Gender-based analysis plus
Section 1: Institutional GBA Plus governance and capacity
Governance
Equity, fairness, inclusion, and intersectionality remain foundational to the work of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), reflecting its global mandate and the significant impact it has on immigrantsFootnote 1, newcomers, refugees, visitors, and Canadians. As IRCC continues to integrate equity into its decision-making and operations, it remains committed to reducing bias and fostering inclusive practices in policy and program design, service delivery and people management.
With the creation of the Equity Branch, the Department has made significant shifts in governance to strengthen its approach to equity, inclusion, GBA Plus and anti-racism efforts. The Director General of the Equity Branch now serves as IRCC's GBA Plus Champion, aligning GBA Plus governance with the broader equity mandate. As the focal point for GBA Plus within IRCC, the Equity Branch leads the GBA Plus Working Group, which facilitates cross-sector collaboration and serves as a community of practice to coordinate and support departmental action on diversity, equity, and inclusion and drive intersectional analysis across all stages of policy and program life cycle.
The Equity Branch plays a central role in removing individual barriers within the workplace and addressing systemic discrimination, such as racism and discrimination, in people management, policy design, and service delivery. By fostering a rights-based approach to equity, and an organizational culture rooted in fairness, and inclusion, the branch works to promote the respect and equitable treatment of all employees and clients. Additionally, the branch will continue to support the informal resolution of conflicts in the workplace, contributing to healthier relationships and a more equitable environment.
Looking ahead to 2025–26, IRCC will continue its equity efforts by reviewing the progress made under the Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 and developing a new forward-looking Equity Strategy for 2025-2028. These efforts will reinforce IRCC's commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive workplace, while ensuring that work continues on removing bias and discrimination from its services and programs.
As part of these governance improvements, IRCC is completing a review of the departmental 2011 GBA Policy through consultations with federal organizations and IRCC stakeholders including the GBA Plus Working Group. This work is aiming to develop a new GBA Plus Policy that will clearly outline the roles and responsibilities for GBA Plus within the Department, ensuring clarity and accountability at all levels, and further embedding GBA Plus into IRCC’s decision-making and operations.
In 2024–25, IRCC appointed an Ombuds which will assist employees in navigating amongst recourse mechanisms, and provide a safe space and an independent, trusted contact for engaging on workplace problems. As part of its mandate the new Office will also provide all employees with a dedicated resource for raising concerns about equity, discrimination or any other matter of concern.
In alignment with these ongoing governance changes, IRCC is also responding to the Auditor General’s recommendations by prioritizing research into racial disparities in processing times. Insights from this research will inform policy improvements and service delivery enhancements, enabling the Department to better meet the diverse needs of its clients. Through these coordinated efforts, IRCC reaffirms its commitment to fostering an equitable, inclusive public service that effectively serves all clients, immigrants, newcomers and Canadians.
The Department’s Strategic and Horizontal Policy Branch (SHPB) serves to ensure that an evidence-based, intersectional, and systemic approach continues to be integrated at IRCC to the highest standard possible. This includes ensuring the quality of GBA Plus in key Cabinet documents like Memoranda to Cabinet, Budget Proposals, Treasury Board Submissions, and initiatives under TBS Directive on Automated Decision Making. This support is a necessary function to ensuring quality intersectional advice and support on these key documents and further includes the creation of templates, standardized tools, and methodologies to ensure consistency and increased support on GBA Plus throughout IRCC.
SHPB also collaborates with other government departments on anti-racism and equity related horizontal initiatives, including Canada’s National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security, the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, United Nations Declaration for People of African Descent, Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate. SHPB provides ongoing support and coordination for the Department’s contribution to these whole-of-government priorities.
Capacity
- Developing Equity Strategy (2025-2028): The new departmental Equity Strategy will focus on a stronger intersectional approach to discrimination, and outline priority areas and performance indicators, enabling the Department to effectively track progress and identify areas for improvement over time.
- Launching the Ombuds’ Office: As part of our ongoing commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace, we have committed to creating a confidential, independent, impartial, and informal ombud’s office to respond to employee workplace concerns, including those about racism and discrimination. In November 2024, IRCC announced the appointment of an Ombuds to lead this initiative.
Human resources (full-time equivalents) dedicated to GBA Plus
The Department plans to continue with 13 FTEs dedicated to GBA Plus. This dedicated capacity underscores IRCC’s commitment to integrating GBA Plus considerations into all aspects of its work.
Section 2: Gender and diversity impacts, by program
Core responsibility 1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers
Program name: International Students
Program goals: IRCC facilitates the entry of students who wish to study at designated Canadian educational institutions. The program integrates GBA Plus within policy development for program redesign, student temporary resident status and stakeholder engagement.
GBA Plus data collection plan: This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity. The Department collects disaggregated data on study permit holders and Post-Graduate Work Permit holders that can be broken down by gender, preferred official language, age, country of citizenship and other identity factors. This data will be used to inform the International Student Program policy throughout 2025–26, for example IRCC is currently developing an Equitable Access pilot to alleviate barriers that prospective students face in accessing the International Students Program and increase diversification of international student populations. There are no notable future data collection initiatives planned.
Program name: Temporary Workers
Program goals: Through its management of the International Mobility Program and its joint administration of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program with Employment and Social Development Canada, IRCC supports the effective and responsible entry of temporary foreign workers into the Canadian market. IRCC issues work permits and authorizations to work without a work permit, which allows foreign nationals to work in Canada.
GBA Plus data collection plan: IRCC collects information about age, gender, family and marital status, country of birth, country of residency, and official language on work permit holders which allows for monitoring and analysis of program impacts based on gender and diversity. This data helps ensure that considerations regarding impact on diverse groups is factored into a more inclusive approach to developing, delivering and evaluating programs and initiatives.
As part of the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (OWP-V), IRCC collects qualitative and quantitative data on applicants’ gender, age, country of citizenship, ability to speak in English/French, and prior and subsequent work permits in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). This information has been and will continue to be used to monitor program impacts by gender and diversity and to inform program management and policy work. Significant data analysis will continue to be conducted to better understand program barriers for clients and identify opportunities to improve the OWP-V program for clients. For example, the analysis of OWP-V applications and approvals will be used to improve aspects of the internal trauma-informed training for immigration officers who process OWP-V applications (including cultural sensitivity and language barriers for conducting applicant interviews).
IRCC collects disaggregated data on International Experience Canada participants to enable monitoring and reporting on the program’s impacts. In 2025–26, the Department will continue to review its research, metrics, and data to further expand on its reporting capabilities.
Program name: Visitors
Program goals: The Program seeks to achieve a balance between facilitating the travel of foreign nationals while maintaining the integrity of the immigration and asylum system.
GBA Plus data collection plan: In 2022, the Visitors Program announced its commitment to examine its Performance Measurement Strategy Framework from a GBA Plus and Anti-Racism perspective. The Review was completed in March 2023 and a findings summary report consolidated a number of recommendations from key internal stakeholders. In 2025–26, the implementation of these recommendations from a review on the Performance Measurement Strategy Framework is ongoing. While the program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and report program impacts by gender and diversity, conversations continue about the collection and analysis of additional disaggregated data points to support performance measurement.
Core responsibility 2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration
Program name: Asylum
Program goals: IRCC is accountable for the oversight of the in-Canada asylum system which provides protection to people in Canada who have a well-founded fear of persecution or are at risk of torture, or cruel and unusual punishment. This includes protection for refugee claimants fleeing gender-based violence and persecution based on sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion.
GBA Plus data collection plan: IRCC and its partners continue to collect, analyze, and report data that is disaggregated by gender, age, country of origin, and other key indicators for the purpose of monitoring the program impacts on gender and diversity.
Program name: Family Reunification
Program goals: IRCC facilitates the admission of a targeted number of permanent residents under the family reunification category. The Program collects disaggregated data on the gender of sponsors, co-signers, and applicants. Data is collected on the age, country of citizenship of applicants, as well as data on forced marriages.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The program collects sufficient data to enable regular GBA Plus monitoring and there are no notable future initiatives to identify. However, the Department continues to monitor results and will make adjustments as required.
IRCC continues to monitor data and deliver on the family violence measures introduced in 2019 to support foreign nationals in Canada who are in situations of family violence in finding safety. The Department has developed a training module on Gender-Based Violence to help decision-makers recognize warning signs of possible family violence and know how to proceed when abuse is disclosed or suspected.
Program name: Federal Economic Immigration
Program goals: In accordance with Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC facilitates the admission of a targeted number of permanent residents under various federal economic immigration programs. IRCC selects candidates based on eligibility criteria that consist of a combination of an applicant’s human capital, work experience, employer job offer, age, and/or other factors.
GBA Plus data collection plan: Data on permanent residents admitted under federal economic immigration programs will continue to be analyzed on a regular basis, including disaggregation by variables such as age, gender, education, official languages spoken and proficiency, country of citizenship, country of birth, country of residency, intended occupation, destination in Canada, family status (i.e., principal applicant, spouse, or dependent), and marital status (i.e., married/common-law union, single/separated/widowed, or unspecified). These variables are sufficient to allow for the Department to monitor the differential outcomes of various populations, including any potential gendered and intersectional impacts. In addition, economic outcomes (e.g., wages, industry sector of employment) of federal economic immigrants may be analyzed by individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education, official language) for specific program evaluation or review purposes.
In addition, the Department regularly publishes a report that provides an overview of Express Entry, with data from across all stages of the Express Entry continuum, including profile submissions, invitations to apply, applications, processing times, and admissions. Historical and gender-disaggregated data is presented alongside the reporting year figures to provide additional context. The Department will continue to make this information available publicly, so that individuals and stakeholders can continue to use it to inform independent research and analysis.
Program name: Humanitarian/Compassionate and Discretionary Immigration
Program goals: The Program facilitates the admission of a select number of permanent residents based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or public policy considerations, responding to situations for which gender and diversity considerations may be a factor.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The Department collects sufficient data to monitor and report on program impacts by gender and diversity. The permanent resident applications made under humanitarian and compassionate considerations and discretionary public policies collect age, gender, education, official languages spoken and proficiency, country of citizenship, country of birth, country of residency, destination in Canada, family status (i.e., principal applicant, spouse, or dependent), and marital status (i.e., married/common-law union, single/separated/widowed, or unspecified).
Program name: Refugee Resettlement
Program goals: IRCC facilitates the admission of a targeted number of permanent residents under the refugee resettlement category and ensures they have the support they need on arrival, through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) and/or private sponsors. GBA Plus-relevant factors are considered in the selection of referral partners and in the provision of appropriate services.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The Department collects sufficient data to monitor and report program impacts by gender and diversity. The permanent resident applications for resettled refugees collect information on age, gender, education, official languages spoken and proficiency, country of citizenship, country of birth, country of residency, destination in Canada, family status (i.e., principal applicant, spouse, or dependent), and marital status (i.e., married/common-law union, single/separated/widowed, or unspecified). With respect to accessing services provided through the RAP, IRCC’s Immigration Contribution Agreement Reporting Environment (iCARE) captures information on all resettled refugees receiving services through the RAP, and is linked with IRCC’s GCMS, allowing for data analysis on gender, diversity, and inclusion factors.
IRCC is in the data collection and analysis phase of a GBA Plus of the pre-arrival processing stages and admission of resettled refugees, which will be focused on better understanding possible biases, and differential impacts or outcomes. The review will be completed by the end of 2025.
Program name: Regional Economic Immigration
Program goals: As part of the program, delivery partners select immigrants to fill labour needs in local and regional labour markets.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The program currently collects sufficient disaggregated data such as gender, age, and education of applicants under the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). The program is administered by provinces and territories (PTs), foreign nationals are identified, selected and nominated by PTs based on their labour market needs. For employer-driven programs like the AIP, applicants are identified by the employer. Under these programs, designated employers are required to take intercultural competency training as part of their commitment, which includes training on how to overcome implicit bias in hiring and managing employees.
IRCC is currently developing a holistic methodology to report on all regional economic programs, which will allow the Department to better understand the outcomes of these programs by gender, enhance its reporting on GBA Plus results, and ensure that future policy development is inclusive and intersectional.
Program name: Settlement
Program goals: Settlement and integration is essential to Canada’s immigration continuum. By investing in and facilitating the settlement and integration of newcomers, the objective is to help maximize their social and economic contribution to Canada. The program benefits from data collected on all newcomers during their immigration process.
GBA Plus data collection plan: Outcome data has been collected through the annual Newcomer Outcomes Survey (NOS) since 2018. The NOS collects settlement outcomes information from both clients and non-clients of IRCC’s Settlement Program, and also collects additional demographic information not available through immigration application data. This includes data elements such as race and ethnic identity, gender, 2SLGBTQI+ status, disability, family status, household income, experiences of discrimination while receiving settlement services, barriers to accessing services, and sense of belonging. GBA Plus findings are embedded within the research and data products that IRCC produces. These products are shared with Service Provider Organizations via the Settlement and resettlement data, research and reports. Findings are also presented annually at conferences and events which are attended by SPOs.
The data from the NOS is linked with immigration application data from GCMS as well as service information on iCARE which allows for in-depth analysis of intersectional outcomes and barriers to settlement. As the only source through which the Department collects outcomes data on all newcomers, the NOS is a vital tool to the understanding of the overall integration outcomes of newcomers to Canada.
iCARE, which captures information on settlement program clients and services, is linked with immigration application data in GCMS, enabling disaggregation by these characteristics for all settlement clients. Furthermore, iCARE captures information on activities that targeting the needs of specific populations with intersecting characteristics, such as racialized newcomers, women, seniors, youth, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
To deepen our understanding of the differences in settlement outcomes among newcomers, in 2025–26 IRCC will continue to collect data through the aforementioned data sources. Adjustments have and continue to be made to these tools to improve GBA Plus where possible. The 2024 wave of the NOS will be updated to collect additional information about whether newcomer employment is commensurate to education or experience. The survey will also capture information about food security and challenges to settlement (including whether racism and/or discrimination played a role in the challenges they experienced). Effective 2025–26, iCARE will be updated to reflect changes made to the Settlement Program through the 2024 Call for Proposals (CFP). This includes new data capture on Case Management services provided to the most vulnerable, as well as data collection for Settlement Workers in Schools, which targets newcomers and their families in elementary and secondary school. The 2025–26 year-end reports will also be updated to capture necessary information related to new Equity initiatives introduced through the 2024 CFP.
IRCC also collects information from funded Service Provider Organizations and Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) through annual year-end reports. This information allows IRCC to identify challenges and successes affecting diverse client groups, as well as track equity, diversity, and inclusion practices that are in place. Furthermore, LIPs establish working groups or sector tables to focus on addressing inequities as well as assets, gaps, and resources that have been put in place to address the needs of diverse populations.
In 2025–26, IRCC will continue disaggregation of data by age at the service level. However, examination of outcomes is limited to those who were age 18 and over when they responded to the survey. This may prevent in-depth analysis of outcomes of services provided to younger populations.
Core Responsibility 3: Citizenship and Passports
Program Name: Citizenship
Program goals: The Citizenship Program aims to provide equitable access in the delivery of citizenship services.
GBA Plus data collection plan: Cultural considerations are evaluated through the monitoring of citizenship outcomes based on analysis on country of birth and other socio-economic measures using internal applications data and supported by Census data. The Program also collects gender, age, and language data through IRCC’s annual Client Experience Survey. Future initiatives will continue to utilize the program’s capacity to report on impacts by gender and diversity, and where possible, collect further data on accessibility/disability and ethnicity.
Program Name: Passport
Program goals: The Passport Program aims to provide equitable access in the delivery of passport services.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The program collects several key data elements such as sex, date of birth, and place of birth. Additional client demographics such as age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and language are collected through the annual client experience survey. This enables collection of sufficient GBA Plus data through various stages of client interactions with the Program.
In tandem to this work, the Passport Program is also implementing new policies to reduce barriers faced by clients with disabilities. These policies formalize an interim measure that allows Government of Canada employees to provide assistance to applicants who are unable to fill out travel document forms independently due to a disability. Additionally, the Program has updated and clarified procedures for applicants applying on behalf of a family member who is unable to apply themselves due to accessibility needs. Furthermore, the Passport Program intends to bring forward amendments to the Canadian Passport Order to reflect these changes. Such amendments would clarify the legal framework surrounding child passport issuance, allowing for clearer guidance for passport officers as they triage cases involving divorce and separation.
As the Program turns its attention to a fulsome review of its listed fees, ensuring fees are aligned with the Digital Future of the Program, the application of GBA Plus will be critical in ensuring recommendations are mindful of considerations brought forward.
This work continues into 2025–26 as the Program updates operational policies to enhance equity in its policies and procedures for all Canadians.
Internal Services
Program Name: Communications
Program goals: The Communications Sector is largely focused on how it can look to continually improve its data collection plan to support GBA Plus. This includes data collection under both the Public Opinion Research and consultation/engagement functions.
GBA Plus data collection plan: IRCC’s public opinion research (POR) activities follow the rules for managing and coordinating public opinion research, included in the Directive on the Management of Communications Appendix C: Mandatory Procedures for Public Opinion Research. In 2025–26, IRCC will continue to apply the most recent Standards for conducting public opinion research, by using standard demographic questions in our qualitative research, and online and telephone surveys. In accordance with IRCC’s Disaggregated Data and Analytics Directive, IRCC’s POR surveys and focus groups, including, but not limited to, the Annual Tracking study, will again include demographic questions asking participants to share their gender (woman, man, another gender, don’t know/refused), age, disability (certain projects), education, ethnicity, economic status, citizenship status, geography (including rurality), language, race, and sexual orientation (certain projects).
To reduce barriers and improve accessibility, IRCC includes diverse perspectives at all project stages (project design, research instruments design, analysis, and reporting) and collect data using multiple formats that respect plain language requirements (landline telephone and cell phone surveys, online surveys, and virtual discussion groups).
In 2025–26 and beyond, we will continue to provide an opportunity for our stakeholders and partners to share equity considerations as part of major consultations and engagement initiatives, as has been done in recent years. In order to continuously improve our services with respect to our consultation and engagement activities, IRCC will maintain a series of questions at the end of our consultations and engagement surveys where stakeholders and partners are asked to provide feedback on the engagement process itself, and/or share recommendations for future consultation or engagement initiatives.
Work to diversify and broaden the scope of stakeholders invited to attend or participate in the Department’s consultation and engagement activities is ongoing and expected to continue in 2025–26. Since committing to this work in 2022–23, the Department has significantly increased the number of 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous, and faith-based organizations we have engaged in our outreach efforts. In this time, we have also tailored our outreach efforts for our Indigenous partners in particular, with specific messaging and dedicated approaches to engagement.
The Department is actively working on identifying, removing and preventing barriers in our communications activities, in support of the Accessible Canada Act, and its purpose of making Canada barrier-free by January 1, 2040. IRCC proactively asks participants to identify any needs for accommodation when engaging with external stakeholders and partners, whether as part of virtual, hybrid, or in-person activities. We will continue offering simultaneous interpretation in French and English as part of our engagement efforts, and offering American Sign Language and Quebec Sign Language (Langue des signes québécoise) on request.
Program Name: Management and Oversight Services – Internal Audit
Program goals: Audits help to provide assurance, inform decision-making, and support accountability. Within IRCC, internal audit continues to explore opportunities to support the Department’s work towards enhanced leadership, capacity, training and a robust challenge function with regards to Anti-racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (AREDI) and GBA Plus.
GBA Plus data collection plan: The Internal Audit function plans to apply AREDI and GBA Plus lenses in ongoing and upcoming major initiatives, organizational processes and decision making in the branch’s work. Opportunities for their application have been identified, for instance, with regards to the audit function, a line of enquiry dedicated to the assessment of AREDI and GBA Plus has been developed and implemented as part of all internal audit assurance projects planned for 2024–25 and beyond.
The focus and anticipated outcome is a more robust assessment of the application of AREDI and GBA Plus across the Department, in support of further awareness, better integration of AREDI and GBA Plus in the design of programs and policies, and a rigorous, systematic challenge function.
Once a full year of data will have been collected, results will be compiled and analysed to determine whether sufficient data will have been obtained to enable adequate and relevant observations with regards to the application of AREDI and GBA Plus across the Department and subsequent recommendations to address identified gaps and opportunities.