Audit of the Immigration Program
Canadian Consulate General – Seattle
8.2. Training
Although all three of the DIOs have extensive experience processing business class cases, and their supervisors are fully satisfied with their knowledge and their abilities, they have all indicated that they would find further training on business cases useful, particularly regarding litigation issues and strengthening refusals. They do not feel that the training currently being offered by the Department is adequate.
There is no training budget allocated by NHQ, so no formal training plan exists. Training is either funded on an ad hoc basis by special allocations from NHQ or by using the immigration program’s travel funds. Because there is no formal training plan, it is important to identify training needs in the appraisals, so that training is not inadvertently ignored. Not all of the performance appraisals currently identify training needs.
Recommendations
18. International Region should consider providing additional training to staff members who specialize in business class processing.
19. When completing performance appraisals, ensure that training needs are identified.
Management Response
18. As well as the basic training on business immigration provided to all visa officers, immigration program officers and DIOs, RIRT has provided funds and guidelines for training at Business Immigration Centres. In recent years, Paris had a course on general accounting principles; Moscow had a course on Russian accounting practices with participants from our missions in Hong Kong, London, Warsaw and New York. Before IRPA was implemented, all missions processing business cases received some training on the new selection criteria for business immigration.
RIRT will work in collaboration with the Selection Branch and International Region’s Operational Coordination Section to evaluate additional training needs and prepare a comprehensive training plan for business immigration.
19. Management agrees with the recommendation. Training needs have always been identified on performance appraisals and will continue to be identified, where applicable.
- Date Modified:
