ARCHIVED – Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2007

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Section 2
Federal-Provincial/Territorial Partnerships

Since jurisdiction over immigration is a shared responsibility, effective collaboration between the federal government and the provinces and territories is essential to the successful management of the immigration program. Provincial and territorial governments are CIC’s primary partners, and the shared goal is to make immigration programs responsive to the unique economic, social and labour market needs of each province and territory.

Under IRPA and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act, CIC’s Minister has the authority, with the approval of the Governor-in-Council, to sign agreements with the provinces and territories to facilitate the coordination and implementation of immigration policies and programs. Table 2 provides a list of the key bilateral agreements currently in force, with their signing and expiry dates.

CIC currently has framework agreements with eight provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia) and one territory (Yukon). These agreements highlight immigration as a key area for bilateral collaboration and formalize how the two levels of government work together.

Agreements under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are also in place with 10 jurisdictions (the Yukon and all provinces except Quebec), either as an annex to a framework agreement or as a stand-alone agreement. Under the PNP, provinces and territories have the authority to nominate individuals as permanent residents to address specific labour market and economic development needs. The Canada-Quebec Accord grants Quebec the authority to set annual immigration targets and the responsibility for selecting immigrants. Canada is responsible for selecting members of the Family Class and for determining the status of those claiming refugee status within Canada.

First-ever framework agreements were signed with Alberta on May 4, 2007, and with Nova Scotia on September 19, 2007. To meet the growing demand for labour, the limit on the number of immigrants that can be nominated through the PNP was removed, and the intention to develop annexes to facilitate the entry of temporary foreign workers was announced. In addition, a renewed PNP agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador, which came into force in November 2006, removed the limit on the number of provincial nominees.

In terms of settlement and integration services, there are three different models for service delivery. In the main model used in most provinces and territories, settlement programs are administered by CIC regional offices and generally delivered by third parties such as community-based organizations. In Manitoba and British Columbia, responsibility for the delivery of settlement programs has been devolved to the provincial level through conditional contribution agreements. Quebec is unique in having full responsibility for the settlement and integration services offered in the province.

In November 2006, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the federal government, the Ontario government and the City of Toronto. This marks the first time that municipal interests have been formally represented in immigration policy and program discussions. The MOU focuses on improving immigrant outcomes in areas such as access to employment, services, and educational and training opportunities, as well as citizenship and civic engagement.

Also, following through on commitments made under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, CIC and Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration are working with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to increase the involvement of Ontario’s municipal governments in attracting and retaining immigrants, as well as ensuring their settlement and integration. This work focuses primarily on the needs of immigrants in smaller centres, as well as rural, northern and official language minority communities throughout the province. CIC is also providing the province with funding to support the development of content for the Ontario immigration portal to promote Ontario municipalities to prospective immigrants and newcomers to Canada.

Under the auspices of the Atlantic Population Table, CIC continued to work with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four Atlantic provinces, and HRSDC to create a set of integrated initiatives that support increased immigration throughout Atlantic Canada and address local needs. In particular, CIC is collaborating in the development of initiatives to support focused immigration research and labour market integration of international students in Atlantic Canada.

Multilateral meetings are increasingly being used as a mechanism for discussing common approaches and concerns regarding immigration issues and for sharing best practices. During 2006–2007, CIC undertook two sets of consultations with provincial and territorial counterparts regarding the allocation and use of new settlement funding. In May 2007, federal, provincial and territorial ministers met to discuss immigration levels planning, labour market needs, foreign credential recognition, integration, and settlement funding. Through regular multilateral and bilateral interaction at the ministerial, senior official and working levels, CIC continues to strengthen its partnerships with the provinces and territories.

Table 2: Federal-Provincial/Territorial Agreements Currently in Force

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