Departmental Results Report

Table of contents

• Minister's message
• Results at a glance
• Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do
  • Raison d'être
  • Mandate and role
• Operating context and key risks
  • Operating context
  • Key risks
• Results: what we achieved
  • Programs
  • Program 1.1: Permanent Economic Residents
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 1.2: Temporary Economic Residents
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 2.1: Family and Discretionary Immigration
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 2.2: Refugee Protection
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 3.1: Newcomer Settlement and Integration
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 3.2: Citizenship for Newcomers and All Canadians
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 4.1: Health Protection
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 4.2: Migration Control and Security Management
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 4.3: Canadian Influence in International Migration and Integration Agenda
    • Description
    • Results
  • Program 4.4: Passport
    • Description
    • Results
  • Internal Services
    • Description
    • Results
• Analysis of trends in spending and human resources
  • Actual expenditures
  • Actual human resources
  • Expenditures by vote
  • Government of Canada spending and activities
  • Financial statements and financial statements highlights
    • Financial statements
    • Financial statements highlights
• Supplementary information
  • Corporate information
    • Organizational profile
    • Reporting framework
  • Supporting information on lower-level programs
  • Supplementary information tables
  • Federal tax expenditures
  • Organizational contact information
• Appendix: definitions

Minister's message

For many generations, immigrants have come to Canada from all over the world. They have helped shape our country, enriching our culture and using their skills and entrepreneurship to contribute to our economy. Considering our aging population and low birth rate, their participation in Canada’s expanding labour market makes more sense than ever. Investing in immigration will ensure our communities remain productive and vibrant.

It is with this in mind that, in 2017, the Department introduced a multi-year immigration plan, which sets out the highest levels of permanent residents that Canada will welcome in recent history. Under this framework, we will bring in more skilled and experienced workers to benefit our economy. Also, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and the Global Skills Strategy were introduced to help attract and retain talented workers from abroad and contribute to the development of some of the country’s most exciting nascent companies. In addition, in 2018, the Start-up Visa Program was made permanent after a successful five-year pilot phase.

We are committed to improving client service and the Department has made great strides in reducing processing times across all of our business lines. Spouses formerly had to wait 26 months for their sponsorship application but can now be reunited in 12 months. Families, too, can now be reunited sooner under the Parents and Grandparents Program, with the majority of applications being processed within two years. New permanent residence applications submitted through the former Live-in Caregiver Program on or after October 1, 2017 are now processed in 12 months, compared to 60 months or more in the past. Both the Caring for Children Class and the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class feature processing times of six months. In addition, citizenship grants used to take 24 months or more to process but now take just 12 months or less.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also continued to meet our humanitarian commitments in 2017 by safely resettling approximately 41,000 refugees and protected persons, including over 1,400 survivors of Daesh as of July 2018.

Irregular migration, particularly with respect to asylum seekers crossing the Canada-U.S. border between official ports of entry, remains a challenge. In response, the government continues to regularly engage provinces and foreign governments to address international migration developments and deter irregular migration.

While Canada continues to welcome immigrants and refugees, we use a rigorous security management system to prevent fraud and ensure the safety of Canadians. We have also made significant investments in security screening supports at our border and short-term processing at the Immigration and Refugee Board, adding $173 million in resources through Budget 2018.

As part of ongoing efforts to improve delivery of settlement services and integration outcomes for newcomers, in 2017–2018, Ministerial consultations took place across the country with a variety of stakeholder groups, including provinces and territories, leading to the development of a shared vision to support immigrants in their social and economic outcomes.

In 2017, the Citizenship Act was amended to make citizenship more attainable by, for example, reducing the residency requirements for permanent residents and adjusting the age range required to meet language and knowledge requirements. These new provisions will help younger and older eligible immigrants obtain citizenship faster.

All of this is the result of the hard work of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada employees across Canada and the world. I am tremendously proud of these accomplishments and invite you to review this report to learn more.

Results at a glance

For more information on the Department's plans, priorities and results achieved, see the "Results: what we achieved" section of this report.

Raison d'être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d'être

Canada is a country that has been greatly impacted by immigration, welcoming 15 million people since Confederation and home to over 200 ethnic communities. Immigration has been crucial in shaping Canada into the diverse and prosperous nation it is today and, looking forward, stands to be equally fundamental to Canada's future social cohesion and economic prosperity. To this end, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) facilitates the entry of temporary residents, manages the selection, settlement and integration of newcomers, grants citizenship and issues passports to eligible citizens.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is responsible for this organization.

Note: Until the establishing legislation is amended, the legal name of the department for the purposes of Appropriation Acts remains Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

Mandate and role

IRCC selects and welcomes, as permanent and temporary residents, foreign nationals whose skills contribute to Canadian prosperity. It also reunites family members.

The Department maintains Canada's humanitarian tradition by welcoming refugees and other people in need of protection, thereby upholding its international obligations and reputation.

IRCC, in collaboration with its partners, conducts the screening of potential permanent and temporary residents to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. IRCC is also responsible for the issuance and control of Canadian passports and other travel documents that facilitate the travel of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons.

Lastly, the Department builds a stronger Canada by helping all newcomers settle and integrate into Canadian society and the economy, and by encouraging, granting and providing proof of Canadian citizenship.

IRCC offers its many programs either directly or through contract, grant or contribution agreement, or in partnership with other government departments. Services are offered on the IRCC website, as well as at 25 in-Canada points of service and 59 points of service in 49 countries. As of June 6, 2018, there were 137 visa application centres in 95 countries, 135 application support centres^Footnote1 in the United States, as well as a panel physicians network operating around the world. Settlement and integration services are offered through a network of over 500 service provider organizations across Canada. The Department also works with Service Canada as its principal domestic passport service delivery partner, leveraging the latter's extensive network of passport processing centres and walk-in sites (34 passport offices and 316 Service Canada centres). IRCC also partners with Global Affairs Canada, which provides passport services abroad in 205 different locations.

For more general information about the department, see the "Supplementary information" section of this report. For more information on the department's organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister's mandate letter.

Operating context and key risks

Operating context

Annually, through its key lines of business, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) interacts with millions of individuals, including those seeking temporary or permanent resident entry into Canada and subsequently settling into Canadian society, as well as those seeking Canadian citizenship. The Department also interacts with individuals seeking to obtain or renew a Canadian passport or other travel document such as a certificate of identity or a refugee travel document.

IRCC works to facilitate the legitimate entry of visitors, economic immigrants, sponsored family members and those seeking protection in Canada, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. The Department balances competing pressures, notably: responding to domestic labour market demands and doing so in a world with an increasingly mobile work force; working to ensure that immigration contributes to economic growth; and addressing efforts to streamline service delivery and enhance the client experience, while also adequately responding to increasingly complex safety and security challenges. In addition, to ensure the successful integration of newcomers to Canada, IRCC engages regularly and extensively with provinces and territories on a variety of key immigration-related topics, such as immigration levels planning, economic immigration, and settlement and integration of newcomers, including refugees and protected persons.

Canada's multi-year immigration plan includes efforts to reunite families and offer protection to displaced and persecuted individuals. The plan also builds on efforts to attract and retain top global talent that will contribute to the growth of the Canadian economy. In 2017, approximately 286,000 permanent residents were admitted to Canada, slightly less than the 2016 figure of 296,000. The Department has established a target of 340,000 permanent residents by 2020. Furthermore, the number of temporary resident applications continued to rise, increasing by 85% between 2006 and 2016, as Canada seeks to attract more visitors, international students, highly skilled workers and other top global talent.

Meeting higher permanent resident immigration volumes that strike a balance between economic, family and refugee immigration—while maintaining the Department's service delivery standards for the processing of temporary resident, passport and citizenship applications—places pressure on the Department's operational capacity. Enhancing client experience by minimizing application processing times and meeting service standards requires that the Department continually examine and reallocate resources across its processing network—comprised of domestic and global offices as well as centralized processing centres—and leverage new technologies where possible.

With increased competition for skilled workers and the number of migrants world-wide at an all-time high, IRCC continues to align and streamline its processes and efforts both internally and with federal partners to ensure the efficient entry and effective integration of immigrants into the Canadian economy and society.

Key risks

In recent years, IRCC has undertaken extraordinary efforts in numerous areas: to meet evolving mandate commitments; to achieve higher immigration levels targets for permanent residents and process increasing volumes of temporary residents; to satisfy increasing public and Parliamentary expectations; to continue to implement a transformation agenda and meet Central Agency requirements; and to consistently meet targets and service standards.

IRCC faces complex choices as it juggles delivery of the most ambitious immigration levels plan in recent history with a focus on innovation, a push for client service excellence, and the implementation of significant changes to legislative, policy, program and process frameworks—all while maintaining program integrity. With plans to increase immigration levels in the coming years, IRCC is pursuing a higher integration of its networks to transform the way it does business, while also leveraging new technologies.

A key challenge has been accommodating growth: hiring and training staff, and fitting up the space and technology required to deliver on immigration levels. All of this takes time and depends on strong partnerships, so these initiatives often involve difficult trade-offs regarding priorities.

Risks

1. Service Delivery and Program Integrity (Existing but revised)

Given the increasingly complex, high volume, evolving, fast-paced operating environment across IRCC services and programs, there is a risk that IRCC will not be able to meet service delivery objectives, and may not deliver the right service to the right person‒or fund the right services‒for the right reason in a consistent and transparent manner.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness

• Project-managed key areas of the multi-year immigration levels plan for rigour and consistency, enabling the Department to admit within the targeted range of permanent residents for 2017.
• Conducted a pilot to test advanced analytics data and decisions, and continued to automate low-risk decision-making processes, which is helping to reduce processing times.
• Continued to implement program integrity measures, such as reviews and interventions, compliance monitoring, and quality assurance exercises on the application decision-making process, program integrity framework, and exercises to monitor and address integrity risks.

Link to the Department's programs: All programs

Link to mandate letter commitments and any government-wide or departmental priorities

• Review the visa policy framework in a way that promotes economic growth while ensuring program integrity
• Improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program so it meets the needs of Canadian workers and employers
• Ensure the effective implementation of Canada's increased annual immigration levels
• Ensure a renewed focus on the delivery of high-quality settlement services to ensure the successful arrival of new Canadians
• Continue to welcome refugees from Syria and elsewhere, and ensure refugees are integrating successfully into Canada
• Reduce application processing times, improve service delivery and client services, and enhance system efficiency

2. Reliance on partners and third parties (Existing)

Given that IRCC is dependent on complex relationships to deliver its internal and external services, as well as to support policy and program development, there is a risk that partners and third parties may not engage or deliver services or provide information in an effective and timely manner, which could affect achievement of IRCC's priorities and objectives.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness

• Increased collaboration with key security screening partners, to support new IRCC facilitation programs and to develop new approaches to service delivery.
• Increased funding for the Settlement Program, to expand and improve consistent settlement services for newcomers.
• Worked with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to expand information-sharing authorities and capabilities.

Link to the Department's programs: All programs

Link to mandate letter commitments and any government-wide or departmental priorities

• Review the visa policy framework in a way that promotes economic growth while ensuring program integrity
• Improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program so it meets the needs of Canadian workers and employers
• Ensure the effective implementation of Canada's increased annual immigration levels
• Ensure a renewed focus on the delivery of high-quality settlement services to ensure the successful arrival of new Canadians
• Continue to welcome refugees from Syria and elsewhere, and ensure refugees are integrating successfully into Canada
• Make changes to the Oath of Canadian Citizenship to reflect the Truth and Reconciliation's Calls to Action
• Reduce application processing times, improve service delivery and client services, and enhance system efficiency

3. Severe, prolonged or cumulative emergencies (Existing)

There is a risk that severe, prolonged or cumulative natural disasters, unexpected crises or emergencies, and emerging world events could affect IRCC's operations or infrastructure in ways that could overburden, shut down, or require significant changes to its standard program delivery, endanger employees and Canadians, permanent or temporary residents, or refugees, have significant financial impacts, and undermine the Department's and Canada's reputations.

Mitigating strategy and effectiveness

• Increased participation in interdepartmental task forces and working groups has improved active representation of IRCC's mandated programs in the planning and delivery of integrated emergency responses.
• Implemented the intergovernmental task force and collaborated with provinces and territories to prepare for and address spikes in irregular migration.
• Promoted the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative, to support other countries in their ability to accept more refugees.

Link to the Department's programs: All programs, in particular for this year, asylum and refugee resettlement

Link to mandate letter commitments and any government-wide or departmental priorities

• Continue to welcome refugees from Syria and elsewhere, and ensure refugees are integrating successfully into Canada
• Reduce application processing times, improve service delivery and client services, and enhance system efficiency

Results: what we achieved

Programs^Footnote2

Program 1.1: Permanent Economic Residents

Description

Rooted in objectives outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the focus of this program is on the selection and processing of immigrants who can support the development of a strong and prosperous Canada, in which the benefits of immigration are shared across all regions of Canada. The acceptance of qualified permanent residents helps the Government meet its economic objectives, such as building a skilled work force, addressing immediate and longer-term labour market needs, and supporting national and regional labour force growth. The selection and processing of applications involve the granting of permanent residence to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Results

Focus on economic immigration

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot was launched in January 2017 to increase the rate of immigration to the four Atlantic provinces in order to address demographic challenges, fill labour gaps and support economic growth. A distinguishing feature of the pilot is the increased role of employers, in partnership with immigrant settlement service provider organizations (SPOs), in the retention of newcomer employees and their families.

The Department took steps over the last year to increase awareness of this pilot project through over 700 engagement and outreach activities with the provinces and other partners. In its first full year of operation, over 900 Atlantic employers have been designated by provinces to participate in the pilot. IRCC is working with provincial governments, employers and settlement SPOs to monitor and report on progress and results.

Start-up Visa

Increasing Express Entry application volumes

The Express Entry system is a key component of Canada's management of economic immigration. Candidates who wish to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system are selected based on points awarded through the comprehensive ranking system and placed in the Express Entry pool. Invitations to apply for permanent residency are awarded to the highest ranked candidates in the pool, and occur every few weeks throughout the year.

In 2017–2018, the Express Entry system grew in use and is now the primary method for selecting potential economic class immigrants. Over 78,800 invitations were sent through 27 invitation rounds. In order to address a reduced pool in the Express Entry inventory, the Department increased the number invited to apply during the first half of 2017–2018.

Furthermore, the Department introduced two new means for candidates to obtain additional points: French language proficiency, and a sibling already in Canada. Other enhancements were also introduced during the last year: job bank registration became voluntary; data sharing with provinces and territories increased; new targeted messaging for individuals residing in a Francophone community outside Quebec and with respect to foreign credential recognition; and a new process was introduced for candidates who receive a tie score.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: According to the OECD, Canada's foreign-born employment rate increased slightly, from 71% in 2015 to 71.7% in 2016 (latest available data), and is also up from 68.8% in 2010. Although positive, Canada falls one spot in the OECD rankings, from 7th place in 2015 to 8th in 2016. Increases in other countries' employment rates and changes to OECD membership have contributed to the lower ranking. See other indicator analyses for details on permanent resident earnings and incidence of employment.

Indicator 2: The percentage of economic permanent resident principal applicants who settle and are retained outside the Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver CMAs three years after landing is increasing year over year, from approximately 34% to 39%. While this reflects that a greater percentage of economic principal applicants are destined to and remaining outside these metropolitan areas, this target was still just short of being met in 2017–2018.

Indicator 3: In 2017, the average earnings of economic principal applicants five years after landing exceeded the Canadian average by 6.15%. This result is reflective of selection based on factors related to applicants' ability to establish economically.

Indicator 4: The percentage of economic permanent resident admissions relative to overall permanent resident admissions was 55.6% in 2017, falling slightly below the planned target of 57.5%. Economic admissions have generally been increasing over the last 10 years, with the exception of 2013 and 2016, when government priorities focused on refugees and family class immigrants, resulting in lower admissions in economic classes. The increase from 2016 reflects continued emphasis on economic classes.

Indicator 5: In 2017, a total of 56,739 temporary residents transitioned to permanent residence as principal applicants under an economic class program, representing a 31% increase from 2016. This increase is likely related, in part, to changes in the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System, which saw increased points for applicants who were international students.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to additional resources required to implement the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan and to address the salary increases following the renewal of collective agreements in 2017–2018. It also stems from adjustments to reflect actual costs of refunds of previous year revenues and other fees returned to applicants.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan and salary increases were granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Program 1.2: Temporary Economic Residents

Description

Rooted in objectives outlined in IRPA, the focus of this program is to establish and apply the rules governing entry into Canada of foreign nationals authorized for temporary work and study. Temporary economic migration enhances Canada’s trade, commerce, cultural, educational and scientific activities, in support of our overall economic and social prosperity and national interests. The selection and processing involve the issuance of temporary resident visas, work permits and study permits to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Results

Global Skills Strategy

International Mobility Program

In 2017–2018, the Department responded to more than 5,400 enquiries about foreign workers from Canadian companies and issued over 3,600 Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption opinions, which support final decision making in issuing work permits at the port of entry for foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries.

Protecting temporary workers

IRCC continued its collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to better protect migrant workers.

More specifically, collaborative efforts included ensuring that the rights of temporary foreign workers in Canada were protected and enforced through a robust employer compliance regime. Efforts also included working together in order to support: unannounced inspections under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program; the continued implementation of the International Mobility Program compliance regime; and, the ongoing collection of labour market information related to open work permits.

International Experience Canada

International Experience Canada (IEC) manages youth mobility arrangements between Canada and more than 30 other countries and foreign territories to facilitate work permits/visas for youth. A new campaign was launched to increase awareness of, and participation in, the program through: rebranding of its visual identity; advertising and marketing to youth on social media channels; and developing partnerships and collaboration with stakeholders to identify and address barriers to participation by Canadian youth.

In an effort to ensure that IEC is as inclusive as possible, IRCC is performing public opinion research with a wide range of respondents and reaching out to key stakeholders to better understand the motivators and barriers to work experiences abroad. The objective of these exercises is to establish partnerships and pilot projects that will help address those barriers. In particular, IEC is focusing on linkages with LGBTQ2 youth, Indigenous youth (including an Indigenous-only pilot that is currently under way), and young women in leadership.

Processing increasing application volumes

In order to address increases in temporary resident visa application volumes, IRCC has been piloting bulk processing for these applications. Applications which are considered to be routine and straightforward are processed in batches, allowing for faster approvals and a reduction in processing times. This allows IRCC to triage and examine more complex files for a more thorough review. Results to date have been positive and show the potential for using computer analytics to inform and refine processing techniques.

International students

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017, a total of 92% of new applications and 99% of applications for extensions were finalized within the established service standard. These results are well above the service standard target of 80%. Over the last decade, there has been a considerable rise in applications for study permits; the Department continues to look at ways to respond to higher volumes, improve services and maintain processing times using innovative approaches.

Indicator 2: 85% of work permit applications submitted overseas were finalized within the established service standard. This is higher than the 80% target, and allows employers timely access to foreign labour when necessary. The Department’s move to an integrated network in 2016 has allowed a more equal distribution of the workload, contributing to greater uniformity in achieving operational targets within the network.

Indicator 3: Service standards were met for 96% of IEC applications for work permits during 2017–2018—slightly below the target of 100%. However, the latest figure is slightly higher than the 95% reported in 2016–2017, which was impacted by the transition of IEC application data from a previous data system (Kompass) to the Department’s Global Case Management System.

Program 2.1: Family and Discretionary Immigration

Description

IRCC’s family and discretionary programs support the Government of Canada’s social goals for immigration. The program’s objectives are to reunite family members in Canada, and to allow for the processing of exceptional cases. Family Class provisions of IRPA enable Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada to apply to sponsor eligible members of the Family Class, including spouses and partners, dependent children, and parents and grandparents. Discretionary provisions in the legislation are used in cases where there are humanitarian and compassionate considerations or for public policy reasons. These discretionary provisions provide the flexibility to approve exceptional and deserving cases not anticipated in the legislation and to support the Government of Canada in its humanitarian response to world events and crises. Eligibility assessment and processing involve the granting of permanent or temporary residence to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Results

New regulatory changes for family sponsorship

In 2017, IRCC made two important regulatory changes to respond to the Minister's mandate letter commitments related to family sponsorship:

• In April 2017, IRCC eliminated the condition that required some sponsored spouses and partners to live with their sponsor for two years in order to maintain their permanent resident status. This change supports the government's commitment to ensuring gender equality and combatting gender-based violence by addressing concerns that the condition may potentially result in vulnerable spouses and partners staying in abusive relationships; and
• In October 2017, IRCC increased the age of dependency from under 19 to under 22 years so that parents are now able to include single children who are under 22 on their application to immigrate to Canada or apply to sponsor them. Children who are 22 or over and who are dependent on their parents due to a physical or mental condition are also eligible.

Processing times

Over the past year, IRCC significantly improved the family spousal sponsorship process, making it faster and easier for Canadians and permanent residents to reunite with their families. In December 2016, IRCC made a commitment to reduce the backlog of spousal applicants by 80% and to shorten processing times to 12 months. As of December 31, 2017, the global spousal backlog of 75,000 applications was reduced by more than 80% to 15,000. As of the same date, IRCC began processing 80% of new applications (received after December 7, 2016) within 12 months.

Similarly, the Department reduced the inventory of parent and grandparent applications by over 80% from 2011 to 2017. Furthermore, IRCC introduced a new intake process for the Parents and Grandparents Program while ensuring that inventories are reduced and processing times remain low.

Following indications that family class clients experience anxiety as a result of not knowing whether their application package has been received, the Department piloted a service to alert clients by text message within 24 hours of their application arriving at IRCC. Feedback collected through a subscriber survey indicated that clients experienced lower anxiety and increased assurance. Specifically, 99% of users described the text message service as “making me feel confident that IRCC got my package safely.”

Moreover, 97% indicated that subscribing to the service was easy and 97% indicated it was helpful. Overall, the service was found to make the process less stressful, eliminate the worry about whether the application package arrived, and provide small yet important peace of mind. IRCC is using the results of this pilot to help determine which permanent changes will be made to its client service practices.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017, Canada admitted 86,179 people under the family and discretionary immigration class, which is within the target range of 82,900 to 90,500. This is up from 81,390 in 2016 and 69,911 in 2015, and is largely due to the government’s focus on family reunification and the fact that higher immigration levels were allocated to this category.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to the implementation of the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan. Further spending was also incurred for additional salary costs following the renewal of collective agreements in 2017–2018.

In-year funding related to the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan and salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Program 2.2: Refugee Protection

Description

The Refugee Protection Program is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted. Overseas, refugees and persons in refugee-like situations are approved by Canadian visa officers to be resettled as permanent residents to Canada. Flowing from Canada's international and domestic legal obligations, the in-Canada asylum system evaluates the claims of individuals seeking asylum in Canada and grants protected person status when a positive decision is rendered by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal.

Results

Refugee resettlement in 2017

In 2017, the Department admitted approximately 41,000 protected persons and refugees. This included granting permanent residency to approximately 26,000 refugees.

Resettlement of survivors of Daesh

Client service

The Department has devoted significant effort to processing older cases of privately sponsored refugees across the network with the goal of eliminating the pre-2015 inventory by March 31, 2019. By the end of 2017, the pre-2015 inventory was reduced to fewer than 3,000 cases, representing 10% of the remaining total.

A new approach to consolidate the functions of three processing offices in Canada was undertaken. In April 2017, the Department opened the Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa as part of efforts to improve inventory management and enhance program integrity. The Resettlement Operations Centre provides the Sponsorship Agreement Holder community with more consistent information and efficient processing of sponsorship applications, thereby improving the overall client experience.

In addition, the Department centralized the intake of UNHCR referrals in Ottawa in an effort to support timely processing of government-supported refugees. Taking into consideration Canada's referral needs, the UNHCR now has greater flexibility to submit referrals based on global resettlement pressures.

Improving the experience for refugee sponsors

The Department recognizes that effective engagement and information sharing with its partners is key to the successful settlement and integration of refugees. Therefore, to better support planning by refugee sponsors, IRCC began informing sponsors at the earliest time that a positive decision has been rendered on the refugee application and that the refugees they sponsored will travel to Canada. Providing this advance notice allows sponsors additional time to prepare for the refugees' arrival (such as arranging for permanent housing).

Ongoing whole-of-government approach to address irregular migration

These departments are regularly engaged with provinces and foreign governments to address developments in international migration. Furthermore, IRCC created an irregular migration hub to inform ongoing operational requirements as well as the Department's outreach efforts with other federal departments and agencies and stakeholders.

In collaboration with the CBSA, IRCC increased its production capacity to effectively manage this increase while ensuring the safety of Canadians. As a result, inventories of asylum seekers awaiting an eligibility decision resulting from the increase of irregular migrants in summer 2017 were eliminated, while those who claimed asylum through an irregular entry point to Canada are processed within five days.

Ongoing gender considerations with refugee populations

Given the diversity of those claiming asylum in Canada recently, when developing policy the Department is placing more emphasis on gender-based analysis plus considerations, such as age, family status, sex and gender, visible minority status, immigration status and country of birth.

To better protect refugee women and girls, IRCC funded sexual- and gender-based violence expert capacity-building positions in UNHCR operations in Central America (Costa Rica) and East Africa (Uganda and Ethiopia) in partnership with the International Catholic Migration Commission-UNHCR Resettlement Deployment Scheme. The goal of these efforts is to enhance identification, protection and third-country solutions for women and girls at risk in regions that apply the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.

To enhance international responsibility sharing through the expansion of third-country solutions, IRCC funded a small-scale project to test the use of Canada's existing economic streams for complementary labour pathways for skilled refugees. These efforts were done in partnership with non-government organizations, namely Talent Beyond Boundaries, and RefugePoint, and are expected to conclude in 2019.

Additionally, IRCC met for the first time with LGBTQ2 stakeholders in Toronto in 2017–2018, as well as two umbrella organizations. These discussions supported the development of a shared understanding of the LGBTQ2 refugee environment and existing immigration solutions, thereby facilitating better support for ongoing resettlement of LGBTQ2 refugees and internally displaced persons. Such engagements will continue in 2018–2019.

Lastly, in November 2017, IRCC joined Canada's National Action Plan for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. These resolutions address women's challenges in conflict situations and women's potential to influence global peace and security. In March 2018, the Department participated in the National Action Plan's first advisory group meeting, organized by Global Affairs Canada.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017, Canada resettled 10,107 of the approximately 65,109 UNHCR-referred refugees resettled in receiving countries that year. An additional 16,873 privately sponsored refugees resettled in Canada in 2017 were not counted in this total as they are not UNHCR-referred refugees.

The difference between planned and actual spending (actual spending is higher than planned spending) is primarily due to the following: to accommodate increases in immigration levels relating to the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan; to address irregular migration at the Canada-U.S. border; to strengthen the asylum process; and to provide protection to survivors of Daesh.

Further spending was also incurred to cover additional salary costs related to the renewal of collective agreements in 2017–2018.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for the aforementioned initiatives, as well as salary increases, was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Program 3.1: Newcomer Settlement and Integration

Description

In accordance with the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, the Employment Equity Act and IRPA, programming is developed based on policies that support the settlement, resettlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society. Ultimately, the goal of integration is to encourage newcomers to contribute to Canada's economic, social, political and cultural development. All permanent residents are eligible for settlement and integration programs. Programming is delivered by third parties (including provincial and municipal governments, school boards and post-secondary institutions, settlement service organizations and other non-governmental actors, and the private sector) across the country.

Results

Settlement services

Expanded federal internship program

The Department collaborated with partners and stakeholders to expand workplace opportunities for newcomers through the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program beyond the National Capital Region. The partnership also provided support to interns through networking events and training sessions on soft skills, behavioural competencies and conflict resolution.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Department continued to implement the settlement component of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot. As of March 31, 2018, over 2,100 participants received a needs assessment which included the development of a settlement plan to accompany their application for provincial endorsement.

Supporting vulnerable populations

IRCC enhanced settlement services, through funding received under Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, to deliver targeted supports for women and youth, and to provide gender-based violence training for individuals and organizations working with newcomer populations.

Shared settlement vision

In 2017–2018, Ministerial consultations took place across the country with a variety of stakeholder groups, as well as provinces and territories, leading to the development of a shared vision to support immigrants in their social and economic outcomes and to improve delivery of settlement services. Below are several initiatives that have been undertaken in order to realize the vision.

To better understand the barriers faced by most vulnerable newcomers, the Department undertook a Settlement Design Challenge in 2017 in collaboration with the Ontario College of Art and Design University. The initiative, which reached over 300 people, provided valuable suggestions on how to improve settlement supports for newcomers.

Also, in an effort to gain efficiencies in service delivery and better support newcomer outcomes, IRCC launched its first expression of interest process to fund projects focused on innovative service delivery improvements. Over 100 proposals have been approved and negotiations for funding agreements have commenced. One of the successful proposals will leverage resources and expertise from the private sector and help 10 immigrant-serving organizations increase their reach and impact by expanding their capacity in areas such as impact measurement, governance, communications and fundraising.

In addition, building on the goodwill of Canadians wishing to volunteer their time and skills, the Settlement Program is connecting Canadians and established immigrants with newcomers through the Canada Connects initiative. This initiative aims to increase opportunities for newcomers to improve their personal and professional linkages as well as language learning.

Finally, to ensure stronger programming for francophone clients, the Department is strengthening its work in support of Francophone minority communities through the recently announced Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023, led by Canadian Heritage.

Immigration loans

In February 2018, new regulations came into effect that provide for more flexibility for those in receipt of an immigration loan, which is open to all immigrant classes and can be up to $10,000 per family. Changes include the elimination of interest charged on new immigration loans and elimination of any further accumulation of interest on existing loans. In addition, repayment will now start one year after initial receipt, and the repayment period has been extended by two years.

Resettlement Assistance Program

Resettled refugees to Canada may receive time-limited financial support through this program, by way of a start-up allowance and monthly income support. Following a review of rates of support for eligible recipients, the Department introduced adjustments that took effect in October 2017.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: Newcomers’ contribution to Canada’s economic development, as measured by labour force participation, has been trending upward over the last two years and has exceeded the established target. This indicates that the gap between newcomers and those who are Canadian-born is narrowing for this particular population. Since 2015–2016, this gap decreased by 1.3%. For those immigrants who have been in Canada for more than 10 years the difference is only 2% compared to the Canadian-born.

Indicator 2: The data for this indicator are available only on a rotating cycle based on the General Social Survey (GSS) on Giving, Volunteering and Participating. The next release date is expected to be 2020. This result was first reported in the 2015–2016 Departmental Performance Report and indicates that the participation rates of newcomers are above the established targets.

Indicator 3: Data for this indicator are sourced from the GSS on Social Identity, with the next release date expected to be 2019. This result was first reported in the 2015–2016 Departmental Performance Report and indicates an elevated sense of belonging to Canada, higher than the Canadian-born.

The difference between planned and actual spending can be attributed to several factors: increased payments to the Quebec government for the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration; additional funds for the resettlement and settlement programs for initiatives related to the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan; and additional funds for the survivors of Daesh.

Further spending was also incurred for additional salary costs related to the renewal of collective agreements in 2017–2018.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for the aforementioned initiatives as well as for salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Program 3.2: Citizenship for Newcomers and All Canadians

Description

The purpose of the Citizenship Program is to administer citizenship legislation and promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. IRCC administers the acquisition of Canadian citizenship by developing, implementing and applying legislation, regulations and policies that protect the integrity of Canadian citizenship and allow eligible applicants to be granted citizenship or be provided with a proof of citizenship. In addition, the program promotes citizenship, to both newcomers and the Canadian-born, through various events, materials and projects. Promotional activities focus on enhancing knowledge of Canada’s history, institutions and values, as well as fostering an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

Results

Citizenship Act amendments

On June 19, 2017, Bill C-6, an Act to amend the Citizenship Act, received Royal Assent. Immediate changes included repealing the national interest grounds for the revocation of citizenship, as well as repealing the provision requiring permanent residents to state their intention to reside in Canada following the granting of citizenship.

The minimum age requirement was also eliminated, creating a pathway for minor applicants (applicants under 18 years of age) to qualify for citizenship without the requirement of having a Canadian parent. Further changes to physical presence and the age required to meet language and knowledge requirements for permanent residents who are applying for citizenship took effect in October 2017. These new requirements will help both younger and older eligible immigrants to obtain citizenship faster. In January 2018, changes to the citizenship revocation process came into effect which enhanced the procedural fairness of the process.

Application intake

Since the implementation of Bill C-6, the Department has experienced a surge in the number of applications for Canadian citizenship: 239,518 were received in 2017–2018, representing an increase of 120% over the 108,635 received in the previous fiscal year. As at March 31, 2018, this application inventory level was 198,516; the majority of these applications were received after October 2017, following the coming into force of Bill C 6 provisions. Additionally, high volumes of applications for proof of citizenship continue to be received, with an average annual intake of 57,000 over the past five years.

Application processing

With increased immigration levels in recent years, improvements were made to the citizenship application process to enhance efficiencies, including streamlining the processing for low-risk applications and simplifying grant applications.

Grant Applications Created, Output and Processing Times - Last 12 Months

The Department continues to meet its service standard to process routine citizenship grant applications. Despite the surge in citizenship grant applications following Bill C-6, the average end-to-end processing time for overall applications was nine months in 2017–2018. For citizenship proof applications, 80% were processed within three months.

Revisions to the Oath of Citizenship, the Citizenship Study Guide and test

During 2017–2018, IRCC maintained ongoing efforts to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations to make changes to the Oath of Citizenship to include reference to treaties between Canada and Indigenous peoples and to update the Citizenship Study Guide to include more information about Indigenous peoples’ perspectives, history and rights.

In 2017–2018, IRCC conducted public opinion research on the TRC’s recommendation to change the Oath, as well as engaged in consultations with National Indigenous Organizations, self-governing and modern treaty organizations, and key stakeholders on revisions to the wording. Modifying the Oath requires an amendment to the Citizenship Act; as such, the Government intends to bring forward legislation in order to make the necessary revisions to the Oath of Citizenship.

Building on the work completed in the previous year, the Department collaborated with over 90 stakeholders to update the Citizenship Study Guide – Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. Stakeholders included subject-matter experts, historians, Indigenous organizations and other government departments. In addition, the Minister and his Cabinet colleagues hosted 10 round tables across the country as well as reached out to members of Parliament to gather feedback and perspectives. These efforts will continue into 2018–2019, with changes ensuring a study guide and citizenship test that better reflect the history of Indigenous peoples and the overall diverse population of Canada.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: According to the 2016 Census, the take-up rate remained steady at 85.8% in 2016. The ultimate goal of the program is to ensure that eligible permanent residents become Canadian citizens. The vast majority, or 97.2% over the past three fiscal years, who apply are found to have met the requirements and are thus granted citizenship. Nearly 475,000 individuals became Canadian citizens in that same period.

Indicator 2: Results from Statistics Canada’s 2013 GSS on Social Identity, which focused on 7,003 immigrants who landed between 1980 and 2012, show that 87% of Canadians (both by birth and naturalization) are proud to be Canadian. Additionally, the study found that 93% of immigrants had a very strong or a strong sense of belonging to Canada. Together, these results show that Canadian citizenship remains a valued status.

Indicator 3: In 2017–2018, of the citizenship grant decisions made, 1.9% of applications were referred to a hearing with a citizenship judge or a citizenship officer. This result is much lower than the baseline established as well as the results from the previous two years. Fluctuations in the rate of hearing referrals are to be expected as IRCC cannot control the volume of applications requiring a hearing or whether an applicant attends the hearing.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to additional resources to handle greater volumes of grant applications than anticipated during the planning phase, combined with the impact of salary increases related to the renewal of collective agreements.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process. As well, an internal resource realignment took place in 2017–2018 to support the delivery of this program.

Program 4.1: Health Protection

Description

This program aims to provide effective immigration health services to manage the health aspect of migrant entry and settlement to Canada, and facilitate the arrival of resettled refugees to Canada and their integration while contributing to the protection of the health and safety of all Canadians and contributing to the maintenance of sustainable Canadian health and social services.

The program aims to evaluate health risks related to immigration and coordinate with international and Canadian health partners to develop risk management strategies and processes to assess the health risks posed by applicants wishing to immigrate to Canada. The strategies, processes and interventions are intended to reduce the impact of the risks identified on the health of Canadians and on Canada’s health and social services.

Results

Interim Federal Health Program

In 2017, the number of IFHP claims and total amount reimbursed grew significantly as a result of the increased volumes of asylum seekers eligible for health benefits and the implementation of PDMS on April 1, 2017. This upward trend is expected to continue over the next several years as the number of asylum seekers remains high. The Department will continue to monitor trends and resource requirements to help meet the health needs of those eligible for IFHP benefits.

Responding to global health issues

Increased collaboration with partners

In 2017–2018, IRCC further strengthened relationships with provincial and territorial governments to ensure effective management of migration health. The Department completed negotiations with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, which resulted in advancing the agreement for systematic information sharing. Ongoing discussions with other provinces and territories, such as negotiations with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, ultimately enhance client service delivery and reduce operational inefficiencies between governments and organizations. In 2017–2018, the Department also formally established a federal-provincial-territorial forum to address operational issues relating to the medical surveillance and notification process.

Internationally, the Department continued close collaboration with partners in gathering and sharing information on international health and disease outbreaks. Outbreaks continue to be monitored and strategies developed to manage migration from those specific areas.

Changes to the excessive demand policy

Following extensive engagement across the Department with provinces and territories as well as other key stakeholders and government departments, IRCC introduced a new approach to the Excessive Demand Policy in late 2017–2018. Changes involve tripling the cost threshold for determining excessive demand, and redefining social services by removing the reference to special education. The new approach is a positive step toward striking the right balance between welcoming new members into Canadian society through a fair and compassionate immigration system while continuing to protect Canada's publicly funded health and social services. These changes will ensure that our immigration policies better align with Canadian values and the Government of Canada's priority on the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: Of the 286,479 individuals who became permanent residents in 2017, a total of 96.5% had valid IMAs, which is consistent with previous years. Most of the remaining 3.5% had previously undergone health screening prior to their arrival in Canada as part of completing their temporary foreign worker application, and have applied for permanent resident status within Canada.

Indicator 2: From October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017, a full 41,670 of the 41,672 eligible refugee claimants (99.99%) received an IFHP eligibility certificate. The two cases without IFHP coverage were due to data entry errors and have been corrected.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to the additional costs related to IFHP. This was driven by the increase in asylum seekers, who require health-care benefits until their status is determined or they leave the country. This also included funding as part of the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for IFHP costs was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Program 4.2: Migration Control and Security Management

Description

IRCC facilitates the travel of bona fide permanent residents, visitors, students and temporary workers while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians by effectively managing migration access. This is accomplished through a variety of policy and operational measures, including through the establishment of visa and other document entry requirements and otherwise maintaining the policy framework for terms and conditions of entry, admissibility criteria, anti-fraud measures, negotiations of bilateral and multilateral information sharing agreements and treaties, as well as setting identity management practices. IRCC also provides assistance to stranded irregular migrants who are en route to Canada, to voluntarily return them to their country of origin if they are not in need of refugee protection. Strategic partnership engagements with security and public safety-related departments are another essential component of this program.

Results

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Biometric expansion and information-sharing agreements with Migration 5 partners

Biometrics have been effective in protecting the safety and security of Canadians, bolstering the integrity of Canada’s immigration system while facilitating entry for travellers. In terms of biometric expansion, the Department has continued to work on a framework to help expand biometric collection under IRPA and its regulations.

Canada has continued to work with Migration 5 partners—Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States—on the expansion of biometric-based immigration information sharing. In 2017–2018, Canada successfully implemented automated, biometric-based information sharing with Australia and New Zealand, which now means that three of the four partner countries have automated information-sharing capability with Canada (Canada-United States information sharing was implemented in 2015).

Supporting new preclearance measures

In December 2017, Bill C-23 (An Act respecting the preclearance of persons and goods in Canada and the United States) received Royal Assent. This is the culmination of collective efforts between Canada and the United States to expand preclearance options for those travelling between these two countries. Over the next year, the Department will continue to collaborate with other federal partners to support the development of regulations required to allow immigration processing at select locations in the United States.

Expected result: A managed migration of people to Canada that facilitates the movement of legitimate travellers, while denying entry into Canada at the earliest point possible to those who pose a safety or security risk, or are otherwise inadmissible under IRPA

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017, IRCC reported 52 program integrity exercises (now referred to as targeted integrity exercises), up from 50 in 2016. As application volumes steadily rise, there is continued pressure to find processing efficiencies while also preserving safety and security, and maintaining public confidence in IRCC programs. Targeted integrity exercises support IRCC’s ability to respond to increasing demand while effectively addressing integrity risk.

Indicator 2: The number of temporary resident visa, study and work permit applications (persons) assessed continued to rise from 2,571,950 in 2016 to 3,016,545 in 2017.

Indicator 3: In 2017, a total of 3,983,713 eTA applications were assessed. This represents a 53.4% increase from 2016. The increase can be attributed to 2017 being the first full year of eTA mandatory enforcement. In general, eTA applications are received on a steady basis, with volumes peaking prior to traditional travel seasons. Applications are processed within service standards.

Indicator 4: In 2017, a total of 340,665 individuals had their applications assessed for permanent residency, a slight increase from 2016.

Indicator 5: The percentage of applicants whose criminal history (in Canada) was revealed during biometric screening remained stable from 2016 to 2017. It is plausible that as the use of biometrics becomes better known, applicants with a criminal history in Canada may be more inclined to either declare their criminality up front on the application form or be deterred from applying.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to additional resources required to handle a higher volume of visitor applications than anticipated during the planning phase, combined with the impact of salary increases related to the renewal of collective agreements.

These additional resources were funded through the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan, an internal realignment of resources as well as central in-year funding received for collective agreements.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan as well as for salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process. As well, an internal resource realignment took place in 2017–2018 to support the delivery of this program.

Program 4.3: Canadian Influence in International Migration and Integration Agenda

Description

As part of its mandate, IRCC aims to influence the international migration and integration policy agenda. This is done by developing and promoting, together with other public policy sectors, Canada's position on international migration, integration and refugee protection issues, and through meetings with multilateral and bilateral partners, membership in international organizations, and participation in regional forums.

IRCC works closely with bilateral partners to ensure the effective management of migration and administration of immigration laws through an exchange of information, including biometric data. This international migration policy development helps Canada advance its interests with respect to international migration as well as meet its international obligations and commitments.

IRCC supports international engagement and partnerships through membership in and contributions to such organizations as the International Organization for Migration, Regional Conference on Migration, the UNHCR, the Migration 5, the Global Forum on Migration and Development, and the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees. The program uses transfer payment funding for the following: Migration Policy Development Program (grants), and membership in the International Organization for Migration (annual assessed contributions) and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) (annual assessed contributions) formerly called the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF).

Results

Ongoing dialogue to support global refugee and migration policy

Canada has continued to advance its positions and offer leadership in efforts that promote the principles of managed migration, as well as international refugee protection for those in need. Canada’s efforts are continuing beyond this year with the goal of implementing and adopting global compacts addressing both refugees and migration.

More cohesive and coordinated migration integrity

Through bilateral and multilateral engagement, IRCC continues to promote and achieve results on enhanced migration integrity, both domestically and internationally. This includes multilateral initiatives through the Five Country Ministerial and the Migration 5 to promote data sharing, enhanced screening and improved processing methodologies; regional dialogue in the Americas with the Regional Conference on Migration to address irregular migration in the hemisphere; and other bilateral fora with key partners. IRCC also continues to support capacity-building initiatives on immigration and passport integrity, working with Government of Canada partners, foreign governments, international organizations and other bilateral partners engaging on a range of topics including regular migration pathways and integration.

International migration diplomacy

IRCC continued to engage at multiple levels with representatives of foreign countries and with partners like the European Union to promote Canada’s values and migration priorities as well as to share best practices. The Minister directly undertook a number of trips abroad over the year to Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. He also met with numerous foreign ministers and delegations. In addition, IRCC hosted a number of study tours from European and Asian countries to share Canada’s experience and approaches.

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017–2018, IRCC participated in 113 bilateral and multilateral international meetings identified as important, where the objective was to advance Canadian positions on migration, of which 109 were successful. IRCC has tracked both bilateral and multilateral meetings in 2017–2018, in contrast to 2016–2017 when only multilateral meetings were tracked.

The difference between planned and actual spending is mainly due to additional resources required for activities to support government priorities related to irregular migration, the increase in immigration levels and the rising demand for Canadian expertise in international migration and refugee policy and implementation.

The impact of salary increases related to the renewal of collective agreements also explains the deviation from the planned amount.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process. As well, an internal realignment of resources took place in 2017–2018 to support the delivery of this program.

Program 4.4: Passport

Description

IRCC is accountable for the Passport Program, and collaborates with Service Canada and Global Affairs Canada to provide passport services that enable eligible Canadian travellers to access other countries. Through an extensive service delivery network in Canada and abroad, the program disseminates information, collects and processes Canadian travel document applications, authenticates applicants’ identity and determines eligibility, and issues secure Canadian travel documents. The program also performs activities to ensure that fraud and misuse of travel documents are prevented and detected. The Canadian passport is an internationally recognized and respected travel and identification document for Canadians who travel abroad, and is relied upon in Canada and by foreign governments to support the bearer’s claim to Canadian citizenship. The program operates on a full cost-recovery basis from fees charged for travel document services. Fees are collected in the Passport Program Revolving Fund^Footnote24 and are efficiently managed to ensure value-for-money for Canadians.

Results

Improving passport processing standards overseas

The Department improved its passport processing capacity to address backlogs of overseas passport applications. This initiative involved training and assigning passport officers for this purpose, along with transferring files from high-volume consular offices for remote approvals. These efforts resulted in a reduction in waiting times for the approximately 191,500 passport applications that were processed in 2017–2018, and an in-year improvement in meeting our overseas service standard, from about 80% to over 95% at offices abroad. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of overseas passport clients surveyed (94%) indicated they were either satisfied or very satisfied with services received.

New protection measures

Performance indicator analysis

Indicator 1: In 2017–2018, the Passport Program confirmed seven non-issued fraudulent applications and detected 25 fraudulently obtained genuine travel documents. These numbers are based on confirmed identity fraud cases and do not include open investigations. The Department continues to collaborate with security and intelligence partners to identify individuals whose identity or entitlement to a Canadian travel document may require additional review.

Indicator 2: In the 2018 survey, 97% of respondents indicated that they were satisfied with their overall service experience, which is consistent with respondent satisfaction levels over the past several years.

The increase in the surplus of $85.3 million from planned spending is due to a slight increase in actual volumes which resulted in more revenues than anticipated. In addition, less spending materialized than was anticipated for different investment initiatives including the passport modernization initiative.

The significant anticipated drop in revenues in the second half of the business cycle is the result of a reduction in passport demand due to the introduction of a 10-year validity passport in July 2013. By introducing a 10-year passport, the program had to transition from a 5-year to a 10-year business cycle, meaning its cost and revenue accumulation must balance out over the 10-year business cycle.

While total demand is expected to decrease in the next few years, the Passport Program will require past accumulated surpluses to sustain operations as there are fixed costs associated with maintaining the infrastructure that supports delivery of the Passport Program.

Specifically, it is expected that the Passport Program will operate in a deficit for five years, from 2018–2019 to 2022–2023. However, it is anticipated that adequate revenues will have been collected in the preceding five years to compensate for the anticipated deficits.

Information on IRCC’s lower-level programs is available in the GC InfoBase.

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Results^Footnote26

Improving the client experience

IRCC is shifting its culture to be more client-centric. Based on the application of methodologies and expertise in user research, usability and service design, changes are being made to ensure programs and services work for clients. Using cross-departmental design teams, IRCC conducted “design challenges” on settlement and citizenship services to develop innovative solutions that improve the client experience. Over 300 interviews with newcomers during these design challenges underlined the importance of human behaviour in service quality and led to the development of client experience metrics such as “welcoming,” “assurance,” “trust,” “memorable,” “dignity” and “empathy.” IRCC is committed to improving the service experience of its clients and continues to explore how to better engage with clients on new or modified services and products before offering them broadly.

Gender X

In August 2017, IRCC announced plans to introduce a new “X” gender designation in its citizenship, immigration and travel documents. An “X” will make it easier for people who do not identify as male or female to acquire documents with a designation that better reflects their gender identity. The Department continues to work with partners on a coordinated approach to ensure that all relevant systems, policies, security and other measures are in place to accommodate the new designation.

Experimenting with technology

IRCC has partnered with the Department of Justice to explore a pilot project using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to support various activities related to immigration litigation. More efforts will be under way in 2018–2019, including reaching out to private industry with a view to innovating and experimenting with this technology as an assistive tool in litigation. AI-powered tools are expected to generate new insights and efficiencies in litigation management and the delivery of legal services.

IRCC is also exploring the concept of a mobile app for smartphones that provides an intuitive, efficient and secure way to apply for IRCC programs, such as eTA. In 2017–2018, IRCC worked with stakeholders to test a prototype application in a simulated airport environment. Travellers were able to apply for a travel authorization, fly into a Canadian airport and move through the travel continuum. This successful test represents the first stage of a broader pilot project that will be undertaken ahead of full implementation.

IRCC has been exploring the use of computer analytics since 2014. In 2017–2018, the Department began to develop and implement analytics-based risk triage to help manage the constant increase in temporary resident application volumes. Computer analytics is a technology that can analyze data to recognize patterns in applications, make predictions and recommendations, and triage applications based on complexity. To establish a proof of concept that computer analytics could effectively support the risk triage of temporary resident applications, the China pre-pilot project launched in October 2017 and was conducted over a period of three weeks. The results of the pilot exceeded expectations, as the model met its accuracy target while exceeding the expected volume of approvals that did not require additional eligibility review by an officer.

IRCC will start using a computer analytics model in 2018 to help officers triage TRV e-applications from China. Another pilot is planned for India TRV e-applications in 2018.

Managing the large volume of requests

Throughout 2017–2018, the Department continued to experience a significant volume of access to information and privacy (ATIP) requests. The volume increased from 63,333 in 2016–2017 to 77,602 in 2017–2018 (a 22% increase). The Department processed 51,528 requests within legislative requirements compared to 48,542 last year. However, this volume exceeded the Department’s capacity to respond to all requests within legislated deadlines. Several initiatives are under way to address these challenges, such as engaging ATIP stakeholders (the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants and the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council) to raise awareness of ATIP best practices.

Supporting a diverse work force and promoting a modern, healthy and enabling workplace

The variance between planned and actual spending is mainly due to increased efforts from the different service categories under the responsibility of internal services to support operations and projects for the major initiatives that took place in 2017–2018.

Major projects were undertaken to support the additional efforts to implement the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan, temporary foreign worker reforms, management of irregular migration at the Canada-U.S. border, and increases in temporary resident applications and citizenship proofs.

The impact of the renewal of collective agreements settled in 2017–2018 also contributed to this variance.

Additional resources were also required to identify, monitor and resolve issues related to the Phoenix pay system.

These additional costs were not included at the planning stage as financial authorities to fund them were not received at that time. Funding authority for the aforementioned initiatives as well as for salary increases was granted in 2017–2018 through the Estimates process.

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

Departmental spending trend graph

Planning spending assumptions in 2017–2018 were based on a set of assumptions established in the fall of 2016 and availability of funding as per the Main Estimates process. Variances between planned and actual spending are mainly explained by changes in the funding profile and new funding received by the Department, combined with a realignment of resources to address department and government priorities.

Changes in financial authorities in 2017–2018

Planned spending represents the Main Estimates, that is, funding approved at the beginning of the year. The Total Authorities Available for Use represent the funding approved by year-end and are comprised of the Main Estimates, the Supplementary Estimates, the transfers from Treasury Board central votes as well as the year-end adjustments for statutory items.

Total Authorities Available for Use increased during the year by $1,613.7 million, from planned spending of $1,647.0 million to Total Authorities Available for Use of $3,260.7 million. This is explained by:

• An increase of $1,173.6 million for the Passport Program's spending authority comprised of:
  • an in-year authority of $151.0 million; and
  • $1,022.6 million available from previous year surpluses.
• An increase of $364.2 million provided through the Supplementary Estimates, which included funding items targeting:
  • increased Immigration Levels for 2017 ($147.2 million);
  • the Canada-Quebec Accord Grant ($112.0 million);
  • incremental costs to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) ($53.0 million);
  • the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)/International Mobility Program (IMP) ($34.2 million); and
  • other items ($17.8 million).
• An increase in authorities through a $43.6 million transfer from the Treasury Board to cover salary increases as well as $26.7 million for the 2016–2017 approved operating surplus to be transferred in 2017–2018 to support delivery of operations.
• An increase of $5.6 million for an adjustment related to statutory expenditures.

Significant variances between Total Authorities Available for Use and Actual Spending

Of the $3,260.6 million in total authorities available, $1,917.2 million was used, resulting in an unused authority of $1,343.4 million. This unused authority is explained as follows:

• $1,258.9 million related to the Passport Program, comprised of:
  • an in-year surplus generated in 2017–2018 of $236.3 million; and
  • $1,022.6 million available from previous year surpluses.
• Unused funds of $45.7 million for Grants and Contributions programs, mainly explained by:
  • Settlement Program of $15.9 million;
  • Resettlement Assistance Program of $15.2 million; and
  • Syrian Refugee Initiative of $12.6 million.
• Reprofiling to future years of amounts related to the following initiatives:
  • Biometrics expansion ($15.4 million);
  • Entry/Exit ($3.9 million); and
  • IMP ($3.0 million).
• A remaining lapse of $16.5 million was incurred across different activities in the Department.

Significant change in actual spending over the last three years and spending trend

2015–2016 compared with 2016–2017 Expenditures

Expenditures from 2015–2016 to 2016–2017 rose by $63.6 million, which is largely explained by increases of:

• $40.0 million for Canada's response to the Syrian refugee crisis, the goal of which is to provide protection to those in need;
• $33.2 million for the Canada-Quebec Accord Grant;
• $25.9 million related to the full restoration of health coverage to eligible beneficiaries including Syrian refugees; and
• $17.6 million for programs such as Family and Discretionary Immigration.

Moreover, the increased surplus in the Passport Program of $53.1 million had the effect of reducing the above-reported expenditures.

2016–2017 compared with 2017–2018 Expenditures

Expenditures from 2016–2017 to 2017–2018 increased by $317.2 million, which is largely explained by increases of:

• $112.0 million for the Canada-Quebec Accord Grant;
• $69.2 million decrease in the Passport Program surplus;
• $67.5 million in transfer payments mainly related to the implementation of the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan and for survivors of Daesh;
• $56.8 million in operational costs distributed across the different programs for initiatives not mentioned above which are mainly related to the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan, an increase in temporary resident applications and citizenship grant applications as well as all the corporate services required to support the Department's increased workload. Added to this is the impact of the renewal of the collective agreements in 2017–2018;
• $48.3 million related to the full restoration of health coverage to eligible beneficiaries, to address increases in volumes of refugees and asylum seekers including irregular migrants at the Canada-U.S. border;
• $26.8 million in retroactivity due to renewal of collective agreements in 2017–2018;
• $19.9 million related to projects such as information technology disaster recovery plan, biometrics expansion, increase in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) operating system capacity to tackle additional effort related to the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan, and virtual servers;
• $6.2 million to account for the increase in biometrics transactions; and
• $5.0 million excluding the IFHP to address the flow of irregular migrants at the Canada-U.S. border.

Moreover, the decrease of $94.5 million for the Syrian Refugee Initiative, excluding the IFHP cost, had the effect of reducing the above-reported expenditures.

2018–2019 Planned spending compared with 2017–2018 Planned spending

Planned spending will increase to $2.356 billion in 2018–2019, which is $709 million higher than the $1.647 billion planned for 2017–2018. The increase is mostly attributable to the following:

• $236.6 million for the Passport Program (due to a decrease in revenues following the introduction of the 10-year passport in 2013);
• $218.9 million to support the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan;
• $112.0 million for the Canada-Quebec Accord Grant;
• $69.0 million to support the 2018 Immigration Levels Plan;
• $89.8 million for Interim Federal Health coverage for asylum seekers; and
• $28.1 million for biometrics expansion to support applicant identification.

Decreases between 2017–2018 planned spending and 2018–2019 planned spending are primarily due a decrease of $58.1 million related to Canada's response to the Syrian Refugee Initiative, as the resettlement phase has been completed and the settlement phase is well advanced.

2019–2020 Planned spending compared with 2018–2019 Planned spending

From 2018–2019 to 2019–2020, planned spending for the Department is expected to decrease by a net total of $9.6 million, for planned spending of $2.346 billion in 2019–2020. This decrease is mostly attributable to the following:

• $89.8 million reduction for Interim Federal Health coverage;
• $55.3 million reduction in funding for Canada's response to the Syrian Refugee Initiative; and
• $18.1 million reduction from Family and Discretionary Immigration.

These reductions are accompanied by an increase in spending of:

• $65.7 million for the Passport Program;
• $46.9 million for the 2018 Immigration Levels Plan;
• $27.5 million for the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan; and
• $21.2 million for biometrics expansion.

Actual human resources

There were no significant fluctuations in the level of full-time equivalents (FTEs) from 2015–2016 to 2016–2017 for the Department as a whole. There were some fluctuations in certain program areas where temporary funding was provided to support initiatives such as increases in Family and Discretionary Immigration or salary reductions for the Syrian refugee resettlement initiative.

The FTE increase from 2016–2017 to 2017–2018 is mainly due to the resources required to implement the 2017 Immigration Levels Plan; to address the increase in volumes in temporary resident applications; and to address irregular migration at the Canada-U.S. border. Additional FTEs were also required in internal services to assist with core business operations.

From 2017–2018 into future years, this FTE trend will continue, mainly due to the increase in FTEs to support the 2017 and the 2018 Immigration Levels Plans.

Expenditures by vote

For information on IRCC’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2017–2018.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of IRCC's spending with the Government of Canada's spending and activities is available in the GCInfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

IRCC's financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2018, are available on the departmental website.

Financial statements highlights

The financial highlights presented within this Departmental Results Report are intended to serve as a general overview of IRCC’s Consolidated Statement of Operations and Consolidated Statement of Financial Position. These statements are prepared in accordance with accrual accounting principles and are therefore different from the information published in the Public Accounts of Canada, which are prepared on a modified cash basis.

Expenses

IRCC’s total expenses of $2,882 million in 2017–2018 included $1,296 million (45%) in transfer payments and $876 million (30%) in salaries and employee benefits.

Total expenses increased in 2017–2018 compared to 2016–2017 and are higher than the planned results. This variance is mainly due to increases in: transfer payments under the Canada-Quebec Accord; salaries and employee benefits resulting from the signing of collective agreements as well as a higher number of indeterminate employees; and professional services expenses incurred under the IFHP and the Passport Program.

The chart below outlines IRCC’s expenses by program:

Expenses by Program

Revenues

Total revenues amounted to $1,436 million in 2017–2018, of which $788 million (55%) were departmental revenues on behalf of government and $648 million (45%) were departmental respendable revenues, largely composed of Passport and International Experience Canada revenues.

Departmental revenues earned on behalf of government rose by $48 million (6%) as compared to the previous year. This result is mainly attributable to an increase in the volume of applications under the Temporary Economic Residents program and the Migration Control and Security Management program, which led to higher revenues related to immigration service fees.

Departmental respendable revenues decreased by $20 million (3%) as compared to the previous year, mainly due to a lower volume of applications in the current year for the 10-year passport.

The difference between IRCC’s planned and actual revenues was mainly attributable to an unexpected higher number of immigration applications for work and study permits, temporary resident visas and electronic travel authorizations.

The charts below outlines all of IRCC’s revenues by type:

Revenues by Type

Liabilities

Total net liabilities increased by $65 million (16%) in 2017–2018 as compared to 2016–2017. This variance is mostly attributable to a net increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities due to the higher volume of expenses this year, such as transfer payments, salaries and employee benefits, professional and special services, and timing differences in the settlement of the payables at year-end. This increase is partly offset by a decrease in Immigrant Investor Program liabilities, since this program has ended and outstanding investments are progressively being returned to investors.

The chart below outlines IRCC’s net liabilities:

Net Liabilities

Assets

Total net financial assets increased by $76 million (20%) in 2017–2018 as compared to 2016–2017. This variance is mostly explained by: an increase of $51 million in the amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund; an increase of $23 million in Accounts receivable and advances due to the increase in salary overpayments as well as higher deposits in transit to the Receiver General from external parties; and an increase of $2 million in inventory.

The chart below outlines IRCC’s net financial assets:

Net Financial Assets

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate Minister: Ahmed Hussen

Deputy Head: Marta Morgan

Ministerial Portfolio: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Department: Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Statutory and Other Agencies: Citizenship Commission, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Enabling Instruments:Section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Canadian Passport Order.

Year of Incorporation:1994

Reporting framework

The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Strategic Outcomes and Program Alignment Architecture of record for 2017–2018 are shown below.

Strategic outcomes and program alignment architecture

Supporting information on lower-level programs

Supporting information on lower level programs is available on the GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following Supplementary Information Tables listed in this report can be found on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's website:

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
• Evaluations
• Fees
• Syrian refugees horizontal initiative
• Internal audits
• Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
• Status report on projects operating with specific Treasury Board approval
• Status report on transformational and major Crown projects

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

For any additional information on this report or other parliamentary reports, please contact IRCC.ParliamentaryReports-RapportsParlementaires.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a three year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on an appropriated department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

evaluation (évaluation)

In the Government of Canada, the systematic and neutral collection and analysis of evidence to judge merit, worth or value. Evaluation informs decision making, improvements, innovation and accountability. Evaluations typically focus on programs, policies and priorities and examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. Depending on user needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues, including alternatives to existing interventions. Evaluations generally employ social science research methods.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. Full-time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical approach used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that the gender-based analysis goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. Examples of GBA+ processes include using data disaggregated by sex, gender and other intersecting identity factors in performance analysis, and identifying any impacts of the program on diverse groups of people, with a view to adjusting these initiatives to make them more inclusive.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2017–18 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Management, Resources and Results Structure (structure de gestion, des ressources et des résultats)

A comprehensive framework that consists of an organization’s inventory of programs, resources, results, performance indicators and governance information. Programs and results are depicted in their hierarchical relationship to each other and to the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute. The Management, Resources and Results Structure is developed from the Program Alignment Architecture.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence-based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts that receive Treasury Board approval by February 1. Therefore, planned spending may include amounts incremental to planned expenditures presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

priority (priorité)

A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Strategic Outcome(s) or Departmental Results.

program (programme)

A group of related resource inputs and activities that are managed to meet specific needs and to achieve intended results and that are treated as a budgetary unit.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long-term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time-limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.