Details on Transfer Payment Programs

Details on Transfer Payment Programs of $5 Million or More

3-year plan for Canada-Quebec Accord Grant/Subvention versée en vertu de l’Accord Canada-Québec

General information

Name of program:

Canada-Quebec Accord Grant/Subvention versée en vertu de l’Accord Canada-Québec: Voted

Start date:

Financial compensation to Quebec is based on the Canada-Québec Accord relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens, which came into force on April 1, 1991.

End date:

Ongoing

Type of transfer payment:

Grant

Type of appropriation:

The program is appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

Ongoing

Link to departmental result:

Permanent residents are welcomed and benefit from settlement supports.

Link to department’s program inventory:

Settlement

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment programs:

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, signed in 1991, Canada has devolved settlement and resettlement responsibility to Quebec, with a grant that includes reasonable compensation for costs. The grant to Quebec covers reception services and linguistic, cultural and economic integration services, provided that they are comparable to federally funded services in other parts of the country. One objective of the Accord is the preservation of Quebec’s demographic importance within Canada and the integration of immigrants into that province in a manner that respects the distinct identity of Quebec. The Accord provides Quebec with exclusive responsibility for the selection of immigrants destined to the province (except for family reunification and protected persons in Canada), as well as the reception and linguistic and cultural integration of these immigrants (including resettlement of refugees).

Under the Accord, Canada is responsible for defining overall immigration objectives, setting national levels, determining admissibility, selecting family category and protected persons in Canada, and granting citizenship. This program uses transfer payment funding from the grant for the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration.

Quebec has responsibility for selecting immigrants and their reception and integration into the province. In accordance with section 26 and Annex B of the Canada-Quebec Accord, Canada is required to pay compensation to Quebec for reception and integration services, where it is established that:

• the reception and integration services (referred to in sections 24 and 25 of the Accord) offered by Quebec correspond, when considered in their entirety, to those offered by Canada in the rest of the country; and
• those services are offered without discrimination to any permanent resident in the province, whether or not that permanent resident has been selected by Quebec.

Expected results

The Government of Quebec is responsible for developing and publishing its own immigration legislation and policies. It reports to the provincial National Assembly on its own expected results related to immigration.

While Quebec has jurisdiction over reception and integration of immigrants destined to the province, the Accord specifies that the services covered by the grant must correspond to services offered by Canada in the rest of the country. To that end, the Joint Committee (Comité mixte) has the mandate to “study, at least once a year, reception and integration services provided by Canada and Quebec” (see Annex A, sec. 3g and 23(b)) and to ensure that comparable services continue to be offered to newcomers across the country. Since 2014, the Joint Committee has tabled four comparative studies that show reception and integration services for newcomers to be generally comparable in both jurisdictions, therefore meeting the requirements of the Accord. The last comparative study covered the period 2018–19 and was tabled at the Joint Committee meeting on February 10, 2020. The next study is scheduled for fall 2021.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation

The most recent evaluation was completed in 2019–20.

Decision following the results of last evaluation

Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation

The next evaluation is planned for 2024–25. Timing of the next evaluation is subject to change and is assessed as part of the annual departmental evaluation planning process.

General targeted recipient groups

The Government of Quebec is the only recipient of the grant.

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients

To fulfill the obligations under the Accord, the Joint Committee (Comité mixte), co-chaired by assistant deputy ministers of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Quebec’s Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI), convenes an annual face-to-face meeting. The Joint Committee has an overall mandate to promote harmonization of immigration and integration objectives and coordinate policies between the two levels of government. More specifically, in the area of integration services, the Joint Committee ensures that reception and integration services offered by Canada and Quebec are comparable. The assistant deputy ministers approve the scope, key areas of examination and schedule for the comparison and the Comité mixte delegates the development of the comparison to the director-level joint working group. The IRCC-MIFI Working Group under the Joint Committee (Comité mixte) will engage early in 2021 to begin collecting information in order to present the next comparative study of settlement and integration services in the fall 2021.

3-year plan for Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)

General information

Name of transfer payment program:

Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP): Voted

Start date:

1951 (as the Adjustment Assistance Program; RAP in its current form implemented in 1998)

End date:

Ongoing

Type of transfer payment:

Grants and Contributions

Type of appropriation:

The program is appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

2018–19

Link to departmental result:

Permanent residents are welcomed and benefit from settlement supports.

Link to department’s program inventory:

Refugee Resettlement Program

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment programs:

RAP’s primary objective is to meet the resettlement needs of clients following their arrival in Canada by providing direct financial support and funding the delivery of immediate and essential services. Eligible clients include government-assisted refugees and certain persons in refugee-like situations admitted to Canada under a public policy consideration. The province of Quebec receives a separate funding allocation as part of the Canada-Quebec Accord to provide similar services to eligible refugees destined to that province.

Income support is administered directly by IRCC and can be provided for up to 12 months if the RAP client’s income is insufficient to meet their own needs and the needs of any accompanying dependants. In most cases, RAP clients also receive start-up allowances for expenses related to furniture and other household supplies.

Immediate and essential services are delivered through contribution agreements with Service Provider Organizations (SPOs). RAP services include, but are not limited to: port of entry services; temporary accommodation and assistance in securing permanent accommodation; assistance opening a bank account; life skills training; orientation sessions; and links to settlement programming and mandatory federal and provincial programs.

Limited services (port of entry services) are provided under RAP to all resettled refugees. Refugees resettled under the Blended Visa Office-Referred Program may receive up to six months of RAP income support.

RAP also funds certain in-Canada activities to support the private sponsorship of refugees (such as the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program), as well as activities overseas such as the International Organization for Migration to support resettlement and RAP objectives.

Expected results:

RAP is an element of the overarching Refugee Resettlement Program. The immediate outcomes for the broader Refugee Resettlement Program are that resettled refugees receive timely protection and their immediate and essential needs are met. The intermediate outcome is resettled refugees have the tools to live independently in Canadian society. The ultimate outcome is resettled refugees live independently in Canadian society.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation:

An evaluation of the RAP, as part of the Resettlement Programs evaluation, was completed in June 2016.

Decision following the results of last evaluation:

Not applicable

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:

The next evaluation of the Resettlement Program will include the Resettlement Assistance Program and is planned for completion in 2022–23.

General targeted recipient groups:

RAP targets three types of recipients: (1) refugee clients, (2) service providers that provide immediate and essential services to eligible clients, and (3) service providers engaged in activities that support the Refugee Resettlement Program more broadly (for instance, funding to international organizations to facilitate the overseas processing of refugees and to the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program to support private sponsors in Canada).

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

IRCC proceeds through a call for proposals to award contribution agreements to RAP SPOs to deliver immediate and essential services to refugees and other clients. A national call for proposals was launched in early 2019 and resulted in five-year contribution agreements with 32 RAP SPOs in 34 communities across Canada (outside of Quebec), which started in April 2020. Refugees receiving RAP services are engaged throughout their settlement journey, starting with overseas processing of refugees by international organizations and intake assessment upon arrival in Canada to determine the level of support needed and the types of services required. The Department works closely with international organizations to plan annual targets, as well as the timing of services to assist refugees during the application process and pre-departure. The Department maintains close collaboration and regular communication with international organizations throughout the year.

3-year plan for Settlement Program

General information

Name of transfer payment program:

Settlement Program: Voted

Start date:

May 15, 2008

End date:

Ongoing

Type of transfer payment:

Grants and Contributions

Type of appropriation:

The program is appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

2019–20

Link to departmental result:

Permanent residents are welcomed and benefit from settlement supports.

Link to department’s program inventory:

Settlement

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment programs:

For Canada to realize the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration, newcomers must integrate successfully into Canadian society. Integration is a two-way process that involves commitment on the part of immigrants to adapt to life in Canada, and on the part of Canada to welcome and adapt to new peoples and cultures. Settlement refers to a short period of mutual adaptation between the newcomers and the host society, during which the government provides support and services to newcomers.

The IRCC Settlement Program plays a major role in the integration of newcomers by assisting immigrants and refugees to overcome barriers specific to them so that they can participate in social, cultural, civic and economic life in Canada. The program aims to provide newcomers with support prior to their arrival in Canada. Once in Canada, the program provides needs and assets assessments and information required to make informed decisions, develop skills to find employment and language skills adequate to their settlement and integration goals, and support to build networks within their new communities. The program also supports the integration of French-speaking newcomers into Francophone minority communities. IRCC funds the delivery of settlement programming across the country and outside Canada, and contributes to the capacity enhancement of recipient organizations.

Expected results:

The Settlement Program’s ultimate outcome is: Successfully integrated and settled clients benefit Canada.

The medium-term results of the Settlement Program include:

• Clients access services that meet their needs;
• Clients make informed decisions about life in Canada;
• Clients use official languages to function in Canadian society;
• Clients participate in the Canadian labour market;
• Clients are connected to broader communities and institutions; and
• Communities foster a welcoming environment for immigrants.

Immediate results of the Settlement Program include:

• Settlement program delivery is consistent and responsive;
• Access to IRCC-funded services is facilitated;
• Understanding of client settlement needs and appropriate linkages to other services is increased;
• Clients increase knowledge of life in Canada;
• Clients improve official language skills;
• Clients acquire knowledge, skills and connections to prepare for the Canadian labour market;
• Clients increase participation in communities and social networks; and
• Partners deliver responsive and coordinated settlement and community services.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation:

The most recent evaluation of the Settlement Program was completed in 2017–18.

Decision following the results of last evaluation:

Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:

Due to the size and reach of the Settlement Program, a variety of evaluations are planned to review the Settlement portfolio. Timing of the next evaluations is subject to change and is assessed as part of the annual departmental evaluation planning process:

• 2020–21 for the Evaluation of Language Training Services
• 2021–22 for the Evaluation of Settlement Workers in Schools
• 2023–24 for the Evaluation of Pre-Arrival Settlement Services
• 2025–26 for the Evaluation of Settlement Program

General targeted recipient groups:

To fulfill IRCC’s objective of promoting the successful integration of permanent residents into Canada, grant and contribution agreements may be signed with the following eligible recipients for settlement services:

• provincial, territorial or municipal governments;
• international organizations;
• not-for-profit organizations including non-governmental organizations, non-profit corporations, community groups, umbrella organizations, regulatory bodies and apprenticeship authorities;
• businesses, including those that provide indirect services (such as employers hiring newcomers, private language schools, conference organizers, Web or production firms for tool development);
• educational institutions (including school boards, districts and divisions); and
• individuals.

Restrictions:

• Unless specifically allowed in the grant and contribution agreement, no user fees can be charged to clients for services funded by IRCC.
• For-profit organizations may be eligible for funding provided that the nature and the intent of the activity is non-commercial, not intended to generate profit and that it supports program priorities and objectives.

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

An open and fair call for proposals process is the principal approach the Department uses to engage applicants and establish grant and contribution agreements with service providers to deliver on IRCC programming priorities.

In November 2018, proposals were solicited for language training services in support of the Francophone Integration Pathway to last until 2023 through the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages — 2018–23: Investing in Our Future. A national call for proposals for the Settlement Program was launched in February 2019 for five-year agreements that began on April 1, 2020. For the first time, the Department experimented with a community-based funding model through the Francophone Welcoming Community Initiative, where community plans are funded over a three-year period starting April 2020. In 2019–20, the Department solicited proposals for activities under the Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot that took effect in 2020–21 for a duration of three years. In fall 2020, IRCC solicited proposals for activities for three-year agreements to begin in fall 2021 under the Service Delivery Improvement Initiative.

The National Settlement and Integration Council (NSIC) is a pan-Canadian mechanism for ongoing national dialogue, collaboration, consultation, planning, and information exchange. It is also a mechanism for sharing innovative practices among federal, provincial and territorial governments and key settlement, resettlement and integration stakeholders including settlement service provider organizations (SPOs); umbrella organizations that represent SPO interests; Francophone Minority Communities; non-government organizations; institutions and other partners. The NSIC’s 2020–21 and 2021–22 forward agenda is under development and will include a continued examination of COVID-19 impacts on program delivery. Prior to the end of fiscal 2020–21, the NSIC will also discuss collaborative efforts to address racism, annual targeted number of permanent resident admissions to Canada, service provider capacity, the settlement outcomes highlights report, and employment services for newcomers. An NSIC Technology Working Group has been struck to examine and make recommendations regarding the use of technological innovation in program delivery.

Details on Transfer Payment Programs under $5 Million

3-year plan for the Annual Assessed Contribution to the International Organization for Migration

General information

Name of transfer payment program:

Annual Assessed Contribution to the International Organization for Migration (IOM): Voted

Start date:

The IOM is the leading United Nations agency in the field of migration, having joined the UN system as a related organization in 2016. Canada was a founding member of the IOM in 1951, but withdrew membership in 1962 as it felt that IOM’s main purpose—addressing the issue of refugees in the aftermath of World War II—had been achieved. Canada subsequently became an observer in 1972 and a member in 1991.

End date:

Ongoing

Type of transfer payment:

Contribution^{Footnote 1}

Type of appropriation:

Funds are appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

2010–11

Link to departmental result:

Potential permanent residents are selected for immigration to Canada

Link to department’s program inventory:

Asylum

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment programs:

Contributions to the IOM allow Canada to:

• Participate in the organization’s governance and decision-making mechanisms, including evaluation and audit, and budget setting practices.
• Enhance its knowledge on global trends and approaches to managed migration.
• Advance its international priorities on migration, which include: helping to ensure the orderly and humane management of migration; promoting international cooperation on migration issues; and assisting in the search for practical solutions to migration problems.
• Provide humanitarian assistance for migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons.
• Deliver IRCC programs in the areas of resettlement, migration health and capacity building.

As an IOM member, the Department has an increased capacity to meet its objectives related to:

• Managed migration that promotes Canadian interests and protects the health, safety and security of Canadians.
• International recognition and acceptance of the principles of managed migration consistent with Canada’s broader foreign policy agenda.

Expected results:

The expected results are to:

• Allow IRCC to influence IOM programs and policies in order to ensure Canada’s own objectives, values and interests are reflected in the IOM's approach to global migration.
• Gain knowledge and understanding of global migration and insights on the migration policies, activities and priorities of other countries, in order to inform IRCC policies and programs.
• Advance Canada’s position on managed migration and international protection in multilateral fora.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation:

2014–15

Decision following the results of last evaluation:

Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:

Currently under evaluation in 2020–21

Approvals scheduled for 2021–22

General targeted recipient groups:

International organizations

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

IRCC officials actively monitor, engage and consult with the IOM through institutional and ad hoc meetings.

As a state-led organization, Canada wants to ensure due diligence with respect to how the organization governs itself, appropriates and uses its resources, and makes decisions.

IRCC’s ongoing participation in the two IOM governing bodies: (1) the Council and the Standing Committee on Programmes and Finance, and (2) the organization’s formal working groups on UN Relations and Budget Reform allows Canada to play a role in the organization’s governance and decision-making, including on budget issues. Moreover, IRCC is present at all informal consultations organized by the IOM.

Every two years, Government of Canada senior officials meet with the IOM senior management to discuss shared priorities and ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Canada and the IOM. Continuous and ongoing open communication between IRCC and IOM takes place at the working level on a regular basis.

While IRCC is the lead in the overall Government of Canada–IOM relationship, Global Affairs Canada also maintains a strong relationship with the IOM as they partner in the delivery of development and humanitarian assistance.

The evaluation of the IOM Assessed Contribution in 2020–21 presents an opportunity to review program effectiveness in meeting IRCC and whole-of-government objectives.

3-year plan for Global Assistance for Irregular Migrants

General information

Name of transfer payment program:

Global Assistance for Irregular Migrants (GAIM): Voted

Start date:

April 2013

End date:

March 31, 2023

Type of transfer payment:

Contribution

Type of appropriation:

The program is appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

2018–19

Link to departmental result:

Potential permanent residents are selected for immigration to Canada.

Link to department’s program inventory:

Asylum

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:

The purpose of the program is to respond to international crises quickly and effectively related to irregular migration in an effort to ensure managed migration that promotes Canadian interests and protects the health, safety and security of Canadians.

Expected results:

The GAIM program contributes to the overall discouragement of human smuggling and illegal migration while ensuring that intercepted migrants have basic needs met, including shelter, water, food, and emergency medical care; are treated in accordance with international principles of protection, including protection against refoulement; and are returned to their countries of origin if it is determined they are not to be in need of protection as per international principles of protection.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation:

2015–16

Decision following the results of the last evaluation:

Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:

This is a Grants and Contributions program with total annual spending under $5 million. As per the Policy on Results, IRCC will consider it as part of the annual departmental evaluation planning exercise by assessing Government of Canada and departmental priorities, risks and needs.

The next evaluation of GAIM is planned for 2020–21.

General targeted recipient groups:

International Organization for Migration

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients

The Department will conduct regular reviews of activity and statistical reports on the implementation of the program. The Department may also review and utilize information available from other governments or federal government departments as appropriate in assessing the activities, applications or recipients.

3-year plan for International Migration Capacity Building Program

General information

Name of transfer payment program:

International Migration Capacity Building Program (IMCBP): Voted

(Known prior to April 2019 as the “Migration Policy Development Program.”)

Start date:

In February 2003, the terms and conditions for the Migration Policy Development Program (MPDP) were approved. The program was classified as a Grants program in 2009. In 2017–18, there was a one-time transfer of $1 million to the MPDP and the program envelope was permanently increased to $1 million in 2018–19.

In 2019, the authority approved the revised terms and conditions and the program was renamed the International Migration Capacity Building Program (IMCBP). The IMCBP provides funding for Canada’s membership in several international migration-related fora and for capacity building projects in this regard (including, but are not limited to, policy development, research, and technical assistance).

As of 2019–20 the IMCBP includes a $21 million / six-year pilot grant stream, known as the “Migration Cooperation and Engagement Envelope” (MCEE), which provides funding to deliver capacity building assistance focused on improving migration cooperation and engagement with targeted countries.

End date:

Ongoing

Type of transfer payment:

Grant

Type of appropriation:

Funds are appropriated annually through Government of Canada Estimates.

Fiscal year for terms and conditions:

2019–20

Link to departmental result:

Potential permanent residents are selected for immigration to Canada.

Link to department’s program inventory:

Asylum

Purpose and objectives of transfer payment program:

The purpose of the IMCBP is to provide funding for initiatives that advance global migration policies and programs, in support of Canada’s migration and humanitarian objectives.

The main objective of the IMCBP is to support the development of well-managed migration systems that facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration through:

1. membership in international organizations related to migration;
2. the advancement of capacity building efforts; and
3. an increase in the development and exchange of migration-related information and expertise.

Expected results:

Expected results for the IMCBP are:

• strengthening migration and refugee protection systems in sending, transit and receiving countries;
• facilitating safe, orderly and regular migration, while deterring irregular migration; and
• promoting open, evidence-based discourse on migration and refugee issues.

Fiscal year of last completed evaluation:

Under evaluation in 2020–21

Last evaluated 2012–13

Decision following the results of last evaluation:

Continuation

Fiscal year of next planned evaluation:

Currently under evaluation in 2020–21 (excludes the MCEE)

Approvals scheduled for 2020–21 / 2021–22

Evaluation of the MCEE is planned for 2023–24

General targeted recipient groups:

• International organizations and other foreign grant beneficiaries;
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), institutions, organizations, and agencies that are not for profit, operating at the international level from within or outside Canada; and
• Individuals and private sector organizations operating at the international level from within or outside Canada.

Initiatives to engage applicants and recipients:

IMCBP funding is used for funding:

• memberships in international multilateral organizations; and
• migration capacity building.

Ongoing communications occur on a regular basis with project sponsors (internal to IRCC) and with recipient organizations (trusted partner organizations, including the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).

For memberships in international multilateral organizations, such as the Regional Conference on Migration, the Global Forum for Migration and Development, and the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees, IRCC participants regularly attend various governance meetings, exchange information on best practices, advance Canadian migration priorities, and develop bilateral partnerships with other countries.

For the migration capacity building projects, the Department uses an internal call for proposals as one approach for engaging with sponsors and recipients. The last call for proposals was conducted in the summer of 2020. There is regular contact between IRCC project sponsors and recipient organizations that occurs throughout each project’s implementation to ensure advancement and compliance. For the general capacity building envelope, which deals with smaller amounts than the MCEE, monitoring is performed through mid-year reporting and end of project reports, as pursuant to the grant arrangement.

The current evaluation of the IMCBP, which excludes the MCEE, allows for interviews with sponsors and recipients. It is providing them with an opportunity to give feedback on the program. It also allows for a review of whether the program is effective in meeting IRCC and whole-of-government objectives.

Normally, those leading the MCEE will first engage targeted countries through country visits to ascertain their needs and priorities. Proposals will be received, and organizations will be requested to submit outlines of the goals, objectives and scope of the proposed initiative prior to requesting full proposals. All proposals are consistently assessed, including against country needs and priorities.

Approved proposals are regularly monitored throughout the project life cycle. Monitoring is done through direct contact with applicant (teleconferences, email, phone, etc); Mission, International Network/Migration Program Manager, CBSA-Liaison Officers; in-country monitoring Mission; or any other means at the MCEE’s disposal.

The focus on monitoring and evaluation is to maintain open communication with applicants. This ensures that regular updates can be received on project execution, including implementation delays, significant adjustments in activities, challenges, risks and expenditure of funds, and overall elements that may impact project implementation. The MCEE uses this information to regularly monitor its results framework, indicators and outcomes, including required adjustments, as needed.