ARCHIVED - RPP 2007-2008
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

SECTION II – Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Analysis By Program Activity

The following section provides an overview of CIC’s Program Activity Architecture (PAA) and highlights program activities and the expected results for each of the three departmental strategic outcomes. It also contains a table showing the Department’s planned spending for 2007–2008 to 2009–2010 by strategic outcome and an outline of the key activities. Activities that contribute to more than one outcome or are Department-wide in nature appear under the section Other Programs and Services.

CIC’s High-Level Program Activity Architecture:

Strategic Outcomes	Maximum contribution to Canada’s economic, social and cultural development from migration	Reflection of Canadian values and interests in the management of international migration, including refugee protection	Successful integration of newcomers and promotion of Canadian citizenship
Program Activities	1. Immigration Program 2. Temporary Resident Program	3. Canada’s role in international migration and protection 4. Refugee Program	5. Integration Program 6. Citizenship Program

CIC’s programs generate revenue from application and rights fees that is deposited in the Consolidated Revenue Fund and is not available for respending by the Department. See Annex 8 for a listing of non-respendable revenue by activity.

A. Strategic Outcome 1: Maximum Contribution to Canada’s Economic, Social and Cultural Development from Migration

Introduction

Migration is a positive force for economic and social development. CIC continues to promote Canada as a destination of choice for talent, innovation, investment and opportunity. Canada’s immigration policy facilitates the entry into Canada of new immigrants and temporary residents who have the ability to contribute to the labour market and economy through their skills, their business experience or the capital they invest. Canada also welcomes family class immigrants who are sponsored and thus supported in their initial integration by close family members. Many people sponsored as members of the family class also make a significant economic contribution to Canada. At the same time, the success of these programs requires a balance between welcoming newcomers and protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.

In 2007–2008, CIC will work with its partners toward increasing the contribution of the economic immigration stream to support Canada’s economic prosperity and competitiveness. The aim is to have a more responsive immigration system that recruits and selects immigrants who best meet labour market and economic objectives, while improving outcomes for new immigrants and maintaining the integrity of the Immigration Program. CIC will continue to explore ways to facilitate the transition from temporary to permanent residence of those who have the potential to successfully integrate into Canadian society, including temporary residents such as foreign workers who come to Canada for a fixed period of time, and foreign students and visitors. Temporary workers and foreign students are a valuable source of potential immigrants who can not only help meet current labour market and economic objectives but are also well-poised to achieve economic success in Canada.

CIC will continue to reunite families by giving priority to the processing of applications from sponsored spouses and dependent children at all of our locations. The number of applications from parents and grandparents that will be processed will remain consistent with the previous two years. In the coming year, CIC will strengthen partnerships to encourage immigration across Canada. CIC will continue to work closely with its provincial and territorial partners to select immigrants and temporary workers who meet the provinces’ and territories’ particular economic, social and cultural needs.

CIC will also continue to fulfil its role in identifying applicants for immigration or temporary status who could pose security or health risks to Canadians, in order to ensure that the benefits of a more responsive immigration system are not undermined. To be successful, CIC relies on effective partnerships with other departments such as the CBSA, the RCMP and Health Canada, as well as on its own expertise to detect and deter fraud.

Each year, under section 94 of the IRPA, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is required to table before Parliament an annual immigration plan outlining the total number of immigrants Canada aims to receive in the subsequent year. CIC has met or exceeded its planned immigration targets for the past seven years. Please refer to Annex 2 for the immigration targets for 2007 and Annex 3 for immigration levels from 2001 to 2005.

Immigration Target Ranges for 2007

The Immigration Program selects and processes economic and non-economic immigrants, with the exception of refugees, for permanent residence. The target ranges for these classes in 2007 are found in the table at the end of this section.

Despite the success in bringing roughly a quarter of a million new permanent residents to Canada each year, there are still many more individuals who would like to come. For this reason the number of prospective migrants applying far exceeds the number of admissions in some categories.

While this high demand for immigration to Canada demonstrates Canada’s success in attracting immigrants, high admissions have pushed the overall inventory of applications to approximately 800,000 individuals, the largest inventory in recent history. Of this number, approximately 510,000 people are in the federal skilled worker category, while over 100,000 people are in the sponsored parents and grandparents category.

As CIC cannot limit the number of applications received and processes applications according to target ranges tabled annually in Parliament, there is a time lag between when an application is submitted and when CIC begins to process the application. In some missions where the volume of applications is high these wait times can be as long as four to five years.

CIC is also committed to the timely processing of temporary residents, including visitors, students and workers applying to come to Canada, groups for which volumes have increased steadily in recent years. The same resources responsible for processing temporary visas are also responsible for processing permanent residence applications. As a result, growing volumes on the temporary side have had an impact on inventories of permanent residence applications.

Inventories will continue to exist as long as the volume of applications continues to exceed the number of admissions. Accordingly, CIC is looking for ways to better manage these demands in a timely and responsive manner and is actively pursuing options to decrease long wait times by reducing these inventories. CIC had some success in 2005 in reducing the inventory by raising the target for parents and grandparents with additional resources midway through the year. Furthermore, the Government of Canada has entered into a number of agreements with the provinces to identify and designate immigrants who will meet their local economic needs. The Provincial Nominee Program has helped provinces address their regional labour needs in recent years. The number of admissions under the program has increased dramatically in recent years, from 1,252 admissions in 2000 to 8,047 admissions in 2005. Sponsored spouses and children are also processed on an expedited basis.

Drawing down the inventories will take some time. As a result, the Government of Canada is examining additional proposals to support inventory reduction and labour market responsiveness goals, including shifting to a multi-year level planning approach and avenues for temporary workers and students to apply for permanent residence from within Canada.

Immigrant Category	2007 Ranges Lower/Upper
Skilled Workers and Dependants	90,000 – 100,500
Quebec Selected Skilled Workers and Dependants	26,000 – 27,500
Business: Entrepreneur, Self-employed, Investor and Dependants	9,000 – 11,000
Live-In Caregiver	3,000 – 5,000
Provincial Nominees and Dependants	13,000 – 14,000
TOTAL ECONOMIC CLASS	141,000 – 158,000
Spouses, Partners and Children	49,000 – 50,000
Parents and Grandparents	18,000 – 19,000
TOTAL FAMILY CLASS	67,000 – 69,000
Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds/Public Policy Considerations	6,000 – 7000
Permit Holders	100 – 200
TOTAL OTHERS	6,100 – 7,200

Activity 1 – Immigration Program

Description	Expected Results
Design, develop and implement policies and programs to facilitate the entry of permanent residents in a way that maximizes their economic, social and cultural contribution to Canada while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.	Contribution, through the Immigration Program, to Canada's economic, social and cultural development.

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$201.2M	$184.0M	$170.8M	$170.3M
1,596 FTEs	1,719 FTEs	1,620 FTEs	1,620 FTEs
Explanation of change: Planned spending in 2007–2008 is $17M lower than the previous year due to reduced funding of $14M for short-term pressures (processing of inventory of parents and grandparents), $2M for additional Expenditure Review Committee reductions and $1M in additional transfers to other government departments. Planned spending in 2008–2009 and future years declines by $13M due to further sunsetting of resources for short-term pressures (processing of parents and grandparents inventory) and for the biometrics pilot project.

Policy and Program Development

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue to explore ways to facilitate the transition from temporary to permanent resident status for individuals with Canadian experience.	Improved and more rapid economic success of selected economic immigrants.
Explore a framework for multi-year immigration levels planning; continue to provide levels analysis to support development of related policies.	An improved planning framework, allowing for better engagement of stakeholders and service providers, contributing to better economic and social outcomes for immigrants.
Initiate measures designed to contain overseas inventory growth.	Inventory growth of overseas applications contained and beginning to decrease.
Develop policy options designed to eliminate the inventory within five years from implementation.	Policy options developed to accelerate the reduction of existing inventories. Policy options developed for sustainable approaches to application management to prevent future inventories.
Continue with the review of the current humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) policy to determine whether its implementation is consistent with the policy’s intent and objectives, and to identify areas where the policy could be improved.	Enhanced accountability and improved program delivery through the development of a performance measurement framework for H&C decision making.
Assess the effectiveness of CIC’s interim guidelines on human trafficking and contribute to the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons.	Improvements, as needed, to CIC’s Human Trafficking Interim Guidelines.
Support the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities.	Increased francophone immigration to francophone minority communities outside Quebec.
Continue to review the effectiveness of current measures with respect to immigration representatives in order to continue enhancing client protection and program integrity.	Enhanced client protection and program integrity.

Selection and Processing of Skilled Workers

Skilled worker immigrants are selected on the basis of their potential to contribute to the economy soon after arrival in Canada. CIC’s challenge is to maintain flexibility in the selection of skilled immigrants in order to respond to changes in Canada’s labour market.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Conduct, in 2007–2008, an evaluation for skilled workers selected post-IRPA.	Improved information about the economic outcomes of immigrants selected after changes were made to the skilled worker selection grid in 2002.
Deliver the skilled workers component of the 2007 Immigration Plan.	Skilled worker targets for 2007 are met.

Selection and Processing of Business Immigrants

The three classes of business immigrants—entrepreneurs, investors and self-employed immigrants—bring business experience and investment capital to Canada, and create jobs for themselves and other Canadian residents.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Review the policy and effectiveness of the Entrepreneur Program.	Effective and refocused delivery of the Entrepreneur Program to maximize the economic benefit to Canada.
Process more applications under the Immigrant Investor Program and continue to develop strategies for enhancing the program.	A more robust program that enables participating provinces to more effectively use Immigrant Investor Program funds for regional economic development.
Continue to ensure that partners managing funds invested by immigrants before April 1999 comply with the 1976 Immigration Act.	Program integrity is maintained.
Deliver the business immigrant component of the 2007 Immigration Plan.	Business immigrant targets for 2007 are met.

Family Class

Facilitating family reunification is one of CIC’s objectives. Canada will therefore continue to welcome family class immigrants who are sponsored and thus supported by close family members.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue to support the family reunification objectives of the IRPA and review its policies to identify areas where they could be improved.	Better information about the economic, social, and cultural contribution made by family class immigrants to Canadian society.
Deliver the family class component of the 2007 Immigration Plan.	Family class targets for 2007 are met.

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Canada has signed provincial nominee agreements with nine provinces and one territory. [note 9] The agreements give those governments the authority to nominate, for permanent immigration, foreign nationals who match the specific economic and demographic needs of their communities. The Province of Ontario has committed to launch its PNP in April 2007. The Government of Quebec has full authority to select all economic immigrants destined to the province under the terms of the Canada-Quebec Accord signed in 1991.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue to encourage and assist the provinces with improving their PNPs through training and sharing of best practices.	Better distribution of immigrants across Canada to ensure the economic and socio-cultural benefits of immigration are more evenly spread throughout the country.
Deliver the provincial nominee component of the 2007 Immigration Plan.	Provincial nominee targets for 2007 are met.

Permanent Resident Card

The Permanent Resident Card (PRC) [note 10] was introduced on June 28, 2002, to provide a secure official status document that facilitates the entry of permanent residents to Canada.

On December 31, 2003, the card became mandatory for all permanent residents returning to Canada aboard a commercial carrier—airplane, boat, train or bus. The PRC is valid for five years from the date of issue. Since nearly five years have passed since the PRC’s inception, the first wave of renewals will begin in 2007.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Analyse data on immigration and citizenship trends to predict anticipated renewal volumes of the PRC.	Continued efficient and timely delivery of PRCs while maintaining the program’s integrity.
Develop business plans and strategies to ensure that CIC has the capacity to handle the forecast volume effectively and efficiently.

 

Activity 2 – Temporary Resident Program

Description	Expected Results
Design, develop and implement policies and programs to facilitate the entry of temporary workers, students and visitors in a way that maximizes their contribution to Canada's economic, social and cultural development while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.	Contribution, through the Temporary Resident Program, to Canada's economic, social and cultural development.

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$61.6M	$59.8M	$59.1M	$62.1M
682 FTEs	730 FTEs	707 FTEs	719 FTEs
Explanation of change: Planned spending in 2007–2008 declines by $2M in relation to the previous year primarily due to additional Expenditure Review Committee reductions. In 2009–2010 planned spending increases by a total of $3M, including additional funding of $2M to support the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and $1M in additional funding for the processing of international students.

Temporary Foreign Workers

Qualified temporary foreign workers are admitted to Canada to address short-term needs in the Canadian labour market and thereby contribute to Canada’s economic growth.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Implement changes to the operation of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to make the program more facilitative and more responsive to labour market needs and shortages and to improve program integrity.	Short-term Canadian labour market needs are met.
Develop a model federal-provincial/territorial temporary foreign worker agreement with Ontario as a basis for negotiations with other interested provinces and territories.	Facilitative and streamlined programs meet provincial and territorial needs.

Visitors and Foreign Students

Foreign students bring with them new ideas and cultures that enrich the learning environment in Canadian educational institutions. Foreign students who enter Canada on temporary visas will continue to be an important source of potential skilled worker immigrants who are well-prepared for the Canadian labour market. The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program assists the foreign students in building a bridge between studying and working in Canada. Since April 2006, 7,651 foreign students have benefited from this program. In addition, the Off-Campus Work Permit Program assists students to build Canadian work experience during their education. Since its announcement in April 2006, 11,935 students have benefited from this program. [note 11]

Over the last three years, roughly 740,000 Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) have been issued to visitors per year. Millions of additional foreign visitors who are citizens of countries that do not require a visa to travel to Canada cross our borders every year. As of December 31, 2006, citizens of 146 countries require TRVs to visit Canada, while citizens of 46 countries are visa-exempt.[note 12]

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Monitor the off-campus work and post-graduation employment programs for international students and identify best practices that could be used in future program enhancements.	Canada remains competitive in the market for international students.

B. Strategic Outcome 2: Reflection of Canadian Values and Interests in the Management of International Migration, Including Refugee Protection

Introduction

Internationally, migration and humanitarian issues continue to gain attention and have moved to centre stage on multiple fronts. In the coming years, CIC will need to expand its role in framing and advancing a series of important international migration policy and governance dialogues. These dialogues, which are at varying levels of maturity, broadly encompass the linkages between migration policy and foreign affairs in such areas as development assistance, trade, health and human capital flows. Part of CIC’s role will be to align the respective departmental and Canadian government positions. This role reaffirms CIC’s commitment to developing a strategic agenda on global migration and protection and to identifying opportunities for advancing Canada’s policy and program priorities through domestic and international linkages and partnerships.

Every year, Canada grants protection to thousands of people, nearly half of whom are refugees selected abroad who need protection. The others are persons who are granted permanent resident status after claiming refugee status from within Canada and being found to be protected persons.

Effective and timely health care is key to the successful integration of protected persons into Canadian society. Providing essential health care and rapidly identifying and managing diseases and illnesses continue to be important aspects of protecting both refugee claimants and other vulnerable migrants, as well as protecting the health of Canadians.

Protected Persons Target Ranges for 2007

Immigrant Category	2007 Ranges Lower/Upper
Government-Assisted Refugees	7,300 – 7,500
Privately Sponsored Refugees	3,000 – 4,500
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependants	10,600 – 12,000
Dependants Abroad	5,000 – 6,800
TOTAL PROTECTED PERSONS	25,900 – 30,800

Activity 3 – Canada’s Role in International Migration and Protection

Description	Expected Results
Assert Canada's position in the context of international migration to influence the international agenda on migration and protection.	Canada influences the international agenda on migration and protection.

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$4.1M	$4.0M	$4.0M	$4.0M
18 FTEs	18 FTEs	18 FTEs	18 FTEs
Note: This activity includes contribution resources related to Migration Policy Development and the International Organization for Migration, which are shown in Annex 10, Details on Transfer Payment Programs.

International Migration Policy

Asserting Canada’s role in international migration and protection will remain a focus for CIC in 2007–2008. The policy reaffirms CIC’s commitment to developing a strategic agenda for global migration and protection, particularly in the North American context, and to developing an engagement strategy with international partners.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Develop a strategy for CIC’s engagement abroad in order to better contribute to meeting Canada’s immigration needs and to ensuring the prosperity and security of Canada.	A coherent strategy on CIC’s engagement abroad.
Play the lead role in formulating an international migration policy for the Government of Canada, including working with other government departments to examine the linkage between migration and development.	Increased shared understanding of migration policies and perspectives.
Prepare Canada’s participation in the Global Forum on Migration and Development.	Broader understanding of Canada’s approach to international migration.
Continue to contribute to the growing international dialogue on migration through participation in various bilateral and multilateral forums.

Activity 4 – Refugee Program

Description	Expected Results
Maintaining Canada's humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and persons in need of protection in Canada and abroad.	Maintenance of Canada's humanitarian tradition with respect to refugees and persons in need of protection.

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$103.7M	$97.5M	$95.7M	$95.6M
245 FTEs	249 FTEs	230 FTEs	230 FTEs
Explanation of change: Planned spending for 2007–2008 decreases by $6M as compared to the previous year primarily due to the sunsetting of funding related to refugee reform. Planned spending decreases by $2M in 2008–2009 and future years due to lower levels of corporate services allocated to this activity.

Policy and Program Development

CIC plays a significant role in maintaining Canada’s humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees and persons in refugee-like situations. The Department develops policies and designs programs for the in-Canada refugee protection system and for the identification and resettlement of refugees from abroad. The Department also represents the interests of the federal government in multilateral and bilateral international refugee protection forums.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue efforts to improve the refugee protection system and make further progress toward a program that provides protection where needs are the greatest.	Over the long term, a focused and balanced refugee policy/program that is flexible, proactive and efficient and that provides protection where needs are the greatest while engaging civil society.
Complete an evaluation of the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment Program.
Continue to strengthen relationships with other government departments and external stakeholders, including the IRB, the CBSA, Justice Canada, DFAIT, the Canadian International Development Agency, the UNHCR and the Canadian Council for Refugees and Sponsorship Agreement Holders (private sponsors of refugees), in order to meet our refugee policy objectives and to develop approaches for streamlining the refugee system.	Well-managed partnerships and initiatives at the domestic and international levels that contribute to effective and efficient refugee protection. Client-centred approaches for refugee protection and integration.
Continue to influence discussions and to develop and maintain partnerships in the area of refugee protection at the international level. Initiatives will include: Supporting and monitoring the Safe Third Country Agreement with the US; With the IRB, the RCMP and the CBSA, developing a plan for the full implementation of the Asylum Annex information-sharing agreement with the US; Providing support for the implementation of the Mexico Plan of Action; and Advocating for an international focus on protracted refugee situations.	Enhanced orderly handling of refugee claims, strengthened public confidence in the integrity of our asylum systems and reduced abuse of refugee programs. Implementation of the Mexico Plan of Action allows more refugees in Latin America access to protection and durable solutions. Canadian efforts directly attributed to favourable resolutions to protracted refugee situations.

Selection and Processing of Protected Persons (Resettlement/Asylum)

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Develop and implement improvements to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSR), based on program analysis, the PSR Evaluation and consultations with sponsoring groups.	Improved processing times, increased satisfaction for sponsoring groups, increased approval rates, faster protection for eligible applicants.
Continue to implement administrative measures for the in-Canada refugee protection system in order to render and act on decisions more quickly, while maintaining fairness.	Improved effectiveness and efficiency of the in-Canada refugee protection system, aligned with Canada’s humanitarian tradition. Decreased inventory of permanent residence applications from protected persons.
Work with other government departments to bring together Canada’s various humanitarian responses under a consistent foreign policy approach and to contribute to discussions with multilateral partners on developing strategies for assisting populations in specific protracted refugee situations.	A Canadian framework strategy that maximizes the prospects for all three durable solutions, [note 13] with a particular focus on repatriation and local integration and a strategic use of resettlement to Canada for specific refugee populations.
Deliver the refugee component of the 2007 Immigration Levels Plan.	Protected person targets for 2007 are met.

Immigration Loans Program

Through the immigration loans fund, CIC issues loans to members of the Convention Refugees Abroad and the Humanitarian-Protected Persons Abroad classes. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and the ability to repay the loan. The current limit on the loan fund is $110 million, of which outstanding loan accounts totalled $40.3 million as of March 31, 2006.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Manage loan collection with due diligence to maintain the strong recovery rate for repayment (currently at 91 percent).	Members of the Convention Refugees Abroad and Humanitarian-Protected Persons Abroad classes will have access to the funds they need for medical examinations, transportation to Canada and expenses associated with initial settlement in Canada.

Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program

The objective of the IFH Program is to provide individuals who do not have access to health care with essential and emergency health services that will contribute to optimal health outcomes in a fair, equitable and cost-effective manner.

The program expenditures are projected to fall within the fiscal allotment of $50.3M. Approximately 90,000 clients will benefit from the IFH Program in 2007–2008, generating over 600,000 claims.

Planned Activities

Planned Results

Provide emergency and essential health-care coverage for persons in need of assistance who fall under CIC jurisdiction and are excluded from the definition of “insured person” under the Canada Health Act, including protected persons and refugee claimants. Enhance the IFH Program management by: Improving program accountability frameworks; Further aligning program policy and benefits with client needs; Integrating program policy directions with departmental policies; and Implementing a comprehensive communications strategy.

Improved health and integration outcomes for protected persons in keeping with Canada’s humanitarian tradition and commitments. Accountability and performance management capacity is increased. Clients receive benefits and services that meet their unique needs. Policy integration and program synergies are achieved with other programs such as refugee protection and integration. Clients have better access to health care.

C. Strategic Outcome 3: Successful Integration of Newcomers and Promotion of Canadian Citizenship

Introduction

For Canada to realize the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration, newcomers must integrate successfully into Canadian society. Integration and settlement programs are also crucial in providing immigrants and refugees with a supportive environment that enables them to maximize their potential and realize their aspirations. In Canada, welcoming newcomers and helping them integrate into our society is a community effort that is supported by partnerships with the provinces, municipalities and community organizations. Obtaining Canadian citizenship is a significant step in the settlement process as it enables immigrants to fully participate in Canadian society.

Activity 5 – Integration Program

Description	Expected Results
Develop policies and programs to support the settlement, resettlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society by delivering the orientation, adaptation and language programs for newcomers.	Successful integration of newcomers into Canadian society within a reasonable time frame. Newcomers contribute to the economic, social and cultural development needs of Canada.

 

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$566.9M	$783.2M	$929.0M	$977.0M
368 FTEs	438 FTEs	416 FTEs	421 FTEs
Explanation of change: 2007–2008 planned spending increases by $216M over the previous year due to new funding of $103M for the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, $76M for the extension of Settlement services nationally, escalation of the Canada-Quebec Accord of $28M and additional Settlement funding of $21M. These increases were partially offset by sunsetting funding of integration costs related to the processing of parents and grandparents totalling $12M. In 2008–2009, planned spending rises by $146M over the previous year, primarily due to increased funding of $111M for the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, $25M for additional Settlement funding and escalation of the Canada-Quebec Accord of $13M. These increases will be slightly offset by the sunsetting of $3M of funding for the extension of Settlement services nationally. In 2009–2010, planned spending rises by $48M over the previous year, primarily due to additional Settlement funding. Increasing FTE levels over the planned period reflect additional operating resources related to the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement and additional Settlement funding.

Settlement/Resettlement Policy and Program Development

Settlement programs and services help newcomers to Canada make the transition to becoming fully participating, contributing Canadians.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Support HRSDC to establish a foreign credential assessment and recognition agency that complements existing Government of Canada programming.	Support the creation of an agency that complements existing and planned Government of Canada programs.
Advance the following elements to enhance current integration and settlement programs in order to more effectively deal with the needs of newcomers to Canada: A broader suite of client-centred integration programs for newcomers, including pilot initiatives developed with input from stakeholders, provinces and municipalities; Complementary programs and initiatives that encourage Canadians’ support for and participation in integration, including contribution to language, anti-racism, welcoming communities strategies and the Portal project; and Updated program delivery partnerships and funding arrangements through federal-provincial/territorial consultations, including discussions on the allocation of future settlement funding.	A current and sound integration policy and program framework that encompasses: A results-based policy aligned with Government of Canada priorities and founded on stakeholder consultations and research; Client-focused programs that are better tailored to meet newcomers’ social and economic integration needs; Evidence-based results and recommendations that contribute to appropriate program refinements and development; and An effective and efficient management and accountability framework.

Newcomer Settlement Support

Every year many newcomers receive Settlement services. Quebec, Manitoba and British Columbia have signed agreements with CIC to deliver their own Settlement services. The Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement was also signed in November 2005 with most funds flowing directly to service providers from CIC rather than to the Government of Ontario. In the other provinces, CIC offers three core programs that help newcomers integrate into Canadian society: the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP), [note 14] the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program [note 15] and the Host Program. [note 16]

Budget 2006 committed additional Settlement funding to improve outcomes for immigrants and refugees, and takes a step in addressing funding parity with the Ontario Agreement. This additional funding includes $77 million for provinces/territories (except Quebec and Ontario) for 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, and $230 million for Ontario for 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 as per the terms of the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement.

In addition, it is important that employers do not overlook eligible workers. The Department is working with provincial and territorial partners to strengthen credential-recognition capacity across the country as a means to more effectively tap into the skills of qualified foreign-trained workers and improve immigrant outcomes.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue to implement recommendations from the Resettlement Assistance Program evaluation.	Evidence-based results and recommendations contribute to program improvements and improved integration outcomes for refugees.
Continue effective program management and development, with contribution of funding for: Approved settlement programs (e.g., LINC, ISAP, Host) and related pilot programs and initiatives (e.g., the Enhanced Language Training initiative, the Portal project); and Implementation of the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement.	Improved service delivery and client outcomes. Enhanced delivery and funding models that are tailored to and meet both clients’ needs and Canada’s interests.

Activity 6 – Citizenship Program

Description	Expected Results
Design, develop and implement policies and programs to administer the acquisition of Canadian citizenship and to enhance the values and promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.	Accordance of full participation in Canadian society to eligible permanent residents.

 

Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents
Forecast spending 2006–2007	Planned spending 2007–2008	Planned spending 2008–2009	Planned spending 2009–2010
$105.9M	$59.3M	$54.6M	$54.3M
955 FTEs	554 FTEs	507 FTEs	507 FTEs
Explanation of change: Planned spending for 2007–2008 decreases by $47M, primarily due to reduced funding of $39M for citizenship inventory processing and additional Expenditure Review Committee reductions of $5M. In addition, a one-time $3M grant was paid in 2006–2007 to establish the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. Planned spending for 2008–2009 and future years decreases, primarily due to one-time costs related to the 60th anniversary of the Citizenship Act. Decreasing FTE levels over the planning period are related to the sunsetting of temporary funding for citizenship inventory processing.

Citizenship Policy and Program Development

Obtaining citizenship is a significant step in the integration process for newcomers because it signifies the opportunity for full participation in Canadian life. In 2006–2007 the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) was established, and official launch events took place in January 2007. The ICC is an independent not-for-profit organization that operates beyond the existing scope of federal programming. CIC supported the ICC in securing the necessary approvals and initial funding. CIC will continue to foster an ongoing relationship with the ICC as a key partner in citizenship policy and program development.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Advance citizenship policy, legislation and strategies to address current issues (e.g., access to citizenship for adopted children).	Citizenship program supports integration program and Government of Canada priorities. Enhanced citizenship outcomes and client satisfaction.
Promote the value of citizenship to Canadians and newcomers through citizenship ceremonies.	Active citizenship is promoted among Canadians.
Identify and implement sustainable solutions to improve service to citizenship clients.	Builds on technological solutions and partnerships for program delivery, while ensuring program integrity.

Citizenship Processing and Program Delivery

Citizenship reference levels for 2007–2008 are approximately $38 million less than 2006–2007. March 31, 2007, marked the end of a two-year citizenship inventory reduction initiative to address short-term pressures. During the two-year period, processing times for grants were reduced from 15–18 months to 12 months. Processing times for proofs were reduced from five–seven months to three months. In 2005–2006, 220,170 permanent residents received citizenship, up from 183,582 in 2004–2005. CIC continues to examine and implement options for sustainable inventory management.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Continue to identify and implement sustainable solutions for decreased inventories and faster processing.	Recommendations identified to improve client outcomes and satisfaction and enhance citizenship program efficiency and effectiveness.
Provide functional and operational support and guidance within a coherent, consistent and integrated service delivery model. Process citizenship applications: Citizenship grants [Forecast: 170,000] Citizenship proofs [Forecast: 38,000]	Maintain current processing times for reference levels of 170,000 grants and 38,000 proofs. If the number of applications received exceeds the reference levels, processing times will rise.

Citizenship Promotion

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Canadian Citizenship, CIC is planning promotional activities and special events to be held across Canada throughout 2007. These activities and events will be aimed at commemorating this milestone and engaging both newcomers and citizens. It was 60 years ago, on January 1, 1947, that Canada's first citizenship legislation came into effect. Prior to that date, most people residing in Canada were considered British subjects, not Canadian citizens.

Planned Activities

Planned Results

Continue to promote the values, rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship through events and activities such as Celebrate Canada and ceremonies (reaffirmations and special ceremonies). Canada’s Citizenship Week (CCW) and Celebrate Canada will be supported through CIC’s regional offices, which plan special citizenship ceremonies in local communities. Implement activities in support of the 60th anniversary of Canadian citizenship. Continue to make available resources, including the Cultivate Your Commitment to Canada series, to support the teaching of citizenship in classrooms across the country. Continue to enhance citizenship ceremonies so they are more meaningful and interactive for new Canadians and established Canadians.

A better understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, along with the awareness of the values of Canadian citizenship, among new Canadians.

D. Other Programs and Services

Health Risk Mitigation

Health Risk Mitigation includes the development of policies and program frameworks, as well as the implementation of risk mitigation strategies. It supports the activities of three CIC programs, namely the Immigration, Temporary Resident and Refugee Programs. The following planned activities reflect the changing migration patterns to Canada and the resulting shifts in health risks.

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Policy Development Review strategies and policies related to the evaluation and management of public health risks, giving priority to tuberculosis (TB), and develop timely policies in response to emerging diseases and outbreaks in source countries for immigrants to Canada.	CIC’s strategic directions, priorities and role in the mitigation of foreign-born public health risks to Canadians will be clarified, endorsed by public health partners and implemented.
Immigration Medical Examination/Assessment Review the function, format and medium of the Immigration Medical Examination and Assessment Protocol used for health admissibility screening to enhance the mitigation of health risk to the Canadian public inherent to the movement of migrants across international borders.	Creation of a more robust and flexible Immigration Medical Examination and Assessment mechanism permitting focused health intervention for identified migrant groups with higher health risk.
Enhance CIC’s relationship with clinicians and laboratories involved in medical data acquisition procedures at all levels.	Improved health-related program integrity.
Medical Surveillance Streamline the reporting to Canadian provincial/territorial public health authorities of applicants admissible with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis (PTI), complex PTI or other complex non-infectious TB for medical management. Develop strategies to improve compliance with surveillance of newcomers who pose a tuberculosis or syphilis risk.	Applicants under surveillance will receive timely referral to provincial/territorial health authorities.

 

Planned Activities	Planned Results
Refugee Health Management Develop health risk management strategies for refugees originating from difficult environmental conditions with limited health prevention and care facilities, high tuberculosis and Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR)-TB incidence/prevalence and frequent outbreaks of malaria, dengue hemorrhagic fever, cholera and/or influenza-like illnesses. Enhance pre-departure interventions and post-arrival linkage to health care by engaging provinces and territories.	Reduced cases of active TB and other infectious diseases in new refugees, improved refugee health outcomes and, overall, increased protection of health of Canadians.
Research and Evaluation Medical Services Branch will establish partnerships to identify factors predictive of tuberculosis reactivation in newcomers to Canada.	Gaps in the screening program will be identified and an action plan will be developed to correct them.
Conduct an evaluation to assess lessons learned related to tuberculosis screening and management of Karen refugees resettled in Canada (August–December 2006).	Effectiveness and validity of the enhanced TB management of the Karen refugee group will be measured.
Partnerships CIC’s partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada is crucial, as the Agency has overall responsibility for the protection of Canadians. Similarly, provincial and territorial public health authorities have responsibility for public health in their jurisdiction. CIC will strengthen its relationships with its in-Canada and international partners to optimize migrant outcome, analyse health risks to Canadians and identify evolving health issues as they arise.	Increased exchange of reliable and objective health-related information among partners, and more effective policies and actions to mitigate health risks and appropriate responsibility sharing.

Global Case Management System

The Global Case Management System (GCMS) is a critical component of the infrastructure that will help CIC accomplish its strategic outcomes and priorities. The GCMS is a secure, reliable and efficient case management tool that will integrate citizenship, immigration and enforcement data worldwide. This multi-year project will replace 12 different, aging, archaic and incompatible core business systems, some of which are 30 years old, supporting over 240 points of service across Canada and around the world. The GCMS will significantly change the way CIC and the CBSA do business. A unique client identifier will link all clients’ interactions with both organizations, from their first contact with a mission right through to an application for citizenship or a final removal from Canada. Ultimately, it will help streamline operations, standardize business practices and improve client service across both organizations.

Since the project began in 2000, a number of external events, such as the decision to use a commercial software package rather than develop one in-house, have significantly affected the environment in which the GCMS is being developed. In addition, the scope of the project was expanded to respond to other significant events, among them a comprehensive reform of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in 2002; the split of CIC and the creation of the CBSA in 2003, which divided responsibility for the IRPA across the two departments; and an increased focus on national security post-9/11. This has caused major change for the GCMS project and as a result, the GCMS application itself needed to be modified to accommodate the new requirements resulting from these events.

Nonetheless, significant progress has been made since the project was launched. The departmental infrastructure has been upgraded to a modern, secure and scalable technology platform capable of providing 24/7 access to the GCMS for CIC and CBSA employees located in domestic and international sites. CIC already benefits from the first deployment of the GCMS, which became operational in September 2004 and supports the Citizenship Program with 1,320 staff across Canada. The GCMS, in combination with additional resources, directly contributed to effectively doubling the level of citizenship grants in 2005–2006.

The project has developed the Immigration and Enforcement modules of the application and has now entered the System Test Phase, which is a critical phase to ensure all the case management functionality works as designed. As progress has been monitored through the System Test Phase, CIC has concluded that successful completion will take more time than anticipated. The second release in support of Immigration and Enforcement is much more challenging than the first release in support of Citizenship due primarily to the breadth of functionality interdependency, including interfaces with 18 delivery partners, and the complexity of the data conversion requirements. Testing of the GCMS is proving to be extremely elaborate due to the unprecedented high number of large and complicated data bases being integrated into one single platform. These 12 systems were developed at different times for varying purposes and have a compound of size and data definitions, resulting in a more complex conversion process than anticipated. The data touch the lives of millions of people and are vital to the service and security CIC and CBSA are mandated to provide and ensure.

The implementation of the GCMS has to be done properly. In that regard, CIC and CBSA are currently reconsidering implementation options as a result of an independent review conducted in December 2006. The review recommended that the project take the time to conduct a project quality verification and options analysis. This work is expected to be complete in the spring of 2007. CIC and CBSA will then propose a revised implementation plan to ensure a successful completion of the GCMS and the safest possible implementation worldwide.

Research

Strategic research activities continue to focus on the economic, social and cultural outcomes of newcomers to Canada. This work encompasses research into a wide range of social and economic policy questions, including demographic impacts, language acquisition, poverty, social inclusion, outcomes of children, outcomes of seniors, and the diversity of neighbourhoods and values. It also includes targeted research to meet specific needs of the policy and program branches. At the same time, support is provided for horizontal policy development initiatives with other government departments, such as HRSDC, on labour market impacts and requirements.

Finally, considerable effort is directed at meeting the statistical requirements of policies and programs through the development of administrative data for use by the Department, the provinces and territories, and other stakeholders. This work includes corporate reporting (Facts and Figures [note 17]; The Monitor [note 18]; statistics for the Annual Report, the Report on Plans and Priorities, and the Departmental Performance Report), providing data to Statistics Canada for population estimates and equalization payments, providing data to the provinces, and linking citizenship and sponsorship data to permanent resident data and the refugee claimant continuum.

Strategic research activities at CIC will continue to develop a data infrastructure by building on existing data systems. In 2007–2008, existing databases will be extended to support investigations into immigrant businesses and the transition of newcomers from temporary to permanent residency. Research activities will focus on, among other issues, the dynamics of immigrant individual and household economic performance, with an emphasis on skilled workers and immigrants in business, as well as on occupational and industry mix, language acquisition—including the official language ability of immigrants and their literacy levels—neighbourhood dynamics, and the outcomes of immigrant children. CIC will continue to expand the range of information available to the public through publications such as Facts and Figures and The Monitor.

Metropolis

In 1995, CIC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada created the Metropolis Project to enhance the ability of CIC and other government departments to manage the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities associated with migration and the integration of ethnic, racial and religious minorities in large cities. The aims of Metropolis are to stimulate academic research in the field; encourage its use by policy makers and other government officials; and create opportunities for active collaboration among academic researchers, government officials and non-governmental organizations for managing issues relating to immigration and diversity, especially as they affect Canadian cities.

CIC, supported by a consortium of federal departments and agencies, [note 19] leads the Metropolis Project. During the next phase of the project, Metropolis will continue to organize annual international and national conferences over the next three years. Each event is expected to attract between 600 and 1,000 Canadian and international researchers, scholars, policy makers and representatives of civil society. The 9th National Metropolis Conference will take place in Toronto from March 1 to 4, 2007; and the 12th International Metropolis Conference will be held in Melbourne, Australia, in October 2007. In 2008, the national conference will take place in Halifax in April and the international conference will take place in Bonn, Germany, in the fall.

Through presentations and seminars, Metropolis will organize highly focused, policy relevant events that will bring together policy makers, academics and non-governmental sector participants to discuss emerging issues in the fields of immigration and diversity. The five Metropolis centres of excellence in Canada will continue to conduct research into migration and diversity and to publish extensive series of working papers, scholarly articles and books. The centres will also stage local seminar series, symposia and other events. More information is available on the many Web sites associated with the project, which can be accessed at http://metropolis.net.

Gender-Based Analysis in CIC

Under the IRPA, CIC is accountable to Parliament for conducting gender-based analysis (GBA) of the impact of the Act and its regulations. The Department developed a strategic framework for gender-based analysis at CIC for 2005–2010. The overall objective of the framework is to integrate GBA into CIC’s work in order to meet the reporting requirement through branch GBA plans and to achieve the broader departmental policy and program objectives and commitments on GBA.

The Department was reorganized in April 2006, and the GBA function was transferred to the Corporate Services Sector. This step affords greater opportunities to integrate GBA into the planning and reporting processes. In addition, the CIC Policy Committee, which guides departmental policy directions, priorities and decision making, provides an oversight role to ensure that gender considerations are taken into account in the policy development process.

In the coming year, CIC will continue to provide policy development training courses in GBA in order to build the knowledge needed to make GBA part of the Department’s daily work. As part of the GBA plans, a range of other initiatives are ongoing. For example, a preliminary assessment of gender issues for francophone minority communities was identified as an initiative, and effort will continue to ensure the collection of baseline data by gender within these communities. A project to develop communication tools on diversity awareness and to facilitate the integration of French-speaking women from ethnocultural communities in New Brunswick is underway. CIC, along with Status of Women Canada, has provided funding to the Canadian Council for Refugees to support the development of a tool that will help to build the capacity in the settlement sector to apply GBA in the advocacy for, and the development, implementation and evaluation of, settlement programs and services.

Gender has been included as a criterion for future evaluations of the Federal Skilled Worker Program. When sufficient data on skilled worker immigrants selected under the IRPA selection grid are available, they will then be disaggregated by gender and differences in economic outcomes can be analysed. Having concluded a successful consultation process with stakeholders in 2005, CIC is continuing its review of the live-in caregiver program.

Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative (TWRI)

Responsibility for the TWRI was transferred from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada to the President of the Treasury Board Secretariat through an Order in Council dated February 6, 2006. The TWRI currently falls under Environment Canada.

 

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page