Question Period Note: Special Events

How Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada assists conference organizers to ensure a successful event.

• With an increasing number of events being organized in Canada each year, we want to ensure that all events are successful and are able to take place with full participation.
• IRCC has seen incredible growth in application volumes, particularly since the lift of travel restrictions, and is taking measures to improve processing times and address backlogs.
• These include hiring an additional 1,250 staff, modernizing our processes, and updating aging technology.
• The Government of Canada is committed and adheres to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration law. All applications from around the world are assessed against the same criteria.
Responsive on reports of bias in the treatment of applications:
• The Government of Canada is committed and adheres to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration law. All applications from around the world are assessed against the same criteria.
• As part of our commitment to anti-racism, equity and inclusion, we are looking closely at those criteria through the lens of how they impact racialized applicants, to ensure our programs and policies are fair, equitable and culturally sensitive.

The Special Events Program at IRCC is a boutique service that provides assistance to foreign or domestic organizers who wish to host a special event in Canada. These events could be meetings, conventions, conferences, trade shows, exhibits and sporting events.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) takes every measure available to expedite as much as possible the processing of applications and facilitate travel for events.
IRCC deals with thousands of applications from people from around the world every day. We are committed to a fair and non-discriminatory application of immigration procedures. As part of our commitment to anti-racism, equity and inclusion, we are looking closely at those criteria through the lens of how they impact racialized applicants, to ensure our programs and policies are fair, equitable and culturally sensitive. We take this responsibility seriously. Under Canada’s immigration legislation, only designated immigration (visa) officers are authorized to approve or refuse visitor visa applications. The officer is an independent decision maker whose determination must be in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
All applications from around the world are assessed equally and against the same criteria. The onus is on the applicant to show that they meet the requirements for a TRV. All applicants are given the opportunity to present their case by providing documentary evidence and any other relevant information to support their application.
Visa officers look at many factors in assessing whether an applicant is a genuine temporary resident including the following:
· the person’s ties to the home country;
· the purpose of the visit;
· the person’s family and economic situation;
· invitations from Canadian hosts;
• the overall economic and political stability of the home country

Individuals who apply for a TRV must satisfy a visa officer they are not inadmissible and that they:
o are in good health and do not pose a health risk;
o don’t have a criminal record;
o don’t pose a threat to Canada’s security;
o have not previously violated immigration legislation;
o have a valid passport or travel document;
o have enough money to support themselves while in Canada;
o have sufficient ties to their home country to indicate they will leave Canada when their visa expires; and
o meet all other requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Processing times can vary on the a number of factors such as how well and how quickly applicants respond to requests from IRCC to provide biometrics (if applicable) and additional information, how easily IRCC can verify the information provided, the complexity of an application, and capacity and resources at both visa application centres and visa offices.
IRCC is also committed to assisting event organizers who chose Canada as a destination by providing visa-related information, guidance and a point of contact to whom questions related to the visa process and concerns can be addressed.

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