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e-7259 (Citizenship and immigration)

E-petition
Initiated by SIXUAN ZHANG from Vancouver, British Columbia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembled

Whereas:
  • Thousands of Permanent Residence (PR) applicants endure extreme security screening delays estimated at 65 months, vastly exceeding the official 110-day service standard;
  • The security referral backlog continues to worsen, trapping over 23,000 PR applications as of November 2025;
  • These delays cause severe harm, including prolonged family separation, mental health crises, loss of legal status, and significant financial burdens;
  • Extreme processing times create a discriminatory two-tier system where applicants from specific regions face indefinite, non-transparent delays; and
  • Applicants lack meaningful recourse, transparent case information, or compensation when service standards are breached by 300–500%.
We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to 1. Enforce Strict Standards: Mandate that applications exceeding 100% of standard processing times be finalized immediately unless a written justification and firm completion date are provided.
2. Ensure Accountability: Require the Minister to appear quarterly before the Standing Committee to report on backlog reduction progress and mandate independent audits of administrative bottlenecks.
3. Increase Transparency: Require IRCC, CSIS, and CBSA to provide proactive 90-day status updates specifying the current agency, processing stage, and updated timelines for delayed files.
4. Establish Oversight: Create an independent Immigration Ombudsperson to investigate chronic delays and provide applicants with a formal escalation channel.
5. Codify Escalation: Implement automatic internal ministerial reviews for any case exceeding published service standards by more than 100%.
6. Publicize Data: Regularly publish comprehensive, real-time data regarding average processing times and backlog volumes for all security screenings.
Open for signature
March 11, 2026, at 11:11 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
May 10, 2026, at 11:11 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East)
May 25, 2026 (Petition No. 451-00964)
Photo - Jenny Kwan
Vancouver East
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia