Let’s face it: the system is still based on the applicant being able to prove that if they come here they will not stay in the country. It is easier for him to persuade the authorities to apply for a visa if he has a good job, an apartment and a good status at homehe explained.

During a meeting with about 25 nursing students from Algonquin College in Ottawa on Friday, some told Trudeau about visa problems.

A student shared how she felt alone and isolated after being hospitalized in Canada for seven months. Her mother twice tried to get a visa for her visit, but each time her application was rejected.

Mr. Trudeau responded that it was critical for Canadians to have confidence in the integrity of the immigration system. However, he indicated that he had asked the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to change its defensive stance on issuing visas.

“We have to stop saying that people who want to stay are bad people, that’s not a good thing,” he said. Our Secretary of Immigration, Sean Fraser, is working hard to change the way immigration is judged and ensure people come to settle here.

The prime minister admitted to the student that the ministry made a mistake in refusing her mother a visa.

It would be an injustice for Canadians if there were detours to obtain a visa. You have to find a balance. But I understand you. Your mother should have been allowed to visit you.

Mr. Trudeau recalled that because of the many crises they are going through at home, many people are asking to come and settle in Canada.

The prime minister also acknowledged that the federal government must be careful to help immigrants prosper in Canada, or Canadians may start to resent immigration.

An anti-immigrant party would have little success in Canada because many Canadians understand the importance of immigration. We must protect the fact that Canadians support immigration.

For example, Trudeau said there must be enough housing to accommodate new families. At the same time, he suggested that immigration could help solve this problem.

There is a labor shortage in the construction sector. If we attract more people who can build houses, we will solve the housing shortage. There are solutions. One of them is to speed up the processing of applications through the proper use of digital means and computershe explained.

conferences disrupted

The immigration service’s slowness and refusal to issue visas has angered many stakeholders, even worldwide.

Entire roundtables scheduled for next month in Montreal are on hold because, in many cases, participants in certain activities have not yet received visas to enter Canada.

I’International Study Association will hold its annual meeting in Montreal in mid-March. His manager, Mark Boyer, admits there are visa issues extremely frustrating and difficult for the organizers to cope with.

According to the head of activities of theInternational Study Association, Jennifer Fontanella, About 600 of the 6,000 academics invited to this Montreal meeting have visa problems, including 80 who were turned down. Hundreds more are awaiting a decision and at least a hundred have withdrawn from the international meeting.

Last September, many delegates reported similar problems when trying to attend the conferenceAmerican Political Science Association. And in December, hundreds of delegates from developing countries missed the COP15 conference, still held in metropolitan Quebec, due to visa problems, in part due to the United Nations’ late issuance of accreditations.

Last summer, Canada’s Department of Immigration caused an uproar when it refused visas to several African delegates who wanted to attend the International AIDS Conference, also in Montreal. Some participants spoke openly about racism.

Department data updated on Tuesday showed the average visa application processing time for UK residents was 217 days. For people living in France, it takes 212 days. Citizens of these countries do not need a visitor’s visa to come to Canada, but scientists from many developing countries based in Paris or London do need a visa to attend a Montreal conference.

The Department of Immigration works with organizers of international events in Canada to coordinate the processing of temporary visa applications for delegates and participantsa ministry spokesman, Jeffrey MacDonald, said in an email.

According to him, several factors can affect the speed at which a file is processed, such as the accuracy of the information requested or the resources and staff made available to the department.