Tim Edwards: Visa Application

visa application: The federal government and the union representing diplomats and immigration officers abroad have been locked in a contract negotiation battle for months. As part of escalating job action measures, diplomats at key visa application centres including Beijing, Delhi, Sao Paolo and Mexico City have withdrawn their services, according to CBC. Across the board, the backlog is growing five per cent per week, and in the bigger centres, it's 10 to 20 per cent per week, said Edwards. At more than half of the 51 foreign visa application centres, the processing times are exceeding the immigration department's 14-day target and The job action by Canada's foreign service officers is causing a slowdown in visa applications, which could result in big costs to the economy. "The applications are just piling up," said Tim Edwards, head of the the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers. The number of visas issued from offices in major centres abroad dropped 60 to 65 per cent in June, he said, and overall, the issuance rate is down 25 per cent. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.