IRCC Minister Transition Binder 2025-05

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: Departmental Overview

Context

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) selects and welcomes permanent and temporary residents, as well as foreign nationals whose skills contribute to Canadian economic prosperity and resiliency. The immigration continuum begins with screening and security; moves to selection and processing; followed by the arrival of immigrants; and in many cases, the settlement and integration of these people, with some opting to become Canadian citizens.

This paper provides a high-level summary of this continuum, exploring the Department’s mandate, programs, policies, and operations.

Departmental Mandate

• In 1994, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act created Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
• IRCC’s mandate is to:
  • Link immigration services with citizen registration
  • Promote the unique ideals all Canadians share; and
  • Help build a stronger Canada.
• In 2013, IRCC assumed responsibility for the administration of the Passport Program.
• The Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRC) is responsible for the Citizenship Act and the Diplomatic and Special Passports Order. Furthermore, the IRC Minister shares responsibility with the Minister of Public Safety for the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Canadian Passport Order.

What We Do:

• Screen and approve for entry temporary residents (international students, visitors, and workers) and permanent residents (economic, family, and refugee/humanitarian classes).
• Manage access to Canada to protect the health, safety, and security of Canadians, as well as the integrity of Canadian laws.
• Manage the number of admissions of new permanent and temporary residents, according to the Multi-Year Levels Plan.
• Resettle, protect, and provide haven for refugees through our resettlement and asylum programs.
• Help newcomers to participate fully in the economic, social, and cultural life of the country through settlement programming.
• Help permanent residents become Canadian citizens.
• Issue passports and other travel documents to facilitate travel outside of Canada.
• Engage internationally on migration and protection issues, supporting Canada’s foreign engagements.

Legal Framework

Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act (1994):

• Established the Department and sets out the powers, duties, and functions of the Minister.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) & Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) (2002):

• Enables the selection of economic immigrants, family reunification, refugee protection, and enforcement.
• The Minister of Public Safety is responsible for the administration of the enforcement provisions of this Act.
• The Minister of IRCC has discretionary tools from the Act, including Ministerial Instructions and public policy.

Citizenship Act (1977) & Citizenship Regulations and Citizenship Regulations No. 2:

• Enables the acquisition of citizenship, resumption of citizenship, proof of citizenship, and loss of citizenship (renunciation, recall, and revocation).

Canadian Passport Order (1981) & Diplomatic and Special Passports Order (2005):

• Enables the issuance of passports, as well as their cancellation, refusal, and revocation.

Canada-Quebec Accord (1991):

• Provides Quebec with sole responsibility for the following:
  • Selection of immigrants (except Family Class and in-Canada refugee claimants); and
  • Delivery of integration services, supported by an annual grant from the federal government, based on a formula set out in the Accord.

Contributions of Immigrants

Economic Development:

• Managed migration (temporary or permanent) brings in global talent and skills to support and grow the Canadian economy, helping businesses scale up, and compete in international markets. Additionally, tourists and students contribute to the economy.

Global Reach:

• IRCC’s network of people and offices is truly global. Canada’s approach to immigration is often cited as the benchmark internationally. Global issues impact and inform IRCC’s work, and immigration and protection are increasingly part of Canada’s foreign engagements.

Nation-Building:

• IRCC facilitates the arrival and integration of people to Canada so that they can contribute to our strength and share with us the benefits of this country. We strive for intercultural understanding that allows all people to integrate into Canadian society, regardless of our differences.

National Security:

• We screen people before they come to Canada to maintain the health, safety, and security of Canadians.

How Do People Come to Canada?

Temporary Residents—Visiting, Studying, or Working in Canada:

• IRCC facilitates the entry of visitors, students, and temporary workers for trade, commerce, work, tourism, cultural, educational, and scientific activities.
• Temporary residents are generally protected under Canadian law and have many of the protections from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• People who are authorized to work in Canada must pay taxes.

Permanent Residents—Settling in Canada and Becoming Eligible for Citizenship:

• Permanent residence grants many rights and responsibilities, including the right to live, work, or study anywhere in Canada; and social benefits including health care coverage and access to federally-funded settlement and integration services.
• To facilitate the successful integration of permanent residents, they are granted a permanent resident card which serves as official proof of status, enabling access to essential services and facilitates re-entry into Canada after travel.
• Permanent residents must adhere to and are protected under Canadian laws and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• Permanent residents are required to pay taxes.

Immigration Levels Plan

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires that the government’s planned number of permanent resident admissions for the next calendar year be tabled in Parliament by November 1, or within 30 sitting days if a House of Parliament is not sitting on November 1.

• The Levels Plan is a cornerstone of Canada’s managed migration system.
• New as of the 2025–2027 Multi-year Levels Plan, targets for new arrivals of international students and temporary workers are also included to promote greater alignment between short- and long-term goals. Temporary resident targets exclude short-term visitors with temporary resident visas and electronic travel authorizations, and seasonal workers because these individuals do not remain in Canada for a long period of time or at the end of the calendar year, and thus do not contribute to pressures on housing or other domestic services.
• Levels planning is informed by the following:
  • Engagement with provinces, territories, other government departments and agencies, and stakeholders;
  • Operational realities;
  • Data, research, and evidence;
  • International emerging priorities; and
  • Public opinion research.
• The Multi-year Levels Plan allows for a three year planning horizon, helping provinces and territories and stakeholders to better prepare, and reflects a commitment to a well-managed system.
• Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec publishes its own immigration levels plan annually. The Accord commits the federal government to take into consideration Quebec’s desired levels in all categories.

2025 Planned Temporary Resident Arrivals—673,650 Persons:

Workers (55%): International Mobility Program & Temporary Foreign Worker Program International Students (45%)

Note: Visitor admissions are not capped, and volumes vary according to demand. As such, these arrivals are not captured within the Levels Plan.

2025 Planned Permanent Resident Admissions—395,000 Persons:

Economic Immigration (59%)
Family Reunification (24%)
Protected Persons and Resettled Refugees (15%)
Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other (3%)

Health & Safety

IRCC Prioritizes the Health and Safety of Newcomers and Canadians:

• Manages health screening of migrants to determine medical inadmissibility.
• Oversees immigration medical exams conducted by a global network of third-party Panel Physicians and radiologists.
• Manages the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), which covers the cost of healthcare for vulnerable populations on a discretionary basis.
• Works with the International Organization for Migration and other IFHP-registered overseas providers to deliver pre-departure medical services for resettled refugees overseas.
• Monitors international public health risks, provides advice on public health issues, and works with its network to respond to potential public health risks.

Who and What?

• Temporary residents (visitors, students, and workers):
  • Temporary Resident Visa: Thorough screening to assess admissibility and traveller intent.
  • Electronic Travel Authorization: Lighter touch pre-travel screening for visa-exempt nationals.
• Permanent residents: Screening for security, criminality, and medical admissibility.

Where Does Screening Occur?

• Overseas: For most temporary and permanent residents.
• At the border: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) screens all travellers.
• In-Canada: Those seeking a change or extension in status or applying for citizenship.

How?

• Information provided by clients: E.g., biographic, biometrics (i.e., fingerprints and photos), medical history, and immigration medical exams.
• Information held by trusted partners: Domestic security agencies (e.g., Royal Canadian Mounted Police, CBSA and Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and international partners (e.g., United States).
• Information in IRCC and CBSA systems: E.g., previous applications.
• Verification of information: E.g., meeting conditions for work or study permits, possessing a valid permanent resident card.

Settlement, Resettlement, and Integration

• Canada supports the integration of eligible newcomers (i.e., permanent residents, resettled refugees, protected persons, and participants of certain programs) through a full array of settlement programming via a network of over 550 service providers (outside Quebec) and engages employers and civil society to create welcoming communities.
• Per the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec is granted annual federal funding to manage its delivery of settlement services.

Settlement Program:

• In 2024–2025, $1.17 billion in settlement funding was allocated among provinces and territories through the Settlement Funding Formula (excluding Quebec), and through other settlement funding envelopes. Services include:
  • Pre-arrival Services—Help newcomers plan and prepare to work and live in Canada;
  • Needs Assessment & Information and Orientation Services—Help newcomers make informed settlement decisions and access other community supports;
  • Language Assessment and Training—Builds a key skill for life and work in Canada;
  • Employment-related Services—Prepare newcomers for the workforce and link them to employers;
  • Community Connections—Link newcomers to local communities and institutions, creating a sense of belonging; and
  • Indirect and Support Services—Facilitate access to settlement services and foster community planning and partnership (i.e., childcare or interpretation).

Resettlement Assistance Program:

• Provides supports to government-assisted refugees and other eligible clients, including overseas supports before individuals travel to Canada, immediate and essential services upon arrival in Canada, as well as income support for up to 12 months.

Citizenship

Acquisition:

• Citizenship may be acquired through birth in Canada (except for those whose parents are accredited diplomats), by descent (to those with a legal or biological parent who was born in Canada or naturalized before the birth of the child abroad), or by naturalization. A citizenship certificate is provided to naturalized Canadians and those who apply for evidence of their citizenship.

Eligibility for Naturalization:

• Adult citizenship applicants must meet requirements set out in the Citizenship Act.
• An individual granted citizenship is issued a citizenship certificate.

Loss:

• Canadian citizens may apply to renounce their citizenship if they meet the requirements of the Citizenship Act.
• Citizenship may be revoked from naturalized Canadians if it was obtained as a result of fraud, false representation, or knowingly concealing material circumstances.
• A citizenship certificate may be recalled if the person is not entitled to it.

Awareness:

• The Citizenship Program promotes awareness of the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of citizenship, and educates newcomers and Canadians about Canadian citizenship and identity.
• Educational resources include a citizenship study guide that supports the knowledge test, which is administered to all grant applicants between the ages of 18 and 54.

Passport

• As policy lead for the Passport Program, IRCC manages the legal and regulatory framework of passports and other travel documents.
• Canada is a leading voice within the International Civil Aviation Organization in establishing global travel document standards.

Issuance:

• Issuance of passports is carried out in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada (domestic passport services), and Global Affairs Canada (services abroad).
• IRCC also handles special and diplomatic passports, travel documents issued to non-Canadians, and complex and high-risk passport applications.

Service Transformation:

• The Program is transitioning from paper-based processing to streamlined online services, with automated decision-making to enhance efficiency.

Security:

• The Minister of IRC has sole authority for decisions on passport cancellation, refusal, and revocation, except for cases related to terrorism and national security, which fall under the authority of the Minister of Public Safety.
• Passport designs are updated every five years to stay ahead of counterfeit attacks and to ensure the documents we issue are among the most secure in the world.

Key Statistics:

• Canada issues around 5 million travel documents a year. Of these, 98% are regular (blue) passports.
• Approximately 68% of all Canadians hold a valid passport.
• There are 26.9 million passports in circulation.
• As per the Henley and Partners Passport Index, Canadians can access 185 countries, visa-free.

IRCC’s Operational Network

Domestic: see Annex A

• IRCC operates a vast network of offices and support centres in Canada that deal with decision-making on application cases, passport issuance, client inquiries (including services to Members of Parliament and Senators), settlement supports, as well as citizenship tests and ceremonies.

Overseas: see Annex B

• IRCC represents and delivers Canada’s immigration program at Canadian Embassies, High Commissions, and Consulates.
• In addition, Visa Application Centres are managed by third party contractors authorized to provide specific administrative support services and biometric collection services to visa applicants.
• United States Application Support Centres conduct enrolment of biometrics in the United States on behalf of IRCC for permanent and temporary resident applicants, but do not provide administrative support.

Key Partners: Provinces & Territories

• Immigration is a shared federal, provincial, and territorial responsibility, with federal paramountcy.
• Provinces and territories leverage immigration to meet their economic and demographic needs.
• Provinces and territories provide funding to settlement service provider organizations; IRCC works closely with provinces and territories to ensure funding is coordinated and complementary.
• Provinces, territories, and local health authorities are responsible for health care delivery; IRCC shares the cost of providing this care to certain migrant groups.
• Quebec and Canada have a distinct relationship on immigration, enshrined in the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord.

Key Partners: Departments and Agencies

Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) (portfolio partner):

• Makes decisions on claims for refugee protection made within Canada and on immigration-related matters.
• The IRB reports to Parliament through the Minister of IRC, but remains independent from IRCC and the Minister.

Employment and Social Development Canada (key domestic policy and delivery partner):

• Co-delivers the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, including by conducting labour market impact assessments.
• Leads federal foreign credential recognition efforts.
• Provides services that support long-term integration of immigrants (e.g., adult literacy and essential skills; targeted labour market integration programs).
• Delivers domestic passport services on behalf of IRCC through Service Canada.

Global Affairs Canada (key overseas partner):

• Manages missions (embassies and consulates abroad) and supports IRCC’s international presence.
• Delivers citizenship and passport services abroad on behalf of IRCC.

Public Safety Canada:

• Public Safety Canada oversees Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and Canda Border Services Agency, and coordinates national security policy.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducts criminal screening.
• Canadian Security and Intelligence Service provides advice on threats to the security of Canada and conducts security screening for temporary residence, permanent residence, and citizenship applicants.

Canada Border Services Agency (primary delivery partner & under Public Safety portfolio):

• Responsible for delivering the enforcement provisions of IRPA.
• Manages travelers at Canadian ports of entry and examines admission documents.
• Removes persons from Canada who are found to be inadmissible.
• Supports refugee claimant intake at the border and implements the Safe Third Country Agreement.
• Conducts security screening and provides intelligence on admissibility and border security matters.

Key Partners: International

• IRCC engages with international partners to advance its interests, support broader Government of Canada priorities, and identify and discuss global migration trends.

IRCC Engages in Migration and Protection Diplomacy Globally to:

• Advance the implementation of United Nations objectives on migration and protection;
• Fulfill Canada’s refugee protection commitments;
• Promote well-managed migration systems, deter irregular migration, and build migration and protection capacity in key countries; and
• Exchange best practices and shared challenges.

Annex A: Domestic Offices

22 Processing Offices with Front Counter Service (by appointment only)
1 Support Service Office
7 Processing Offices (No Front Counter Service)
1 Digitization Centre
1 Client Support Centre (National Call Centre and Web Form Processing)

3 Production Centres
1 Service Canada Call Centre
336 Passport Service Locations (includes 19 Service Canda Centre – Passport Service sites)

Annex B: International Network

Americas and the Caribbean

• Washington DC
• Mexico City

Responsible for: 12 overseas offices

Indo-Pacific

• Manila
• Beijing

Responsible for: 15 overseas offices, plus the Manila Global Operations Centre

Middle East

• Ankara

Responsible for: 7 overseas offices

Europe, Maghreb and Multilaterals

• London
• Paris

Responsible for: 16 overseas offices (including Permanent Mission to the United Nations in NYC), plus the Bucharest Global Operations Centre

Sub-Saharan Africa

• Nairobi

Responsible for: 9 overseas offices

IRCC Overseas Offices:

59^{Footnote *} Overseas Offices +2 Global Operations Centres
5 Area Director Offices
296 Biometric Collection Points
963^{Footnote **} Locally Engaged Staff Overseas
356^{Footnote **} Canada-Based Staff Overseas