At a recent press conference in Vancouver, Canada’s Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told reporters, “Increasing the use of technology, advanced analytics and streamlining processing has been a very important move in recent months. We have achieved a few things,” he said.
Mr. Fraser spoke about Temporary Residency (TRV) applications for those awaiting permanent residency under the Family Class Sponsorship Program. However, the increasing use of technology and advanced analytics is impacting all areas of application processing by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Over the next few years, Canada will welcome the largest number of new entrants to date. In 2022, the IRCC has made over 5 million final decisions on applications across all business lines. This is double the number of decisions in 2021.
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The IRCC is rapidly moving to digitize and “modernize” Canada’s immigration system, including increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics to reduce application processing times. increase. For example, Mr. Fraser said this streamlining helped him process 98% of spousal TRV applications, and he can expect processing time for new applicants to be just 30 days.
By digitizing its systems and services, IRCC says it will be better able to meet the needs of its customers and Canada, supported by new technological capabilities. In addition, the ministry said the use of technology will allow it to process applications more efficiently, freeing up staff to focus on complex applications.
IRCC uses artificial intelligence (information technology that performs tasks that would normally need to be performed by humans) in several aspects of its processing, including:
- Automate appropriate eligibility decisions
- Distribute applications between personnel based on application characteristics
- Identify applications that may require additional verification
- Workload distribution
- Create “annotations” that summarize basic information for each client to reduce agent searches in the global case management system.
- Prioritize client emails for faster replies and provide public information to respond to client inquiries
- Biometric evaluation
The tools used by the IRCC do not have algorithms for approving or rejecting applicants. Candidates will not be approved or denied visas or permits based solely on computer determination.
What are your concerns?
Many are concerned that IRCC’s use of AI will lead to bias and a general lack of explanation about how decisions are made in the processing of applications.
For example, the Finance Commission Directive on Automated Decision-Making, a government-wide policy directive, says algorithms based on historical data can exacerbate racial, class, gender, and other inequalities. The report notes that some facial recognition software doesn’t work equally well for all skin tones and genders.
Too much reliance on AI can also lead to unclear decision-making. The directive requires the federal government to be able to explain how administrative decisions are made. In addition, individuals who are denied services or benefits are entitled to a reasonable and understandable explanation from the government that is no more than an indication that it was a decision made by a computer. Must be a thing.
Concerns have also been raised about the use of “Chinook,” which the IRCC describes as a Microsoft Excel-based tool for simplifying the visual representation of customer information. It is used by IRCC officials to evaluate applications for temporary resident visas, study permits and work permits. The ministry said Chinook does not use artificial intelligence (AI) or advanced analytics to make decisions, nor does it have built-in decision-making algorithms.
How does IRCC develop algorithms?
In response to concerns, the IRCC said it was following the directives of the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms to ensure equal rights and eliminate discrimination. It defines how decisions must be made and what explanations must be provided to those affected, following the principles of transparency, accountability, legality and procedural fairness. .
Whenever a new algorithm is proposed, it must pass an Algorithm Impact Assessment (AIA). The AIA is a mandatory risk assessment tool and part of the Finance Commission Directive on Automated Decision Making. This tool measures risk areas, mitigation measures and the impact of proposed algorithms. IRCC says it was one of the first government departments to use AIA.
The ministry also says it requires assessments of the impact of algorithms, quality assurance measures for data and algorithms, and proactive disclosure of where and how algorithms are used.
According to the IRCC, the rules that support (but do not finalize) the decision-making process are regularly reviewed by experienced officials, legal, policy, data science and privacy experts, and senior decision makers. , has been checked for compliance with the eligibility criteria outlined in the Regulations. Immigration and Refugee Protection Law.
In addition, regular monitoring and quality assurance measures are in place to ensure that these models continue to operate as intended and any unforeseen negative impacts can be identified and mitigated early.
Minister Fraser remains optimistic about the IRCC’s use of technology and advanced analytics. He said the technology that the IRCC has adopted over the past few years has enabled the ministry to look at many factors about a person’s application to determine their eligibility for permanent residency and more easily put them into categories. said it was possible. Approved by IRCC officers. He says this has led to significant productivity gains, and continues to emphasize that AI does not make the final decisions.
“At the end of the day, our offer is what determines eligibility. Through this technical solution, it is impossible for anyone to be denied.”
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