ARCHIVED – Backgrounder — Government of Canada 2012-13 Settlement Funding Allocations

Citizenship and Immigration Canada funds services that help newcomers settle and adapt to life in Canada. These services include free language training, information and referrals, help finding employment that matches newcomers’ skills and education, and help integrating into Canadian society.

Settlement allocations have more than tripled, from less than $200M for 2005-06 to almost $600M for 2012-13 to support newcomers’ settlement needs in provinces and territories outside Quebec. This amount includes the CIC’s 2009 Strategic Review reduction of $6M.

Settlement funding allocations are determined by the national settlement funding formula, which is based on the number of immigrants in each province and territory, outside Quebec, (giving additional weight for refugees to account for their unique settlement needs), along with a capacity-building amount added for each jurisdiction.

In 2012-13, to advance fairness and meet settlement needs of newcomers across Canada, Ontario’s allocation will be fully determined using the national settlement funding formula, which currently applies to other jurisdictions except Quebec.

The 2012-13 allocations mark the first time since the end of the Canada Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) that this formula has been fully applied to Ontario. Under COIA, which expired March 31, 2011, the level of settlement funding was pre-determined in 2005, regardless of the number of immigrants in Ontario. However, the proportion of immigrants to Ontario continues to decrease, while immigration to other provinces and territories, such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, has continued to rise.

The 2012-13 allocation for settlement services in Ontario will be $314.9M, compared to $346.5M in 2011-12, reflecting the province’s declining proportion of immigrant intake. Funding has been reduced in Ontario over the past two years, reflecting the fact that Ontario’s proportional share of immigration in Canada has gone from 64% in 2005 to 52% in 2010.

The Canada-Quebec Accord provides the Government of Quebec with an annual grant, the amount of which is calculated using a formula set out in the Accord. The grant covers settlement services, resettlement of refugees and administration, for which Quebec is responsible. The planned amount for the 2012-13 Quebec grant will be no less than $283.1M.

The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to maintain service delivery, improve accountability and ensure funding responds to the actual needs of newcomers.

Through the settlement and integration program, Citizenship and Immigration Canada supports services to help newcomers settle and put them on the path to successful integration into Canadian society. The Government of Canada is committed to helping new immigrants and their family succeed in our country.

The following table provides a comparison of net settlement funding allocations for provinces and territories outside of Quebec for fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

* The Innovation Fund was established to support national projects, overseas initiatives, departmental priorities and activities related to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office.

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