Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's 2023–24 Departmental Results Report  

On this page

• From the Minister
• Results - what we achieved
  • Core Responsibility 1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers
  • Core Responsibility 2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration
  • Core Responsibility 3: Citizenship and Passports
  • Internal Services
• Spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Financial statement highlights
  • Human resources
• Corporate information
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Definitions

Read a summary of the Departmental results report Print this page

From the Minister

As the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, I am pleased to present the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report.

Our labour force growth has been driven almost entirely by immigration. This is important because Canada’s aging population needs newcomers to help address demographic pressures and sustain our social programs over the long term. What we heard from Canadians is that they expect Canada to identify the right number of newcomers with the needed skills, and help set them up for success.

We are introducing changes to further recalibrate international student, foreign worker and permanent resident volumes. That work has already started.

While international students continue to make valuable contributions to our communities, rapid increases in the number of these students have challenged the integrity of the International Student Program. In response, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has pursued a series of reforms.

Results – what we achieved

Core responsibilities and internal services

• Core Responsibility 1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers
• Core Responsibility 2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration
• Core Responsibility 3: Citizenship and Passports
• Internal Services

Core responsibility 1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers

• In this section

  • Description
  • Progress on results
  • Key risks
  • Resources required to achieve results
  • Related government-wide priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

IRCC facilitates the entry of migrants who wish to come to Canada temporarily, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. The Department works with partners to verify that individuals meet admissibility requirements. IRCC processes visas, electronic travel authorizations, and work and study permits for tourists, business travellers, international students and temporary workers, whose spending and presence in Canada benefit the economy.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the Department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers. Details are presented by departmental result.

 

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in IRCC’s departmental plan for the year.

Departmental Result 1: Entry to Canada of eligible visitors, international students and temporary workers is facilitated

Results achieved

Temporary Foreign Workers

In 2023–24, IRCC supported Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in implementing measures to increase worker protections. This included assisting ESDC in preparing for the implementation of a new foreign labour program for agriculture and fish processing, exploring sector-based work permits, and supporting ESDC in its implementation of a new model for employers.

In June 2023, the Department announced a two-year expansion of the Francophone Mobility Program which allows Canadian employers to make a job offer to an eligible candidate with a moderate command of French for all National Occupation Classifications, with the exception of certain jobs in primary agriculture.

IRCC also implemented Canada’s Tech Talent Strategy in 2023–24, two pillars of which facilitated the entry of temporary foreign workers to help generate economic benefits to Canada. In July 2023, IRCC launched the open work permit for H-1B Specialty Occupations visa holders for people living in the United States, which allows approved and eligible applicants to receive an open work permit for up to three years that allows them to work for almost any employer. The intake cap of 10,000 applications was reached within 2 days of its launch. In March 2024, IRCC launched the Innovation Stream of the International Mobility Program, which provides selected Canadian companies with an exemption to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). These measures help innovative companies in Canada with their talent and labour needs.

Visitors

IRCC took measures to support the facilitation of eligible visitors to Canada, while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians. This included expanding access to the electronic travel authorization (eTA) program to 13 new countries. Travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air.

On February 29, 2024, Canada adjusted its travel requirements for Mexican citizens, who represented approximately 17 per cent of all asylum claims in 2023. This was in response to a continued increase in asylum claims made by Mexican citizens and where, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, the majority were refused, withdrawn, or abandoned. While many Mexican citizens will continue to be able to fly visa-free to Canada with an eTA, some Mexican nationals will now need to apply for a Canadian visitor visa. The partial visa imposition represents an important step to preserve mobility for hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens, while also ensuring the sound management of Canada’s immigration and asylum systems. Mexican citizens remain eligible to apply for a light-touch eTA if they are flying to Canada and they have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years or hold a valid U.S. visitor’s visa. Since the partial visa requirement on Mexican nationals was introduced on February 29, 2024, Canada has witnessed a 72% reduction in asylum claims overall from Mexico, with a 97% reduction in asylum claims being made by Mexican nationals at Canadian airports, compared with 2023 volumes.

In 2023–24, the Department continued to provide Ukrainians and their dependents temporary safe haven in Canada via the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) which was launched in March 2022. From April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, IRCC approved close to 319,000 applications and Canada welcomed over 151,000 Ukrainians and their dependents under the CUAET. Individuals who received authorization to come to Canada under the CUAET, and arrived in Canada by March 31, 2024, were eligible for federal supports such as transitional financial assistance ($3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child), temporary accommodations of up to 14 nights, and access to open work permits, study permits, and an extended stay of up to three years.

International Students

Canada is a destination of choice for international students, with more than 1 million valid study permit holders at the end of 2023. While recognizing that international students enrich our communities and contribute many social, cultural and economic benefits, rapid increases in the number of international students and a lack of provincial measures to temper this growth has threatened the integrity of the International Student Program, putting pressure on housing and support services and leaving students vulnerable to fraudulent actors and precarious situations. To address these challenges, the Department pursued a series of reforms to reign in unsustainable volumes, better protect international students and strengthen program integrity.

To increase the integrity of the International Student program and to help protect vulnerable students from nefarious actors, IRCC delivered a solution to verify Letters of Acceptance for all post-secondary Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). This is a steppingstone towards a modernized international student program, including an upcoming recognized institution framework, and complements program integrity measures already in place.

Effective January 1, 2024, IRCC raised the cost-of-living requirement to align with the low-income cut-off (LICO), in order to ensure that students are financially prepared for life in Canada. For 2024, a single applicant must demonstrate they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the LICO.

In January 2024, IRCC introduced a national cap on most study permit applications to stabilize growth in the number of international students in Canada. The cap is based on a net zero growth model, meaning the number of international students coming to Canada in 2024 should not be greater than the number of students whose permits expire in the same year. To respect provincial and territorial jurisdiction over education, a proportion of the cap was allocated to provinces and territories taking into account population share, 2023 study permit volumes, and 2023 application approval rates.

To manage provincial and territorial allocations, students who are subject to the cap must include an attestation letter with their application from the province or territory where they plan to study. Several cohorts of applicants are exempt from the 2024 cap and the attestation letter requirement, including graduate degree students, kindergarten-grade 12 students, current study permit and work permit holders, and in-Canada family members of current study and more permit holders.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Program allows students who have graduated from a provincially/territorially recognized Canadian post-secondary institution to gain work experience in Canada, which enables them to contribute their new skills to Canada’s labour market and potentially allow for an application to one of Canada’s economic class immigration programs in the future. In 2023, there were 242,079 new PGWP holders in Canada.

To better align the PGWP program with the broader reforms to the International Student Program, the Department made two changes in 2024. First, it modified the policy on program eligibility for international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement. Effective May 15, 2024, international students who start their program of study at such programs are no longer eligible for a post-­graduation work permit upon graduation. Second, graduates of master’s degree programs that are less than 2-years in duration, are eligible to apply for a 3-year PGWP.

In 2023, the waiver on the 20-hour-per-week limit international students are allowed to work off campus, while class is in session, was extended for a final time until April 30, 2024. The objective of this measure was to provide international students with a greater opportunity to gain valuable work experience in Canada and increased the availability of workers to sustain Canada’s post-pandemic growth. On April 19, 2024, IRCC announced plans to increase the limit to 24 hours. Until necessary regulatory amendments take effect in fall 2025, students enrolled in regular academic sessions may work no more than 20 hours per week.

Accommodating clients affected by major events

IRCC implemented a suite of measures in response to humanitarian crises in Sudan and Gaza. The Department supported Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in assisted departure efforts. In April 2023, IRCC supported over 460 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in returning to Canada from Sudan via assisted departure. Since October 2023, IRCC supported GAC in the assisted departure of over 2,500 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and eligible family members out of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza (via Rafah). Assisted departures require a high level of international and multi-sectoral collaboration to help the most vulnerable and bring them to safety.

In response to the civil war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023, IRCC provided facilitative measures to support family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who arrived following assisted departures out of Sudan, as well as Sudanese nationals already in Canada as temporary residents, including fee-exempt status extensions and inland applications for study permits and open work permits, ensuring access to education and the labour market while in Canada. IRCC created a new family-based humanitarian pathway for Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals who reside in Sudan, so they can reunite on a permanent basis with their family members in Canada. As announced in December 2023, up to 3,250 applications for processing would be considered under this pathway. By early May 2024, all available application spaces had been filled.

In December 2023, the Department announced temporary immigration measures to support family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, as well as Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada as temporary residents, similar to measures provided in response to the crisis in Sudan.

Furthermore, in December 2023, IRCC established a channel dedicated to respond to client enquiries related to the crisis in Gaza within its Client Support Centre. In January 2024, IRCC launched a special temporary resident pathway for certain extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Gaza. This pathway aims to provide a temporary safe haven for Palestinians directly affected by the crisis in Gaza who have Canadian citizen or permanent resident family members in Canada who are willing to support them. While the initial announcement was for 1,000 applications to be accepted into processing under this special pathway, that figure was later increased to 5,000 applications as many Canadians were concerned about the safety of their loved ones in Gaza and expressed significant interest in the pathway.

In 2023, IRCC extended inland support measures to foreign nationals in Canada who were impacted by earthquakes in Morocco, Türkiye and Syria. Foreign nationals who were unable to return home as a result of the natural disasters were provided fee exempt access to temporary resident status extensions, or to an open work permit or study permit, to allow them to remain in Canada and support themselves for an extended period. These measures assisted 690 Moroccan nationals, as well as 8,049 Turkish and Syrian nationals in Canada, who may not have felt safe returning to their home country after the devastating earthquakes. Similar measures were put into place for Iranians in Canada who could not safely return home following mass protests against the Iranian government.

In 2023, Canada experienced severe natural disasters, including wildfires in multiple regions and floods in Nova Scotia.

Many Canadian residents lost their homes and livelihoods and Canada sought help from the international firefighter community, and the Canadian Armed Forces to assist with these disasters.

To respond to these situations, IRCC introduced temporary special measures to assist individuals affected. International students, temporary foreign workers and other visitors who were directly affected by the wildfires and Nova Scotia floods and whose status would expire by fall 2023 were eligible to apply, restore or extend their status in Canada free of charge. IRCC also issued free replacement documents for those directly affected by the wildfires and floods.

Departmental Result 2: Facilitation of temporary entry helps to generate economic benefits

Results achieved

The total annual expenditures of international students, including their visiting families and friends, contributed $37.3 billion to economic activities in Canada in 2022, this is after accounting for Canadian scholarships and bursaries.

International Experience Canada

In 2023–24, IRCC continued to promote International Experience Canada (IEC) to Canadians and international youth to ensure that eligible candidates are aware of and benefit from this program. The IEC program permits foreign youth to work and travel in Canada, and Canadian youth to work and travel abroad. In 2023, IRCC issued 67,727 work permits to foreign youth. The IEC program is made possible through reciprocal agreements and arrangements with over 35 countries and territories. In 2023–24, existing youth mobility arrangements were revised and signed with South Korea and the United Kingdom to expand work opportunities for youth. The arrangements were implemented in January 2024. A new youth mobility arrangement with Iceland was implemented in January 2024, and a new youth mobility agreement with Finland came into effect in March 2024. The new partnerships with Iceland and Finland diversify and increase work and travel opportunities for Canadian youth in countries with shared Arctic priorities and Indigenous youth.

Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers

The Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (OWP-V) helps temporary foreign workers leave abusive employment situations by giving them the ability to work for another employer, without compromising their authorization to work and live in Canada. The OWP-V provides foreign workers on valid employer-specific work permits access to an open work permit if they are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing, abuse in their job. For the purposes of assessing eligibility for the OWP-V, “abuse” is defined in the regulations as consisting of physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse or reprisals. In 2023, 2,055 OWP-V applications were approved, which represents an approval rate of 58%.

Key risks

Historic interest in coming to Canada and a misalignment of arrival volumes with in-country capacity is driving risks to achieving the full benefits of IRCC Temporary Resident (TR) Programs. To mitigate the risks, the Department will include for the first time, temporary resident arrivals in the Immigration Levels Plan beginning with the 2025-2027 Plan. This is in recognition of the rapid rise in volumes of temporary residents and associated pressures on Canada’s infrastructure and social services. While temporary resident intake has historically been demand-driven, targets set through the Levels Plan are meant to help strengthen the alignment between immigration planning, community capacity and labour market needs, and support predictable population growth. IRCC is also managing risks from increasing volumes (including TR levels) by implementing modernization initiatives to ensure systems and service offerings keep pace with client expectations, increased system demands, and ensure program integrity. The mitigation strategies also include expanding the use of advanced data analytics, automation, and triaging tools to support streamlined and comprehensive processing (as part of IRCC’s broader digital modernization).

In addition, program design changes resulting from IRCC’s International Student Program (ISP) reforms may have driven partnership and third parties’ risk with additional administrative burdens on provinces, territories, and designated learning institutions as well as having introduced disruptions to students’ school and migration experience. However, these shorter-term risks are necessary to support the long-term objective of maintaining Canada’s status as a top destination of choice for international students by offering a high-quality education experience, a welcoming and diverse society, and conditions that protect students overall. IRCC mitigates these risks by continuing to engage with provinces, territories, learning institutions and national education stakeholders, through the 2023 ISP Review, federal-provincial-territorial working groups, and hosting regular technical briefings with stakeholders. Changes to eligibility requirements and measures to protect program integrity and client experience have also been implemented to position students to succeed in Canada's labour market and to potentially transition to permanent residence.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 3: Snapshot of resources required for CR1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers

Complete financial and human resources information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2023–24, IRCC continued to administer the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (OWP-V), which supports GBA Plus analyses and contributes to the Government of Canada’s Gender Results Framework. IRCC collects qualitative and quantitative data on gender, age, country of citizenship, ability to speak English or French, prior and subsequent work permits and location of work (in Canada). In 2023–24, 70% of approved OWP-V applications were granted to males, while 30% of approved OWP-V applications were granted to females and the majority of OWP-Vs were issued to individuals between 31-40 years of age. This distribution of approved OWP-V applications is reflective of the overall Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program; a greater percentage of workers are male (approximately 57%) within both programs.

IRCC continued to provide trauma-informed training for officers who process OWP-Vs. This training includes a decision-making framework and procedures for following up with clients to address systemic barriers that prevent vulnerable temporary workers from applying and being successful in obtaining an OWP-V.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

In alignment with SDG 8 and 10, IRCC engaged with international partners in 2023–24, to support and promote safe, orderly and regular migration. This includes ongoing collaboration with the International Organization for Migration to sponsor the establishment of an ethical recruitment corridor between British Columbia and Mexico, supporting projects such as the development of the Global Policy Network on Recruitment, and strengthening recruitment practices in migrant sending countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica.

More information on IRCC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in IRCC’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Innovation

IRCC adopted several innovative measures in 2023–24, such as introducing the Application Status Tracker (AST) module for Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators. The module allows MPs and Senators to better support their constituents, and to securely access an overview of clients’ immigration applications on-line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Additionally, in 2023–24, the Department advanced work towards digital visas by launching air industry stakeholder engagement to solicit initial feedback on Canada’s plans for going digital, and to gather insight from their experiences with other countries’ digital visas. Inspired by these early lessons, IRCC has focused on principles that will ultimately support the design of a digital visa pilot.

Program inventory

Core Responsibility 1: ‘Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers’ is supported by the following programs: 

• Visitors
• International Students
• Temporary Workers

Additional information related to the program inventory for CR1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Core responsibility 2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration

• In this section

  • Description
  • Progress on results
  • Key risks
  • Resources required to achieve results
  • Related government-wide priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

IRCC facilitates the admission and economic and social integration of immigrants and refugees who intend to stay in Canada permanently, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. The Department selects economic immigrant applicants to contribute to the Canadian economy, processes family member applicants to reunite families, and processes refugee and protected person applicants to provide a safe haven for those facing persecution. IRCC works with partners to verify that individuals meet admissibility requirements before they enter Canada. To support immigrants and refugees in integrating into Canadian society, IRCC offers a variety of settlement support services through a network of service providers.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the Department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration. Details are presented by departmental result.

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for CR2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in IRCC’s departmental plan for the year.

Departmental Result 3: Potential permanent residents are selected for immigration to Canada

Results achieved

Immigration Levels

IRCC released the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, which was developed in consultation with provinces and territories, stakeholder organizations, and the public. IRCC has presented a rolling multi-year (3 years) Immigration Levels Plan for admissions every year since 2017.

In 2023–24, in keeping with the recommendation of the Strategic Immigration Review, IRCC actively advanced a responsible, whole-of-society, whole-of-government approach to immigration planning, taking into consideration housing and healthcare planning, the availability of other important services, as well as targets for temporary immigration. The Department consulted more extensively than ever ahead of the levels plan, reaching out to a broad range of stakeholders that intersect with immigration in various ways or have expertise in the areas of the economy, urban planning, housing and newcomers.

The selection of applicants is categorized based on economic contributions, family reunification, or support for refugees, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate needs. The Levels Plan sets out the number of permanent residents admitted to Canada each year, with planned admissions between 410,000 and 505,000 in 2023, between 430,000 and 542,500 in 2024, and between 442,000 and 550,000 in 2025. The 2023-2025 Levels Plan sets out targets to support economic growth and address labour market shortages for different regions.

Of 471,808 permanent resident admissions in 2023, 58% (272,744) were from the economic immigration classes. The Government of Canada recognizes the essential role of economic immigration in labour force growth and in attracting the range of in-demand skills and talent necessary to meet the current and future needs of the economy. In 2023, 44% of total admissions were previous temporary residents that transitioned to permanent residence.

In March 2024, IRCC announced that the Immigration Levels Plan would be expanded in 2025-2027 to include both temporary and permanent residents which will help strengthen the alignment between immigration planning, community capacity and labour market needs, and support predictable population growth.

Reuniting families

In 2023, 81,417 spouses, partners and children became permanent residents in comparison to 70,076 in 2022.

In May 2023, IRCC announced new measures to strengthen family reunification and help address labour shortages, including faster temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal and partner permanent resident applicants.

In 2023, 28,313 individuals were admitted under the parents and grandparents category, representing a 4% increase from 2022. The 2023 inventory was comprised of 40,391 individuals. For the 2023 intake, 24,200 prospective sponsors from the 2020 pool of interest to sponsor forms were invited to submit applications, with the goal of receiving up to 15,000 complete applications which together with those remaining in the inventory, will help meet parent and grandparent admissions in 2024.

Parents or grandparents may also apply for the super visa, which is a multi-entry temporary resident visa that allows parents and grandparents to reunite with their children and grandchildren in Canada for extended periods. In 2023, more than 73,100 super visas for parents and grandparents were approved.

Finally, in 2023–24, the Department finalized an evaluation of the Family Reunification Program. IRCC committed to key action items in response to recommendations from the report including: (1) identifying strategies to increase awareness of IRCC-funded settlement[1] services; (2) exploring options for simplifying the spousal reunification application process, including clarifying the guidance on IRCC’s public facing website, and (3) implementing strategies to reduce family reunification application processing times.

Managing higher asylum claims volumes and irregular migration in Canada

The number of in-Canada asylum claims increased over the last year. Canada received over 143,300 in-Canada asylum claims in 2023 at different ports of entry and inland offices, as compared to 91,710 in 2022. This represents an increase of 57% from 2022 to 2023. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) 3.9 million individual asylum applications were registered globally in 2023, which is the largest number of individual asylum applications ever recorded.

IRCC is engaging in measures to support asylum claimants with work permits and housing. Asylum claimants continue to be issued an open work permit to work temporarily in Canada while they wait for their claim to be considered by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

IRCC has also been involved in providing interim housing support to asylum claimants through the provision of funding under the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) and directly via temporary accommodations. Through IHAP, the federal government has provided almost $960 million since 2017 and $259.9M in 2023–24 to reimburse, on a cost-sharing basis, expenses incurred by provinces and municipalities providing interim housing to asylum claimants. IRCC also expended approximately $521.5 million to provide short-term accommodations to asylum claimants unable to shelter elsewhere.

Effectively managing asylum claims is essential to the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. IRCC collaborates with its partners both in Canada and internationally to discourage irregular migration, including by proactively dispelling misinformation and providing facts about claiming asylum in Canada. To deter irregular migration, the Department worked with the United States of America (USA) on issues related to our shared border, including the shared management of the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which has resulted in a significant decrease in irregular claims.

On February 29, 2024, IRCC also adjusted its travel requirements for Mexican citizens to address the growing trend of asylum claims made by Mexican citizens. In 2023, the majority of these claims were either rejected by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, or withdrawn or abandoned by the applicant. The partial visa requirement has led to significant decrease in overall claims by Mexican citizens.

International engagement on migration and protection

In 2023–24, IRCC actively engaged with its key multilateral and regional partners to advance regional cooperation on migration and protection issues, including by collaborating with international partners to support and promote, safe, orderly and regular migration in support of the Global Compact on Migration (GCM), and to expand refugee resettlement access to third country solutions in support of the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR). This included increasing capacity building efforts in the Americas as part of a $75 million dollar investment over six years for projects across Latin America and the Caribbean, where IRCC is investing in implementation partners such as the UNHCR and the International Organization on Migration (IOM) on projects to strengthen the integration of migrants in host communities and asylum systems in the region. IRCC also continued to support the GCM as a Champion country, encouraging the implementation of the GCM internationally, by engaging in multilateral fora and bilateral discussions on the following themes: the promotion of managed migration systems; and balanced and evidence-based public narratives on the contributions of migrants and refugees to counter discrimination and xenophobia. Particularly on public narratives, Canada co-chaired several sessions focused on this theme with the Philippines at the Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) Summit in January 2024.

In the Americas, as part of the Americas Commitment to welcome 15,000 individuals to Canada through safe and regular pathways, IRCC announced a new humanitarian permanent residence pathway to welcome up to 11,000 Colombian, Haitian, and Venezuelan nationals residing in Latin America and Caribbean with family connections to Canada. As of March 31, 2024, Canada met its target of welcoming an additional 4,000 temporary foreign workers from the Americas region this year, compared with the previous year, and admissions had begun from the new permanent residence pathway.

In 2023–24, the Department continued to address global migration challenges by actively participating in regional cooperation efforts, including under the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, to address root causes of migration and promote the benefits of well managed migration systems. In support of the implementation of the Los Angeles Declaration, Canada has continued to chair discussions on “Investing in Asylum” and co-chair the discussions on “Refugee Resettlement and Complementary Pathways’’, as a firm expression of Canada’s commitment to advance regional cooperation on migration and protection.

Responding to international crises

In 2023–24, IRCC helped the Minister fulfill his mandate letter commitment to welcome at least 40,000 vulnerable Afghans as part of the Afghan Resettlement Initiative. Fulfillment of this mandate letter commitment was achieved through several existing and new immigration pathways, including a humanitarian program and a special immigration program for Afghans who assisted Canada along with their families. Additionally, IRCC created a pathway for extended family members of former Afghan interpreters who previously immigrated to Canada under programs in 2009 and 2012. The Department also introduced a special program for the extended family of former Language and Cultural Advisors in March 2023.

Following the outbreak of gang violence in Port-au-Prince, the Government of Canada took immediate action and organized assisted departures out of Haiti, which ended on April 26, 2024. IRCC subsequently implemented special measures to help Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members who left Haiti, as well as Haitian temporary residents who were already here and temporary residents who were already in Canada and who could not return home yet. Under these measures a total of 681 people arrived in Canada: 435 Canadian citizens, 111 permanent residents and 135 temporary residents.

Building on lessons learned from recent responses to situations in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and elsewhere, and in response to recommendations from the Strategic Immigration Review, IRCC is developing a Crisis Response Framework to position Canada’s immigration system to adapt quickly in response to growing humanitarian crises. The overarching vision of the Framework is to enable a more predictable, consistent, and equitable process to support the Government of Canada response to crisis and migration pressures and to assist those arriving in Canada in a crisis context.

Interim Federal Health Program

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides temporary health care coverage to resettled refugees, refugee claimants, in-Canada protected persons, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, persons detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and certain persons resettled in Canada as a result of a public policy or humanitarian and compassionate considerations, during their period of ineligibility for provincial or territorial health insurance.

In 2023–24, IRCC continued investing in the IFHP to ensure that beneficiaries receive health-care coverage to help address their essential medical needs, improve their overall health outcomes and facilitate their integration to Canada. During the last fiscal year, 505,430 newcomers were eligible for IFHP. In 2023–24, IRCC introduced a pilot project to extend the duration of coverage for mental health counselling from one to two years under the IFHP for certain Afghan refugees who arrived as part of the Government of Canada’s humanitarian response to the situation in Afghanistan. While the pilot is in its early stages, 530 clients have been approved for an additional year of IFHP mental health coverage to date.

Resettling Refugees

In 2023–24, Canada welcomed a total of 51,081 resettled refugees and completed its 2022–23 multi-year refugee resettlement commitments for Government-assisted refugees (GARs) to resettle 10,000 refugees from Africa and 8,000 refugees from the Middle East.

In 2023–24, the Department worked closely with international delivery partners, including IOM and UNHCR. The UNHCR, along with other refugee referral partners supported identification and referral of refugees, while IOM provided direct pre-departure support globally to refugees overseas and logistical supports that are critical to helping achieve resettled refugee admissions levels.

In addition, IRCC supported the Minister in meeting the Mandate Letter commitment to expand the human rights defenders stream by increasing the number of resettlement spaces per year from 250 to 500 spaces and engaging civil society organizations on the protection of human rights defenders.

In December 2023, Canada participated in the second Global Refugee Forum to chart progress to date since the 2019 Forum and drive future action on the Global Compact on Refugees. In 2019, Canada made 14 pledges, including 9 related to IRCC programming and policy. As of 2024, Canada has fulfilled 11 out of 14 of its 2019 pledges, with the remaining three pledges directed to ongoing programming in the key areas of asylum capacity building, settlement and integration of newcomers, and continuing the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership. 

At the 2023 Global Refugee Forum, Canada made 40 new pledges in the areas of refugee resettlement, education, meaningful refugee participation, asylum and protection capacity building, community sponsorship, and refugee labour mobility. Finally, Canada reinforced, through its statements and programming, its commitment to the ongoing protection of LGBTQI+ refugees.

Expanding the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) is Canada’s model for refugee labour mobility that aims to address Canadian labour shortages while providing durable solutions for refugees with the skills and qualifications that Canadian employers need. 

In 2023, 103 people were admitted to Canada under the EMPP, for a total of 211 since it launched. IRCC is continuing to work with provinces and territories, as well as communities and employers across Canada, to grow the pilot and welcome greater numbers of refugees and other displaced persons to address labour shortages in high-demand sectors such as healthcare.

In 2023–24, the Government expanded the EMPP by creating a new federal pathway that allows applicants to apply directly to IRCC without having to get a nomination from a province, territory or participating rural and northern community first.

In 2023–24, IRCC expanded the pilot, including by providing an additional $1 million in funding to NGO partners to build their capacity to identify and refer potential candidates in Latin America and the Caribbean, and by approving new partner organizations to issue referral letters to EMPP clients who meet refugee-related criteria.

Departmental Result 4: Permanent residents are welcomed and benefit from settlement supports

Results achieved

Settlement Programming

The objective of the Settlement Program is to support newcomers’ successful settlement and integration in Canada. All permanent residents and other eligible clients under the Settlement Program may access services until they become Canadian citizens. Federally funded settlement services are delivered by more than 550 third-party Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) across Canada (excluding Quebec).

In 2022–23, IRCC amended the Settlement Program’s Terms and Conditions to temporarily extend the eligibility criteria for settlement programming to all Ukrainian temporary residents and their dependents in Canada until March 2025. In 2023–24, 120,417 Ukrainian temporary residents and their dependents, including both Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) and non-CUAET clients accessed settlement services provided by SPOs funded by IRCC.

In addition to the range of settlement services offered to all newcomers, resettled refugees in Canada receive services and supports under the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). In 2023–24, 24,908 Government-Assisted Refugees received RAP services including direct financial support and immediate and essential services for the first four to six weeks delivered by SPOs funded by IRCC.

In 2023–24, the number of clients accessing the settlement and resettlement programs combined reached an all-time high, at close to 695,000. In 2023, IRCC published its Settlement Outcomes Report summarizing results from across the settlement sector over the preceding two years, as well as outcomes of newcomers who were eligible for settlement supports (clients and non-clients). 85% of clients reported being able to access the Settlement Program with no barriers, and the majority of clients reported that the program was helpful to them on their settlement journey.

Call for Proposals 2024

IRCC administers the Settlement Program and Resettlement Assistance Program to help newcomers settle and adapt to life in Canada, setting them on a path to integration and full citizenship. This is largely accomplished by funding SPOs to offer settlement services, as outlined in funding guidelines. A national Call for Proposals (CFP) process is held every five years, to identify successful applicants for funding through Funding Agreements to support program delivery.

In November 2023, IRCC launched the Settlement Program and Resettlement Assistance Program CFP 2024 to solicit proposals for funding agreements of up to five years with settlement and resettlement SPOs across Canada, outside of Quebec. Agreements are expected to be in place by April 1, 2025.

Promoting Francophone Immigration outside Quebec

The former Francophone Immigration Strategy that was launched in 2019 included a target of 4.4% French-speaking permanent residents admitted outside Quebec by 2023. In 2023, IRCC exceeded the target with 19,636 admissions, or 4.7%.

In 2024, IRCC launched the new Policy on Francophone Immigration, supporting Francophone immigration as a departmental priority. The Policy supports the government’s commitments to enhance the vitality and economic development of Francophone minority communities, including charting a path toward the restoration and increase of their demographic weight.

One of the flagship measures in the Policy’s 2024-2028 Implementation Plan is a new Grants and Contributions program, the Francophone Immigration Support Program (FISP). Launched in 2024, the FSIP funds projects that aim to address systemic barriers to Francophone immigration. The FSIP has been allocated $19.4M to support projects that fall into three streams 1) Collaborative selection projects; 2) Promotion of Francophone Minority Communities abroad; and 3) Case studies, innovations, and applied research. Between the launch of the FISP in January 2024 and March 31, 2024, 27 funding requests were received.

IRCC continues to support a strengthened suite of settlement and resettlement services offered by Francophone service providers in Francophone minority communities, as part of its Francophone Integration Pathway (FIP). In 2023–24, uptake of Francophone settlement and resettlement services continued to increase with 64% of French-speaking newcomer clients accessing at least one service provided by a Francophone Service Provider Organization, compared to 51% in 2019-2020.

In addition to renewing existing FIP services such as the Francophone single window for pre-arrival services, the national settlement CFP 2024 introduces two new initiatives:

• the Centre of Excellence for the Francophone Settlement Sector to support Francophone direct service providers, and
• the Corridor for the Selection and the Retention of French teachers in Canada to fund projects that promote the integration of newcomers into the Francophone education sector in minority communities.

In 2023–24, the Department also demonstrated a commitment to Francophone immigration by providing language training to French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities. This initiative, committed to through the Official Languages Action Plan, funded language training services for 1,224 clients in 2023–24.

Providing Skills Training for Newcomers for Successful Settlement and Integration

Proficiency in English or French is foundational to the successful settlement and integration of newcomers. IRCC supports newcomers in acquiring the skills they need to live and work in Canada, including by improving their official language skills.

In 2023–24, the Department helped more than 120,706 unique language training clients, and 114,602 language assessment clients to improve their English or French language skills through 220 language training service providers. To achieve this result, IRCC supported organizations to enhance teaching tools and resources, and expanded online language training options for clients. In 2023–24, almost 35% of clients progressed one level or more in at least one language skill, which is consistent with results from the previous five years.

Employment-related services are also a key part of IRCC’s Settlement Program. This suite of services helps newcomers to overcome newcomer-specific barriers and develop the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the Canadian labour market and connect with employers.

In 2023–24, IRCC funded 260 SPOs to deliver employment-related services to 83,436 pre and post arrival clients. Of these, 52,453 clients received individual employment counselling, 19,388 accessed networking opportunities to help increase their professional networks, 9,782 benefited from mentoring, and 4,135 integrated temporary work placements. The 2023 Newcomer Outcomes Survey indicates that clients who received employment-related supports reported improvement in their knowledge of employment topics compared to non-clients.

Departmental Result 5: Immigrants and refugees achieve economic independence and contribute to labour force growth

Results achieved  

New Approaches through Express Entry

Launched in 2015, Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for three Federal permanent economic immigration programs (the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class) and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. The Express Entry application management system provides permanent residence pathways for skilled candidates, including international students and temporary workers, which strengthens Canada’s ability to meet a range of labour needs. In 2023, 120,822 principal applicants and accompanying family members came through Express Entry, which represent 44% of all economic immigration admissions. Among those invited, the top five primary occupations included software engineers and designers, software developers and programmers, food service supervisors, information systems specialists, and administrative assistants. Among those who were issued an invitation to apply for permanent residence, 92% of invitees claimed a post-secondary educational credential of at least three years. Furthermore, 31% of the newcomers were categorized with an advanced language ability, followed by 24% with an intermediate ability, as defined by the Canadian Language Benchmarks / Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens.

In 2023–24, IRCC continued to build on its strong foundation of selecting economic immigrants that can support Canada’s evolving labour market needs by launching category-based selection in the Express Entry system to select candidates with work experience in occupations experiencing structural shortages to help address the needs of Canada’s employers, and a French-proficiency category to support the priority of economic growth through Francophone immigration in communities outside of Quebec. The occupation-based categories consisted of select healthcare, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), trade, transport, and agriculture and agri-food occupations. These categories were developed following a review of labour market information, engagement with federal, provincial and territorial partners as well as consultations with stakeholders.

Candidates with French-language proficiency or with work experience in the occupations that were eligible under specific categories were invited to apply for permanent residence through category-based selection in 2023–24. The Department invited 25,870 candidates to apply for permanent residence through 17 category-based selection rounds between June 28 and December 31, 2023. Furthermore, IRCC made changes in 2023–24 to the eligibility criteria for physicians to facilitate their access to permanent residence and help address labour shortages in the healthcare sector.

Regional Labour Force Growth through Immigration

Regional economic immigration programs provide provinces, territories and communities across Canada with the ability to select those immigrants with the specific skills that are critically needed in their local labour market.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), is a jointly administered immigration program with IRCC, which provides provinces and territories an opportunity to address their economic development needs, while distributing the benefits of economic immigration across Canada.

In 2023, 108,619 provincial nominees and their accompanying family members were admitted through the PNP, compared to 88,272 people admitted in 2022. The PNP represented a significant source of economic immigration overall in 2023, representing 40% of all economic immigration admissions. Some of the top occupations admitted through the PNP in 2023 were food service supervisors, transport truck drivers, software engineers and food counter attendants.

In 2023–24, IRCC worked with Nova Scotia to create the Critical Construction Worker Pilot under Nova Scotia's Provincial Nominee Program. The Pilot was initially launched in 2023 to target labour market needs in the construction sector, which were exacerbated by wildfires last summer. With continued shortages in the construction sector, the Pilot also aims to support housing development needs in Nova Scotia. Similarly, British Columbia updated their Skilled Immigration Stream in 2023, which traditionally focused on high demand occupations in the technology, education, and health sectors, to include 25 occupations in the construction sector.

The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) allows the Atlantic provinces to prioritize sectors with immediate labour market needs in various occupation types. Atlantic provinces have been effectively leveraging this program to fill specific needs in priority sectors, such as healthcare. To support the healthcare sector, the AIP includes an exception which allows highly skilled healthcare workers (e.g., nurses) to accept jobs at a lower skill level (i.e., nurse’s aide/orderly), ensuring these individuals can immediately start working in this in-demand sector while they explore upgrading their credentials.

Historically, the Atlantic provinces have had lower rates of retaining newly admitted skilled immigrants compared with the rest of Canada. Since becoming a permanent program in 2022, the AIP includes partnerships with over 2,500 employers that have been designated to participate in the program. These employers have presented over 7,400 job offers to skilled workers and international graduates in varying sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, and food sectors. As of 2023, the program has admitted 3,636 principal applicants and their accompanying family members. IRCC’s evaluation found that over 90% of AIP applicants were still living in the region after one year.

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) took a community economic development approach to attracting and retaining immigrants. The pilot covered all occupations and skill levels and the 11 RNIP communities (in Northern Ontario and Western Canada) were responsible for selecting skilled workers and international graduates that best suited their labour market needs.

As of 2023, employers participating in the RNIP issued over 2,500 job offers to skilled workers and international graduates in key sectors including accommodation and food services, healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing, construction, and more. Since 2019, this has resulted in 4,600 immigrants and their accompanying family members admitted through the RNIP. A newcomer survey conducted in 2022 demonstrated that most newcomers (87%) stated they stayed and plan to stay in their RNIP community. Due to RNIP’s success, IRCC continued to leverage regional programs by launching two new regional pilots in 2024–25 while the Department works toward creating a permanent rural immigration program.

The Agri-Food Pilot tests an industry-specific approach to attract and retain experienced temporary foreign workers in the meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse crop production, and the livestock raising industries by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents. The Program responds to calls from stakeholders for government assistance in recruiting and retaining full-time, year-round employees to address the persistent labour market challenges these industries experience. As announced in 2023, the Agri-Food Pilot, initially a three-year pilot, will support these labour market needs for an additional two years, as a result of the pilot’s extension until May 2025.

In 2023, 1,565 workers and their family members were welcomed to Canada as permanent residents under the Agri-Food Pilot, which is an increase from nearly 1,000 admissions in 2022. To further help facilitate transitions of experienced agricultural and agri-food workers, a number of changes were introduced in 2023. In February 2024, further changes were introduced to give more workers an opportunity to qualify under the Pilot.

Caregiver Pilots

Launched in 2019, the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots provide pathways to permanent residence for home care workers, and feature program design elements to reduce worker vulnerabilities and family separation. The arrival of caregivers from abroad continues to be important today and in the coming years to address labour market needs in these occupations and to support broader Government of Canada priorities and initiatives. In 2023, changes were introduced to facilitate the timely admission of caregivers already in Canada and to better support access to the pathway for all interested applicants.

Canada has offered a number of pathways to permanent residence for home care workers over the last few decades, including through the Live-in Caregiver Program (1992-2014), the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots (2014-2019), and the Interim Pathway for Caregivers (2019). The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots reflect lessons learned from previous programming and respond to specific, chronic vulnerability concerns raised during consultations. Program design elements that differ from previous programming include removal of the live-in requirement, assessment of applicants upfront for permanent residence eligibility, issuance of occupation-restricted open work permits, and family accompaniment at the temporary residence stage.

Departmental Result 6: Immigrants and refugees feel part of and participate in Canadian society

Results achieved  

Immigrants and refugees make important contributions to Canadian society. IRCC’s programs, including regional economic immigration and settlement programs, help immigrants to become engaged in their communities, while contributing to the Canadian economy.

Supporting newcomers to be engaged in their communities

IRCC-funded settlement services are in place to support newcomer and refugee engagement in their new communities. These services bring together newcomers and Indigenous peoples, long-time Canadians, and settled immigrants with the aim of creating welcoming communities that enhance belonging, promote social cohesion, employment readiness, and provide opportunities for informal language learning.

In addition, the Settlement Program provides funding to Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs) and Zonal Immigration Partnerships (ZIPs) to foster welcoming and inclusive communities. In 2023–24, the network of communities grew and now includes more than 88 LIPs (including 7 ZIPs in four provinces) across Canada (excluding Quebec) to actively support local engagement and cross-sector collaboration to coordinate services at the community level. Their activities include partnering with local stakeholders, equity groups and other partners to advance anti-racism initiatives and truth and reconciliation, attracting and retaining newcomers in small and rural communities, and working with local municipalities and associations to address housing accessibility issues. 

In 2023–24, the Réseaux en immigration francophone (RIF) supported and engaged more than 350 organizations to better attract, welcome and retain newcomers in Francophone and Acadian communities across Canada outside Quebec. They also notably supported the Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiative that represents 14 regions that have been selected to welcome and support French-speaking newcomers in their new community. More than 6,000 French-speaking permanent residents chose these 14 communities as their Census Metropolitan Area of choice between January 2020 and December 2023.

Following the success of the Welcoming Francophone Community Initiative’s pilot which ended in March 2024, IRCC renewed the initiative for up to four more years and is expanding it in up to ten additional communities. Overall, IRCC received very positive feedback from most regions when Francophone stakeholders were consulted in 2023 on the pilot’s successes and challenges. For instance, the Hamilton Welcoming Francophone Community led an entrepreneurship incubator which resulted in the launch of new local businesses owned by French-speaking newcomers. The development of this Initiative has been possible due to the funding from the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028.

IRCC initiated the development of a national community-based strategy to address the specific needs of Francophone women newcomers living in minority communities, in partnership with l’Alliance des femmes de la Francophonie Canadienne (in French only) and the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité Canada.

Intergovernmental Relations

The Ministers of immigration advanced joint initiatives to respond to pan-Canadian immigration priorities through the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI). These initiatives aim to enhance the economic and social benefits of immigration and improve the efficacy of Canada’s immigration system. In 2023, Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers met twice and renewed the FPT Strategic Plan for Immigration 2024-27 to foster a flexible, timely and effective immigration system. In collaboration with provincial immigration partners, IRCC concluded the Extension of the Canada-Northwest Territories Agreement on Territorial Nominees (July 2023), the Extension of the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (November 2023) and the Extension of the Canada-Prince Edward Island Immigration Agreement (March 2024). These bilateral immigration agreements serve to define mutual priorities and effective mechanisms for sharing responsibility for immigration. IRCC also ensured ongoing collaboration with the government of Quebec in all immigration categories, guided by the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord, and guided by the principle that immigration should support the preservation of Quebec’s demographic weight in Canada and its distinct identity.

Key risks

The Department identified the risk to its ability to deliver on its permanent resident commitments, including regarding service standards, given competing Government priorities. To mitigate these risks to service delivery, IRCC leveraged its existing workforce to meet its resource needs as well as identified digital solutions to improve processing and operational efficiency, including automation, advanced analytics, and maximizing application features (e.g., medical exams). Clarifying information on IRCC’s website and improved application tracking also helps clients understand anticipated wait times and the status of their applications. Given the dynamic nature of its work, IRCC continually develops new mitigations to respond to these risks as they emerge.

Additionally, if a new global or humanitarian crisis requires the development of specialized immigration responses and drives a high volume of arrivals, capacity to deliver on IRCC Program priorities may be impacted and, in particular, the Resettlement Assistance Program and Settlement Program may not have the resource capacity to adequately deliver services and supports to the intended populations. To mitigate these risks, a Crisis Response Framework (CRF) is in development through the Department’s new International Affairs and Crisis Response Sector (IACRS). This new sector maintains the CRF, and provides evidence-based policy development, strategic program support, program integrity oversight, and functional guidance for emerging migration risks and crises.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 8: Snapshot of resources required for CR2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration.

Complete financial and human resources information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2023, IRCC held its regular annual consultations on immigration levels. Consultations included a direct question related to diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations in the context of opportunities for permanent residency. Consultations also sought to include a range of stakeholders and perspectives and those able to speak on behalf of a diversity of voices – including those representing Indigenous, Black, and racialized peoples, and other equity-seeking groups, and those with intersecting identities. These consultations also informed the development of category-based selection in Express Entry.

Before implementing category-based selection in 2023, a GBA Plus analysis was conducted to inform category development. This included the analysis of disaggregated socio-demographic data of candidates (e.g., gender, age, level of education, etc.) to identify impacts on the profile of candidates expected to be invited to apply through Express Entry.

Regional economic immigration programs support the full economic participation of women and diverse groups of people, which contributes to the Gender Results Framework, particularly the pillar on economic participation and prosperity.

IRCC collects disaggregated data on the gender of applicants under the PNP, AIP and RNIP. All applicants under the PNP are assessed equally according to a defined set of selection criteria, irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other diversity factors. Since the program is administered by provinces and territories (PTs), foreign nationals are identified, selected and nominated by PTs based on their labour market needs, rather than by the Government of Canada.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

IRCC supports migrant workers with employer-specific work permits who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing abuse in their job, by providing the ability to apply for an Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers, which supports SDG 16.

In May 2023, IRCC announced changes to the Agri-Food Pilot to provide wider support to applicants and their family members, reduce barriers and vulnerability for candidates, and expand the pathway to permanent residence for experienced workers in these industries. Recent changes to the Pilot expand access to open work permits for family members, offer applicants residing in Canada the opportunity to meet either the job offer requirement or the education requirement. Other changes include giving workers under an Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers in an eligible occupation an opportunity to qualify. These changes facilitate greater access to permanent residence for agri-food workers and support the physical, mental, and financial stability of workers, allowing them to better integrate into their overall work environment and community alongside their families. The pilot changes reflect Canada’s commitment to support transitions from temporary to permanent residence, and productive employment and decent work for all (SDG 8).

Lastly, Canada has special humanitarian resettlement programs for human rights defenders and for vulnerable Afghans. Programs for Afghans include individuals who supported Canada and our allies over the past two decades, women, persecuted ethnic or religious minorities, LGBTI+ individuals, and journalists, which supports SDG 5.

More information on IRCC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in IRCC’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Innovation

Through a Request for Quotations process launched in 2022 under the Settlement Program, IRCC is also funding 17 new projects in the area of Anti-Racism, mainstreaming gender equality and GBA Plus. Six of these projects were funded through Service Delivery Improvement (SDI), a funding envelope of the Settlement Program that tests innovative approaches to service delivery and builds sector capacity with the goal of improving program effectiveness and outcomes of newcomers. Most of these SDI projects ended on March 31, 2024, and the final results, once analyzed, will inform future programming in these areas.

Following the outbreak of gang violence in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, IRCC successfully collaborated with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) on planning and monitoring evacuation flights for Canadian citizens and their non-Canadian immediate family members from Haiti to Canada. IRCC’s crisis task force effectively utilized newly developed tools that proved essential for quickly compiling data, updating application status and tracking client movement. They were able to coordinate and relay the real time processing information of IRCC teams abroad in multiple locations to the GAC operational teams responsible for the logistics of the flights.

Canada has also become a global leader in refugee labour mobility. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) made significant strides in recognizing the significant skills, experience, and abilities that refugees and other displaced people bring to Canadian employers and communities. As an economic program, the EMPP helps open up new talent pools for the Canadian labour market while providing durable solutions to those in need. The Federal EMPP pathway launched in June 2023 features two streams, a job offer and a no job offer stream, designed deliberately to facilitate access to the pathway and to make it easier for employers trying to fill critical labour market needs across Canada.

Program inventory

Core Responsibility 2: ‘Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration’ is supported by the following programs:

• Federal Economic Immigration
• Regional Economic Immigration
• Family Reunification
• Humanitarian/Compassionate and Discretionary Immigration
• Refugee Resettlement
• Asylum
• Settlement

Additional information related to the program inventory for CR2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Core responsibility 3: Citizenship and Passports

• In this section

  • Description
  • Progress on results
  • Key risks
  • Resources required to achieve results
  • Related government-wide priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

IRCC promotes the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, and issues secure and internationally recognized Canadian citizenship and travel documents so that Canadians can participate fully in civic society and so that travel is facilitated across borders while contributing to international and domestic security.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the Department performed to achieve results and meet targets for CR3: Citizenship and Passports. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 10: Targets and results for Departmental Result 8: Canadians’ international travel is facilitated

Departmental Result Indicators	Targets	Date to achieve targets	Actual Results
1. Percentage compliance of the Canadian passport with international standards	100%	End of each FY	2021–22: 100% 2022–23: 100% 2023–24: 100%
2. Percentage of Canadian travel document applications that met service standardsFootnote 1	≥ 90%	End of each FY	2021–22: 81% 2022–23: 77% 2023–24: 91.4%
3. Percentage of passport applicants who report they were satisfied overall with the services they received	≥ 90%	End of each FY	2021–22: 85% 2022–23: 71% 2023–24: 84.7%

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for CR3: Citizenship and Passports in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in IRCC’s departmental plan for the year.

Departmental Result 7: Eligible permanent residents become Canadian citizens

Results achieved

IRCC remains dedicated to modernizing the Citizenship Program and reducing barriers for clients to better support eligible permanent residents in their journey to achieving Canadian citizenship.

In 2023–24, the Department expanded on technological solutions to increase client services and processing efficiencies, while also implementing Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and maintaining program integrity. These advancements have laid the groundwork for the Citizenship Program to modernize and improve on existing achievements, such as:

• Expanded the citizenship online application, making it accessible to more citizenship grant applicants to include adult and minor clients who are applying individually or as a group;
• Expanded the electronic citizenship certificate (e-certificate) pilot beyond a select group of clients to offer all applicants the option to receive an e-certificate when applying for a grant of citizenship or proof of Canadian citizenship; and
• Expanded paper file digitization which supported more efficient workload management and increased productivity.

These initiatives facilitated reductions for both the inventory and wait times, with a total of 397,411 individuals becoming new Canadian citizens in 2023–24, compared to 364,166 new citizens in 2022–23.

In June 2023, amendments were made to the Citizenship Act, enabling the electronic administration of the Citizenship Program, including the use of automated tools, machine-assisted decision-making and biometrics, which will support gradual modernization efforts in the future.

In 2023–24, IRCC explored the use of an online tool that would enable the self-administration of the oath of citizenship in some circumstances. Extensive analysis is underway to assess various options for implementation, particularly surrounding the client experience journey, measures related to the integrity of the process and an ongoing commitment that citizenship ceremonies remain an important part of Canadian tradition.

In 2023–24, the Department is continuing to finalize an updated Citizenship Guide and corresponding learning tools in support of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 93. Furthermore, additional targeted consultations were conducted to ensure a broad range of perspectives and contributions and provide a more balanced depiction of Canada’s history. The Department is developing study tools to support clients studying for the citizenship test.

Departmental Result 8: Canadians’ international travel is facilitated

Results achieved  

The Passport Program continued to address pandemic-related service delivery challenges and was successful in returning to pre-pandemic service standards this year, while also advancing its digital innovation agenda. In 2023–24, 4,713,156 Canadian travel documents were issued in Canada and abroad.

Passport Modernization

The Department completed the integration of new Passport printing services for the remaining domestic (in-Canada) and print center locations. All locations are now printing the new series B passport, meeting the ministerial commitment to the Canadian public.

Passport Program Modernization Initiative

IRCC completed the implementation of the Passport Program Modernization Initiative (PPMI) and is continuing to deploy PPMI capabilities in passport processing offices. The PPMI was a multi-year project focused on replacing the current domestic passport issuance system with a new platform which includes a front-end intake tool, tempo, and Global Case Management System (GCMS) at the back end for passport processing. PPMI delivered a digital platform that lays the foundation for future passport business and service improvements such as online and abroad service delivery. PPMI reduces operational burden by automating data intake as well as back-end processing for adult renewal applications. In 2023–24, a total of 5,056,858 passport applications were received and 556,127 passports were issued using the Passport Program Modernization Initiative platform, confirming the successful delivery of the issuance system as deployment continues. Moving forward, all applications will be processed through the new issuance system with up to 50% being processed with automation. The Department has also made strides toward developing an online application for passport clients. IRCC will continue to transform the Program by leveraging the new issuance platform, automation and digital solutions to increase application processing efficiency as well as offer greater accessibility of passport services to Canadians.  

Pursuant to its obligations under the Service Fees Act, in 2023, IRCC re-instated its fee remission policy, which compensates clients in cases where services do not meet established service standards. The remission policy had been temporarily suspended during the pandemic due to the exceptional operating circumstances outside of the Department’s control. In 2023–24, $1,569,693 of fees were remitted.

Key risks

There is a risk that IRCC receives high volumes of citizenship grant applications above processing capacity. To mitigate this risk, the IT modernization initiatives are progressively reducing paper-based processes, and improving client service and processing. In addition, to reduce the likelihood of program integrity risk, new Citizenship Act authorities, established in June 2023, will enable the systematic collection and use of biometric information in the Citizenship Program to strengthen identity management and criminality screening starting in 2027–28.

The Passport Program is closely monitoring the health of the Passport Revolving Fund, which was depleted during the pandemic as a result of falling application revenue and costs related to post-pandemic resumption of service. There is a financial risk if the Passport Program’s projected volumes fall short, resulting in unmaterialized revenues, or if Program costs exceed those projected, that spending adjustments would need to be made that could impact service delivery and/or Program modernization efforts. To mitigate these financial risks, the Department monitors the health of the Fund monthly and is working with Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada and Global Affairs Canada to deploy appropriate cost containment as needed to limit impact to Program delivery.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 11: Snapshot of resources required for CR3: Citizenship and Passports

Complete financial and human resources information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

IRCC continues working to improve policies related to accessibility, fairness and affordability to facilitate equitable access to citizenship for all permanent residents. As such, the Department analyzed client demographics and Canada’s economic context in advance of developing policy and program options designed to minimize barriers faced by some citizenship applicants. For example, IRCC identified that the compassionate waiver process was difficult to access for vulnerable clients and introduced a new up-front waiver process which is easier for this clientele segment to access. Compassionate grounds for a waiver can include, for example, low education or literacy levels in one’s first language; a physical or developmental disability; a mental impairment; or trauma due to war, torture, or living in a refugee camp. In addition, the Department introduced citizenship test facilitative measures including extending the amount of time allotted to take the citizenship test from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, increasing possible test attempts from two to three and providing a 30-day window to complete the test. These changes will be most helpful for clients who have difficulty meeting the knowledge requirements or clients with disabilities who required additional time to complete the test, as they are less likely to require accommodations.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

IRCC’s citizenship and passport programs support Canada’s efforts to address the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2023–24, the Citizenship Program has implemented anti-racism, equity, and diversity initiatives to minimize barriers faced by some citizenship applicants and, in turn, advance inclusion and representation (SDG 10). For instance, the increased time to take the citizenship test will support applicants, particularly those with disabilities, with additional time. Prior to this improvement, applicants would need to make this request prior to the administration of the test.

IRCC encourages all permanent residents to acquire Canadian citizenship, which supports the objectives of promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all (SDG 8).

The Department is also improving its passport service delivery processes and expanding online citizenship applications, which helps to build effective institutions (SDG 16).

More information on IRCC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in IRCC’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Innovation

IRCC launched the Citizenship to Passport Pilot in March 2023, testing a simplified passport application process for naturalized Canadian citizens. A small number of clients were invited to apply for a passport during the citizenship application process, and IRCC began using the new simplified application form that leverages existing citizenship information to make a passport entitlement decision. Clients received their passports shortly after they completed the process to become a Canadian citizen. The goal of the pilot is to improve client service by minimizing the number of times clients need to submit personal information to the Citizenship and Passport programs. The pilot continues to be implemented, with work underway to potentially scale up the initiative, as well as to identify potential new cohorts that may also benefit from simplified application processing. The lessons learned from the ongoing pilot will help inform a sustainable future operating model.

Program inventory

Core Responsibility 3: ‘Citizenship and Passports’ is supported by the following programs:

• Citizenship
• Passport

Additional information related to the program inventory for Citizenship and Passports is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

• In this section

  • Description
  • Progress on results
  • Resources required to achieve results
  • Contracts awarded to Indigenous business

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the Department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

Management and Oversight Services

As demand for IRCC services has increased and the pressures and expectations on Canada's migration management system have sharpened, the Department has engaged in ongoing efforts to modernize its operations and deliver its programs in a more efficient and effective manner. As part of these efforts, the Department released the Strategic Immigration Review that identified concrete solutions to improve how we execute and deliver on IRCC’s mandate and prepare Canada’s immigration system for the future. In 2023–24, IRCC undertook an organizational realignment to integrate its functional areas along business and program lines. Those changes, and other organizational shifts, are intended to strengthen the department's ability to improve how we serve Canadians and clients and respond to future demands on Canada's immigration system.

Access to Information and Privacy

In addition to improving client services and increasing the availability of client immigration information, IRCC is furthering its initiatives to modernize the delivery of services within the ATIP program, including further development of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to expand it to informal access requests, and replacement of the ATIP case management software.

In conjunction with other departmental efforts to modernize service delivery, IRCC advanced the procurement of new ATIP case management software; ATIPXpress was selected as a software solution with new, modern analytical tools to further improve upon already gained processing efficiencies. IRCC aims to procure, test and deploy the new software by late fall 2025.

Human Resources Management Services

In 2023–24, the following were achieved:

• Implementing Return to Office aggregated compliance using Internet Protocol login data, as prescribed within Treasury Board Secretariat Directive.
• Transitioning and implementing the hybrid workplace and compliance with the December 2022 directive on the presence in the workplace.
• Launching IRCC’s first Pulse Survey to build IRCC’s corporate culture baseline and provide senior management with evidence-based data to inform decision making.
• Promoting wellness and mental health by continuing to deliver on the IRCC Psychological Health and Safety Strategy 2022-2025: Building Together. IRCC supported mental health and wellness champion/network and the values & ethics champion/network by providing tools, training and communications support.
• Significantly increasing change management and change leadership capabilities. Over the last year, expert change management advice was provided to middle managers and tools and workshops were developed to help teams navigate the departmental realignment. Over 731 training sessions were coordinated and/or delivered to IRCC employees.

In 2023–24, IRCC supported its employees for the future of the workplace, by providing guidance, tools and resources that supported an inclusive, engaged, equipped, high-performing and resilient workforce including: 

• Improving employee onboarding by launching new onboarding tools and templates.
• Creating core training, to enhance job knowledge and skills required for IRCC’s program delivery. Training was redesigned and adapted based on business priorities and learners needs.
• Developing over 115 innovative learning products and designing and launching 11 new courses.
• Piloting a Second Language Training project for Employment Equity seeking groups, which included developing workshops on language anxiety and pronunciation, linguistic coaching services and self-directed learning tools to support managers and employees in acquiring, maintaining, and evaluating their official second language.
• Procuring a cloud-based Learning Management System and establishing a contract with Cornerstone for their Saba solution, which will provide the infrastructure for streamlined, modern and accessible learning, and allow for a fulsome understanding of IRCC’s learning investments.
• Hiring 1,841 employees last fiscal year though targeted recruitment of Employment Equity hires, recruitment of recent graduates at career fairs across the country, and other outreach activities. The targeted recruitment contributed to eliminating several of our Employment Equity gaps at all levels of the organization.
• Creating an internal Talent Bank to leverage its internal workforce to meet future staffing needs. The database also aims at increasing help employee mobility within the Department and has a built-in functionality to facilitate targeted Employment Equity talent searches.

Following the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on V&E milestone report to the Clerk of the Privy Council in December 2023, and the Clerk’s Call to Action on Values and Ethics in February 2024, there is a renewed focus on V&E within the Department, which is led by executive management and subject matter experts. Notably on October 30, 2023, in anticipation of the V&E Call to Action, the Deputy Minister held an engagement session for new employees and leaders. This session was attended by 1,500 employees.

Additionally, the values and ethics group engaged with IRCC employees throughout the year; twelve publications from two distinct initiatives were shared with all employees. In addition, annual messages were published to remind employees of their responsibilities when participating in political activities, and their obligations to respect the IRCC Code of Conduct as a condition of employment.

Equity

In August 2023, IRCC announced the creation of the Equity Branch which includes the Office of Conflict Resolution, the Employee Support Office, and the Anti-Racism Task Force – currently being rebranded as the Equity Advancement Office (EAO). The Branch serves as a center of expertise on equity, by providing oversight and support to promote consistency, fairness, and belonging in people management, policy development, and service delivery. In the future, the branch is expected to include an Ombuds Office to provide a safe and independent channel for employees to address racism and discrimination.

The Equity Branch has completed a department-wide scan to identify the equity-focused initiatives already underway at IRCC. Findings from the scan will be used to guide the development of a multi-year equity review plan. The plan will leverage ongoing work to enhance the Department’s results framework and embed equity considerations into program performance data and indicators.

Anti-Racism

IRCC has advanced its efforts to address systemic racism within the organization and support the Clerk’s Call to Action by launching the Anti-Racism, Diversity, Employment Equity, and Inclusion (ARDEI) Index Pilot in Q4 2023–24. The program serves as a formal mechanism to assess executives' progress in reaching ARDEI objectives and linking these to individual results. Based on the feedback that will be received from pilot participants expected in Q1 and Q4 2024–25 IRCC will review the program for potential enhancements and viability moving forward.

Through consultation with various partners and stakeholders, IRCC created its own unique competency related to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This competency, “Anti-Racism and Inclusion”, was piloted by the Executive community in January 2024 and will become a mandatory competency for all Statements of Merit Criteria at IRCC.

Information Management and Information Technology Services

To support the transformation of our immigration system, IRCC is delivering the Digital Platform Modernization Programme (DPM) in three consecutive and overlapping phases, delivering benefits in an iterative and agile way. Phase 1 (Stabilize) of the programme was completed in November 2021, which focused on stabilizing and reducing risk in GCMS. Phase 2 (Standardize) is nearing completion (2021-2024), and is focused on standardizing operations and improving technical systems. Phase 3 (Enhance) is a multi-year initiative that will introduce a new enterprise-wide digital platform. This platform will enable new business capabilities to support more efficient, agile, and effective operations, improving the overall client and service experience.

In 2023–24, IRCC continued to advance its DPM programme including:

• Phase 2 continued to standardize and stabilize existing IRCC technology, giving DPM3 the necessary runway to modernize and transform. Phase 2 of the programme successfully delivered the new hybrid integration platform that has modernized the technology for exchanging information between front end and back-end systems, thus setting the stage to support technical debt reduction by starting to replace legacy integration platforms.
• Phase 2 also continued to increase the reliability and security of the underlying technology for GCMS – a core, critical system used for all immigration, refugee and citizenship lines of business. IRCC upgraded Siebel from the previous 2016 version to the latest on most environments, with final upgrades to production expected in early 2024–25.
• The first Phase 3 project (Enabling a seamless online client experience) was launched in July 2023. As part of this project, IRCC procured technology for its future-state online account.
• The online account will introduce a modern, more personalized digital experience for clients, streamlining the application process to offer a seamless client experience across multiple channels and devices, and replace existing standalone client-facing portals and tools. It will be gradually deployed over the next two years, with the first release to a limited group of visitor visa clients in Spring 2024.
• In addition to the implementation of an online account, IRCC has been advancing projects to improve channel support for client enquiries, and pilot new digital capabilities, and continues to work on the next major component of the digital platform by advancing the procurement of the back-end Case Management Platform.
• IRCC also made progress towards digital visas by launching air industry stakeholder engagement to solicit initial feedback on Canada’s plans for going digital, and to gather insight from their experiences with other countries’ digital visas. The Department has concentrated on principles that will support the design of a digital visa pilot, which will eventually lead to the implementation of digital travel and immigration documents under the Digital Platform Modernization Programme.

In 2023–24, IRCC began developing an AI Strategy, leading the GC in the use, development and oversight of these technologies. Multiple stakeholders and subject matter experts contributed to guidance that will direct the department's efforts to use AI tools, focusing on principles of transparency and anti-bias to direct effort to high value, targeted uses to improve operational efficiencies.

Real Property Management Services

In 2023–24, change management tools were provided to IRCC employees to support the reintegration to the office using the unassigned flexible work model. An inclusive and accessible workplace was supported by modernizing furniture in regional offices to current ergonomic and accessibility standards. To accommodate employees’ wellness needs, 10 dedicated Spiritual Spaces in the National Capital Region and in the regions were established and equipped with necessary equipment.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 12: Resources required to achieve results for Internal Services this year

The complete financial and human resources information for IRCC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.

Table 13: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses ^{Footnote 1}

IRCC has exceeded its 5% target for contracting with Indigenous-owned businesses by maximizing opportunities for Set-Aside procurements for commodities such as IT Professional Services, IT hardware/software, and management consulting. Our internal Procurement policy framework has been updated and reflects the commitment to Social Procurement including Indigenous business commitments. IRCC achieved success in collaboration with PSPC via its digital platform modernization - system integrator contract which included an Indigenous participation plan. Between July 2023 and March 31, 2024, this plan has generated $1,148,444.00 in direct benefits to Indigenous communities, plus $24,420.00 invested in Indigenous training and skills development with another $539,248.00 accorded to indirect benefits.

IRCC is committed to following the Treasury Board Secretariat, PSPC and Indigenous Services Canada guidance on contracting and Indigenous-owned businesses targets. The Department will continue building in opportunities during the procurement and contract award processes to award non-Indigenous and Indigenous contract streams. Furthermore, IRCC will continue to look for opportunities to include Indigenous participations plans that would enable sub-contracting in non-Indigenous contracts to increase Indigenous Business participation.

In its 2024–25 Departmental Plan, the Department forecasts that, by the end of 2024–25, it will award 5% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.

Spending and human resources

• In this section

  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Financial statement highlights
  • Human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the Department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Graph 1: Actual spending by core responsibility in 2023–24

Graph 1 presents how much the Department spent in 2023–24 to carry out core responsibilities and internal services.

Analysis of actual spending by core responsibility

In 2023–24, the Department spent $520.4 million under Core Responsibility 1: Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers to facilitate the entry of migrants who wished to come to Canada temporarily, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. The Department collaborates with partners to determine that individuals meet admissibility requirements. Under this core responsibility, IRCC processed visas, electronic travel authorizations, and work and study permits for tourists, business travelers, international students and temporary workers, whose spending and presence in Canada benefit the economy. To support the growth in temporary resident volumes, the Department worked towards modernization initiatives to ensure systems and service offerings keep pace with client expectations, improve processing times and ensure program integrity. Furthermore, the department continued to provide Ukrainians and their dependents temporary safe haven in Canada via the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).

The Department spent $4.7 billion under Core Responsibility 2: Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration to facilitate the admission and economic and social integration of immigrants and refugees who intended to stay in Canada permanently, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. IRCC selected economic immigrant applicants to contribute to the Canadian economy, processed family member applicants to reunite families, and processed refugee and protected person applicants to provide a safe haven for those facing persecution, as set out in the multi-year Immigration Levels Plan. At the same time, the Department continued to work with federal, provincial/territorial and other partners to ensure that the support and services are in place for the successful settlement and integration of permanent residents, as well as temporary housing for asylum seekers. Furthermore, IRCC continued to welcome Afghan refugees to Canada through the implementation of several new pathways, as well as the delivery of immediate and essential resettlement supports and services. The department also continued to invest in the Interim Federal Health Program to provide limited, temporary health-care coverage to vulnerable newcomers.

The Department spent $244.3 million under Core Responsibility 3: Citizenship and Passports to promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship, and issue secure and internationally recognized Canadian citizenship and travel documents so that Canadians can participate fully in civic society and so that travel is facilitated across borders while contributing to international and domestic security.

IRCC remains dedicated to modernizing the Citizenship Program and reducing barriers for clients to better support eligible permanent residents in their journey to achieving Canadian citizenship. The Department pursued and expanded on technological solutions to increase client services and processing efficiencies. The Passport Program faced financial challenges during the 2023–24 fiscal year, however, service delivery remained strong. The Program maintained enhancement efforts and focused on building processing capacity and improving service to Canadians.

Finally, the Department spent $554.7 million for Internal Services to meet its corporate obligations and deliver on its programs. IRCC continued to revitalize and/or implement new tools and initiatives, including working toward replacing the aging GCMS with a new Digital Platform (through the Digital Platform Modernization initiative) that is more reliable, flexible and accessible for all users. The Department also continued supporting digital transformation and business transformation to enhance service delivery and improve client service in all lines of business.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 14: Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Analysis of the past three years of spending

The 2023–24 actual spending increased by $2.5 billion (or 74%) in comparison with 2021–22. The increase is mainly due to expenditures associated with the increased levels in permanent resident admissions, addressing the Afghanistan and Ukraine crisis, the increase in interim housing of asylum claimants in 2023–24 under the Interim Housing Assistance Program, the increase in temporary accommodation and support services costs in response to a higher number of asylum claimants, as well as an increase in spending for the Canada-Quebec Accord. IRCC also made investments to modernize its client support services, to stabilize its resources available for temporary resident processing as a result of a growing number of visitors, workers and students; and to stabilize its existing information technology infrastructure while advancing the transformation and modernizing agenda and set foundation for new digital services.

Over the next few years, the department is anticipating an overall spending reduction following the Budget 2023 announcement on Refocusing Government Spending. Budget 2024 also announced that the government will seek to achieve additional savings primarily through natural attrition in the federal public service and IRCC is committed to meet the expected results. The reductions will be achieved through careful management while minimizing the impacts on IRCC’s clients by focusing on modernization. Financial impacts related to the implementation of future modernization initiatives will be monitored to ensure that IRCC meets its commitment more efficiently.

More financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase. 

Table 15: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Analysis of the next three years of spending

Over the next three years, the department is anticipating a decrease in planned spending of $466.1 million (or 11%). The decreasing trend is seen across all core responsibilities and is mainly attributable to the realization of Canada’s commitment to resettlement 40,000 Afghan nationals by the end of 2023; the decrease of Government-Assisted Refugee admissions through the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan; and the delivery of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) and access to Settlement Program’s service to Ukrainians ending in March 2025.

Even though the planned expenditures are decreasing over three years, the Department will continue to enhance efficiency and boost productivity. The Department is modernizing its operations, implementing new policies and infrastructure to improve services and transform the way it does business. This transformation will support IRCC’s ability to successfully achieve Departmental results, now and in the future.

More detailed financial information from previous years is available on the Finances section of GC Infobase.

Table 16: Budgetary actual gross and net planned spending summary (dollars)

Analysis of budgetary actual gross and net planned spending summary

Through its activities, the Department collects revenues on behalf of the government. Of these collected revenues, the Department has the authority to re-spend its revenues for the Passport Program and the International Experience Canada Program.

The International Experience Canada Program operates on a vote-netted revenue basis, where the Department has the permission to collect and spend revenues earned. Its revenues are generated through the collection of a participation fee.

The Passport Program operates on a full cost-recovery basis over its 10-year business cycle and generates revenues through fees paid for passports and other travel documents.

Information on the alignment of IRCC’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available on GC InfoBase.

Funding

This section provides an overview of the Department’s voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Graph 2: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

Graph 2 summarizes the Department’s approved voted and statutory funding from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Analysis of statutory and voted funding over a six-year period

In this graph, financial figures from 2021–22 to 2023–24 represent actual spending incurred by the Department and financial figures from 2024–25 to 2026–27 represent planned expenditures. As illustrated, IRCC's actual spending increased from fiscal year 2021–22 through to fiscal year 2023–24 mainly due to the incremental funding received for the Immigration Levels Plan, the Afghanistan and Ukraine crises, the Interim Housing Assistance Program, and the temporary accommodation for asylum claimants. Planned expenditure will decrease after 2023–24 as the department realizes its commitments for Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as the decrease of Government-Assisted Refugee admissions through the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan.

For further information on IRCC’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Financial statement highlights

IRCC’s complete financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.

Table 17 and 18: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)

The 2023–24 planned results information is provided in IRCC’s Consolidated Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.

Total expenses for 2023–24 are $1,461.0 million (26.3%) higher than the planned results. This variance is mainly attributable to the following:

• An increase under the Immigrant and Refugee Selection and Integration core responsibility mainly explained by in-year funding received for the implementation of the 2023‑2025 Immigration Levels Plan, to continue providing temporary accommodations and support services to asylum claimants, to cover incremental costs related to the provision of health-care benefits to eligible beneficiaries under the IFHP and to compensate provinces and municipalities for the interim housing of asylum claimants under the IHAP.
• An increase under the Visitors, International Students and Temporary Workers core responsibility mainly explained by in-year funding received to extend overseas intake under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel and facilitation at the port-of-entry as well as in-Canada processing, to stabilize resources for temporary resident processing and facilitate the timely and efficient entry of a growing number of visitors, workers and students, as well as an internal reallocation of resources to address the increase in biometrics costs.
• An increase under the Citizenship and Passports core responsibility mainly explained by higher passport delivery service costs due to various factors, including inflation, higher operational expenses incurred in managing and clearing processing backlogs, increased costs related to passport materials and freight, as well as elevated expenses associated with the implementation and execution of modernization projects.
• A decrease under the internal services mainly explained by surplus identified under Canada’s commitment to resettle Afghan nationals due to lower than anticipated costs, lower than anticipated real property expenditures and an internal reallocation to support other priorities.
• The departmental respendable revenues are $100.1 million (15%) lower than the planned revenues due to smaller rise in travel document requests than expected.

Expenses by core responsibilities

Total expenses by core responsibilities of $7,007.6 million in 2023–24 included $2,981.4 million (42.5%) in transfer payments, $1,655.0 million (23.6%) in professional and special services and $1,633.5 million (23.3%) in salaries and employee benefits.

Total expenses increased by $1,052.3 million (17.7%) as compared to the previous year. This variance is mainly attributable to the following:

• An increase in the transfer payments, mainly explained by an increase in spending for the Canada‑Quebec Accord and for provinces and municipalities of which the Interim Housing Assistance Program and settlement services are included. In addition, the increase is also attributable to increased funding to support targeted admissions under the multi-year Immigration Levels Plans. This increase was partially offset by a decrease under the RAP as a result of fewer Afghanistan arrivals than planned.
• An increase in the professional and special services expenses, mainly explained by an increase under the IFHP due to higher arrivals of asylum seekers and government-assisted refugees. The increase is also explained by an increase in expenses related to the asylum claimants and resettled refugees in the following service areas: counselling, dental care, prescription drugs, vision care and medical care.
• An increase in salaries and employee benefits mostly due to a higher number of employees and renewal of several collective agreements.
• An increase in hotel rental costs to support the increase in asylum claimants’ arrivals.

Graph 3: Expenses by Core Responsibility

The chart below outlines IRCC’s expenses by core responsibility:

Revenues by type

Total revenues amounted to $2,287.8 million in 2023–24, of which $1,721.6 million (75.3%) were revenues earned on behalf of the government and $566.2 million (24.7%) were departmental respendable revenues, largely composed of Passport program revenues and International Experience Canada revenues.

Revenues earned on behalf of the government increased by $306.8 million (21.7%) as compared to the previous year and are $423.1 million (32.6%) higher than the planned revenues, mainly attributable to the increase in the demand and issuance of immigration documents when compared to the prior year. 

Departmental respendable revenues increased by $153.4 million (37.2%) as compared to the previous year, as the first set of passports valid for 10 years issued in 2013 began to expire in 2023, leading to a significant increase in passport renewal applications.

Graph 4: Revenues by Type

The chart below outlines IRCC’s revenues by type:

*Revenue types grouped into ‘Other revenues’ include: Right of citizenship, International Experience Canada, Passport miscellaneous revenues and Other revenues.

Table 19: Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Assets by type

Total net financial assets increased by $242.3 million (26%) in 2023–24 as compared to 2022–23. This variance is mainly attributable to the following:

• An increase in the amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund as a result of the increase in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
• An increase in the loans receivable mostly attributable to the increase in the level of refugees.
• A decrease in the inventory held for resale as a result of higher volume of the current generation passports (Series A) as of March 31, 2023, in order to have sufficient inventories until the end of the launch of the NextGen project initiative (Series B). The decrease is also attributable to the fact that the supplier Canadian Bank Note Company delivered only 50% of the volumes requested between April and September 2023.

Graph 5: Total Net Financial Assets

The chart below outlines IRCC’s net financial assets:

Total non-financial assets increased by $7.5 million (4.3%) in 2023–24 as compared to 2022–23. This variance is mainly attributable to the increase in the tangible capital assets, mainly explained by acquisitions mostly related to assets under construction and partly offset by the yearly amortization expense.

Graph 6: Total Non-Financial Assets

The chart below outlines IRCC’s non-financial assets:

Liabilities by type

Total net liabilities increased by $219.0 million (27.6%) in 2023–24 as compared to 2022–23. This variance is mainly attributable to the following:

• An increase in the accounts payable and accrued liabilities mainly attributable to an increase under the IHAP for temporary accommodation in response to the surge of asylum claimants.
• An increase in vacation pay and compensatory leave mainly explained by an increase in the number of employees and salary rates.
• An increase in the deferred revenues mainly attributable by a lower number of applications processed during the year than the applications received and the adoption of the new public sector accounting standard (PS) 3400, Revenue. In applying this standard, the accounting method for passport fee revenues was changed and deferred revenues were recognized.

Graph 7: Total Net Liabilities

The chart below outlines IRCC’s net liabilities:

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the Department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Table 20: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Analysis of human resources over the last three years

The 2023–24 actual FTEs increased by 3,151 FTEs (or 33%) in comparison with 2021–22. The increase is mainly due to growth in the workforce in support of the increased levels in permanent resident admissions, as well as Canada’s response to the Afghanistan crisis. The IRCC workforce growth is also to support the investments made to modernize its client support services, to provide the in-Canada asylum system (ICAS) with higher permanent capacity to process asylum claims and manage the anticipated high claim volumes in the coming years, to stabilize its resources available for temporary resident processing as a result of a growing number of visitors, workers and students; and to stabilize its existing information technology infrastructure while advancing the transformation and modernizing agenda and set foundation for new digital services.

Furthermore, investments were made to ensure IRCC operations meet all aspects of security, policy, and legal requirements, and to uphold commitments made to IRCC’s partner departmental and government bodies.

Table 21: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Analysis of human resources for the next three years

Over the next three years, the Department is anticipating a decrease in planned full-time equivalents of 994 FTEs (or 8%) which is mainly attributable to the realization of Canada’s commitment to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals by the end of 2023; the Department’s commitment to reduce spending as announced in Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending; and the decrease in temporary personnel funding related to procurement, design and implementation of modernization activities for a client facing platform and pre-implementation activities for future tranches of the Digital Platform Modernization programme.

Corporate information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister:

The Honourable Marc Miller, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar

Ministerial portfolio:

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Enabling instrument(s):

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

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1994

Departmental contact information

Mailing address:

365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1
Canada

Telephone:

1-888-242-2100

Email:

ParliamentaryReports-RapportsParlementaires@cic.gc.ca

Website:

Immigration and citizenship - Canada.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on IRCC’s website:

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender‑based analysis plus
• Response to Parliamentary committees and external audits
• United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals

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 as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

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, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department 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 departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

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

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. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

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

An analytical tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

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

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 a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department 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 department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department 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 to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

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

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory. 

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.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that a department, 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.