“In Demand Yet Unprocessed: Endemic Immigration Backlogs” – Citizenship Government response

2024/04/19 Leave a comment

The section of the government response to CIMM’s study of backlogs, citizenship ceremonies and oath. My understanding, however, is that in practice applicants are assigned the ceremony type automatically (virtual being the default) but can request an in-person if they prefer. Last time I checked based upon public IRCC data, about 90 percent of applicants had virtual ceremonies.

And of course, IRCC’s “seeking to increase the percentage of clients that complete the Oath in-person in 2024-2025” is meaningless unless its open data operational data includes the numbers of new citizens by virtual and in-person ceremonies:

7. That IRCC make clear to all individuals that it is their choice to choose the citizenship ceremonies process best suited to their needs; and that while in-person ceremonies should be the default option, virtual ceremonies should also be allowed; and further, that any self-administered oath of citizenship be subject to robust integrity measures. Agree in Principle

The Government agrees in principle with the recommendation that the Department make it clear to clients that they may choose the citizenship ceremony format best suited to their needs, and that any self-administered oath of citizenship be subject to robust integrity measures. Canada welcomed a record number of 364,166 new citizens in 2022-2023, compared to approximately 248,000 in 2019-2020 (pre-pandemic), enabled in part by the implementation of virtual ceremonies (also called video ceremonies) and related efficiencies.

As of July 2022, IRCC resumed holding in-person ceremonies while maintaining virtual ceremonies, as a stream of service delivery that provides efficiency, timely service, and flexibility to clients as they can accommodate more clients from coast to coast to coast, including those in rural and remote regions. Clients are invited by the Department to either an in-person or virtual ceremony, based on operational considerations, but can request a change of format (e.g. from virtual ceremony to an in-person ceremony or vice-versa) and the Department makes best efforts to accommodate client preference.

Virtual ceremonies have contributed to a significant reduction in grant inventories, while modernization initiatives, such as online electronic applications for most grant of citizenship applications and electronic citizenship certificates, have reduced and continue to reduce processing times with a return to service standards projected for spring 2024.

A number of factors, including volumes of clients served and costs would be impacted if in- person ceremonies were set as the default option. Instead, the Department is seeking to increase the percentage of clients that complete the Oath in-person in 2024-2025 as well as clarify that all individuals have the opportunity to request the citizenship ceremony format that best suits their needs, subject to availability.

In addition, the Department continues work to modernize Canada’s Citizenship Program to improve client service, increase processing efficiencies and enhance program integrity. As the Citizenship Program continues to modernize, the Department will reflect on the feedback received from Canadians, and incorporate this into the assessment of options and decisions on a way forward.

Source: “In Demand Yet Unprocessed: Endemic Immigration Backlogs”

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(Non) Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to petition e-4511 on “citizenship on a click”

2023/12/07 Leave a comment

To be charitable, the lack of specifics in this response to the specific calls in the petition could reflect ongoing policy and program work and thus could be seen as a process response. Or, to be cynical, it may simply reflect IRCC’s general undermining the meaningfulness of citizenship by focussing on operation requirements above all (my suspicion):

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): PAUL CHIANG, M.P.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues to explore the use of an online tool that could enable the self-administration of the Oath of Citizenship (the Oath) in some circumstances. Extensive analysis is underway to assess various options for implementation, particularly surrounding the client experience journey, measures related to the integrity of the process and an ongoing commitment that citizenship ceremonies remain an important part of Canadian tradition. Additionally, the Department continues to reflect on the feedback received from Canadians, which will be incorporated into the assessment of options and decisions on a way forward.

The Department introduced video ceremonies in April 2020 as a means of adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to enable the Department to allow the flexibility for clients to take the oath in a safe and secure environment. Video ceremonies continue as a stream of service delivery and have proven to be an important tool for reducing processing times for applicants and increasing the number of candidates that can take the Oath each month. As we have learned: video ceremonies can also accommodate both larger groups of individuals per ceremony than in-person events; allow for participation of applicants from rural areas; and, bring together new Canadians from across the country for their citizenship ceremony. From January 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, the Department has held on average 50 in-person ceremonies and 224 video ceremonies per month with an average of 79 and 135 invited participants per event, respectively. This has resulted in 276,540  new citizens, exceeding pre-COVID levels.

A number of factors are considered when scheduling ceremonies, including operational demands, the availability of presiding officials and appropriate venues. While citizenship ceremonies are primarily scheduled on weekdays and during working hours, the Department will occasionally schedule after regular business hours or on weekends and public holidays. The Department does hold ceremonies outside of core operational hours, but these events are considered on a case-by-case basis for significance, public interest and operational capacity. For example, the Department hosted several citizenship ceremonies across the country on Canada Day.

While the Department has made strides in returning to the 12 month service standard for the granting of citizenship, further modernization efforts will enable faster processing times as well as improved client service. In 2023, IRCC launched a review of Canada’s immigration system, and has spent the last few months meeting with stakeholders and receiving feedback from people who use the immigration and citizenship system, and others who have creative ideas on how to improve it. In hearing the strengths and challenges of current immigration and citizenship programs, policies and services has helped to inform where we need to go in the future and the steps we will need to take to get there.

New capabilities are planned via a modernized operating platform—such as an online single window portal into immigration programs, enhanced automation and digital self-service—and will transform the way we do business up to and including in the citizenship process. It will speed up processing and improve program integrity, while making the immigration to citizenship journey clearer and more human-focused for clients. Additionally, the portal will allow applicants to access all of IRCC’s programs and services and to interact with the Department. It will offer a more positive and personalized experience to those looking for information, applying for programs and services, and checking for updates on the status of their application(s).            

Although the new platform and portal will bring rapid and real enhancements, we have not been waiting on them to improve on what we do; we have made strides since 2020 with the introduction of electronic citizenship applications (e-applications), online citizenship tests, online application tracker to monitor progress, electronic certificates (e-certificates) of Canadian citizenship, and video citizenship ceremonies. These advancements have shown results. In July 2022, the Department had a citizenship grant inventory of 381,859 applications and a processing time, from application received to the client taking the Oath of Citizenship, of 26 months. By September 2023, the grant inventory had been reduced to 247,931 applications, and the processing time had improved, lowering to 17 months.

Canadian citizenship is a valuable status and the Department will ensure the Citizenship Program continues to modernize the process.

Source: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4511

The petition made 4 specific calls which largely were unanswered or treated seriously:

  1. Abandon plans to permit self-administration of the citizenship oath; (word salad language likely meaning no plans to abandon)
  2. Revert to in-person ceremonies as the default, with virtual ceremonies limited to 10 percent of all ceremonies; (Rejected, no commitment to provide ongoing data on percentage of ceremonies that are in person or virtual although past numbers for January-September 2023 provided)
  3. Focus on administration and processing efficiencies prior to citizenship ceremonies, where most frustrations are; and (Mentioned but not in terms of overall focus)
  4. Explore evening and weekend ceremonies to improve accessibility along with more flexible scheduling management. (Addressed but on exceptional basis, no plans to extend practice)

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Online citizenship ceremonies undermine oath’s significance, critics say

2023/10/19 Leave a comment

CBC’s The National coverage of the citizenship oath petition:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2274832451616

And the reason that “over 90 percent” choose the virtual option is that they are not offered a choice: “We’ll invite most applicants to a video oath ceremony (virtual citizenship ceremony).”

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My #citizenship oath petition interview

2023/10/14 Leave a comment

In case interested, my interview on Ottawa morning. Was a bit more punchy than usual but leave others to judge:

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-100/clip/16014776 https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-100/clip/16014776

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Will the federal government go ahead with a one-click citizenship oath?

2023/10/14 Leave a comment

Of note, MP Kwan predictable in her discounting the history and meaningfulness of citizenship. Presume she prefers weddings, funerals and graduations and the like to be in person, given the stronger sense of connection and belonging compared to virtual. But becoming Canadian? Meh:

A petition to stop the federal government from allowing new Canadians to take their citizenship oath by clicking a button online is set to be tabled in Parliament.

The petition (Petition (e-4511), which was launched in July of this year, garnered more than 1,500 signatures. It was backed by the Conservative Party’s Critic for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Tom Kmiec.

In a statement released last month, Kmiec said the measure would “cheapen” the citizenship oath by reducing it “to a click on a website or an app as if citizenship were no more than consenting to terms in a contract.”

In February, the Liberal government announced it was planning to allow for self-administered citizenship oaths. The proposed process would permit aspiring new Canadians to log onto a secure online portal to administer their citizenship instead of attending an in-person or virtual ceremony with other successful citizenship applicants.

Andrew Griffith, a former director general at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), started the petition to maintain the citizenship ceremony as an important milestone in the Canadian immigration journey. Griffith, who attended many ceremonies as part of his previous role, says they are an important way of marking a critical step for new citizens. “Citizenship is not just a mechanical process of getting a driver’s licence. It’s making a decision to come to Canada, to contribute to Canada and to vote in Canadian elections. [Citizenship ceremonies] really give a sense of belonging and inclusion.”

The petition further called on the government to “revert to in-person ceremonies as the default”, limiting virtual ceremonies to only 10 per cent of the overall total. It also urged the government to explore more evening and weekend ceremonies to make them more accessible and flexible for attendees.

Claudio Chalom, who recently became a Canadian citizen after arriving from Brazil six years ago, said while he would have preferred having his citizenship ceremony in person, he still appreciated the chance to do it online and thinks other new Canadians should have the opportunity to do the same. “I think we should still have some sort of ceremony to mark the celebration of this special moment,” he said, describing his own experience as “emotional”. “It was a moment we won’t forget in our lives.”

The one-click citizenship proposal was initially introduced by former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, to reduce backlogs in the immigration system. The government said the move to self-administered citizenship would cut processing time by three months and eliminate the need to take time off work to attend ceremonies. The new minister Marc Miller said the government is still considering moving forward with the proposal.

Canada’s immigration system has recently seen record numbers of new immigration and visa applications, rising to nearly 2.3 million in July. The latest IRRC data from September shows citizenship and spousal sponsorship applications currently face a 19 to 24 per cent backlog. IRCC aims to keep backlog at 20 per cent or less.

IRCC projections suggest backlogs are expected to drop over the coming months, although there is a chance they could continue into 2024.

Jenny Kwan, the New Democratic Party’s Critic for Housing, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said her party supports the Liberal government’s proposal as it allows for more flexibility for new immigrants with different needs. Attending the ceremony, she said, can be hard to schedule for some.

She pointed to her own family’s experience. Her family came to Canada from Hong Kong when she was a child and lost income as a result of having to take the day off to take their citizenship oath in person. “When we became citizens, both my parents had to take time off work, and we were a low-income family. And that was a very stressful situation that my parents were faced with.”

She said this is why she supports moving to a move flexible system: “Everybody’s circumstances are different. What is important is to ensure that there is flexibility and options made available for people so that they can choose the most appropriate option for themselves. I don’t think there is strictly one way to do it.”

The federal government solicited feedback on the proposed amendments to the citizenship regulations earlier this year, and almost 700 people responded. Two-thirds of those who voiced their opinions disagreed with the government’s proposal. Opposition was particularly strong among Canadian-born citizens and immigrants.

However, strong support for the proposed changes came from citizenship applicants facing delays in the system, with at least 66 per cent indicating they would prefer to allow for citizenship online.

The petition (e-4511) is set to be debated in the coming months.

Katrya Bolger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media

Source: Will the federal government go ahead with a one-click citizenship oath? – Yahoo News Canada

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Petition e-4511 – Opposing self-affirmation of the #citizenship oath “citizenship on a click” – Final number

2023/10/11 Leave a comment

The chart below breaks down the final count of 1,549 signatures. No significant change but small overall uptick. Less than I would have hoped but the petition and related commentary and media did increase the visibility of the proposed change and perhaps prompt some reflection at political and official levels.

Thanks to all who supported this petition.

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Ottawa reviewing virtual citizenship ceremonies as petition calls on government to pull the plug – CBC News

2023/10/10 Leave a comment

Latest article on “citizenship on a click.” Petition closes today at 3 pm:

Source: Ottawa reviewing virtual citizenship ceremonies as petition calls on government to pull the plug – CBC News

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Proud to be Canadian: Families reflect following Canadian citizenship ceremony in Battleford

2023/10/10 Leave a comment

Good example of why in person ceremonies matter:

Nearly 40 people from nine different countries became Canadian citizens Thursday at a special Canadian citizenship ceremony held at Battleford’s Alex Dillabough Centre.

Annette McGovern, executive director at the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre said the day couldn’t have gone better, with a great turnout all around.

“I thought it was fantastic; everything went really well, and the people were so impressed to have received their certificate in person and be able to celebrate with other people,” she said.” It was just a fantastic turnout with really great people.”

Marking the first time a citizenship ceremony has been held in person in the Battlefords since before the COVID-19 pandemic, Manmeet Randhawa was among those receiving his Canadian citizenship, along with his family, after first moving to Canada from India in 2009.

“There was some struggle [over the years], but we found it very good to be a part of this country and now we are very happy that we are citizens here, it’s a great moment,” Randhawa said.

While currently residing in Saskatoon, the family made the trip to the Battlefords for Thursday’s event so they could share in the ceremony with others, something Randhawa said they felt was an important aspect of the experience.

“They gave us two options, to either do online or in person, so we chose in person because we need the emotions we can feel at the ceremony,” he said, letting out a smile. “That’s why we travelled all the way from Saskatoon to Battleford for this ceremony and we are very happy to be here, it was a great time.”

Leah Grace Robles and her family, who are from Manila – the capital of the Philippines – were also among those making a dream come true with Thursday’s citizenship ceremony.

Having moved to Canada about a decade ago, Robles said that her younger brother is now approaching his 18th birthday and her family decided it was time they became official Canadian residents, something she too had felt was important to do together.

“My dream [was] doing it with the whole family,” she said with a smile. “I am a real Canadian now, and it is very different if you have your citizenship, it is a different feeling… I am more proud [than ever] right now.”

When asked what it is about Canada that brought the family overseas, Robles said it was the opportunity life in the country presents.

“Firstly, it’s the chance for us to be together for a long time,” she said. “And to be honest, the education, the health system, and the future of their kids – speaking on behalf of my parents – that is the most important thing for them.

“The blessing [of] having this and being with your family is the most important thing.”

Source: Proud to be Canadian: Families reflect following Canadian … – battlefordsNOW

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Barker: Oath of citizenship is archaic and needs to go away – Smithers Interior News

2023/10/06 Leave a comment

One could argue that the proposed shift to “citizenship on a click” through self-affirmation of the oath will likely lead to more proposals like this. Presumably, Barker would not argue for reduced residency, knowledge and language requirements.

While unclear from his op-ed, unclear whether he has ever attended a citizenship ceremony with the reciting the oath (and he doesn’t even reference the current oath with its reference to Indigenous treaties):

Recently Marc Miller, Canada’s new immigration minister, reiterated that adding the option for new citizens to take their oath of citizenship with the click of a button was still on the table.

I’ve got an even better idea for the minister.

Do away with the oath of citizenship altogether.

It is a pointless exercise at best and demeaning to our new co-citizens at worst.

First of all, by the mere act of forcing this upon new citizens, we are effectively making them second-class citizens. Canadians by birth don’t have to take the oath, nor should we have to, nor should naturalized ones.

And the oath, to put it bluntly, sucks.

“I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the third, King of Canada, His Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada, and fulfil [sic] my duties as a Canadian citizen.”

I wouldn’t take this oath, would you? Maybe, if the reference to Charles was removed, but even then, why should I? My right not to is protected by the Constitution.

Secondly, there is no specific consequence for breaking the oath. There are plenty of consequences for committing crimes, which, in essence, amounts to breaking the oath, but the Crown can’t add an additional charge of breaking the oath of citizenship.

And even if you do break the law, thereby effectively breaking the oath, they can put you in jail, but they can’t revoke your citizenship. They can’t do that to citizens by birth and they can’t do it to naturalized citizens either.

There is only one provision for revoking citizenship and that is if it was obtained by false representation, fraud or knowingly concealing material circumstances.

Interestingly, the same applies to renouncing your citizenship. In other words, the minister can say, ‘no, you cannot renounce your citizenship, because you are doing so under false pretenses.’

New citizens have to go through a lot of rigamarole for years to obtain citizenship. When they are naturalized, they know more about their roles and responsibilities as citizens than most of the rest of us do and are obligated to “faithfully observe the laws of Canada” and fulfill their duties as citizens by becoming citizens.

Taking an oath is redundant.

Finally, the very second a new citizen takes the oath and becomes a citizen, it is perfectly legal for them to disavow it, or at least the offensive parts of it (i.e., pledging allegiance to the King and, even worse, his unnamed successors).

The oath is an archaic practice that just needs to go away.

Source: Oath of citizenship is archaic and needs to go away – Smithers Interior News

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Petition e-4511 – Opposing self-affirmation of the #citizenship oath “citizenship on a click” – Signatures to October 3, one week to go

2023/10/05 Leave a comment

The chart below breaks down the 1,534 signatures as of 3 October by province. No significant change but small overall uptick.

And if you haven’t yet considered signing the petition, the link is here: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4511

Petition closes 10 October.

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