2017 Consultations on Immigration Levels, Settlement and Integration – Final Report

Table of Contents

• Overview and Context
• Consultation Methods
• 1. Round-table sessions with the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary
  • 1.1. Roundtables – Key findings on Immigration
  • 1.2. Roundtables – Key findings on Settlement and Integration
• 2. Online stakeholder survey
  • 2.1. Key findings
• 3. Public opinion research
  • 3.1. Methodology (July 31 – August 30, 2017)
  • 3.2. Key Findings
• Annex A - Roundtable Schedule and Participating Organizations
• Annex B - Discussion guide for immigration levels, settlement and integration roundtables
• Annex C - Online Stakeholder Survey
• Annex D - Annual Tracking Survey Topline Summary Tables

Overview and Context

Every fall, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tables in Parliament the Annual Report on Immigration, which includes an immigration levels plan for the following year. The immigration levels plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a multifaceted outreach and consultation initiative during the summer and early fall of 2017, in part to inform the immigration levels plan for 2018. While IRCC conducts an engagement and consultation exercise annually for the development of the immigration levels plan, this year’s initiative equally included a discussion on the issues of settlement and integration of newcomers.

The initiative included cross-Canada roundtable discussions hosted by the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, an online stakeholder survey and public opinion research (a telephone survey).

The objectives of these consultations were to

• Obtain insights from the public and stakeholders on immigration levels to inform the levels planning process; and,
• Hear from settlement and integration experts, newcomers and other stakeholders on what is needed from the government to support the successful integration of all newcomers to Canada.

In addition to this public consultation, IRCC has extensive and ongoing engagement with provinces and territories about immigration levels planning, which is required by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and guided by a jointly developed consultation framework^{Footnote 1}.

Consultation Methods

1. Round-table sessions with the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary

From April 24 to September 29, 2017, the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary hosted a total of 23 roundtable sessions with stakeholders across Canada. In-person roundtable sessions were held in every province, except Quebec where the Quebec government is responsible for immigration and settlement, in a total of 16 cities. Departmental officials moderated all sessions.

Participants included 306 representatives of stakeholder groups, including settlement and refugee resettlement organizations, employers, labour organizations, multicultural and ethno-cultural associations, municipalities, academics, educational institutions and other key partners. Approximately 178 observers, including departmental officials, ministerial staff, provincial and territorial partners and members of Parliament, also attended.

Consult Annex A for a complete list of dates, locations and participating organizations.

To help guide the roundtable sessions, participants received copies of a discussion document that included specific questions grouped into two themes: 1) immigration levels and 2) settlement and integration.

The full discussion document appears as Annex B.

Following each roundtable session, participating stakeholders were invited to provide written feedback on the discussion questions by email. IRCC received a total of 17 follow-up submissions.

1.1. Roundtables – Key findings on Immigration

Stakeholders from across the country were asked two key questions regarding immigration levels:

1. How many newcomers should Canada welcome?
2. Is the current balance right among the immigration classes, programs or streams? If not, what priorities should form the foundation of Canada’s immigration planning?

Widespread support for higher immigration levels

Overall, stakeholders across Canada supported the current level of 300,000 permanent residents per year at minimum, while many supported higher levels, including those equal to 1% of the population (i.e. approximately 360,000 per year) to beyond 450,000. Stakeholders favouring growth noted that any increase in immigration levels would need to be supported by cohesive planning among all orders of government and appropriate funding for service providers to support the successful settlement and integration of additional newcomers.

Higher levels were viewed necessary by some stakeholders to combat demographic challenges linked to Canada’s aging population and low birth rates. Specifically, growing immigration was put forward as a means of ensuring long-term population and economic growth. Immigration was also noted as a component in addressing specific labour market needs both nationally and regionally. These stakeholders emphasized that Canada benefits from economic immigration, as highly skilled workers bring their different approaches, knowledge and perspectives to the industry when they come to Canada. Stakeholders also identified shortages of workers across all skill levels as a significant barrier to growth in their industries. However, some stakeholders suggested the need for enhanced labour market information systems at the regional and local levels in order to effectively and efficiently match the skills of immigrants to labour market need. Similarly, organizations that support immigrants after their arrival and community organizations showed interest in having access to more labour market data to better understand where the market is moving in order to adjust their programming accordingly. 

Several participants argued that more should be done to encourage the settlement of immigrants outside of the traditional major centres, i.e. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Rural communities were mentioned by some stakeholders as having particular barriers to the success of immigrants due to the lack of community infrastructure, such as settlement services and transportation, to draw them to smaller municipalities. The Provincial Nominee Program was seen by stakeholders to be particularly effective at distributing immigrants throughout Canada, and several stakeholders noted the effectiveness of this Program in assisting employers in meeting labour market shortages.  Several stakeholders noted that wait times in this Program were of concern. 

Support for multi-year levels planning

In addition to support for higher overall levels, there was broad consensus among stakeholders that adopting a multi-year levels planning approach (compared to the current single-year model) would be beneficial. In particular, many settlement organizations indicated that they would be able to better plan and therefore better deliver services if immigration levels were planned for 3 to 5 years in advance. Multi-year levels planning was viewed as particularly helpful for smaller municipalities.

An immigration levels plan that meets multiple objectives

Canada’s levels plan allocates “levels space” to economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs. In response to the question of whether Canada has the right balance among immigration classes, programs or streams, there were a wide range of responses from stakeholders at the roundtables and through written submissions. In many cases, stakeholders voiced continued support for family, refugee and humanitarian classes, but argued that economic immigration should be prioritized in order to fill current labour market needs and address skill shortages associated with Canada’s aging population. Some stakeholders suggested that as much as 70% of annual admissions be in the economic stream. International students were frequently viewed as a key source of economic immigrants across the country and stakeholders encouraged IRCC to find ways to retain this cohort.

Other stakeholders emphasized the need to increase admissions in the family class in lock step with those in the economic class to encourage immigrants in their settlement, integration and retention. Meanwhile, other stakeholders focused on Canada’s tradition of protecting refugees, remarking that for Canada’s resettlement efforts to keep pace with the realities of the global displacement crisis, an increase in the refugee and humanitarian class should be priority. Although the levels plan cannot directly increase the proportion of French-speaking immigrants who come to Canada, some francophone stakeholders expressed their concern over the failure of the government to meet its target of 4.4% francophone immigration outside of Quebec.

A Final Word

Stakeholders from across Canada pointed to the fact that setting immigration levels for the following year was more than just simply attracting professionals globally and fulfilling labour market shortages, but that it was directly tied to nation building. It was noted that the immigration program is a nation building program which requires a high degree of partnership for all involved.

Some stakeholders commented that although Canada is a welcoming nation, there is still opportunity for further public awareness of the contributions and benefits to communities of immigration in order to help communities successfully integrate immigrants, and foster diversity and inclusiveness.

1.2. Roundtables – Key findings on Settlement and Integration

In addition to consulting on immigration levels planning stakeholders were asked about settlement and integration in Canada. The link between the two areas was made clear when stakeholders expressed general support for increasing immigration levels provided there were sufficient settlement supports in place. Concurrent with the roundtables, the Department also received a number of written submissions from stakeholders. The National Settlement Council was also consulted on levels planning and the shared vision for settlement.

Building a common vision

The Syria initiative, and the way in which stakeholders were actively engaged including communities and volunteers, showed the benefits of a more collaborative approach to settlement and integration. There remains momentum both within the Sector and amongst Canadian communities to work together, bring in new players, such as employers, and find new and innovative ways to help newcomers achieve integration outcomes.

Many respondents highlighted the important role of communities and established Canadians in supporting newcomers’ success. It was suggested that more partnerships should be fostered between community groups, employers and the government. Along these lines, many suggested that there needed to be promotion at both the federal and local level on the benefits of immigration and diversity. This was noted especially in smaller communities where the percentage of newcomers may be quite small, but there is an interest in attracting immigrants to bolster the economy. For instance, in the Atlantic region, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot was mentioned as a promising practice for increasing employer engagement; however, there was equal emphasis placed on increasing awareness and support for newcomers within communities, through promotion of the benefits of immigration and diversity. This need to build a more welcoming society was one of the most prominent themes to emerge, across all regions.

Blending or linking language and employment

The input from the consultations emphasized the advantages of linking language training with employment opportunities. There was considerable support expressed for concurrent or integrated language training and employment.  The hotel industry was suggested as a model environment for providing language training in the workplace. It was mentioned as well that this combining of language and skills training would require increased professional development of language training teachers.

Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) trained individuals were specifically identified as needing tailored language training. There were recommendations to pursue further collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on joint projects, such as youth internships. It was also suggested that incentives be provided to employers, to offer language training at work.

A more outcomes-driven, client-focused approach

To achieve greater success, those consulted stated that settlement programming must be more outcomes-driven and more focused on the specific needs of clients, in particular vulnerable clients such as women, youth, people of colour and LGBTQ individuals. It was underlined that specific groups, such as women caring for small children, would have different needs, as well as different barriers to integration, and for this reason, services must be tailored to their individual needs.

Youth in particular were identified as being in need of special focus. This was seen as needed in employment related services, such as youth internships and mentoring, in the expansion of the settlement workers in school projects (SWIS) in recommendations for greater emphasis on social connections and even in consideration of modes of service delivery, such as increased use of technology and smart phone apps.

More emphasis on social integration and addressing systemic barriers

Participants highlighted a need for more emphasis on community connections programming, and underlined the benefit of leveraging the good will of volunteers and communities which had been raised during the Syrian crisis. They also recommended the revival of a program that matches volunteers and newcomers (like the former Host program). The need to address systemic barriers, such as racism and religious discrimination was also identified, with a recommended increase in promotion of multiculturalism and diversity training.

Pre-arrival for employment and credential-related supports

Support for pre-arrival was a consistent theme throughout the consultations, especially in relation to orientation and credential-related support. Pre-arrival support was recognized as helping to mitigate the difficulties with credential recognition, as it helps connect newcomers with professional and trade credential organizations, and gives newcomers information on labour market prospects before they land, to help manage expectations. However, many raised concern that credential recognition remains a significant barrier. It was suggested that foreign credential recognition information be central in both pre and post-landing orientation, and that further alignment could be pursued with the provinces and territories in this area.

Need to increase support for francophone newcomers

Across all regions, there was an interest in better supporting francophone newcomers. This includes greater support for French-language settlement provider organizations (SPOs) to achieve the “by and for / par et pour” strategy, i.e. services provided by and for Francophones, and providing more services in French in currently under-serviced (e.g. rural) areas. The question of newcomer retention was identified as being a particular issue for Francophones immigrants, with family reunification as an important factor. It was also mentioned that municipalities could play a stronger role in the integration of francophone newcomers.

Pathways to permanence for temporary foreign workers and international students

Considering Canada’s need for mid and lower skilled workers, as well as the potential success of integration for those with Canadian education, it was suggested that settlement services be provided to these two groups. Allowing access to settlement services for international students was raised at nearly every roundtable.

Service delivery

Some respondents mentioned that the sequential order in which services are delivered (for example, delaying employment while a certain language level is reached) may in fact increase costs for service providers and cause frustration for newcomers. One roundtable participant stated that “finding employment is not the end of the integration journey,” and that integration is not a linear process.

Equipping smaller communities to support newcomers

There is a need to better equip smaller communities with the means to receive and support newcomers. For example, small towns and communities located throughout Alberta are interested in playing a role in settlement services and welcoming newcomers into their community. However, they lack the infrastructure and scope of services to meet the needs of newcomers and may face challenges developing applications and completing the reporting required for funding. This in turn makes it challenging for newcomers to settle in those communities. The need for longer-term funding and increased flexibility for service providers was also emphasized.

“Culture of Evaluation”

The measurement of success amongst newcomers, particularly those using settlement services, was highlighted in several roundtable discussions. One respondent suggested that IRCC develop a “social sustainability framework” with common targets and indicators to measure newcomer integration country-wide. Another suggested a longitudinal survey for immigration progress. The theme underlying these comments was that IRCC must go beyond measuring impacts and short-term outcomes.

Other observations of note:

• Create better linkages between private sponsors and service providers, to create more awareness of services available.
• Promote immigrant entrepreneurship.
• Provide more information on upcoming labour market trends, future immigration levels, to help service providers prepare for the future.
• Provide mental health training, especially for those providing services to youth.
• Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) are one of the most cost-effective models for settlement and integration.
• “We have to think outside the box for those with higher needs”.
• Build bridges between newcomers and local Indigenous communities.
  • The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is an excellent resource, and could partner with IRCC.

2. Online stakeholder survey

From August 2 to August 24, 2017, a total of 1,680 stakeholders were invited by e-mail to read the discussion guide and participate in an online consultation survey. Stakeholders included: roundtable invitees and participants, organizations that provided a written submission or participated in a webinar in last year’s levels consultations, municipalities and other community organizations, multicultural or ethno-cultural groups, Indigenous stakeholder groups, generic mailboxes for key organizations, funded SPOs, employers, Chambers of Commerce, and refugee organizations.

The survey link was open and participants were advised that they could share the URL within their organization.

The surveys were conducted in respondents’ official language of choice. Given that this is a non-probability sample, a margin of error cannot be attributed. Given that the demographic makeup of the stakeholder population is unknown, the data were not weighted.

IRCC received a total 512 completed surveys.

The on-line survey text appears as Annex C.

2.1 Key findings

N.B. The findings summarized in this section reflect only the views of those who participated in the consultations. The summary of discussion should not be projected as representative of the entire Canadian population or of all IRCC stakeholders. It is intended to provide deeper insight into the underlying reasons for opinions.

For the most part, stakeholders are satisfied with the current immigration levels plan and the Settlement Program.

• The majority of stakeholders surveyed feel that immigration levels are about right (52%). About one quarter (27%) feel that there are too few immigrants while only a few feel there are too many (9%).
• When asked about immigration categories, almost all respondents feel there are too few (46%) or about the right number (43%) of economic immigrants welcomed in Canada each year. Should there be an increase in immigration levels, half (53%) of stakeholders would like to see the increase come from the economic class.
• Almost all stakeholders feel the number of family class immigrants is about right (43%) or too few (43%). Stakeholders are more split on refugees, where about two-thirds feel the number is about right (39%) or too low (37%) while fewer than one in five (16%) feel there are too many.
• A majority of stakeholders (60%) support multi-year levels planning over year-by-year planning (40%). If immigration levels are increased, half (53%) of respondents would like the increase averaged out over five years.
• The majority of stakeholders are satisfied with the Settlement Program overall (64%) while fewer than one in five (16%) are dissatisfied. When asked about specific aspects of the Settlement Program, the majority of stakeholders surveyed are satisfied with information and referrals (60%), assistance integrating into Canadian society (60%) and language training (57%); however, satisfaction is lower (33%) with assistance finding employment that matches newcomers’ skills and education.
• About one in three (35%) stakeholders feels that IRCC effectively engages with them, with the plurality (41%) answering that IRCC engages moderately effectively. Opportunities for increased engagement include a wide range of activities, but notably listening to and considering what stakeholders have to say (81%), involving them in policy and strategy development (80%), meaningful consultation (79%) and timely information about opportunities to consult (78%).

Immigration levels

The Government of Canada plans to welcome 300,000 newcomers to Canada in 2017.  Is that too many, about right or too few?

For the economic class, is the number of newcomers that the Government of Canada welcomes too many, about right or too few? For easy reference, the full 2017 immigration levels plan can be found here.

For the family class, is the number of newcomers that the Government of Canada welcomes too many, about right or too few? For easy reference, the full 2017 immigration levels plan can be found here.

For the refugee class, is the number of newcomers that the Government of Canada welcomes too many, about right or too few? For easy reference, the full 2017 immigration levels plan can be found here.

For the refugee class, is the number of newcomers that the Government of Canada welcomes too many, about right or too few? For easy reference, the full 2017 immigration levels plan can be found here.

Within the economic class, which particular stream(s) should the increase come from? Please select all that apply. [Only asked of those who selected “economic” in previous question]

Within the family class, which particular stream(s) should the increase come from? Please select all that apply. [Only asked of those who selected “family” in previous question]

Within the refugee class, which particular stream should the increase come from?
[Only asked of those who selected “refugees” in previous question]

If the Government of Canada decides to increase the number of newcomers over the next five years, should the increase be:

What would you say is the most important reason for Canada to have a robust immigration program?

Examples of “other” responses generally related to respondents wanting to select more than one reason rather than indicating the reason was not listed:

• “All of the above are equally weighted.”
• “All of the above -  economic growth as long as immigrants support labour market needs; reuniting families and support international humanitarian obligations also should be a priority - link needs to be made to ensure systems are in place to support needs of refugees more fully and lead to successful integration.”
• « Accroître la population des régions minoritaires francophones au Canada. »

Currently, the Government of Canada plans immigration levels on a yearly basis. Should the Government of Canada change to a multi-year immigration levels plan or continue planning year by year?

Settlement and integration plan

Thinking about successful settlement and integration, what does that mean to you? Please select all that apply.

Respondents were asked if there are any other aspects of successful settlement and integration that are not listed above. Examples of “other” responses include:

• “Access to affordable legal services/consultations.”
• “Access to education and language training that meets the needs of all immigrants, children/youth and adults.”
• “Introduction with peer group.”
• “Transportation supports and programs, particularly in rural Canada.”
• “Sharing national pride and knowing their role to play.”

How satisfied would you say you are with the Settlement Program?

Respondents were asked why they gave a particular satisfaction rating with the Settlement Program.

Reasons for satisfaction with the Settlement Program include:

• Because it is putting emphasis on children and youth settlement supports.
• Overall, I think that a good job is being done. But there is always room for improvement. We can improve our immigration numbers, the coordination of settlement services, and make our communities more welcoming places.
• The settlement system in Canada is well established and reasonably well-funded. We are a world leader in this regard. However, we could certainly do more to expedite the settlement and integration process for newcomers by ensuring they have full access to the necessary supports to optimize the time to social, economic and cultural integration.

Reasons for dissatisfaction with the Settlement Program include:

• Many newcomers do not know how to access support or know about the supports available to them. Better information sharing is needed for newcomers and the people working with them. There are too many programs that do not communicate with each other about the services fully offered.
• More support is needed for employers to provide training and workplace supports for newcomers.
• Most settlement services are for new permanent residents only. Students and temporary workers should be included in those settlement services so that we retain and integrate them better.

How satisfied would you say you are with the assistance finding employment that matches newcomers’ skills and education aspect of the Settlement Program?

How satisfied would you say you are with the assistance integrating into Canadian society aspect of the Settlement Program?

How satisfied would you say you are with the information and referrals aspect of the Settlement Program?

How satisfied would you say you are with the language training aspect of the Settlement Program?

The next question has two parts. Please provide a response where you can. If you are unable to speak to any parts, please leave them blank.

How would you rate the Government of Canada in terms of how effectively it engages with your organization?

Do you see an opportunity for increased engagement between the Government of Canada and your organization?

What opportunities for increased engagement do you see? Please check all that apply.

Stakeholders were asked if there are any other opportunities for engagement that are not listed above. Examples of “other” responses include:

• All of the above areas are already in effect between the government and [MY ORGANIZATION], but regarding development of policies and strategies we need even deeper engagement to solve the challenges and opportunities surrounding the TFWP and the pathway to permanency for TFWs.
• Post-Secondary institutions are the new gatekeepers for immigration, with international students making up a considerable number of new PRs. The schools are the defacto settlement agencies, and we seem to be working in silos and without support from the Canadian government, as we are educational institutions first, and so we struggle sometimes to support the very complex needs of our international students, whom are often early arriving immigrants.
• Sending a rep to visit our community to understand the context we operate in.  No federal reps have visited our site since we commenced delivery.

Finally, is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Among those who had final comments, examples of this feedback include:

• As a social worker working with immigrants and refugees, I believe that our work should be grounded on best practice rather than counting services. I understand the value of statistics, but numbers without proper interpretation seemed useless to us front line workers. I also noticed the growing number of new refugees losing the services such as housing the first 6 months of their arrival because of personal issues. I think that settlement organizations should provide proper mental health care support to their clients the moment they land to Canada, and not wait until they have lost resources due to stress related problems.
• More and more international students are applying to stay in Canada. I will suggest allow settlement agencies to provide services to help them adjust earlier. That doesn't mean increase in funding but adding to eligible groups.
• Most importantly the government needs to address the long waiting times in processing applications and directly needs to improve the level of communication with government offices here and abroad. The wait times for receiving a response needs improvement.
• Multi-year immigration planning as well as funding is needed; increased support for professional development and adequate compensation for settlement practitioners is needed. 
• Please understand that what works in the urban setting doesn't work in smaller rural and remote centres where transportation and resources are not readily available.
• The department is very consultative and supports many of the initiatives we have brought to them. This forthright exchange has helped shape our organization to meet the needs identified in our field of work with professionals who are immigrating to Canada.
• The greatest challenge we face in providing services is the constant, rapid change that must be accommodated with little advance prep and insufficient qualified human resources.
• Three main immediate concerns:
  • Lack of support for post 13 month government sponsored Syrian refugee families. 
  • Backlog for processing" Legacy Claimants" waiting over five years.
  • Extremely difficult to understand regulations for multi-entry Visas and the changes of conditions for permanent residency for religious workers who are here with a special classification of the visitors' Visa.
• Unlike other countries, Canada does a relatively great and caring job for newcomers.  Of course, we can always do better.
• We Canadians accept refugees with open arms. However, we should have a process to ensure that our social systems are not misused and newcomers make a sincere effort to be economically independent.
• We should have immigrants who can stand on their own feet and contribute to Canada rather than those who come to see what Canada can do for them. 
• With increased economic immigration to Canada, required settlement services will need to change to be adapted to the new realities of this class of immigrants. Refugees have received a lot of services from SPO in the past, but if we increase our numbers with economics class immigrants, we will need to adjust our offering or programs and services as well.

3.0 Public Opinion Research

The following is a summary of the findings from the 2017-18 Annual Tracking survey. The report presents overall findings, findings by immigrant versus Canadian born and by membership of the Indigenous community versus non-members. Statistically different results are in bold font.

3.1. Methodology (July 31 – August 30, 2017)

The results involve 2,503 computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) with Canadians 18 years of age and older. The interviews were conducted in respondents’ official language of choice. The margin of error^{Footnote 2} for the survey sample is ±1.96, 19 times out of 20. The data were weighted according to region, age, gender and membership in the Indigenous community (using Statistics Canada 2016 Census data) in order to reflect the actual proportions of these variables in the Canadian adult population.

3.2. Key findings

For the most part, results remain steady compared to last year’s tracking.

• The majority of Canadians continue to feel that immigration levels are about right (52%). About one quarter (27%) feel that there are too many immigrants, which indicate is an increase from last year (23%).
• Informing Canadians of exact immigration levels (300,000) appears to negatively affect perceptions of immigration levels, as the percentage of Canadians who feel there are too many immigrants coming to Canada increases to 30%. However, if immigration levels are described as a percentage (less than 1%) of the Canadian population, the percentage of Canadians who feel there are too many immigrants coming to Canada decreases to 18%.
• Should immigration levels increase, Canadians are split on whether the increase should come from the economic class or the family class. Describing (or not describing) the impact of an increase from each class has a difference on opinion: if economic immigrants are described as filling labour market gaps, 69% of Canadians support an increase from this class (while 61% of Canadians support an increase from the family class). If a description is not provided, 65% of Canadians support an increase from the family class while 59% support an increase from the economic class.
• A plurality of Canadians continue to feel the level of refugees welcomed each year is about right (43%) with about one-third feeling that the level is too high (32%). About three in four Canadians continue to feel that accepting refugees is part of Canada’s humanitarian tradition (75%) and that Canada has a responsibility to do its part in accepting refugees (70%).

The more detailed tables appear as Annex D.

Annex A - Roundtable Schedule and Participating Organizations

Minister Roundtables

April 24^th, 2017
Kitchener, Ontario
9:30am – 10:30am
1:00pm – 2:30pm

Participating organizations:

• Account HQ
• Communitech
• Conestoga Language Institute
• D2L(Desire2Learn)
• Danby Group
• HR Manager
• Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre
• KITCHENER-WATERLOO Reception House Waterloo Region
• Mennonite Central Committee Ontario
• Mennonite Coalition of Refugee Support
• Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration - London)
• Perimeter Institute
• Plum
• Regional Municipality of Waterloo
• ShamRose for Syrian Culture
• University of Waterloo
• Upper Grand District School Board
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin
• YMCA of Kitchener- Waterloo

April 25^th, 2017
London, Ontario
9:30am – 11:00am

Participating organizations:

• Access Centre for Regulated Employment
• Adult Language and Learning (Chatham)
• City of London
• College Boreal
• Community Employment Services - Oxford County
• Fanshawe College
• London Economic Development Corporation
• London Middlesex Immigrant Employment Council
• London Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership (LMLIP)
• Robarts Clinical Trials
• South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre
• Western University
• WIL Counselling and Training for Employment
• YMCA Across Southwestern Ontario
• YMCA of Western Ontario – Windsor
• YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin

April 26^th, 2017
Calgary, Alberta
9:30am – 11:00am

Participating organizations:

• ACFA Calgary
• African Community Association of Calgary
• Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA)
• Asian Heritage Foundation
• Association Francophone de Brooks
• Bow Valley College
• Brooks and County Immigration Services
• Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth
• Calgary Immigrant Educational Society
• Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA)
• Calgary Sikh Society
• Centre for Newcomers
• City of Calgary
• Connexion Carrière
• Ethno Cultural Council of Calgary
• Immigrant Access Fund of Canada
• Immigrant Services Calgary
• Lethbridge Family Services-Immigrant Services
• Nigerian Canadian Association
• Reliance Legal Group
• Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Law
• Syrian Refugee Support Group
• The Ware Institute (Coalition of Black Organizations)
• Welcome Centre Calgary

April 27^th, 2017
Edmonton, Alberta
9:30am – 11:00am

Participating organizations:

• Accès Emploi
• ACFA
• Alberta Somali Community Centre
• Alberta Workforce Essential Skills (AWES)
• Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta
• CANAVUA
• Catholic Social Services
• Centre d'accueil et d'etablissement du Nord de AB
• City of Edmonton
• Edmonton Immigrant Services Association
• Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
• Immigration Care
• Indo Canadian Women’s Association
• Migrante Alberta
• MKA – Edmonton
• Multicultural Health Brokers Co-operative
• NorQuest College
• Ogaden Somali Community Association
• Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization (SCERDO)

July 6^th, 2017
Toronto, Ontario
9:00am – 10:30am
11:00am – 12:30pm

Participating organizations:

• Acces Employment - Toronto
• AirBnB
• Arab Community Centre of Toronto
• Career Education Empowerment
• Centre Francophone de Toronto
• City of Toronto's Newcomer Office
• COSTI Immigrant Services (RAP Reception)
• George Brown College
• Jewish Immigrant Aid Services (JIAS) 
• KCWA Family and Social Services
• Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
• Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
• Rainbow Railroad
• Rexdale Women's Centre
• Ryerson University
• Seneca College
• Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
• The 519 (LGBTQ Services)
• Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office
• Toronto Catholic District School Board TCDSB
• Toronto Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Toronto Region Board of Trade
• Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)
• University of Toronto
• Vietnamese Association of Toronto
• Woodgreen Community Services

July 31^st, 2017
Regina, Saskatchewan
9:30am – 11:00am

Participating organizations:

• Africa Next Project
• Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan
• Brandt Group of Companies
• Catholic Family Services
• Conseil des écoles fransaskoises
• Conseil économique et coopératif de la Saskatchewan
• Global Transportation Hub
• Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan
• Regina Immigrant Women's Centre
• Regina Open Door / Newcomer Welcome Centre
• Regina Open Door Society
• Réseau en immigration francophone de la Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum
• SaskCulture
• University of Regina

August 1^st, 2017
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
9:30am – 11:00am

Participating organizations:

• City of Saskatoon
• Global Gathering Place
• Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce
• Innovation SK
• IWS
• Maple Leaf
• Newcomer Information Centre
• Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies
• Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association
• Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
• Saskatoon Immigration & Employment Consulting Services Inc.
• Saskatoon Open Door Society
• Saskdocs
• YMCA

August 3^rd, 2017
Winnipeg, Manitoba
9:30am – 11:00am
11:30am – 1:00pm

Participating organizations:

• Accueil francophone du Manitoba
• Association of Manitoba Municipalities
• Aurora Family Therapy Centre Inc.
• Business Council of Manitoba
• Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Refugee Program
• Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba
• Division scolaire franco-manitobaine
• Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. (EDW)
• Hospitality House Refugee Ministry
• ICNA Sisters
• Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba
• Islamic Social Services Association
• Jewish Federation of Winnipeg
• Local Immigration Partnership Winnipeg
• Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations
• Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
• Manitoba Immigrant and Refugee Settlement Sector Association (MIRSSA)
• Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT)
• Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council
• Manitoba Trucking Association
• Mennonite Central Committee
• Palliser
• SEED Winnipeg
• Société franco-manitobaine
• South Central Immigrant Services
• Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Manitoba Provincial Council
• Université de Saint-Boniface
• University of Manitoba
• University of Winnipeg
• Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce

August 22^nd, 2017
Ottawa, Ontario
9:00am – 10:30am

Participating organizations:

• Business Council of Canada
• Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Canadian Construction Association
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) - National
• Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
• Conference Board of Canada
• Food Processing Human Resources Council
• Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
• Medical Council of Canada
• Metropolis Project - Carleton University
• National Council of Canadian Muslims
• TESL Canada
• Tourism HR Canada
• Ukrainian Canadian Congress
• United Way Centraide Canada

August 23^rd, 2017
Ottawa, Ontario
9:00am – 10:30am

Participating organizations:

• Algonquin College
• Catholic Immigration Centre
• Jewish Family Services
• Matthew House Ottawa
• Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
• Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
• Somali Canadian Youth Centre
• Somali Centre for Family Services
• South Ottawa Community Legal Services
• The Ottawa Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Association
• Vanier Community Service Centre
• World Skills Employment Centre

Parliamentary secretary roundtables

July 24^th, 2017
Toronto, Ontario
1:30pm – 3:00pm

Participating organizations:

• Centre Francophone de Toronto
• Conseil d’administration -  Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario (AFO)
• Conseil de la coopération d'ontario (CCO)
• Conseil des organismes francophones de la Region de Durham
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde
• Francophones Language Health Services Navigation (Black Creek Community Health Centre - Yorkgate Mall Site)
• FrancoQueer
• La Passerelle-I.D.É.
• Ministry of Francophone Affairs
• Oasis Centre Des Femmes
• RDÉE Ontario

July 25^th, 2017
Sudbury, Ontario
10:30am – 12:00pm
1:00pm – 2:30pm

Participating organizations:

• Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO)
• Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario du grand Sudbury
• Centre de santé communautaire de Sudbury
• City of Sudbury
• Collège Boréal
• Collège Boréal - Coopérative Boréal
• Contact interculturel francophone de Sudbury
• Greater Sudbury Police Services
• Laurentian University
• Lifeline Sudbury
• L'institut des politiques de Nord
• Local Immigration Partnership Sudbury
• Réseau en immigration francophone du Nord de l'Ontario
• SNOLAB
• Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
• Université Laurentienne
• YMCA of Northeastern Ontario

July 26^th, 2017
Ottawa, Ontario
10:00am – 11:30am

Participating organizations

• Algerian Association (AMANA)
• Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario (AFO)
• Association burundaise du Canada
• Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne
• Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
• CESOC
• Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est
• Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario (CEPEO)
• Fédération des Communautés Francophones et Acadienne du Canada (FCFA)
• Fondation canadienne pour le dialogue des cultures à la consultation
• MécenESS
• RDÉE Canada
• Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité - Ontario (RDÉÉ-Ontario)
• Réseau des services de santé en français de l'Est de l'Ontario

August 23^rd, 2017
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
3:00pm – 4:30pm

Participating organizations

• A&W
• Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association
• Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies Inc.
• Library
• Nova Scotia Works
• Pictou County Chamber of Commerce
• Sobeys Atlantic
• Subway Restaurants
• YMCA

August 24^th, 2017
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
1:00pm – 2:30pm

Participating organizations

• Academy Canada Career College
• ANC – AXIS
• Association for New Canadians
• Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
• College of the North Atlantic
• Genesis Centre
• Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL)
• Human Rights Commission NL
• Jewish Community Havura
• Keyin College (Advanced Educational Systems Inc.)
• Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of St. John's
• Manna European Bakery and Deli
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries
• NL Association of CBDCs
• St. John’s Board of Trade
• Tim Hortons (St. John’s South-Mount Pearl)

August 25^th, 2017
Charlottetown, Prince-Edward-Island
10:30am – 12:00pm

Participating organizations

• Agricultural Sector Council
• Charlottetown Diocese Refugee Committee
• City of Summerside
• Commission scolaire de langue francaise
• Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce
• Holland College
• PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada
• Public Schools Branch
• RDÉE Île-du-Prince-Édouard
• Royal Star Foods
• University of Prince Edward Island

September 8^th, 2017
Vancouver, British Columbia
8:45am – 10:15am

Participating organizations

• Centre d’intégration pour immigrants africains
• Collège Éducacentre College
• CPF (Canadian Parents for French)
• Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB)
• Réseau-Femmes Colombie Britannique
• RésoSanté Colombie-Britannique
• Société de développement économique de la Colombie-britannique
• Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique

September 29^th, 2017
Bathurst, New Brunswick
10:00am – 11:30am

Participating organizations

• Association multiculturelle région Chaleur
• Centre de formation professionnelle
• La Chambre de commerce du Grand Bathurst
• Multicultural Association Chaleur Region Inc.
• Village de Nigadoo

September 29^th, 2017
Shippagan, New Brunswick
1:00pm – 2:30pm

Participating organizations

• CAIENA
• CCNB
• District scolaire francophone Nord-Est
• RDEE - New Brunswick
• Ville de Lamèque

Annex B - Discussion guide for immigration levels, settlement and integration roundtables

Annex B – Discussion guide for immigration levels, settlement and integration roundtables (PDF, 694.46KB)

Annex C – Online Stakeholder Survey

Annex C – Online Stakeholder Survey (PDF, 644.19KB)

Annex D - Annual tracking survey topline summary tables

The following is a summary of the findings from the 2017-18 Annual Tracking survey. The report presents overall findings, findings by immigrant versus Canadian born and by membership of the Indigenous community versus non-members. Statistically different results are in bold font.

Perceptions of immigration levels

In your opinion, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?

Tracking

In your opinion, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?

Currently, Canada admits 300,000 immigrants each year. Knowing this, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada? Option one [Half sample]

Currently, Canada admits immigrants totaling less than 1% of the Canadian population each year. Knowing this, do you feel there are too many, too few, or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada? Option two [Half sample]

Immigration categories

Thinking ahead over the next five years, the government may wish to increase the number of immigrants coming to Canada. To what extent would you support or oppose increasing the number immigrants who come to Canada from the following groups?

Thinking ahead over the next five years, the government may wish to increase the number of immigrants coming to Canada. To what extent would you support or oppose increasing the number immigrants who come to Canada from the following groups?

If the government decides to bring in more immigrants, which of the three main immigration classes should grow?

Tracking

Please note: Question wording has changed somewhat across the different surveys^{Footnote 4}.

If the government decides to bring in more immigrants, which of the three main immigration classes should grow?

And what is the main reason why you say “the family members of people already in Canada”?

And what is the main reason why you say “economic immigrants”?

And what is the main reason why you say “refugees”?

Impact of immigration

In general, what effect does immigration to this country have on…?

Tracking

In general, what effect does immigration to this country have on…?

Satisfaction with Canada’s immigration system

To what extent are you satisfied with the Government of Canada's management of our immigration system? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means 'Very dissatisfied' and 10 means 'Very satisfied’.

And what is the main reason why you say “satisfied”?

And what is the main reason why you say “dissatisfied”?

Rationale for immigration

Next, thinking about economic reasons why Canada brings newcomers to Canada…

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Tracking

The years and subgroups vary from which tracking data is available for each statement so the tracking data is presented across three tables.

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with the following statement.

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with the following statement.

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with the following statement.

Now, thinking about Canada and immigration….

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Integration/settlement

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Refugees

Next, I will ask you some questions about refugees.

Refugees can come to Canada in different ways. Some of them come from overseas and are selected by the Canadian government to come to Canada. Other people come to Canada as visitors and, after arriving, claim that they are refugees, saying that they cannot go home because they face danger or persecution.

In your opinion, do you feel that there are too many, too few or about the right number of refugees coming to Canada?

Tracking

In your opinion, do you feel that there are too many, too few or about the right number of refugees coming to Canada?

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Tracking

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

International students

In 2016, Canada had about 312,000 international university or college students studying in Canada.  These students represent between 10 and 15 percent of the total Canadian university and college student enrollment. In your opinion, do you feel there are too many, too few or about the right number of international students in Canada?

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

Sense of economic wellbeing

Thinking ahead over the next five years or so, do you think your personal financial situation will be better off, about the same or worse off?

Intercultural integration/ease

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements. I feel comfortable in social situations with people from different:

Tracking

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements. I feel comfortable in social situations with people from different:

Please tell me to what extent you either agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

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