Canada Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said in an interview with Global News that more needs to be done to reduce misuse of visitor visas. Some immigrants in the country temporarily find ways to extend their stay or transition to a permanent status. Some visitor visa holders overstay, which is a common problem. Others work illegally in the underground economy while others create fraudulent documents to extend their stay, find other ways to work or transition to long-term stay. Still, as revealed by a CBC News investigation, some have found another avenue to benefit from their entry into Canada: entering the United States. “And it’s no surprise to anyone that … we need to do a stronger job in making sure that people that are coming here, for example on visitor’s visas, do so for those purposes and not for the purposes of … claiming asylum or finding their way into the US,” Miller said. Gaps In System at Canada-US Border A US farmer showed CBC News how migrants crossed illegally from Quebec through his land into the US while easily evading authorities. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) works with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to manage cases involving overstayers and visa violators. However, the volume of crossings shows gaps in the system. Canada shares a 6,000-kilometre undefended border with the United States. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) figures show 21,929 migrant encounters between border posts on the American side of the Canada-US border between October 2023 and August 2024. The data shows that 17,810 were in the Swanton Sector, which runs along Quebec’s border with New York and Vermont. Of the 21,929 stopped at the border, 12,992 or close to 60 percent, were from India, turning the spotlight on that country. “We do see a number of people that are claiming asylum from India, from other countries, who are not getting a positive determination from the Immigration (and) Refugee Board, which is an indication to us that we have to take an increased look at how we accord visas in the first place,” Miller said. Canada-US Cooperation The minister said he had discussed the issue of illegal crossings with the US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorka and US Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen. The two countries work closely to tackle border issues. In 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden signed the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) to cover the entire border. The aim was to deter irregular migrant crossings at unofficial entryways like Roxham Road. In this case, migrants crossed from the US to Canada to claim asylum. Under the agreement, if someone tries to claim asylum at a Canada-US land border crossing, they must ask for asylum in their first safe country. If they came through the US, they must ask for asylum in the US rather than continuing to Canada. The same rule applies if they arrive in Canada and then try to go to the US. In a letter to the prime minister, Quebec Premier Francois Legault said approximately 39,000 people sought asylum in Canada by crossing at Roxham Road last year (2022), according to a CBC report. In response to the evolving needs of the Canadian immigration system, Miller unveiled significant new measures to manage the influx of temporary residents, particularly international students and foreign workers. In his speaking notes on September 18, 2024, on the new measures to strengthen Canada’s Temporary Resident Programs and Migration Pathways, Miller said previous policies during the COVID-19 pandemic were meant to be temporary and were no longer needed. The current measures are an adjustment to fit today’s reality, including putting stricter access on work permits for international students after graduation and removing work permit eligibility for spouses of undergraduate international students and individuals holding visitors’ permits. What Can Be Improved? More robust vetting processes, such as enhanced background checks and financial and travel history checks, could reduce fraud in the system. Biometrics and exit controls can help with better monitoring and tracking of overstayers. Tougher consequences for those who violate visa terms, such as longer entry bans, higher fines, or criminal charges, could be deterrents. Data sharing and stronger partnerships with violators’ countries of origin could yield data and enhance tracking efforts. To preserve the integrity of the immigration system, Canadian authorities should adopt more robust policies, improve tracking systems, and foster cooperation with international partners. The Canadian government manages many international students and foreign workers and focuses on improving the asylum system. The increase in displaced people worldwide has led to a growing number of asylum claims in Canada, placing further strain on the country’s immigration and temporary resident systems. To address these challenges, the Canadian government announced that it had implemented several measures to strengthen visa integrity and improve the asylum process. The government will review visa decision-making protocols to equip immigration officers with better tools to detect fraud and reduce the number of non-genuine visa applications. Miller emphasized that while Canada is committed to welcoming newcomers, maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the immigration system is essential. https://immigration.ca/stronger-action-coming-against-canada-visitor-visa-misuse-immigration-minister-says/
