Revise IRCC security screening

AI summary

Petitioners ask IRCC to base security-screening referrals on individualized risk, clarify criteria and updates, and reduce prolonged in-Canada delays. The government responds that IRCC performs individual assessments and provides online updates.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship WHEREAS: • The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act affirms that Canada's immigration system must operate through fair, efficient, and transparent procedures; • Iranian nationals invited by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to apply for permanent residence are disproportionately referred to comprehensive security screening, often on the basis of nationality rather than individualized risk factors; • In 2024, Iranian applicants were referred to security screening at a rate far exceeding that of applicants from other countries, resulting in prolonged and unexplained delays; • These delays frequently extend well beyond published processing times and cause serious hardship, particularly for applicants residing in Canada, including loss of employment authorization, expired Social Insurance Numbers, travel restrictions, risk to legal status, and significant psychological and financial stress; • There is limited transparency regarding the criteria used for security screening referrals and no consistent mechanism for applicants to obtain meaningful updates on the status of their cases; • Prolonged and disproportionate security screening delays undermine public confidence in the fairness, efficiency, and integrity of Canada's immigration system and may raise concerns under section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees equality without discrimination based on national or ethnic origin. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, Citizens and permanent residents of Canada, including Iranian permanent residents and Canadian citizens, who stand in solidarity with Iranian permanent residence applicants affected by prolonged security screening delays, call upon the House of Commons and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to: 1. Review IRCC's practices regarding referrals to comprehensive security screening to ensure that such referrals are based on individualized risk assessments rather than nationality; 2. Improve transparency by publicly clarifying the criteria and processes governing security screening referrals and by providing applicants with meaningful status updates; 3. Take concrete steps to reduce excessive and prolonged security screening delays, particularly for applicants residing in Canada whose cases have exceeded normal processing times; 4. Establish clear service standards and accountability mechanisms among IRCC and partner agencies involved in security screening to ensure timely and fair processing of applications.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by Peter Fragiskatos, M.P. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) takes matters of national security seriously and works closely with security and intelligence partners, who conduct comprehensive assessments to detect security risks and threats to protect health, safety, and security of Canadians. In regards to the processing of applications, IRCC is committed to a fair and transparent application of immigration procedures. All foreign nationals must meet the admissibility and eligibility requirements set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, including security screening. Applications are assessed individually by immigration officers against the same criteria, regardless of country of origin. Processing times can vary for several reasons, including whether an application is complete, the number of applications currently in process, the need to verify information, and the complexity of individual cases. IRCC aims to process 80% of complete applications within established service standards. At the same time, some applications require additional review to ensure that decisions are made carefully and fairly. IRCC conducts preliminary assessment and applications are assessed individually by immigration officers against risk indicators; and when comprehensive security screening is needed, applications will be referred to security partners for in-depth investigations. IRCC relies heavily on its security partners for more in-depth review, investigation, and assessment when risk indicators are detected and comprehensive security screening is initiated. Both the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) conduct screening with intelligence resources and databases. This includes information sharing and information provided by Five Eyes allies, such as the United States. IRCC is actively working with the CBSA and CSIS to bring the screening inventory back to manageable levels and ensure that files subject to in-depth review are processed in an expeditious manner. In recent years, the number of applications received has been higher than the number of spaces available under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. This has led to larger application inventories and longer wait times for many applicants. Since July 13, 2022, foreign nationals outside of Canada have had the right to access their own personal information under the Privacy Act due to the Privacy Act Extension Order, No. 3. This allows foreign nationals, including immigration, visa, and permanent residency applicants, to request their own personal files and officer’s notes directly from IRCC without paying a fee or using a Canadian representative. IRCC also provides applicants with a secure online account that offers direct access to application status updates, messages, and requests for additional information in real time. This ensures applicants have a clear and reliable way to track the progress of their file and stay informed throughout the process. Applicants can sign in or create an account at: IRCC secure account . Applicants can also use IRCC’s online tools to check general processing times or submit case-specific enquiries through the web form if they have additional questions, or call the client support line at 1-888-242-2100 (within Canada).