Hi Guys!
Today I have received the reply form minister in response to our petition sent on March 22, 2011.
Here we are....
I am replying to your e-mail of March 22, 2011, addressed to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, concerning the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program. I apologize for this delayed response.
Canadians take great pride in the fact that Canada's immigration program is universal and non-discriminatory. Applicants from around the world are assessed against criteria that do not discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender or membership in a particular social group or political opinion. The principle of non-discrimination is consistent with the Canadian Charter of Right and Freedoms. It also reflects Canada's tradition of fairness and natural justice and our nation's multicultural character. Applications for permanent residence are considered on a case-by-case basis, based on the information presented by the applicants.
Please be assured that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) reviews all FSW applications objectively and consistently to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all applicants. We assess each FSW application on its own merit against the program requirements.
On November 28, 2008, Minister Kenney announced an Action Plan for Faster Immigration and included issuing instructions to visa officers reviewing new applications under the FSW program. The number of applications we received, under the first set of instructions, exceeded our ability to process them in a timely way.
Therefore, June 26, 2010, a second set of instructions were issued. The new instructions introduced a cap on the number of applications per occupation and on the total number of applications in the FSW Program. These changes were made to ensure that the processing of applications would best support the attainment of the immigration goals established by the Government of Canada.
Between February 27, 2008, and June 25, 2010, the Department received applications from more than 425,000 people, and to date, over 280,000 applicants have received a decision on their file. In 2010, 80 percent of applications processed in Islamabad that were received under the first set of Ministerial Instructions, were completed within 12 months or less. This is consistent with the average processing time for the Asia and Pacific Region, which is 11.7 months or less and is lower than the global average processing time of 13 months or less for completion.
The length of time it takes to finalize an application varies from one visa office to another due to diverse operational challenges. Factors that can influence why processing may take longer from one visa office to another include the number of applications received, resources in a given office; poor communication via phone or mail, the safety and security of staff, as well as emergency situations or crises that affect workload and priorities. CIC continues to work towards global service standards and minimizing regional variations.
Thank you for writing and expressing your concerns. I trust that this information is of assistance.
Sincerely,
Bogdan Sultana
Ministerial Enquiries Division
do you remember awhile ago, you had a -100 target? Another first ;D
