ARCHIVED – Report on Annual Expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences – Fiscal Year 2011–2012

As required by the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences, this report provides information on the total annual expenditures for each of travel, hospitality and conferences for the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. It also provides the variance explanations from the previous fiscal year in each of these areas.

This information is updated annually and does not contain information withheld under the Access to Information Act or the Privacy Act.

Expenditures on travel, hospitality and conferences incurred by federal departments and agencies are for the most part directly related to supporting departmental mandate(s) and the government’s priorities.

CIC’s Mandate and Core Legislation/Regulations

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) was established on June 23, 1994 by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. It is a Department named in Schedule I of the Financial Administration Act and currently reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

CIC administers the Citizenship Act of 1977 and shares responsibility with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which was enacted following a major legislative reform in 2002. On October 30, 2008, CIC also received responsibility from Canadian Heritage to implement the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988.

Key Strategic Outcomes and Major Programs

The Department’s key strategic outcomes are:

• Migration of permanent and temporary residents that strengthens Canada’s economy
• Family and humanitarian migration that reunites families and offers protection to the displaced and persecuted
• Newcomers and citizens participate to their full potential in fostering an integrated society
• Managed migration that promotes Canadian interests and protects the health, safety and security of Canadians.

These four strategic outcomes are delivered with the following program activities.

Permanent Economic Residents: Rooted in legislative requirements outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the focus of this program activity is on the selection and processing of immigrants who can become permanent residents and contribute to Canada’s economic development. The acceptance of qualified permanent residents helps the Government meet its economic objectives, such as building a skilled work force, by addressing immediate and longer term labour market needs. The selection and processing involve the issuance of permanent resident visas to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Temporary Economic Residents: Rooted in legislative requirements outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the focus of this program activity is on processing and facilitating the entry into Canada of temporary workers and students. Temporary economic migration benefits Canada’s economic growth. The selection and processing involve the issuance of temporary resident visas, work permits and study permits to qualified applicants, as well as the refusal of unqualified applicants.

Family and Discretionary Immigration: CIC facilitates family reunification by enabling eligible foreign nationals to be sponsored by family members in Canada who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Spouses and partners, dependent children (including adopted children), and other eligible relatives such as parents and grandparents are welcomed to Canada under this program. CIC may also grant permanent resident or other status to persons who would not otherwise qualify in any immigration category, in cases where there are strong humanitarian and compassionate considerations, or for public policy reasons. Such exceptional and discretionary immigration measures provide the flexibility to approve deserving cases not anticipated in the legislation.

Refugee Protection: The Refugee Protection program activity is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted. One arm of the program starts overseas where refugees and persons in refugee-like situations are selected by Canadian visa officers to be resettled as permanent residents to Canada. Flowing from Canada’s international and domestic legal obligations, the in-Canada asylum system evaluates the claims of individuals seeking asylum in Canada and grants permanent residence when a positive decision is rendered by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Settlement and Integration of Newcomers: In accordance with the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, the Employment Equity Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, CIC develops policies and programs to support the settlement, resettlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society on information/orientation, language/skills, labour market access and welcoming communities. All permanent residents are eligible for settlement and integration programs. Programming is delivered by third parties (including provincial and municipal governments, school boards and post-secondary institutions, settlement service organizations and other non-governmental actors, and the private sector) across the country. However, accountability for expended funds and attaining outcomes remains with CIC.

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

Multiculturalism for Newcomers and all Canadians: The Multiculturalism Program is the principal means of carrying out the Minister’s responsibilities under the Canadian Multiculturalism Act for promoting the full and equitable participation of individuals and communities of all origins. Grants and contributions to not-for-profit organizations, the private sector, provincial and municipal governments, non-federal public institutions and individuals seek to advance overarching program objectives. These objectives are to: build an integrated, cohesive society (through intercultural understanding, civic memory and pride democratic values, and equality of opportunity); improve the responsiveness of institutions to the needs of a diverse population; and actively engage in discussions on multiculturalism and diversity at the international level. Direct public outreach and promotional activities by the program primarily target young people. The program assists federal partners to meet their obligations under the Act and ensures annual reporting to Parliament on its operation. It also engages with non-federal public institutions seeking to respond to diversity. The program provides a forum for cooperation with provinces and territories and is the locus for Canada’s participation in international agreements and institutions with respect to multiculturalism, anti-racism and related issues.

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

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

Migration Control and Security Management: In accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations, this program activity aims to ensure the managed migration of people to Canada in order to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. Even as CIC facilitates the travel of bona fide permanent residents, visitors, students and temporary workers, it also deploys an array of policy interventions to manage access and entry to Canada, including visas, admissibility, information sharing, travel document, and identity management policies. Effective partnerships with public safety-related departments and organizations are an essential component of this program activity.

Under IRPA, all visitors to Canada require a Temporary Resident Visa except where an exemption has been granted under the Regulations. The Temporary Resident Visa requirement is Canada’s primary means of controlling migration and allows for the screening of individuals for health, safety and security risks before they begin travel to Canada.

CIC also aims to ensure that admissibility policy continues to provide flexibility to address compelling circumstances that warrant a foreign national’s presence in Canada, while maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. Information sharing agreements and mechanisms support immigration management and provide security advantages.

This program activity supports CIC’s policy initiatives related to identity management and entry document requirements, including the expansion of biometrics to accurately identify foreign nationals entering Canada and the provision of a highly secure proof of status document to all permanent residents. The Permanent Resident Card also serves as a travel document and is required for all commercial travel to Canada.

Canadian Influence in International Migration and International Agenda: As part of its mandate, CIC aims to influence the international migration and integration policy agenda. This is done by developing and promoting, together with other public policy sectors, Canada’s position on international migration, integration and refugee protection issues, and through participation in multilateral, regional and bilateral forums.

CIC works closely with partner countries to ensure the effective administration on immigration laws through the exchange of information, including biometrics data. This international migration policy development helps Canada advance its interests in the context of international migration as well as meet its international obligations and commitments.

CIC supports international engagement and partnerships through membership in the International Organization of Migration (IOM), and contribution arrangements with other international migration policy organizations.

To achieve the delivery of these program activities, CIC operates multiple points of service in Canada and abroad. CIC’s hospitality expenses are mainly derived from activities related to hosting of citizenship ceremonies, events and meetings with foreign dignitaries as well as with federal/provincial/territorial stakeholders.

CIC works in a multi-faceted, rapidly changing policy environment. Canada is a nation built on immigration, which has always played an important economic role in meeting our labour market needs. International migration is increasingly complex, with the movement of people being closely linked to trade, global health, and security concerns. Even as we strengthen partnerships at home, we must also foster international partnerships to ensure well-managed, safe and secure international migration. Managing our migration programs requires continued vigilance with respect to fraud and security threats. Managing in a global environment dictates that CIC must travel in order to ensure program integrity and to provide an oversight and monitoring of its national and international operations.

Total annual expenditures for Travel, Hospitality and Conferences of Citizenship and Immigration Canada are summarized below:

Significant variances compared to the previous fiscal year

Travel

1. Public Servants: Compared to fiscal year 2010-2011, departmental travel expenditures by public servants decreased mainly due to:
   • CIC has been moving diligently towards an increasingly integrated, modernized, and centralized working environment. There were efforts within the department to reduce travel expenditures by using more efficient means of travelling and having fewer in-person meetings with more teleconferences and videoconferences.
   • As a control mechanism, a justification form was implemented in fiscal year 2011-2012 which requires demonstrating that expenditures for travel are minimized and well managed. In addition, a close monitoring of travel plans and expenditures was performed by senior management and the department had a cautious spending strategy.
   • In 2010-2011, a significant item was related to a one-time cost incurred for travel requirements for the implementation of the Global Case Management System Release 2 to missions abroad and related training.
   • Following revised guidelines on coding under non-public servants, a departmental change was introduced in 2011-2012 for recording the travel required by exempt staff and judges. It was previously coded to public servants in 2010-2011.
2. Non-Public Servants: Compared to fiscal year 2010-2011, departmental travel expenditures by non-public servants increased mainly due to:
   • Following revised guidelines on coding under non-public servants, a departmental change was introduced in 2011-2012 for recording the travel required by exempt staff and judges. It was previously coded to public servants in 2010-2011.
3. International Travel by Minister, Parliamentary Secretaries and Minister’s Staff: Compared to fiscal year 2010-2011, departmental international travel expenditures by the Minister, his staff and Parliamentary Secretaries decreased mainly due to:
   • International travel expenses are dictated by the level of travel undertaken by the Minister. In 2011-2012, the Minister’s international travel decreased from the previous fiscal year.
   • In fiscal year 2010-2011, the Minister incurred expenditures related to six international trips compared to four international trips in fiscal year 2011-2012.
   • For further details on international travel, please visit the CIC Proactive Disclosure web page.

Hospitality

Compared to fiscal year 2010-2011, departmental hospitality expenditures decreased mainly due to:

• Efforts within the department to reduce hospitality expenditures associated with meetings. The department had a cautious spending strategy.

Conference Fees

Compared to fiscal year 2010-2011, departmental conference fees expenditures decreased mainly due to:

• Following revised guidelines on coding conference fees, a departmental change was introduced in 2011-2012 by clarifying the type of expenses to be recorded under conference fees.