Fast- track program suspended over low success rate, Bell says

VICTORIA — Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training Pat Bell confirmed Friday that his government suspended a program that fast tracks permanent residence applications for business immigrants over concerns about the success rate of those applying.

“Typically we would expect a success rate of about two- thirds of individuals completing all their obligations. The fast- track program has been disappointing at just under 20 per cent,” Bell told reporters Friday.

“I think it’s prudent to suspend it at this point now that we’ve flagged what we think could be a problem.”

The fast- track program is part of the Provincial Nominee Program, which allows the B. C. government to nominate candidates it thinks should receive accelerated permanent residence.

Under normal circumstances, business immigrants — who arrive in the province with a two- year federal temporary work permit — are nominated only after they’ve established a business, and met all the requirements of their application.

With the fast- track program, applicants can be nominated for permanent residence immediately after they arrive in the province. To qualify, applicants need to post a $ 125,000 performance bond with the province, which they get back only if they fulfil their performance requirements. On Thursday, Bell’s ministry announced that since 2007, only 26 of 141 business owners who used the fast- track program have completed the requirements.

On Friday, officials said that of the remaining 115 applications, 13 people have failed completely and have defaulted their $ 125,000 to the province.

The other applicants are still somewhere in the process, they said, not indicating how many they expect might succeed.

Bell said his government will spend 60 days reviewing the fast- track program to determine what to do next.

New Democratic Party labour critic Shane Simpson said he is happy the government is conducting a review.

“Immigration is really important, you want to do it right — we built the province and the country on immigration,” he said.

“On the fast- track program, the statistics suggest the program hasn’t been very helpful in terms of advancing increased amounts of business immigration that actually works, so we’re looking forward to what will work,” he added.

Richard Kurland, a Vancouverbased immigration lawyer, said he would not be surprised to see the fasttrack program return in B. C., but with some changes — like a deposit increased to at least $ 250,000.

He added officials may also look to include a stipulation applicants must live in B. C. for a period of time after getting citizenship.