Immigrant Visas: Timothy Edwards

Timothy Edwards: According to government data obtained by , the number of immigrant visas granted from May to July of this year has dropped 7.5 per cent, to 60,416 individuals. That compares to 65,255 in the same period last year and a whopping 22 per cent drop from the same three-month period in 2010, according to The Star. The processing of permanent resident visas has been ground to a standstill at a number of visa sections we targeted, said Timothy Edwards, president of the Professional Association of Foreign Services Officers PAFSO , whose members have implemented rotating strikes and work-to-rule at busy visa posts such as Beijing and Shanghai in China, Delhi and Chandigarh in India, Mexico City and Manila and Permanent residency applicants appear to be taking the biggest hit from ongoing job action by foreign affairs officers, prompting concerns about whether Ottawas 2013 immigration target can be met. The numbers appear to bolster claims by the foreign service workers union that staff are being diverted to process temporary resident visa applications for applicants like tourists and international students at the expense of permanent resident files, which the government denies. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.