An Open Letter to Canadian Immigration Minister, Honorable Jason Kenney

Canadian Immigration makes Pre- Feb 2008 applicants wait for 7 years 

 Applicants of June 2003 onwards still waiting for their visas as per CHC Delhi website.
 Applications from India taking double the time from those of China and other countries.
 New Delhi Visa Office  keeps on increasing processing times endlessly for backlog cases.

 

Dear Honorable Jason Kenney

 

New Delhi applicants who had applied for immigration under Federal Skilled Workers Class in June 2003 onwards i.e. Pre-Feb 2008 are a harrassed lot. These applicants are now referred to as backlog cases. At the time of application they were promised to be served on the principle of "first come, first serve". Most of whom were in their prime youth and were promised that their applications were expected to be processed in the order of which they are received. However, Canadian High Commission, New Delhi  keeps on moving the goal post to the disadvantage of backlog cases by increasing timelines every time an applicant gets near to his month of finalisation. This has resulted in the lot of frustration, stress and disappointment among the applicants. Their lives are in limbo and can not  take important decisions in life because of the uncertainity at prevailing processing timelines.

There is a huge disparity in the processing times of various countries. For example for the Processing time of China and Malaysia is 41 months, Russia is 32 months and Italy is 30 months. Even Pakistan is 76 months. Why is India's processing time the maximum in the world with 90 months? Why are July 2003 applications are being currently finalised as per CHC Delhi website? CHC Delhi is processing December 2003 applicants since 2009 December and now with the increased timelines they will be finalised in June 2011 i.e. good 18 months to complete processing on one month of applicants only. Is this an indication of the future process timelines of the backlog cases?

 

Such long processing times dissuades legal immigration and creates a congenial atmosphere for crooked immigration Consultants and Agents to send people on forged and fraudulent documents illegally without waiting for such long times.

 

The two websites of the Canadian Government give misleading information about the processing time as they give two totally different time-lines for the same application category. Moreover, it gives an impression that the future processing time would be more or less the same as of past however when we submitted our applications the processing times were 33 months which have been extended every year to now 90 months and may be next year it would be 101 months. CHC Delhi does not even disclose the ratio at which the FSW quota is distributed among three categories of FSW applicants i.e. Pre-Feb 2008, Post-Feb 2008 and Post 26 June 2010. There is a total lack of transparency in allocation of visas among the three different categories of FSW at CHC New Delhi.

It is against the principles of natural justice to start two new fast track categories without finalising the existing backlog applicants. As the exiting FSW quota remains unchanged the two new categories are allocated visa from  the quota which would have otherwise gone to the backlog cases. This is gross injustice to the backlog cases who had applied in good-faith for permanent residence visa. New priority processing rules like "Fast Track" are expidited without processing the long waiting Pre-Feb 2008 applications. This totally violates the promise made to old applicants that the "applications will be processed in order they are received". Further, now that even the "Post 28 Feb 2008 Fast Track" with 38 occupation list has been scraped and there is a "Post 26 June 2010 New Fast track" with 29 occupation list, again much to the disadvantage of the backlog cases. It is unfair to penalise the backlog applicants for the changes to Canadian market needs of "in-demand jobs". The lapse is on part of Canadian Immigration and Citizenship which continued to accept applications and for which the backlog applicants 

should not be made to suffer endlessly.

 

At the time of announcing the most current Post 26th June 2010 immigration policy your Excellency had promised to be fair and do justice to the backlog cases who had been waiting the longes t. Your statements in regard to the backlog cases had been a ray of hope from among the dark clouds. Finally, the backlog applicants had expected that there was light at the end of the long dark tunnel. However, contrary to your statements CHC Delhi on 16th August 2010 infact increased processing timelines form 80 months to a massive 90 months for the backlog cases. How is it that Canadian Immigration Ministry does not have a policy regarding the backlog cases who are allocated the left-over permanent residence visa quota at New Delhi?

 

Dear Honorable Jason Kenney, on behalf of the backlog cases at New Delhi, we plead with your good-self to please look into the matter and do the needful. We have been waiting an unreasonably long time to get our applications processed. Our lives are in a limbo, whether it is investing in skills, property, busine

ss or even raising a family. It is your Excellency who has the power to change things to a positive outcome for the backlog cases. We hope that you will excercise your positive discretion on the matter and do justice to the backlog cases.

 

Many thanks for your patience to read this letter.

Best regards.

New Delhi Pre-Feburary 2008 applicants.