The headquarters of the indigenous services of Canada takes on average more than a year to process applications for the Indian State, according to a new report by the General Auditor of Canada.
The audit found that during a period of 2019-2024, although there is a service standard to make a decision within six months, more than 80 percent of the applications processed by the headquarters of the indigenous services of Canada (ISC) exceeded this. The average processing time was just under 16 months.
“People wait too long for decisions,” said General Auditor Karen Hogan at a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
“Registration under Indian law plays a central role in the recognition of the people of the first nations under the Canadian law.”
The report indicates that the long waiting times are a barrier to access vital services, such as reserve housing, health benefits and financial aid for postsecundaria education.
“Taking 16 months to make a decision is a long time for someone to be waiting to find out if they can access the benefits of the Canadian law,” said Hogan.
“I think that many would ask if the Canadian public service can process an important document as a passport in a timely manner, why can’t they make a decision by virtue of the registration law more quickly?”
12,000 Applications Applications
The report says that the headquarters of the indigenous services Canada and its regional offices made decisions about approximately 140,000 registration applications from April 2019 to March 2024. Just over 58,000 of them were related to the amendments of the S-3 bill to India Law, aimed at rectifying sex-based inequities.
There was an accumulation of almost 12,000 applications, with almost 1,500 of those that were delayed more than two years.
The report recommends that ISC examine its application processing to find ways to reduce waiting times and establish a plan to reduce orders portfolio.
The regional offices of the departments, which process only non -complex applications, took about 40 percent of the application decisions during the period of time. There, the decisions were made the same day for 22 percent of the applications. On average, decisions made 44 days.
A look at what an Indian state card is, what he does and how to request one.
The report did not find that the department could not demonstrate that most of the officials who were making final decisions about the applications had suffered the required training and certification.
The audit also recommends that ISC completely implement the policies it has to process applications, including training and certification for those who make decisions.
The ISC response in the report says: “As of March 31, 2025, all officers issuing decisions on behalf of the Indian registrar have been certified under the new standardized training with re -rtification requirements every three years.”
Below the minimum wage for community registrars
Indigenous Services Canada has the mandate to gradually transfer responsibilities to the communities of the first nations. The department is financing community -based registration administrators to support the delivery of the registration program.
However, the financing formula for these positions has remained relatively unchanged since 1994, according to the audit. Almost 30 percent of communities with registration administrators receive minimum financing of $ 5,000 per year for position staff.
“The department said that this is the equivalent of supporting a community -based registration administrator one day a week at $ 12.80/hour, which was below the minimum wage in all provinces and territories,” the report said.
“Without adequate financing and the ability to be properly trained, the communities of the first nations will not be well equipped to assume this,” said Hogan.
The report recommends working with ISC with the communities of the first nations and tribal councils to review and update this financing model.
In the report, ISC accepts the recommendation, but says that it currently does not have a source of funds to meet the increases in compensation.
The minister agrees with the recommendations
In statementThe Minister of Indigenous Services, Mandy Gull-Mascy, said it agrees with the recommendations of the report and sees the audit as a tool to improve the equity and efficiency of the registration process.
She said a job is being done to move from paper applications to a digital format in an effort to reduce processing times and minimize errors.
“Last month, I also announced the introduction of the S-2 bill in the Senate, which addresses some of the remaining inequalities in the registration and membership provisions of the Band of Indian Law,” Gull-Masty said in the statement.
This bill would guarantee the same treatment for people with a family history of cultivation vision, where the people of the first nations were encouraged to renounce their status, support those who wish to deregulate and allow women who were automatically transferred to the band of her husband the opportunity to reaffirm their native band.
“Indigenous Services Canada is working in association with the communities of the first nations to ensure that registration services are delivered with integrity, respect and a strong focus on customer service,” Gull-Mastey said in the statement.
