ARCHIVED – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Departmental Overview

• 1. Overview
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada programs affect many aspects of Canadian life
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada programs need to respond to national and global trends
  • Canada is a world leader in managed immigration
  • Key Enabling Authorities
  • Organizational Structure
• 2. Strategic Objectives
  • IRCC's main lines of business
• 3. Program Outlines
  • Temporary Migration
  • Permanent Economic Migration
  • Family Migration and Humanitarian Considerations
  • Refugee Migration
  • Settlement and Integration
  • Citizenship
  • Multiculturalism for Newcomers and All Canadians
  • Passport
  • Health, Safety and Security
• 4. Partners and Stakeholders
  • Key Federal Partners
  • Provinces and Territories
• 5. Operational Model
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Operational Network
• 6. Communications Snapshot
• 7. Financial Snapshot
• 8. Annexes
  • Annex A: Immigration levels by class
  • Annex B: Top Source Countries 2014
  • Annex C: Partners and Stakeholders
  • Annex D: In-Canada Immigration Offices
  • Annex E: In-Canada Passport Offices
  • Annex F: International Network
  • Annex G: Application Fees
  • Annex H: The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Overview

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada programs affect many aspects of Canadian life

Most Canadians will interact with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at some point in their lives through the immigration system or the Passport Program. As a result, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has a stewardship responsibility for the personal information of approximately 80% of Canadians.

Economy

• Immigrants make up 20% of the population and 21.2% of the labour force.
• International students contributed about $8.4 billion to the Canadian economy in 2012.
• International tourism to Canada accounted for $17.2 billion in 2014.

Family and Society

• Canada is home to over 200 ethnic communities.
• By 2031, immigrants are expected to account for 26%, and visible minorities 31% of Canada's population.
• Canada has welcomed more than 70,000 parents, grandparents and their dependents since 2012.

Security

• 63% of Canadians have a passport and over 5 million passports are issued annually.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada balances travel facilitation against health, safety, and national security risks.
• Measures are in place to combat fraud and misrepresentation and ensure the integrity of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's programs.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada programs need to respond to national and global trends

Global migration patterns and demographics are changing

• The size of the global middle class is growing while the cost of travel is falling.
• Ongoing circular migration and south-to-south migration.
• In 2014, immigrants accounted for all net labour force growth in Canada.

Safety and security threats are growing in significance and complexity

• Technological innovation has led to better information sharing and risk analytics, but also more sophisticated fraud.
• Violent extremists are using social media to extend their reach.
• Foreign fighters travel abroad and return home.
• Infectious diseases evolve and emerge.

The nature of work, the work place and the labour market are being transformed

• Technology is becoming smarter, cheaper, and easier to use; this could lead to a period of jobless economic growth and more employment at lower wages.
• In Canada, temporary work is growing at a faster pace than permanent positions.

Global forced displacement has reached historically high levels

• Armed conflict remains a major driver of human insecurity
• Globally, there is the highest number of displaced persons since World War II.
• While other migration categories remain stable, the number of refugees, notably from Syria, continues to rise.
• Current global migration governance regime may no longer be adequate.

Canada is a world leader in managed immigration

• A measured and managed approach to facilitating migration. There are legal pathways to study, work, and live in Canada:
  • Permanent residents - foreign nationals who settle in Canada and may be eligible for citizenship.
  • Temporary residents - foreign nationals who visit, study or work in Canada for a limited time.
• Annual Immigration Levels Plan is approved by Cabinet and tabled in Parliament.
• Economic immigrants selected based on high human capital (education, language, experience), or pre-arranged employment.
• Targeted funding to support economic and social integration.
• Pathways to citizenship with one of the highest global rates of acquisition (approximately 85%).
• Managing risk and program integrity; using enforcement effectively.
• Strong public support for immigration.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development identifies Canada as a global leader in immigrant integration and second generation outcomes.

IRCC by the numbers

• 1 in 5 Canadians born outside Canada.
• 23,286 refugees admitted in 2014.
• 260,404 permanent residents (family, economic and humanitarian admitted in 2014)
• 1.2 million temporary resident visas, permits and extensions (workers, visitors, students) issued in 2014.
• 3.6 million new permanent residents (economic, family, and humanitarian) in the last 15 years.
• $920 million spending on settlement funding for 2013-2014 (including transfer to Quebec).
• 15 million immigrants since Confederation.
• 22.3 million Passports in circulation.

Key Enabling Authorities

Jurisdiction over immigration is shared between the federal and the provincial and territorial governments under section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is also bound by international law, such as United Nations' Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951).

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

• Immigration to Canada
• Refugee protection
• Enforcement
• Immigration and Refugee Board
• Co-administered with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Canadian Passport Order: Diplomatic and Special Passport Order

• Administration
• Interpretation
• Issuance of passports
• Cancellation, refusal and revocation
• Co-administered with the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Citizenship Act

• Acquisition of citizenship
• Loss of citizenship

Multiculturalism Act

• Multiculturalism Policy of Canada
• Implementation of the Multiculturalism Policy of Canada

Ministerial Instructions: Special instructions to support immigration goals. They have been used to: limit intake of applications; establish rules associated with Express Entry; pause visa processing, and create small-scale pilot programs (up to 2,750 applications and in effect for up to five years).

Public Policy Provision: Discretionary ministerial tool to overcome any requirements of legislation, based on criteria and conditions set by the Minister. Used to address a variety of situations such as crises, natural disasters (e.g. response to earthquake in Haiti), humanitarian issues (e.g. vulnerable minorities and persons in refugee-like situations), or others.

Organizational Structure

Minister

Ahmed D. Hussen

Portfolio Organizations

• Immigration and Refugee Board
  • Chair — Mario Dion
• Citizenship Commission
  • Senior Citizenship Judge — Renata Brum Bozzi
• Canadian race Relations Foundation
  • Chair — Albert Lo
  • Executive Director — Anita Bromberg

Deputy Minister

Marta Morgan

Associate Deputy Minister

Richard Wex

Assistant Deputy Ministers

• Finance Sector
  • Tony Matson
• Operations Sector
  • Robert Orr and Dawn Edlund
• Strategic Program and Policy Sector
  • Catrina Tapley and David Manicom
• Corporate Services Sector
  • Stefanie Beck

Director Generals

• Conflict Resolution
  • Stéphane Cardinal
• Corporate Secretary
  • Jennifer Irish
• Senior General Counsel
  • Marie Bourry
• Communications
  • David Hickey
• Internal Audit
  • Raymond Kunze

2. Strategic Objectives

IRCC's main lines of business

• Facilitate the migration of permanent and temporary residents to strengthen Canada's economy.
• Reunite families and provide protection to those who are displaced and persecuted.
• Integrate newcomers and support citizens to build a cohesive and diverse society.
• Manage migration and facilitate travel that promotes Canadian interests and protects the health, safety and security of Canadians.
• Ensure that service excellence is part of all client interactions.

3. Program Outlines

Temporary Migration

Objective: Facilitate the entry of visitors, students and temporary workers for purposes such as trade, commerce, tourism, international understanding, and cultural, educational and scientific activities.

Visitors

People travelling for business or leisure. Some are required to obtain a temporary resident visa (visitor visa) to travel to Canada or an Electronic Travel Authorization which is now in place for visa-exempt air travellers. ^{Footnote 1}

International Students

Foreign nationals are required to obtain a study permit before engaging in education or training that is more than six months in duration. ^{Footnote 2}

Temporary Foreign Workers

Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Employers can hire foreign workers to fill shortages when qualified Canadians are not available. This must be verified through a Labour Market Impact Assessment from Employment and Social Development Canada. ^{Footnote 3}

International Mobility Program: Temporary work permits that do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment, issued when there are benefits for Canada, including through the North American Free Trade Agreement and International Experience Canada, facilitating youth mobility. ^{Footnote 4}

Permanent Economic Migration

Objective: Support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy, in which the benefits of immigration are shared across all regions of Canada.

Federal Skilled Workers

Selected on the basis of having skilled work experience and high human capital. Applicants are awarded points, based on criteria such as age, language and education: factors shown to help individuals adapt to Canadian labour market and society.

Federal Skilled Tradespersons

People with a job offer or Canadian qualifications in certain skilled trades may be eligible for permanent residence if they have sufficient language proficiency, training and work experience in a trade. ^{Footnote 5}

Canadian Experience Class

For applicants who have at least one year's work experience in a skilled occupation in Canada and who have the official language proficiency to remain in Canada permanently. ^{Footnote 6}

Provincial Nominees

Provinces and territories can nominate individuals for permanent residence based on regional needs, including those of employers, and on an individual's ability to economically establish themselves. ^{Footnote 7}

Quebec Skilled Workers and Quebec Business Immigration

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has full responsibility for the selection of immigrants (except Family Class and in-Canada refugee claimants), as well as the sole responsibility for delivering integration services, supported by an annual grant from the federal government. ^{Footnote 8}

Federal Business Immigration

Pilot programs such as the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Class and the Start-Up Visa Program for Immigrant Entrepreneurs were created through Ministerial Instructions.

The self-employed class targets persons with the experience and ability to contribute significantly to Canada.

The Federal Immigrant Investor Program and the Entrepreneur program were terminated in 2014. ^{Footnote 9}

Caregivers

The Caring for Children Class and the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class are Ministerial Instructions pilot programs.

The new Caregiver Program replaced the Live-in Caregiver program in late 2014, eliminating the live-in requirement and providing eligible caregivers with two pathways that will lead to permanent residence. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada continues to process applications received under the former program. ^{Footnote 10}

Express Entry

An electronic system, introduced on January 1, 2015, to manage applications for permanent residence in the federal economic streams and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. Those with the highest scores are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Family Migration and Humanitarian Considerations

Objective: Support family reunification in Canada and to provide for discretion and humanitarian considerations to be factored into decision-making.

Spouses, Partners and Children Reunification

Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor their spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, or dependent children to immigrate to Canada.

International adoptions require a legal adoption as well as the immigration or citizenship process to live in Canada. ^{Footnote 11}

Parents and Grandparents Reunification

Citizens and permanent residents are able to sponsor parents or grandparents to come to Canada as permanent residents, as long as they can provide for their essential needs.

Due to high volumes of applications, in 2012-2014 there was 24 month pause on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications. This was lifted in 2015.

Parents and grandparents can apply for a multiple-entry visa which is valid for ten years, and allows them to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need to renew their status. ^{Footnote 12}

Humanitarian & Compassionate

Requirements of the legislation can be waived by officers in exceptional circumstances.

Factors often considered include: settlement in Canada, family ties to Canada, best interests of any children involved, and significant hardship if forced to leave Canada. ^{Footnote 13}

Refugee Migration

Objective: Provide protection to the displaced and persecuted and fulfill Canada's international legal obligations with respect to refugees.

Government-Assisted Refugees

Persons outside Canada determined to be Convention refugees and referred by the United Nations Refugee Agency or other referral organizations, who receive immediate support services and income support from the federal government up to one year after arrival in Canada. ^{Footnote 14}

Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees: Convention refugees who are referred by the United Nations Refugee Agency are matched with private sponsors and receive a blend of government and private financial support. Many refugees sponsored under this program are travel-ready and arrive in Canada within one to four months. ^{Footnote 15}

Privately Sponsored Refugees

Convention or country of asylum class refugees outside Canada who receive financial and other support from a private sponsor for up to one year after arrival in Canada.
Private sponsors include Sponsorship Agreement Holders, Groups of Five individuals, or Community Sponsors. ^{Footnote 16}

In-Canada Asylum

Persons determined to be a Convention Refugee or a person in need of protection by the Immigration and Refugee Board; or, in certain cases, the Minister allows an application for protection.

Interim Federal Health Program

Provides limited, temporary health care coverage for resettled refugees and asylum claimants until eligibility for provincial health care coverage is in effect. ^{Footnote 17}

Funding: $50.9 million

Resettlement Assistance Program

Provides immediate support services and income support to Government-Assisted Refugees and Blended Visa Office-Referred refugees for up to one year after arrival in Canada.

Funding: $54.9 million

Immigration loans are available to provide financial assistance to:

• foreign nationals;
• permanent residents;
• convention refugees; and,
• members of Humanitarian-protected persons abroad classes.

This is in order to cover costs primarily associated with travel to Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has the authority to issue up to $110 million.

Settlement and Integration

Objective: Assist newcomers to fully participate socially and economically, recognizing that integration involves mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian society.

Settlement

Services

All permanent residents are eligible for settlement services:

• Formal language training;
• Pre- and post-arrival information sessions;
• Employment-related services, including work placements and counselling;
• Community engagement and community partnerships;
• Needs assessments and referrals to social, economic, education and health services.

In 2014-15, services were provided to 355,000 clients.

Service Providers

Settlement services are administered by service-providing organizations, which receive funding through a competitive call for proposals.

Each year, approximately $600 million of programming, representing 36% of the departmental budget, is awarded to over 700 service providers across Canada (excluding Quebec).

Under the terms of the Canada-Quebec Accord, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provides a grant to Quebec ($340 million in 2014-15) for reception services, and linguistic, cultural and economic integration services.

Foreign Credential Recognition

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provides immigrants with information, path-finding, and referral services to have credentials assessed and recognized, so they can find work in their field.

Employment and Social Development Canada is the federal lead, and manages the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, which provides funding to provinces and territories and regulatory authorities to improve the process of credential recognition.

Citizenship

Objective: Encourage and facilitate naturalization and enhance the meaning of citizenship as a unifying bond for all Canadians.

Awareness

Enhance the meaning of Canadian citizenship for both newcomers and existing citizens, increasing a sense of belonging to Canada.

Citizenship judges, appointed on the recommendation of the Minister, promote citizenship awareness.

Eligibility

Citizenship applicants must meet requirements set out in the Citizenship Act to be eligible for citizenship, including: demonstrated knowledge of Canada, language ability, and residence, filing income tax returns as required, etc.

Acquisition

Citizenship may be acquired throughbirth on soil, by descent, or by naturalization (by grant). ^{Footnote 18}

Loss

Canadian citizens may renounce their citizenship. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada may also recall citizenship certificates where the holder is not entitled to them. Citizenship may be revoked from naturalized Canadians (fraud), or from a dual citizen (conviction of terrorism, high treason, treason, or spying, or for engaging in armed conflict against Canada). ^{Footnote 19}

Multiculturalism for Newcomers and All Canadians

Objective: To build an integrated, socially cohesive society, to improve the responsiveness of institutions to the needs of a diverse population, and to engage in discussions on multiculturalism at the international level. ^{Footnote 20}

Awareness

The Inter-Action Program provides $8.5 million in grants and contributions to organizations for projects and events that foster an integrated, socially cohesive society.

Public Education and Outreach

Educate the public on multiculturalism through initiatives such as Asian Heritage Month, Black History Month, and the Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism.

Partnerships

Helps federal and public institutions to meet their obligations under the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

International Engagement

Supports Canada's participation in international agreements and institutions.

Passport

Objective: Issue secure Canadian travel documents through authentication of identity and entitlement, in turn facilitating travel and contributing to international and domestic security.

Issuance

Issuance of secure travel documents to Canadians, which facilitates their travel and contributes to international and domestic security.

In 2014-2015, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 1.6 million 5-year passports and 3.5 million 10-year passports.

Service Delivery

Collaboration with Service Canada (in Canada) and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (overseas) for the delivery of routine passport services.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also handles:

• Special and diplomatic passports to those travelling for official or diplomatic purposes;
• Travel documents to non-Canadians; and
• Complex passport applications.

Service Standards in Canada:

• In person: 10 days
• By mail: 20 days
• Via receiving agent: 20 days
• Urgent pick-up service (in person only): By the end of the next business day
• Express pick-up service (in person only): 2 to 9 business days

Service Standards Outside of Canada:

• Regular application: 20 days
• Temporary passport: <20 days
• Emergency travel document <20 days

Security

Maintain Canadian passport security and integrity through the authentication of identity and entitlement.

Cancel, refuse, revoke, and impose a period of refusal of passport services in cases where a passport has been refused or revoked (e.g. in cases of detected fraud, misuse or misrepresentation).^{Footnote 21}

Health, Safety and Security

Objective: Manage the movement of people, while protecting the health, safety and security of all Canadians.

Health and Security

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada balances travel facilitation and risk management and works closely with partners to secure Canada's borders and protect Canadians from harm.

Security, criminality and crimes against humanity screening is performed with support of public safety government partners.

Health screening and monitoring is done in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and provincial and territorial public health authorities.

Support for the Global Assistance for Irregular Migrants Program helps combat human trafficking.

Program Integrity

Program integrity is ensured through identifying applicants who fail to meet eligibility and/or admissibility requirements and refusing status accordingly.

Identity Management:

• Client identity is managed based on personal identifiers, identity documents and biometric identifiers.

Document management:

• Temporary Resident Visas are issued to individuals from medium and high risk countries to facilitate access to Canada.
• Starting in March 2016, all foreign nationals from countries exempt from a Temporary Resident Visa will need to get an Electronic Travel Authorization before travelling to Canada (excluding United States nationals).

Inadmissibility

Foreign nationals are screened for a range of inadmissibilities:

• Security (inc. terrorism, espionage);
• Human/International Rights violations (inc. war crimes);
• Involvement in organized crime;
• Criminality inside and outside Canada;
• Health (e.g. danger to public health or public safety, excessive demand on health/social services);
• Financial Reasons;
• Inadmissible family member;
• Misrepresentation;
• Non-compliance with Act;
• Polygamy (not yet in force).

4. Partners and Stakeholders

Key Federal Partners

Employment and Social Development

• Conducts Labour Market Impact Assessments;
• Leads federal foreign credential recognition efforts;
• Administers the Job Bank.

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development

• Operates missions and supports Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's international presence;
• Delivers passport services on behalf of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Service Canada

• Delivers passport and integration services on behalf of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Public Health Agency of Canada

• Administers the Quarantine Act;
• Health screening and monitoring.

Public Safety Canada

• Renders cancellation, refusal and revocation decisions for passport cases related to terrorism and national security.

Canada Border Services Agency

• Main co-delivery partner for the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• Manages the flow of travelers at Canadian ports of entry;
• Provides intelligence;
• Prevents irregular migration;
• Provides immigration enforcement;
• Removes persons who are in Canada and are found to be inadmissible.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

• Shares information to combat terrorism and organized crime;
• Attends citizenship ceremonies;
• Combats human trafficking.

Canadian Security and Intelligence Service

• Conducts security screening;
• Shares information to combat terrorism.

Provinces and Territories

• Immigration is a shared federal-provincial jurisdiction under the Constitution, with federal paramountcy in case of disputes. This arrangement is reflected in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and bilateral immigration agreements.
• Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers meet annually to discuss the management of the Immigration Program. The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Vision Action Plan for Immigration, which was agreed to in 2012, is a mutual commitment to welcoming and supporting newcomers.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada works closely with provincial and territorial governments:
  • Policy consultation and levels setting;
  • Immigrant selection; ^{Footnote 22}
  • Integration;
  • Passport.

5. Operational Model

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Operational Network

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada operations are guided by four Service Excellence pillars: excellent client service; managed risk; one managed, integrated workload; and a managed workforce. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada distributes work across its operational network which is divided into five regions: Eastern, Ontario, Western, International and the Centralized Processing Region, with front-office support provided through alternative service delivery arrangements.

In-Canada

Local Offices and Regional Headquarters:

• The 24 offices handle decision-making on complex in-Canada cases (e.g. citizenship, Humanitarian and Compassionate), manage contracts with settlement service providers, and provide domestic place-based services such as citizenship tests and ceremonies and client interviews.

Passport:

• Service Canada runs in-person passport application intake offices across Canada.
• There are 34 Passport offices, 152 Service Canada receiving agents, 2 mail processing centres and 42 Canada Post receiving agents for passports. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also runs two additional offices: one that issues diplomatic and special passports and another that issues travel documents to eligible non-Canadians.

Case Processing Centres:

• Located in Sydney, Ottawa, Mississauga, Vegreville, and Winnipeg, these centres provide centralized intake and processing for high volume business activities.

Operations Support Centre (Ottawa):

• 24/7 operation which ensures data integrity for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada systems by updating, merging or correcting electronic immigration files, and processes e-Application for select in-Canada applications.

Overseas

Missions abroad:

• Deliver Canada's immigration program abroad in 56 countries. Visa officers process applications across all Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada business lines, make decisions on complex cases requiring local knowledge (e.g. Temporary Resident, Permanent Resident, refugee), and provide international place-based services such as client interviews.
• Deliver Canadian passport services at 219 locations in 147 countries.

Visa Application Centres:

• Third party service providers that accept applications, for a fee, for study permits, work permits, visitor visas (temporary resident visa), and travel documents for permanent residents. There are currently 136 Visa Application Centres located in 96 countries.

There are also private sector partners who provide services to clients for application purposes, including:

• panel physicians;
• language assessment agencies;
• educational credential assessment agencies.

6. Communications Snapshot

There is a high degree of public interest in citizenship and immigration issues. In 2014-2015, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada prepared:

• 120 news releases;
• 300 speeches;
• 200 Question Period notes.

Responded to more than 1600 media calls:

• Significant portion on cases/litigation;
• Highly personal and emotional issues;
• Privacy concern: to discuss case details, need consent form from journalist;
• What is said publicly can appear in court.

And supported 219 Ministerial Events:

• 39% Multicultural events;
• 32% News conferences, media availabilities, teleconferences, and roundtables;
• 18% Citizenship ceremonies;
• 11% Canada Day citizenship ceremonies.

Online and social media presence:

• 92 million web visits in 2014;
• On track for more than 130M web visits in 2015 (Third most viewed site within Government of Canada);
• 465,000 Facebook likes;
• 89,000 Twitter followers;
• 26,000 YouTube subscribers.

7. Financial Snapshot

2015-16 Department Budget (Total $1,666.9M) in millions

Grants and Contributions (in millions)

• Settlement Program: $588.6
• Canada Quebec Grant:$340.6
• Resettlement Assistance Program: $54.9
• International Organization for Migration: $1.5
• Multiculturalism Contribution Program: $4.6
• Multiculturalism Grant Program: $3.0
• Migration Policy Development: $0.3
• Total $993.5

International Experience Canada — Net Vote Revenue

Passport Revolving Fund – Planned Gross Expenditures

8. Annexes

Annex A: Immigration levels by class

An average of approximately 255,000 permanent residents per year have been admitted over the last 10 years. Levels represent a fairly stable 0.7% - 0.8% of the population each year, one of the highest such proportions in the world.

2015 Levels

In 2015, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada increased its annual immigration target range to between 265,000 and 280,000 on an extraordinary basis. This represents the most significant increase in over a decade. The levels plan represents a balance of a range of objectives and interests. The same network processes both temporary and permanent volumes of applications.

Annex B: Top Source Countries 2014

Annex C: Partners and Stakeholders

Federal Government

Primary partners:

• Canadian Border Service Agency
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development
• Employment Services Development Canada
• Immigration and Refugee Board
• Service Canada
• Public Safety Canada

Other partners:

• Health Canada
• Justice Canada
• Industry Canada
• Canadian Security Intelligence Services
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Canada Post

Provinces and Territories

Primary partners:

• Ministries involved with immigration
• Education institutions
• Vital statistics agencies
• Municipalities

Other partners:

• Regulatory bodies
• Public health authorities

International

Primary partners:

• United Nations Refugee Agency
• International Organization for Migration
• Five country partners (Canada, US, UK, New Zealand, Australia)

Other partners:

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• World Health Organization
• Regional Conference for Migration

Service Providers

Primary partners:

• Visa application centres
• Settlement service providers (<700)
• National Settlement Council
• Panel physicians

Other partners:

• Canada Bank Note Company

Clients

Primary parties:

• Visitors
• Refugees
• Sponsors
• Permanent Residents
• Canadian citizens

Other partners:

• Lawyers and consultants
• Sponsorship agreement holders

Other Interested Parties

Primary parties:

• Canadian Council for Refugees
• Education credential assessment agencies
• Language assessment bodies
• Multiculturalism stakeholders

Other partners:

• Canadian Bar Association
• Tourism sector
• Academics
• Francophone community

Annex D: In-Canada Immigration Offices

In-Canada Immigration Offices

Regional Head Offices:

• Toronto
• Montreal
• Calgary

In-Canada Offices

• Charlottetown
• Edmonton
• Etobicoke
• Fredericton
• Halifax
• Hamilton
• Kitchener
• London
• Mississauga
• Niagara
• Scarborough
• Saskatoon
• St. John’s
• Surrey
• Vancouver
• Whitehorse
• Windsor
• Winnipeg
• Yellowknife

Case Processing Centre

• Mississauga
• Ottawa
• Sydney
• Vegreville

National Call Centre

• Montreal

Operation Support Centre

• Ottawa

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Offices

Annex E: In-Canada Passport Offices

Passport application service locations

Annex F: International Network

Annex G: Application Fees

Application Fees — Travel and Labour

Annex H: The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada is an independent, arm’s length, administrative tribunal which resolves immigration and refugee cases. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada is divided into four divisions: the Immigration Division, the Immigration Appeals Division, the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeals Division.

Refugee Protection Division

1. Decides claims for refugee protection;
2. Decides applications for vacation of refugee protection;
3. Decides applications for cessation of refugee protection;
4. Decides pre-removal risk assessments.

Refugee Appeal Division

1. Decides appeals from some decisions of the Refugee Protection Division allowing or rejecting claims for refugee protection.

Immigration Division

1. Conducts admissibility hearings for foreign nationals or permanent residents who seek entry into Canada, or who are already in Canada and are alleged to be inadmissible;
2. Conducts detention reviews for foreign nationals or permanent residents who are detained for immigration reasons.

Immigration Appeal Division

1. Decides appeals of family sponsorship applications refused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada;
2. Decides appeals from certain removal orders made against permanent residents, Convention refugees and other protected persons, and holders of permanent resident visas.
3. Decides appeals by permanent residents in which a Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada officer outside Canada has decided that they have not fulfilled their residency obligation.
4. Decides appeals by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Immigration Division decisions at admissibility hearings.