CIMM Committee Report

RECOMMENDATION 1

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada review its immigration policies to better align the number of applications it accepts for processing with the number of admissions in each year.

RECOMMENDATION 2

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada review the fees charged for all of its immigration services and programs to discover what, if any, gap exists between what is being charged and actual costs.

RECOMMENDATION 3

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada evaluate the different options to deal with the Federal Skilled Worker backlog put forward by witnesses. The Government should then proceed to act in a timely manner to implement whichever recommendation(s) are determined to be the most effective at reducing the backlog in the Federal Skilled Worker program.

RECOMMENDATION 4

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada complete a thorough review of the program in order to determine what the proper financial requirements should be and any other steps that should be taken to ensure maximum benefit from this program to both the applicant and the Government.

RECOMMENDATION 5

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada promote the new parent and grandparent super visa widely to ensure maximum utilization.

RECOMMENDATION 6

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensures the parent and grandparent super visa becomes a permanent government policy.

RECOMMENDATION 7

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada monitor take up of the super visa over 2012-2013 and evaluate the impact it has had on backlogs as an alternate means for parents and grandparents to be reunited with family.

RECOMMENDATION 8

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada ensures its consultations on the future of the parent and grandparent sponsorship program are thorough and include a wide variety of stakeholders and that the final consultations report be provided to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

RECOMMENDATION 9

The Committee recommends that the consultations include a review of what the appropriate admissions level should be in the parents and grandparents program, including the exploration of a firm cap.

RECOMMENDATION 10

The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada study the “balance of family” test used by the Australian government. The “balance of family” test allows sponsorship to occur if the greater balance of family of the parent or grandparent resides here in Canada as permanent residents or Canadian citizens.