IRCC, Deputy Minister, Transition Binder, 2024 - Strategic Immigration Review

Issue

• A Strategic Immigration Review was launched in February 2023 with the aim of exploring how immigration policies and programs can support a shared vision for Canada’s future. Extensive stakeholder engagement, complemented by policy and research efforts, took place between late February and May 2023. A public report on what we heard and an action plan was released on October 31, 2023.

State of Play

• The public report on “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future” includes context for why we undertook a review of immigration programs and policies, what we heard through engagement, and a forward-looking action plan.
• The action plan contains 30 items organized around three key themes: creating a more welcoming experience for newcomers, aligning immigration with labour market needs, and developing a comprehensive and coordinated growth plan.
• While many of the commitments relate to ongoing work within the Department, there are several “net new” initiatives contained in the action plan, including:
  • Creating the new role of Chief International Talent Officer to align Canada’s immigration policies with a long-term skills and labour strategy and spearhead global skills missions to recruit the talent Canada needs.
  • Establishing a Council of Newcomers to help guide policy development and improvements to service delivery.
  • Examining the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to assess the need for legislative amendments or reform.
• The majority of the 30 measures set out in the action plan are within the Minister’s current authorities and reference levels, and work is already underway to implement these measures, [Redacted].

Key Messages

• While Canada’s immigration system is considered world‑class, migration trends and international challenges are evolving. To maintain our position as a global leader, we need to start planning for the future now.
• It’s important we attract the people we need to grow our economy, support our diversity and strengthen our communities, and that we serve our clients in a way that is modern and efficient, fair and transparent.
• The actions contained in the report on the Strategic Immigration Review will help shape a system that meets the needs of Canada’s economy and labour market.
• Changes will be implemented through whole-of-government collaboration and a focus on welcoming the people needed for the future, while maintaining the safety, security, and integrity of the system.

Next Steps

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• The Department is available to brief you on the Strategic Immigration Review, the engagement phase, the public report, and the work underway to implement the measures identified in the action plan.

Background

• There is a pressing need to position Canada’s immigration system for the future. With Canada’s aging population, the need for sustained levels of immigration will continue. Currently, immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada's labour force growth, and immigration is expected to be the sole driver of Canada’s population growth by 2032. In order to ensure that Canada maintains its competitive advantage in recruiting newcomers to meet our economic needs of today and tomorrow, to grow our communities, and to fulfill our humanitarian obligations, we need to be able to adequately respond to the complex domestic and international operating environments.
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• Consistent with this direction, “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future” was launched on February 23, 2023. Between February and May 2023, the Review undertook consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including provincial and territorial partners, clients, businesses, academics, expert advisors, Francophone organizations and Canadians. Engagement included six in-person regional roundtables, eight in-depth conversations on issues such as housing, refugee resettlement, skills and service excellence, as well as a number of dedicated bilateral events with businesses, thought leaders, Indigenous representatives, youth and many others. IRCC’s engagement initiative received input from more than 17,500 voices, including over 2,000 organizations and over 2,100 current or former clients, such as foreign workers in Canada on a temporary basis, international students, and permanent residents. In addition, a public online survey captured an even wider array of voices. More than 25 federal government departments and agencies contributed to engagement activities. Several ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentarians participated in consultation sessions.
• During consultations we heard that Canada has a reputation as a welcoming destination, but there was also a consensus that systemic changes are needed, particularly around the need to:
  • Streamline the immigration system, including through transparent and responsive application processes and by creating a more welcoming experience for newcomers;
  • Develop a comprehensive and coordinated growth plan for all newcomers, including access to settlement services, housing, health care and other social supports that are needed to maintain public confidence in immigration;
  • Close the gaps between newcomers’ skills and Canada’s labour market needs, including making it easier for newcomers already in Canada on a temporary basis to contribute to the economy;
  • Strengthen collaboration within and between orders of governments, and include the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and those with lived experience of migration; and
  • Position the system to be ready to respond, including through coordinated partnerships, to humanitarian crises that are growing more frequent and complex.
• Broad engagement was complemented by policy and research collaborations to explore complex immigration questions. This included working with Statistics Canada on portraits of immigration by region; collaborating with Finance Canada on the economic impacts of immigration; engaging the Conference Board of Canada on the indicators of a strong immigration system; and leveraging the expertise of Policy Horizons to challenge the assumptions underlying the current system and whether they remain valid for the future.
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