Ottawa, December 13, 2011 — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today announced the expansion of the international visa application centre (VAC) network into West Africa.
The six new VACs that are scheduled to open on December 16 will be located in Nigeria (Lagos), Mali (Bamako), Niger (Niamey), Cote d’Ivoire (Abidjan), Senegal (Dakar) and Cameroon (Yaounde). With these openings, there will now be VACs in 41 countries around the world.
“VACs are an example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to improve service to applicants and processing efficiency,” said Minister Kenney. “This means applicants no longer have to spend time and money travelling to a visa office if they choose to use a VAC closer to their home.”
VACs provide valued administrative support to individuals submitting their applications, particularly in countries or regions where there are few or no visa offices. Client service agents at the VACs are available to explain, in local languages, how to fill out forms and ensure that applications are complete. This helps applicants avoid unnecessary delays or refusals due to incomplete applications.
“Based on the success and demand of the current VAC network, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) intends to continue to expand this service until it reaches global coverage,” added Minister Kenney.
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For further information (media only), please contact:
Candice Malcolm
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
