The industrial action by the
Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (Pafso), relating to pay
disputes between the union and the federal government, has seen walkouts by
immigration officers and applications delayed. Tim Edwards, Head of Pafso, told
CBC News that the number of visas issued at major centres in June
dropped by 60 to 65 per cent, with more than half of 51 application centres
exceeding their 14-day processing target.
Russian agency Students International
contacted Study Travel Magazine (STM) to advise that strikes in Moscow are having a significant impact on summer business. Igor Mishurov,
Deputy Director, said the company had already lost around 50 students due to
delays.
In an open letter to Canadian educators, delivered to STM, Mishurov
wrote, “The year 2013 has had two polar tendencies: growth in the number of
students, but huge delays in visa issuance to Canadian summer language
courses.”
Questioning the timing of the strike, Mishurov added, “The Canadian Government
and educational institutions invest into the Russian market much more than
other countries. What will become of these multi-million dollar investments
when agencies say, ‘We are fed up with your Embassy’s bureaucratic hurdles?’”
Although this year’s strikes have exacerbated the problem, Mishurov said summer
visa delays have been a long-running issue. “It was estimated that last year we
recruited 300 students less than targeted because of visa delays. Last summer,
when the visa procedure was taking up to three months and some visas for summer
courses were issued in October, some agencies closed down their Canadian
destinations and even whole regional offices. This year, it seems the Embassy
is working hard towards turning these some into many.”
The Association
of Russian Education Advisors (Area) supported Mishurov’s letter, said
Board Member Anna Ryzhova, an agent working closely with the Canadian market.
“The clients of the agencies are mostly upset by the uncertain timing frame for
the files to be considered by the Embassy and unexpected extension of the
processing time in the middle of the high season for short-term study trips.”
She added that considerable Canadian investment in the Russian market could be
undermined by visa processing.
A statement placed on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at the
beginning of the industrial action in June warned, “Posted processing times for
temporary and permanent resident visa applications do not take into account
work stoppages. Anyone applying for a visa should anticipate delays and submit
their application as far in advance as possible.”
The statement said contingency plans were in place to keep offices open and
provide a minimum level of service, adding that priority would be given to
humanitarian applications.
Other markets are also suffering from longer processing times. In Brazil, one
of Canada’s key source countries, Maria Gabarra, Executive Director of agency
association Belta, said
members had experienced some delays, although this was mostly caused by
seasonal demand rather than strikes. Visas were taking between 20 and 30 days
to process, she said, compared with the usual 10-day timescale. She said there
were cases of clients both postponing trips and changing destinations.
Concerns have also been expressed over the forthcoming academic year. “The
crunch is coming for September admissions,” said Paul Brennan, Vice President
of the Association of Canadian
Community Colleges (ACCC) to CBC News. “We’re quite worried that
unless this is resolved or special measures are taken, students will not get
their visas in time.”
