Efforts to Expedite Application Process Necessary

In a recent article which appeared in The Globe and Mail (November 19, 1999), Elinor Caplan - Canada’s newly-installed Immigration Minister – indicated Canada’s intentions to encourage the entry of immigrants.

During the course of an interview, Ms. Caplan admitted that Canada has been focusing too much of its resources on protecting its borders, as opposed to promoting immigration to Canada.

Ms. Caplan acknowledged that the Canadian immigration process has become so wrought with delays that many potential new Canadians are discouraged from even applying. Ms. Caplan confirmed that the government is looking at new ways to streamline the immigration process, such as the implementation of a centralized processing center.

As Ms. Caplan stated, “With an economy that’s booming and firing on all cylinders and jobs being created in the high-tech sector particularly, we have to get out there and promote. And we’re not going to be [in a position to] promote if we find people who want to come and they’ve made application and then we make them wait too long.”

This emphasis on speed and quality of service will hopefully inspire qualified foreign individuals to submit applications for permanent residence. The government appears to be aiming to come closer than it has in the recent past of meeting its targeted levels of immigrants. As the article confirmed, Canada “will bring in about 180,000 immigrants this year, 20,000 to 45,000 below the government’s goal.”