In a recent press conference, Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, declares measures to enhance border security.
The Minister provided information on the effects of new visitor visa policies and measures targeting abuse in Canada’s asylum system. He further discussed the possibility of forthcoming changes to the international student program.
New Regulations And Fines For Fraudulent Actors
To strengthen Canada’s border, IRCC will introduce harsh fines as well as penalties for fraudulent immigration consultants and representatives.
Under these new regulations, IRCC and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants will be able to impose monetary fines of up to 1.5 million dollars and publicly display the names of bad actors on IRCC websites in a ‘naming and shaming’ campaign.
Extension Of Information-Sharing Agreements
Marc Miller declares measures to enhance border security. He also announced that Canada’s information-sharing agreement with the US would be extended.
While the government has processes for sharing relevant data with foreign nations, the scope of these processes will be extended to include permanent residents in both Canada and the US.
Miller stated that this information is mission-critical to have a safe border. He further said that by granting this extension, both nations would be better equipped to speed up applications, make informed decisions, and prevent fraud.
Miller has not shared details on how this process will be implemented. However, he has stated that there will be safeguards to protect privacy.
Heightened Scrutiny On Visitor Visa
Minister Miller stated that there has been heightened scrutiny on visitor visa applications in Canada. He said that they have put in place new measures to detect fraud. Since then, they have seen a significant reduction in the number of asylum claims from people who have been issued temporary resident visas.
According to Miller, this heightened scrutiny has resulted in an 89% overall reduction in foreign nationals.
The Minister further stated that visa refusals are up by 61% for nations where Canada had the highest levels of abuse.
Possible Forthcoming Changes To The International Student Program
Marc Miller declares measures to enhance border security.
In response to a question regarding more reforms to Canada’s international student program, Minister Miller stated that he had no forthcoming plans for major changes. However, he did not rule out the possibility of more changes entirely.
He further stated that the immigration department has seen a 91% drop in illegal US crossings by those holding Canadian study permits since implementing further measures to verify students’ letters of acceptance at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
This declaration comes as the IRCC tightens border security measures, including ending the practice of flagpoling in December.
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