Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Forward Regulatory Plan

Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to facilitate the transfer of International Mobility Program employer compliance inspection responsibilities to Employment and Social Development Canada

Enabling Acts: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Description

Budget 2025 directed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to transfer it’s responsibility for conducting employer compliance inspections related to the International Mobility Program (IMP), to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). 

IRCC and ESDC currently conduct employer compliance inspections under the IMP and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, respectively. Both departments use similar tools, processes, and authorities, which has resulted in a duplication of effort, oversight, and internal service demands. The aim of this transfer will be to simplify the compliance landscape for employers, while supporting more coherent federal oversight under a single department and ensuring worker protection.

To facilitate this transfer, amendments are being proposed to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations that seek to provide ESDC with the necessary authorities to carry out all aspects of an IMP inspection.

Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)

Regulatory cooperation efforts are not required.

Potential impacts on Canadians, including businesses

The proposed regulatory change is expected to have minimal impact on employers and temporary foreign workers using the IMP.

This transfer of inspection responsibilities from IRCC to ESDC is anticipated to reduce administrative burden and improve clarity on compliance expectations. These changes are unlikely to increase employer obligations under the IMP and will not adversely impact temporary foreign workers.

Consultations

The public may have the opportunity to comment on proposed amendments to the regulations through pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I.

Further information

• Budget 2025 – Annex 3: Comprehensive expenditure review
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Departmental contact information

Tooba Housany
Director, Temporary Resident Policy and Program Division
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Telephone: (613) 298-8419
Email: Tooba.Housany@cic.gc.ca

Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan: April 1, 2026