forumates,
I found the below in another forum and decided to share it here for the benefit of others who have been waiting for far too long.
This is news for all applicants up to 2013.
I sent a mail to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada asking why there's a slow pace in application processing in Accra as compared to other visa offices,here is the response I got:
Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX:
This is in reply to your e-mail of June 6, 2014, addressed to Mr. Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, about application processing times in Accra.
We realize that those who have submitted their applications look forward to a decision being rendered within a reasonable waiting period after applying. We make every effort to deal with the applications we receive in the most efficient and effective way. However, the many steps involved in processing an application, coupled with the volume of applications, sometimes make it difficult to conclude cases in as timely a manner as we would like.
Maintaining the integrity of our immigration program is a priority of the Government of Canada. Individuals who want to live permanently in Canada must meet certain requirements which include medical, criminality and security clearances. These requirements exist to protect the interests and safety of Canadians. The onus rests on the applicant to prove that he or she has met the requirements for entry to Canada or that admission would not be contrary to legislative requirements.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) conducts background checks by working together with partner agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Canada Border Services Agency, medical authorities and agencies of foreign governments. Background screening processes are non-discriminatory and universal in their application. Any delays or requirements that our partner agencies may require in providing input are something over which we have no control. In addition, background and medical examination results are usually valid for a 12-month period. Should background or medical clearances expire during the application process, the applicant is required to update their results.
The need for further analysis of some cases by immigration and/or visa officials can also result in further delays. In addition, incomplete applications, failure to provide additional information, complexity of a case, difficulty in communicating with an applicant(s) or accompanying or non-accompanying dependant(s), postal or courier service delays, previous dealings with Canadian immigration officials, inadmissibility issues (criminality, medical condition) can contribute to processing delays. Multiple residences and/or employment, education, business dealings, or military service in different geographical areas, can also significantly delay the background clearance process. In this situation, clearances or verifications of documents must be obtained from different issuing authorities in many jurisdictions. Because of the variables involved, it is often impossible to predict the amount of time it will take to complete an application.
CIC has finite resources to deploy throughout its extensive overseas network. Many visa offices have large caseloads that involve priority class applications and require sufficient allocations of CIC's finite resources to ensure these cases are finalized as quickly as possible. Each visa office must deal with operational environments unique both to its role in CIC's overseas program commitments and the realities of the region of the world in which they are located. This means that processing times for the same category of applications may vary within the CIC visa office network. Given the varying operational environments in different countries, comparisons between visa offices can be misleading.
Processing targets for visa offices are set within a global management plan that incorporates the capacities of all PR processing visa offices within CIC's overseas network. CIC continually reviews the configuration of its overseas network to ensure that its resources are deployed to maximize its ability to effectively serve our clients.
CIC is committed to the equitable and transparent treatment of all PR applications, regardless of the origin of those applications. However, the resourcing and target levels for some visa offices must be balanced against the requirements of other visa offices in the CIC network. Information about processing times is published and regularly updated on the CIC Website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/index.asp.
Thank you for taking the time to write and express your concerns.
