IRCC Minister Transition Binder 2021: Temporary Immigration: How Visitors Come to Canada

Context and Impact of COVID-19

More and more people want to visit Canada

• International tourism generates ~ $23B annually.

• Visitor volumes fluctuate, but overall trend has been upwards for the last decade.

  Year	Tourist from countries other than United States	United States tourist
  2000	4,438,484	15,188,970
  2001	4,109,209	15,570,214
  2002	3,889,805	16,167,219
  2003	3,301,928	14,232,401
  2004	4,057,302	15,087,508
  2005	4,379,856	14,390,696
  2006	4,409,938	13,855,468
  2007	4,559,680	13,375,201
  2008	4,638,222	12,503,880
  2009	4,069,917	11,667,233
  2010	4,348,555	18,870,844
  2011	4,419,042	11,596,943
  2012	4,457,063	11,886,950
  2013	4,581,718	11,477,624
  2014	5,013,766	11,523,181
  2015	5,308,449	12,668,836
  2016	6,079,520	13,891,800
  2017	6,641,481	14,241,683
  2018	6,693,500	14,440,353
  2019	7,140,684	15,004,542
  2020	1,031,096	1,928,789
  2021	178,764	177,692

• Depressed tourism volumes due to COVID-19 are expected to recover by the end of 2022, and resume growth trajectory from 2023 onwards.

Background

• The visitor program acts as Canada’s first line of defense by “pushing the border out” and screening visitors before departure to mitigate risk.
  • By law, visitors from all countries require a visa to travel to Canada, unless otherwise exempt
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) screens nearly all visitors before they reach Canada^{Footnote 1}
• Type of screening depends on potential level of risk posed by a visitor, and is determined by nationality.
  • Higher risk nationals must apply for a temporary resident visa and enrol their biometrics (i.e. fingerprints, photograph)
  • Lower risk nationals travelling to or through Canada by air must apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

How Visitor Screening Works

Temporary Resident Visa – Applies to majority of countries

Application

• Collects comprehensive details and supporting documents (e.g. bank statement)

Screening

• Biometrics required and comprehensive screening, including assessment of traveller’s intent

Review

• Manual review by officer; passport is physically inspected

Validity

• Up to 10 years

Fee

• $100 + $85 biometric fee

Processing Time

• 80% finalized in 21 days^{Footnote 2}

China and India are the top visa-required source countries.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) – Applies to 54 visa-exempt countries

Application

• Fully digital, collects basic, self-declared traveller information

Screening

• Light-touch screening (e.g. known immigration history)

Review

• Most applications automatically approved by system in minutes

Validity

• Up to 5 years

Fee

• $7

Processing Time

• 80% finalized in 1 minute^{Footnote 2}

United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Mexico are the top eTA source countries.

Visa Policy Framework

• Canada’s Visa Policy Framework guides visa decisions for nationalities.
• Decisions seek to balance benefits – such as tourism & trade – with risks – such as rising asylum claims or threats to health & safety.
• Comprehensive framework assesses over 40 criteria, including:
  • Safety and security concerns
  • Passport integrity
  • Bilateral benefits
  • Temporary resident visa refusals
  • Asylum claims
  • Country conditions
• Canada’s visa policy is most aligned with the United States, given shared responsibility to protect the North American perimeter.

Considerations

Slow visa processing times have negatively affected client service

• Outdated information-technology systems limit our ability to improve the visitor experience and respond to immense growth in demand.
• Visa clients expect a more digital, streamlined process, and are frustrated by the need to surrender their passport during the application process.
• Visa processing capacity was already very stretched pre-COVID.

Without change, Canada could become a less attractive destination

• Competitor countries may offer simpler, better and faster service.
• Pre-COVID (2019) average visa processing time^{Footnote 3} was 21 days, well above the 14-day service standard.

Staying competitive requires innovation and collaboration

• IRCC is the policy lead, but key partners include Canada Border Services Agency (enforcement), Global Affairs Canada (international relations), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (tourism strategy) and industry players.

Key Takeaways

Nationality-based visa policy is broad and decisions can be politically sensitive

• This approach protects Canada’s immigration program and public safety, but makes assumptions about an entire country’s citizens.
• Countries do not fit neatly into two risk categories – all countries contain lower and higher-risk travellers.
• Lifting a visa communicates trust and partnership; imposing a visa is perceived as damaging to a country’s reputation and negatively impacts the bilateral relationship.

COVID-19 has altered the global migration landscape and amplified the need to transform Canada’s visitor program

• IRCC must continue to protect Canadians’ health, safety and security, while improving how visitors apply, are screened, and travel to Canada.
• IRCC is looking at ways to create a more digital and client-friendly program that processes visitors faster and more efficiently, as global travel resumes.
• New and more complex risks will continue to challenge our ability to detect fraud.