Same with the RQ stuff too. I am sure there's some method and reasoning to this. I don't buy into the random sampling.
I agree with you there has to be some reasoning for an application to be selected for RQ. They are just putting it in nice words that you have randomly been selected.
The issuance of RQ and RQ-lite, that is CIT 0171 and CIT 0520, has been overtly fact-based, criteria-driven. No one has suggested otherwise.
Before the list of "triage criteria" detailed in the File Requirements Checklist, pursuant to OB-407, there was the appendix to CP - 5 Residence which listed risk indicators, referring to them as "reasons to question residency."
In contrast, for this PPQ - QAE and CIT 0205, IRCC purports to RANDOMLY SELECT participants and on its face this appears to be an exercise implemented in response to the auditor general's report criticizing the FRC list of triage criteria (the "risk indicators" employed in selecting who is given RQ). That is, it appears to be focused on assessing the criteria employed to identify potential fraud, rather than on catching individuals engaged in fraud.
In particular, the PPQ - QAE correspondence from IRCC, the cover-letter so to say, explicitly states that the recipient was "
randomly selected." The very first line in the correspondence (at least that reported by most recipients so far) states:
"Your application was randomly selected for a special review exercise in connection with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) Quality Assurance Program." (Note: as requested elsewhere, for those reporting PPQ, please let us know if this is different than what you received.)
By the way, elevated TSA screening does NOT purport to be entirely random. Some extra screening is purportedly random. But the additional screening many travelers are subjected to is fact-based, criteria-driven. Obviously. They are trained to identify reasons for suspicion and employ extra screening when they do.
This is a common misconception among the public about random sampling. Systematic random sampling with regular intervals is actually widely used and is considered statistically random with respect to some populations.
In this case, there is no expectation that the order of applicants follows any particular pattern with respect to age, race, gender, etc. In other words, the qualities of applicants are randomly assorted. So if IRCC is truly doing quality control and assurance, then the OP’s claim that it is a systematic random sampling procedure would actually be logical and credible.
(There are many people that should be banned from the internet, but let’s not ban science and math.)
It does appear, however, that a disproportionate number of those reporting PPQ have risk indicators. And, in this regard, it is worth noting that many of those affected for which it is not apparent there are risk indicators, they have not shared much information about their circumstances or qualifying factors so it is not clear applicants without risk indicators are getting this PPQ.
The "exercise" bears many resemblances to the OB-407 screening process, pursuant to which CPC-Sydney has (since April 2012) sent a pre-test RQ to applicants with circumstances triggering any of the triage criteria, the risk indicators, listed in the File Requirements Checklist.
As noted above, the only direct information that this process is random is the explicit statement by IRCC in its correspondence to those selected for the exercise; in particular, the PPQ - QAE correspondence from IRCC, the cover-letter so to say, explicitly states that the recipient was "
randomly selected." Again, the very first line in the correspondence (at least that reported by most recipients so far) states:
"Your application was randomly selected for a special review exercise in connection with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) Quality Assurance Program."
The recent report by
@hmilywsx, however, indicates being selected for the PPQ at a different stage of processing than most have reported. Unless this is an anomaly (which of course is possible), that would strongly indicate a selection process which is NOT random. The question I raise in the topic where PPQ is being most discussed is whether it is possible that IRCC is BOTH selecting some applicants RANDOMLY, attendant the stage of processing in CPC-Sydney proximate IP, and ADDITIONALLY replacing RQ with the PPQ, as in also sending PPQ (rather than RQ) to those who identified as having risk indicators.
Overall, there is no math or science yet available. There is minimal data which could have statistical significance. You are correct, if IRCC is in fact conducting a true quality control exercise aimed at evaluating the system rather than catching individual cases of fraud, it
SHOULD randomly select participants. Indications in contrast that this may be another version of fraud-interdiction similar to the OB-407 screening process, however, at the least raise some questions about its alleged randomness.
There is a lot yet not known.
