Karygiannis proposals reflected in new Citizenship and Immigration measures
OTTAWA - The Honourable Jim Karygiannis (Scarborough-Agincourt) applauded the new measures for improving the delivery and efficiency of Canada’s immigration programs announced today by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
“Over the years, I have made a number of proposals and worked closely with my colleagues and Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration to ensure that applicants and sponsors have their applications processed in an efficient and timely manner. The length of time between the initial application and the arrival of a loved one in Canada caused untold stress on both the applicant and the sponsor.” said Mr. Karygiannis. “I am pleased that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has taken steps to reflect my proposals to help to relieve this stress.”
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced that:
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the government will investment of $69 million over two years to restore processing times to an average of 12 months for a grant of citizenship and four months for a proof of citizenship;
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the exemption of citizenship applicants from undergoing language ability and knowledge-of-Canada tests at 55 rather than 60 years of age;
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the government will invest $36 million, over two years, to reduce the length of time for processing sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents coming to Canada as family class immigrants and to help cover the integration costs once the arrive in Canada. With this new measure in place, it is expected that in both 2005 and 2006, the number of parents and grandparents immigrating to Canada will increase by an additional 12,000 each year. This triples the original 6,000 forecast for 2005;
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the government will also be more flexible in issuing multiple-entry visitor visas to parents and grandparents. This will allow them to visit their families in Canada while their sponsorship applications are in process, as long as they are able to prove that they are visiting temporarily. Regular security and health screening will still apply and some parents and grandparents may require health coverage to be admissible to Canada; and,
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the government will expand two pilot projects to help make Canada a destination of choice for international students. The first will allow international students at public post-secondary institutions to work off-campus while completing their studies so that they can experience the Canadian labour market and gain a wider understanding of Canadian society. The second will allow students to work for two years, rather than one year, after their graduation. This second initiative will apply outside Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver to help spread the benefits of immigration to more of Canada's regions.
“All Canadians understand the importance of strong family units.” said Mr. Karygiannis. “These initiatives will re-unite families. It is important that grandchildren know their grandparents and their stories and that children can be there for their parents as they age.”
Mr. Karygiannis will be holding a Town Hall Meeting in the near future to discuss this announcement with his constituents.
