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2010-11
Departmental Performance Report

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

The original version was signed by
The Honourable Jason Kenney
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

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Table of Contents

MINISTER’S MESSAGE

SECTION I: ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

• Raison d’être
• Responsibilities
• Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture
• Organizational Priorities
• Risk Analysis
• Summary of Performance
• Expenditure Profile
• Estimates by Vote

SECTION II: ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

Strategic Outcome 1: Migration that significantly benefits Canada’s economic, social and cultural development, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians

• Program Activity 1: Immigration Program
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned
• Program Activity 2: Temporary Resident Program
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned

Strategic Outcome 2: International recognition and acceptance of the principles of managed migration consistent with Canada’s broader foreign policy agenda, and protection of refugees in Canada

• Program Activity 3: Canada’s Role in International Migration and Protection
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned
• Program Activity 4: Refugee Program
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned

Strategic Outcome 3: Successful integration of newcomers into society and promotion of Canadian citizenship

• Program Activity 5: Integration Program
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned
• Program Activity 6: Citizenship Program
• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned

Program Activity 7: Internal Services

• Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity
• Lessons Learned

Canada’s Economic Action Plan

SECTION III: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

• Financial Highlights
• Financial Highlights Charts
• Financial Statements
• List of Supplementary Information Tables

SECTION IV: OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

• Organizational Contact Information
• Other Items of Interest
  • Metropolis
  • Research Activities
  • Gender-based Analysis

Minister’s Message

I am pleased to present the Departmental Performance Report for 2010–2011 for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

As Canada continued to emerge from the global recession, the Government of Canada took steps to increase economic immigration and help ensure employers have the workers they need to supplement our domestic sources of labour. As a result, in 2010 we welcomed the highest number of permanent residents in more than half a century to support Canada’s economic recovery. A total of 280,681 permanent residents were admitted to Canada last year, with the growth coming mostly from skilled economic immigrants.

The high number of economic immigrants in 2010 helped CIC decrease application backlogs in the federal skilled worker category, reduce wait times, and better meet labour market needs. An updated list of 29 priority occupations in the Federal Skilled Worker Program was released in June 2010. Processing eligibility for the program was limited to applicants with experience in these occupations, and to those with job offers from Canadian employers. These changes have helped ensure that skilled immigrants are labour-market ready and have given them a better chance of realizing their dreams of success in Canada.

With the passage into law and ongoing implementation of Bill C-11, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, we are well on our way to achieving our goal of improving Canada’s asylum system in order that we can help those truly in need of protection, and do so much more quickly.

The Government has also promised to crack down on crooked immigration consultants and their shady practices, and with Bill C-35—which received Royal Assent in March 2011 and is now in force—we now have the tools. Bill C-35 strengthens the rules governing paid immigration consultants, increases penalties and fines for unauthorized representation, and allows for more government oversight to improve the way in which immigration consultants are regulated.

Canada continued this past year to take a leadership role in efforts to combat anti-Semitism together with all forms of racism and xenophobia. In November 2010 in Ottawa, I was proud to join parliamentarians and experts from more than 50 countries at the second conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism. The conference concluded with the ratification of the Ottawa Protocol on Combating Antisemitism, which complements what Canada is already doing to expose, confront and counter hatred in all its forms.

The Government of Canada is committed to helping new and established Canadians succeed and together build a strong, integrated society. To that end, we launched Inter-Action, a new component of Canada’s multiculturalism grants and contributions program, to invest in our country’s future. Inter-Action supports projects that promote integration by individuals and communities and funds events that work to connect cultural and faith communities.

These accomplishments could not have been possible without the support and professionalism of all CIC staff members. I want to thank employees of the Department for their ongoing commitment and dedication to the work that is crucial to Canada’s continued strength and success.

______________________________________________
The Honourable Jason Kenney
Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

SECTION I: ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Raison d’être

In the first years after Confederation, Canada’s leaders had a powerful vision: to connect Canada by rail and make the West the world’s breadbasket as a foundation for the country’s economic prosperity. This vision meant quickly populating the Prairies, leading the Government of Canada to establish its first national immigration policies. Immigrants have been a driving force in Canada’s nationhood and its economic prosperity—as farmers settling lands, as workers in factories fuelling industrial growth, as entrepreneurs and as innovators helping Canada to compete in the global, knowledge-based economy.

Responsibilities

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)¹ selects foreign nationals as permanent and temporary residents and offers Canada’s protection to refugees. The Department develops Canada’s admissibility policy, which sets the conditions for entering and remaining in Canada; it also conducts, in collaboration with its partners, the screening of potential permanent and temporary residents to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. Fundamentally, the Department builds a stronger Canada by helping immigrants and refugees settle and fully integrate into Canadian society and the economy, and by encouraging and facilitating Canadian citizenship. To achieve this, CIC operates 46 in-Canada points of service and 84 points of service in 74 countries.

CIC’s broad mandate is partly derived from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act.² The Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada is responsible for the Citizenship Act of 1977 and shares responsibility with the Minister of Public Safety for the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which came into force following major legislative reform in 2002. CIC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)³ support their respective ministers in the administration and enforcement of IRPA. These organizations work collaboratively to achieve and balance the objectives of the immigration and refugee programs.

In October 2008, responsibility for administration of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act was transferred to CIC from the Department of Canadian Heritage. Under the Act, CIC promotes the integration of individuals and communities into all aspects of Canadian society and helps to build a stronger, more cohesive society. Jurisdiction over immigration is a shared responsibility between the federal and the provincial and territorial governments under section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867.

Under the Constitution, provinces and territories have the authority to legislate immigration matters, as long as such legislation is consistent with federal laws. Under IRPA and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act, the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, with the approval of the Governor in Council, has signed agreements with the provinces and territories to facilitate the coordination and implementation of immigration policies and programs.

Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture

Display Text Version

Organizational Priorities

Performance/Priority Status Legend

Status

Exceeded: More than 100 percent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding 2010–2011 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) was achieved during the fiscal year. Met all: 100 percent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year. Mostly met: 80–99 percent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and expected outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year. Somewhat met: 60–79 percent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year. Not met: Less than 60 percent of the expected level of performance (as evidenced by the indicator and target or planned activities and outputs) for the expected result or priority identified in the corresponding RPP was achieved during the fiscal year.

The following priorities continued to be the primary focus of CIC’s departmental management agenda in 2010–2011. These organizational priorities supported the achievement of results for all seven of CIC’s program activities, as the following describes in more detail.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Integrating policy across departmental activities	Ongoing	Links to strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3
Status: Met all
CIC updated its five-year strategic plan with renewed key strategic actions and key results. The plan frames the Department’s direction leading up to 2015, and helps integrate policy and program development. Working with provincial and territorial partners, CIC also developed a joint federal-provincial-territorial vision for immigration to Canada: welcoming and supporting newcomers to join in building vibrant communities and a prosperous Canada. This vision will be used in cooperation with provinces and territories to develop a more strategic approach to immigration levels planning, known as multi-year levels planning.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Improving client service	Ongoing	Links to strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3
Status: Mostly met
CIC is advancing an ambitious modernization agenda that will significantly transform the CIC service delivery network. The Department’s principal challenges are to strengthen program integrity and security, and to bring down costs while improving productivity. To achieve these goals, CIC is focusing on more effectively and efficiently managing: (a) the risks—the key to guiding what it does and how; (b) the workload—optimally integrating how and where CIC works; and (c) the work force—optimizing its human resources. Optimal use of technology, increasingly leveraging CIC’s work with partners, where appropriate, and more robust performance measurement to support decision making are enabling the Department to more effectively and efficiently achieve these objectives and deliver on the modernization vision—a strong commitment to providing the highest quality of service through continuous, innovative and adaptable operational improvement. Application of Ministerial Instructions authorities4 to the Federal Skilled Worker and Immigrant Investor programs, combined with the introduction of centralized processing has yielded positive results—a 50% reduction of the Federal Skilled Worker backlog since 2008, and better alignment of new application volumes with processing capacity and labour market needs. A case processing pilot was established in the Ottawa office as a modernization initiative, specifically to test the processing vision of the future and workload distribution across the network, as well as enhance overall processing capacity. CIC published a service declaration and continued with a phased approach to delivering on an action plan in response to both the 2010 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada and the Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled March 2011 with regard to service standards.5 Full implementation across all key lines of business is expected by April 2013. CIC offered 25,000 clients the opportunity to complete a client satisfaction survey conducted with Statistics Canada. Findings will be published in 2012 and analysis will help inform decisions regarding investments and modernization priorities to be made in the future. The Department developed a strategy for completing baselines of CIC’s 35 lines of business, to establish a solid foundation for measuring the performance of and the impact of change on CIC lines of business. Two baselines were completed. These baselines will provide tangible data to guide the Department’s investment decisions. The Department launched a simpler and more user-friendly website. The e-Application for students from a limited number of countries not requiring medical examinations or visas is fully operational. This e-Application enables applicants to apply for a study permit from outside of Canada provided they are a citizen and resident of one of the designated countries. An assessment of the Visa Exempt Study Permit Abroad line of business will inform the way forward and help the Department determine whether an e-Application for work permits by International Experience Canada6 participants is desirable. As of March 31, 2011, e‑Applications for in-Canada temporary lines of business reached an overall take-up rate of 36%. The Integrated Payment Solution project is progressing on schedule. The Department has made important strides in developing a plan to implement and expand a global service delivery network of 35 visa application centres7 (VACs). CIC has been working with partners to develop a concept of operations, business process maps, and business and technical requirements for the VAC network, as well as to prepare a statement of work for the upcoming request for proposal in 2011–2012 to increase the number of VACs and expand global coverage.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Global Case Management System	previously committed to	Links to strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3 (enabling)
Status: Exceeded
The Global Case Management System (GCMS) is a secure, reliable and efficient case management tool that integrates citizenship and immigration data worldwide and is a fundamental component of CIC’s service innovation agenda. The GCMS major Crown project was successfully completed in March 2011 and has met all of its major milestones on time and under budget authority. It should be noted that although milestones and budget were adjusted over time to accommodate for challenges, the international release of GCMS was successfully deployed to 97 overseas visa offices, many ahead of schedule. During deployment, many improvements were implemented as part of service modernization. With international roll-out now complete, more than 5,000 users, from CIC and other departments, will process citizenship and overseas immigration applications using one integrated system.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
People management	ongoing	Links to strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3 (enabling)
Status: Met all
CIC improved its integration of human resources with business and financial planning and provided managers with more detailed demographic information and recommendations via its quarterly reporting activities, including human resources management dashboards and analyses. Effective planning has supported the Department’s capacity to meet the needs of its modernization agenda. CIC has implemented targeted recruitment to exceed post-secondary recruitment targets and has significantly improved departmental representation of Aboriginal peoples while remaining fully representative of women, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities. The Department has initiated the development of a coordinated approach to the assessment, development and delivery of operational training to support employee development and CIC’s business requirements via its modernization initiatives. It has also developed and implemented a change leadership framework and approach to ensure that managers and employees are prepared to help the Department achieve its strategic objectives.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome(s) and/or Program Activity(ies)
Integrated decision-making processes	new	Links to strategic outcomes 1, 2, 3 (enabling)
Status: Met all
CIC’s strategic plan reflects the strategic outcomes anticipated in the Department’s new Program Activity Architecture and associated Performance Measurement Framework, which came into effect on April 1, 2011. This plan has become the foundation for departmental integrated planning and quarterly reporting processes, thereby setting the context for integrated decision making at CIC. CIC also made important strides toward a more integrated approach to decision making with the development and approval of a new departmental sustainable development strategy. The strategy encompasses a sustainable development framework, policy and reporting template that include economic, social, environmental and equity considerations, as well as greening government operations targets that align with the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.8 In addition, CIC launched a new integrated risk management framework and policy that support the integration of risk management into decision-making processes at all levels across the Department. The policy fosters a risk-informed approach to ensure that risks are systematically identified, assessed and managed in the day-to-day activities of the Department including business planning and resource allocation; policy development; program design, delivery and management; and project management. Through quarterly reviews, the integration of CIC’s corporate risks and mitigation strategies with the corporate business planning cycle provides evidence of the way decisions have been reached and implemented, and how corporate risks are affecting the achievement of strategic outcomes. The policy was piloted throughout the year and refined based on results. This priority was mostly met because the dissolution of Parliament delayed the tabling of the strategy through CIC’s 2011–2012 Report on Plans and Priorities, and therefore delayed implementation.

Risk Analysis

In support of a sustained economic recovery, CIC has focused on modernizing the immigration system to maximize its contribution to Canada’s economic growth. The Department continues to balance its long-standing commitments to unite families, uphold Canada’s international humanitarian obligations, and protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. CIC responds to these demands while ensuring public and international confidence in the integrity of Canada’s immigration and refugee programs. To achieve these objectives, CIC continues to manage a number of known and emerging risks.

Given Canada’s aging population, economic growth will require that Canada admit new immigrants to meet labour market demand. The challenge is recruiting immigrants with the right skills, including language skills, which are a strong predictor of successful integration. Increased competition from other countries is making it even more challenging to attract the highly skilled immigrants Canada wants and needs. To maintain Canada’s competitive edge, CIC continued to ensure that its selection process is responsive to labour market realities and promotes better economic outcomes for newcomers.

The 2008 Action Plan for Faster Immigration⁹ has helped reduce application backlogs and wait times. As of March 31, 2011, the total number of federal skilled worker (FSW) applicants awaiting a decision has gone down 22 percent (including those who applied before and after the 2008 introduction of Ministerial Instructions),¹⁰ with nearly a 50-percent reduction in the pre-February 2008 FSW backlog.

However, labour market changes, rising intake of new FSW applications and a desire to respond to comments by the Auditor General prompted an exploration of options to update the Ministerial Instructions. In June 2010, CIC issued a second set of Ministerial Instructions¹¹ to sustain progress on the Action Plan for Faster Immigration. These updated instructions sought to align the intake of new FSW applications to CIC’s capacity to process them by capping the number of new applications to be processed, modifying the eligible occupations list to meet the needs of an evolving labour market, and seeking to improve the labour market readiness of new FSWs by requiring third-party language tests as part of the application process. The second set of Ministerial Instructions also temporarily suspended the acceptance of new federal investor applications from July 2010 until regulatory amendments came into effect in December 2010.

Growing international migration has increased the possibility of Canadians being exposed to disease outbreaks, infectious diseases, acts of terrorism and transnational organized crime. In recent years, Canada has also faced the challenge of human smuggling. A range of mitigating strategies has been adopted across government and with international partners to reduce the possibility of these threats affecting the Canadian population. CIC measures to deal with these risks include Bill C-49 to crack down on human smuggling, the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project to enhance identity management, and information-sharing protocols with key federal and international security partners.

CIC also strengthened its medical screening risk management strategies. CIC and its Five Country Conference partners¹² developed a strategy to align and implement quality assurance tools that improve the reliability of diagnosis for tuberculosis worldwide. In addition, CIC signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia to share information relating to medical examiners quality assurance. Consequently, joint visits were conducted in countries of higher health risks such as China and the Philippines, resulting in progressive alignment of examiners’ networks.

The integrity of the Immigration Program is being put at risk by sponsor or applicant misrepresentation, document or identity fraud, and the perceived abuse of the in-Canada refugee protection system. To meet this challenge, CIC worked with various stakeholders to proactively identify and act on integrity concerns, while implementing legislative reform of the refugee system. CIC has already strengthened measures to protect the integrity of Canada’s immigration and refugee programs, including a new Permanent Resident Card with enhanced security features and sharing of high-value biometric information with international partners. As well, the Department continued to refine the design and use of its documents and systems, provide anti-fraud training to citizenship and immigration officers, and enhance and enforce procedures related to storage, use and handling of Department-controlled forms.

CIC reached an important milestone in countering fraud when Bill C-35, which strengthens the regulation of immigration consultants, received royal assent in March 2011. The government also announced its intention to designate the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council as the new regulatory body to oversee immigration consultants.

Once immigrants arrive in Canada, they must have the opportunity to integrate into the work force and society as a whole. If newcomers are not able to integrate effectively, they face increased risk of poverty, marginalization and other negative outcomes.

Through programming to support this integration, CIC helps immigrants contribute to the country’s social, civic, cultural and economic development. Canada faces various challenges related to integration, including concern over economic outcomes for newcomers.¹³ In response, CIC continued to work with its partners to develop and improve short- and long-term integration programs for all immigrants, including services that promote the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; offer language training and orientation; and support successful integration into the Canadian work force. Effective integration of newcomers lowers the risk of alienation and helps build a socially cohesive, integrated society based on equality of opportunity. In Budget 2006, the government committed to investing in settlement and integration of newcomers. Since then, Canada has tripled settlement funding outside of Quebec from less than $200 million in 2005–2006 to more than $600 million in 2011–2012.

The Refugee Program also faces a number of risks, including increasing abuse and a growing backlog. In response, CIC is working with partners to implement changes to the asylum system to arrive at final decisions more rapidly, provide protection to those who need it, ensure faster removals to those who do not need protection, and make the system less vulnerable to abuse. The implementation of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act,¹⁴ which received royal assent in June 2010, will streamline the refugee system and increase its integrity.

Although Canadians’ support for immigration remains high, there are challenges related to immigration levels and increasing diversity, especially in the context of global economic uncertainty, continuing international security threats and some evidence of harmful cultural practices. To respond, CIC continued to work on multiculturalism initiatives that focus on engagement and inclusion, instil multicultural understanding, recognize multiculturalism as a fundamental Canadian value, and support the removal of barriers that prevent full participation in Canadian society. Inter-Action, a new component of Canada’s multiculturalism grants and contributions program, supports integration through community development and engagement projects and funding for community-based events.

Summary of Performance

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
1,561.7	1,644.8	1,590.1

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
4,015	4,778	(763)

Explanation of change: Planned spending of $1,561.7 million increased by $83.1 million due to Supplementary Estimates and additional statutory funding providing total authorities of $1,644.8 million. The increased authorities included additional funding for the Interim Federal Health Program, funding to support the reform of Canada’s refugee determination system, and additional funding related to CIC’s response to the Haiti earthquake. Also included in the increased authorities are operating funding carried forward from the previous fiscal year and additional statutory funding related to employee benefit plans.

Actual spending was lower than total authorities by $54.7 million. Operating resources totalling $31.0 million lapsed, primarily due to lower than projected costs for the implementation of new visa requirements in Mexico, the biometrics project, new refugee reform measures, the Interim Federal Health Program and the Haiti relief effort. Lower than planned expenditures in Settlement and Multiculturalism programs resulted in $23.7 million in grants and contributions lapsing.

Planned FTEs did not reflect the revised spending trends reported in the 2009–2010 Departmental Performance Report as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010‑2011 Report on Plans and Priorities. This timing difference, and the additional authorities accessed through Supplementary Estimates, resulted in higher than planned FTEs for 2010–2011.

Strategic Outcome 1: Migration that significantly benefits Canada’s economic, social and cultural development, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians

Performance Indicators	Targets	2010-11 Performance
Income from all sources (investment, employment earnings, self-employment, and employment insurance) for skilled worker principal applicants after three years compared to Canadian benchmark	Principal applicant income is stabilized and/or improved relative to the Canadian benchmark by 2012	The income differential between skilled worker principal applicants and the Canadian born has been relatively stable at 12%15 in recent years. Average income for skilled worker 2008 tax filers (landed three years earlier) was $34,783, compared with an average income of $30,957 for all Canadian-born tax filers 15 years and older. For the 2008 tax year, however, male skilled workers landed three years before reported income 4% lower than Canadian-born males. Skilled worker females, whose income in recent tax years has outpaced that of Canadian-born females, had income 21% higher that same tax year ($27,478 and $22,800 respectively). The overall differential in incomes appears to be explained by the relatively strong incomes of recent female skilled workers. Evidence from the evaluation of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (2010) suggests that income differentials between skilled principal applicants and the Canadian born may have improved in recent years. The selection system now in place, first implemented in 2002, looks at factors such as education, experience, language and age to assess an applicant’s ability to economically establish. That evaluation confirmed that skilled workers selected under the criteria put in place in 2002 have enjoyed better earnings and employment rates, sooner after arriving, than those selected under the former system. Skilled workers selected under the new criteria will be under-represented in the available tax filing information until tax filing year 2009 or 2010 because it was not until 2006 and 2007 that the majority of skilled workers began landing based on a successful assessment against the human capital criteria. Once comparative data are available for the 2009 or 2010 tax year (for those landed 2006 or later), improvement in the income differential should become more apparent.

Program Activity	2009-10 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2010-11 ($ millions)				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes16
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
1. Immigration Program	157.5	129.5	129.4	144.9	143.0	Strong economic growth
2. Temporary Resident Program	65.9	90.9	114.2	72.2	61.3	Strong economic growth
Total	223.4	220.4	243.6	217.1	204.3

Strategic Outcome 2: International recognition and acceptance of the principles of managed migration consistent with Canada’s broader foreign policy agenda, and protection of refugees in Canada

Performance Indicators	Targets	2010-11 Performance
Number of protected persons and Convention refugees granted permanent residence	19,600 to 26,000 persons, as identified in the 2010 immigration plan	Canada offered protection to 24,696 persons in 2010, including protected persons, Convention refugees and dependants abroad.
Percentage of positions initiated or supported by Canada which are eventually reflected in international policy debate	CIC responds to ad hoc requests	Over 250 positions were developed in international forums, including the United Nations, International Organization for Migration, G8, International Labour Organization and the Organization of American States.

Program Activity	2009-10 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2010-11 ($ millions)				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes17
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
3. Canada’s Role in International Migration and Protection	2.3	4.0	4.0	3.9	3.3	A safe and secure world through international engagement
4. Refugee Program	118.7	102.4	102.4	120.8	112.7	A safe and secure world through international engagement
Total	121.0	106.4	106.4	124.7	116.0

Strategic Outcome 3: Successful integration of newcomers into society and promotion of Canadian citizenship

Performance Indicators	Targets	2010-11 Performance
Income from all sources (investment, employment earnings, self-employment, and employment insurance) for all immigration categories after five years and after 10 years, compared to Canadian benchmark	Improvement in immigrant incomes relative to Canadian average by 2012	During 2007–2008 (the period for which the latest data are available), immigrant income from all sources continued to improve relative to Canadian benchmarks. Based on 2008 estimates, immigrant income for all immigration categories after five years saw an increase from 79% to 80% of Canadian benchmarks over the 2007–2008 period. For established immigrants (in Canada for 10 years or more), income from all sources increased from 86% to 89% of Canadian benchmarks over the same period.
Social participation measured by donor and volunteer rates	Maintain or improve on current levels of 80% giving and 20% volunteerism by immigrants	According to the 2007 report of the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, 82% of immigrants gave to charities and non-profit organizations and 40% of immigrants offered volunteering services. CIC has been successful in meeting its giving and volunteerism targets by newcomers over the 2000–2007 period (the period for which the latest data are available).
Increased participation of new and established Canadians in citizenship events	15% of citizenship events will be held off-site annually by 2011	In 2010, approximately 25% of citizenship ceremonies were held off-site (425 out of 1,723). This represents a slight increase from 2009 when approximately 23% of citizenship ceremonies were held off-site (458 out of 1,957). Thus, CIC has surpassed its performance target for the past two years.

Program Activity	2009-10 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2010-11 ($ millions)				Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes18
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
5. Integration Program	965.7	1,007.3	1,013.4	996.1	975.7	A diverse society that promotes linguistic duality and social inclusion
6. Citizenship Program	62.1	62.0	62.0	76.4	68.8	A diverse society that promotes linguistic duality and social inclusion
Total	1,027.8	1,069.3	1,075.4	1,072.5	1,044.5

Program Activity	2009-10 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2010-11 ($ millions)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
7. Internal Services	204.7	136.3	136.3	230.5	225.3

	2009-10 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2010-11 ($ millions)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Total Department Spending	1,576.9	1,532.4	1,561.7	1,644.8	1,590.1

Note: For an explanation of variances by program activity, see Section II.

Expenditure Profile

Departmental Spending Trend

During 2010–2011, CIC’s spending to meet the objectives of its program activities amounted to $1,590.1 million. The following graph illustrates CIC’s spending trend from previous years and planned spending for future years to 2013–2014.

Display Text Version

Grants and Contributions

Overall, grants and contributions spending increased significantly between 2007–2008 and 2010–2011, due to additional settlement contribution funding for all provinces and territories and additional obligations under the grant for the Canada–Québec Accord Relating to Immigration and Temporary Admission of Aliens.¹⁹ Total grants and contributions funding is expected to stabilize in future years at 63 percent of total planned spending.

Operating Expenditures

The overall level of operating expenditures remains relatively constant from year to year, despite increased funding for certain initiatives. Additional operating funding has been provided, for example, for the Interim Federal Health Program, backlog reduction and the implementation of new visa requirements. These increases have been largely offset, however, by the effects of government-wide reductions, transfers to other departments, reductions due to foregone revenue and sunsetting initiatives.

2010-11 Financial Resources under Canada ’s Economic Action Plan ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
6.1	6.1	5.5

These resources represent CIC’s 2010–2011 spending under Canada’s Economic Action Plan²⁰ for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program. This spending is included under Program Activity 5: Integration Program.

Estimates by Vote

For information on CIC’s organizational votes and/or statutory expenditures, please see the 2010–2011 Public Accounts of Canada²¹ (Volume II) publication.

SECTION II: ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

Strategic Outcome 1: Migration that significantly benefits Canada’s economic, social and cultural development, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians

Immigration is essential to Canada’s economic development and plays an important role in shaping Canadian society. Canada remains a destination of choice for immigrants, and the country benefits significantly from the talent, innovation, investment and opportunity that these hundreds of thousands of permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, international students and visitors bring each year. The challenge for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is to manage this movement of people while balancing goals of economic, social and cultural development, and protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians. As it handles considerable volumes of applicants in both the temporary and permanent immigration streams, CIC continues to explore strategies to manage the multiple priorities and goals of the Immigration Program.

Thousands more people apply to immigrate to Canada each year than can be processed and admitted. CIC has made significant headway in better managing its immigration system through Ministerial Instructions and systems modernization.

To protect Canadians and to ensure that the benefits of a more responsive immigration system are not undermined, CIC continued to fulfil its role of identifying applicants for permanent or temporary immigration who could pose security, health or safety risks to the country. Building on its own fraud detection and deterrence expertise, CIC’s success also relies on effective partnerships with other departments and organizations—such as the Canada Border Services Agency²² (CBSA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police²³ (RCMP), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service²⁴ (CSIS), the federal Department of Justice²⁵ and Health Canada.²⁶

To manage health issues related to immigration, CIC continued to develop and implement risk mitigation strategies in cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada²⁷ (PHAC), provinces and territories, and other partner countries. Any residual public health risks regarding transmission of infectious diseases are mitigated through the medical surveillance of newly arrived permanent and temporary residents, as required.

Achievement of Immigration Levels for 2010

Each year, under section 94 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada is required to table before Parliament an annual immigration plan outlining the total number of immigrants Canada aims to receive in the subsequent year.

In the 2010 Immigration Levels Plan, CIC maintained historical levels of planned immigration. Although school-leavers and other domestic sources contribute the largest proportion of new labour market entrants, immigration is projected to account for all net labour force growth in Canada within the next decade and all population growth within the next two decades.

Although the projected admission range for 2010 was 240,000 to 265,000, a total of 280,681 permanent residents were admitted, the largest proportion in the economic stream as well as almost 67 percent of total admissions. The number represents an 11.3‑percent increase from 2009 and is the highest level of permanent resident admissions since 1957.

These higher than anticipated admissions enable CIC to balance competing priorities while meeting overall economic, family reunification and refugee protection objectives. The unique combination of factors in 2010 that resulted in these unexpected numbers includes ongoing work since 2008 to improve immigration system efficiency and reduce wait times; planned increases in economic immigration announced in June 2010; a rise in non-discretionary family reunification linked in part to events such as the earthquake in Haiti; and growth in categories with high approval rates such as in the Provincial Nominee Program. Also, while CIC had anticipated a significant increase in demand for temporary visas (for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, for example), the actual growth was lower than expected and there was a real decline in temporary foreign workers due to the economic climate, which freed up capacity in the system to increase production in the permanent stream. Finally, there was a faster visa usage rate that meant many applicants who would have normally arrived in 2011 arrived earlier, in 2010. Because a confluence of similar factors is not likely to recur, 2010 will probably remain a high watermark year for admissions.

New Permanent Residents Admitted in 2010, by Immigration Category (Compared with the Immigration Plan)²⁸

Immigrant Category	2010  Low Range	2010 High Range	Number Admitted
Economic Class
Federal Selected	89,000	95,200	113,756
Federal Skilled Workers	75%		85,117
Federal Business	10%		10,813
Canadian Experience Class	3%		3,917
Live-in Caregivers	12%		13,909
Quebec-selected Skilled Workers	28,400	29,500	34,240
Quebec Business	1,900	2,100	2,489
Provincial and Territorial Nominees	37,000	40,000	36,428
Total Economic	156,300	166,800	186,913
Family Class
Spouses, Partners and Children	42,000	45,000	44,896
Parents and Grandparents	15,000	18,000	15,324
Total Family	57,000	63,000	60,220
Protected Persons
Government-assisted Refugees	7,300	8,000	7,264
Privately Sponsored Refugees	3,300	6,000	4,833
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependants Abroad	9,000	12,000	12,599
Total Protected Persons	19,600	26,000	24,696
Others
Humanitarian and Compassionate/Public Policy	7,000	9,000	8,736
Permit Holders	100	200	109
Total Other	7,100	9,200	8,845
Category Not stated			7
TOTAL	240,000	265,000	280,681

Program Activity 1: Immigration Program²⁹

Design, develop and implement policies and programs to facilitate the entry of permanent residents in a way which contributes to the economic, social and cultural development of Canada while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
129.4	144.9	143.0

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
1,275	1,289	(14)

Explanation of change: Total authorities increased by $15.5 million over planned spending due to additional statutory requirements for refunds of previous years’ revenues for the Right of Permanent Residence Fee and additional funding through Supplementary Estimates for Canada’s war crimes program.

Actual spending was lower than total authorities by $1.9 million, primarily due to lower than planned spending on the Immigration Program backlog reduction.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
The arrival of permanent residents who contribute to Canada’s economic, social and cultural development; and the protection of the health, safety and security of Canadians	Labour market participation—employment rates for very recent immigrants (individuals who have been immigrants to Canada for less than five years) compared to the Canadian average	Improvement in participation rate relative to Canadian average by 2013	Met all: Labour force participation for both the Canadian born and very recent immigrants30 declined slightly in 2010. Labour force participation for very recent immigrants continues to be lower than for the Canadian-born population (56.7% and 63.3% respectively). The gap between males is much smaller (1.3%) than the gap for females (labour force participation for female immigrants is 11.2% lower than for Canadian-born females). A different story exists for recent immigrants,31 where average labour force participation (64.3%) now exceeds participation by the Canadian born.
	Number of permanent resident arrivals by category according to immigration plan	CIC’s admission planning range as set in the 2010 immigration plan:  240,000 to 265,000 persons.	Exceeded: A total of 280,681 permanent residents were admitted to Canada in 2010, nearly 6% above the high end of the projected 2010 admission range. The increase is due to higher economic and immediate family admissions. Total economic admissions exceeded the high end of the planned 2010 range, and in the family class, admissions in the spouses, partners and children category were at the high end of the range. The 2010 admissions number represents an 11.3% increase from 2009.

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

CIC has seen continued progress on the Government of Canada’s three main goals as articulated in the fall 2008 Action Plan for Faster Immigration³²: reduction of the backlog of applicants in the federal skilled worker (FSW) category; reduction of wait times; and improvement of labour market responsiveness. Since then, through two sets of Ministerial Instructions (November 2008 and June 2010) that limit new FSW applicants to those meeting Canada’s labour market needs, CIC has reduced the FSW backlog (applicants awaiting a decision who applied before the action plan came into effect) by nearly 50 percent as of March 31st, from 640,000 to 322,623, and admitted more than 54,000 new permanent residents in this stream with skills and experience in high-demand occupations. The total number of FSW applicants awaiting a decision has gone down 22 percent (including those who applied before and after the launch of the action plan).

CIC maintained its commitment to family reunification. Family migration accounted for 21 percent of overall migration in 2010; and the planned family immigration levels for 2011 maintain this emphasis on family reunification. Steps were also taken to improve the integrity of family immigration: a regulatory proposal to expand the current family sponsorship bar for those who have been convicted of family violence crimes; amendments to strengthen and clarify the regulations that prohibit the use of bad faith relationships for the purpose of immigration; ministerial town halls and on-line consultations³³ on the issue of marriage fraud; and work on the proposed new measures to deter abuse of the program through the use of marriages of convenience.³⁴

Lessons Learned

The evolution of Ministerial Instructions since 2008 provided CIC with valuable experience in the use of policy and program tools to advance the Government of Canada’s main goals for economic immigration. The first set of Ministerial Instructions³⁵ (MI-1) relied on “indirect” means—required experience must have been in a relatively small number (38) of eligible priority occupations—to reduce intake to accelerate backlog reduction and improve labour market responsiveness. While initially successful, earlier gains began to erode by early 2010 as a new MI-1 “inventory” of more than one year of processing emerged, with a relatively small number of occupations over-represented. In response, a second set of Ministerial Instructions³⁶ (MI-2) in 2010 took a much more “direct” approach to intake management by placing an overall annual limit on new FSW applications (20,000), as well as limits per occupation (1,000). This direct measure on application intake produced the desired result of limiting new applications in the FSW category, thereby enabling backlog reduction to resume and expediting applicants with skills most needed for Canada’s economy, who continue to be processed largely within 12 months. Compared with MI-1, MI-2 was more effective in achieving the objectives of the 2008 Action Plan for Faster Immigration and this lesson learned will inform future Ministerial Instructions.

The principal lesson learned from the Federal Skilled Worker Program evaluation is that changes in selection criteria can make a significant difference to immigrant outcomes. Controlling for all other factors, immigrants selected under the criteria introduced in 2002 have had better employment and earnings outcomes than those selected under the former system. Drawing on this positive result, CIC is proceeding with refinements to the current system to make the program even more labour market responsive. However, federally selected points-tested immigrants account for only 16–17 percent of all new permanent residents annually. More work is needed to understand how the economic outcomes of other categories of immigrants can improve, but the increased participation rate for recent immigrants cited above suggests they are participating at rates equal to or above those of the Canadian born, five to 10 years after arriving.

The first federal evaluation of the Provincial Nominee Program began in 2010. Data for the evaluation was provided by the federal government as well as provincial and territorial governments. As provincial nominee programming differs across provinces and territories in recognition of their unique economic and labour market needs, the federal evaluation needed to take into account existing provincial and territorial methods for gathering performance data and monitoring and reporting on program outcomes. As anticipated, some challenges related to the availability of provincial and territorial data, as well as the consistency in the method of its collection across jurisdictions, were identified. One of the aims of this first evaluation is to collaborate with provinces and territories to implement a common set of performance measures to identify the type of data needed and to provide consistent data for future evaluations.

Program Activity 2: Temporary Resident Program³⁷

Design, develop and implement policies and programs to facilitate the entry of temporary workers, students and visitors in a way which contributes to Canada’s economic, social and cultural development while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
114.2	72.2	61.3

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
682	584	98

Explanation of change: Total authoritieswere $42 million lower than planned spending, primarily due to resources transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade through Supplementary Estimates to support new visa requirements. As well, authorities decreased from planned spending due to a change in the profile of planned funding for the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project.

Actual spending was lower than total authorities by $10.9 million, primarily due to lower than expected costs for new visa requirements, the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project and the impact of foregone revenue related to visa lifting.

Planned FTEs by program activity did not reflect the most recent spending trends of the Department as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010–2011 RPP. Actual FTEs have increased by 2 percent over the prior year’s actual FTEs.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
The arrival of temporary residents who contribute to Canada’s economic, social and cultural development; and the protection of the health, safety and security of Canadians	Number of foreign workers by skill level (arrivals)	Anticipated demand: 185,000 to 220,000 persons	Mostly met: 182,276 temporary foreign workers arrived in Canada, reflecting lower than expected need by employers.
	Number of foreign students by level of education (arrivals)	Anticipated demand: 85,000 to 95,000 persons	Exceeded: 96,157 international students arrived in Canada.
	Number of visitor visas issued	Anticipated demand: 820,000 visas	Exceeded: CIC issued 913,628 visitor visas in 2010, which was a 16% increase over 2009.
	Number of temporary resident applications processed by category	Anticipated demand: 380,000 foreign worker applications; 160,000 foreign student applications; 1,025,000 visitor visa applications	Mostly met: CIC processed decisions on almost 1.7 million applications for temporary residence (353,936 temporary foreign worker applications, 203,535 student applications and 1,137,422 visitor visa applications).

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

CIC facilitates the entry of foreign workers, students and visitors that support Canada’s economic, social and cultural development. CIC processed to a decision (whether positive, negative and withdrawn) almost 1.7 million applications (persons) for temporary residence and issued just under 1.4 million visas, permits and extensions for temporary entry into the country. While employer demand remained strong over the past year, CIC received slightly fewer temporary foreign worker applications than the previous year—almost 354,000 temporary foreign worker applications in 2010 compared with almost 377,000 in 2009. On the other hand, the Department processed higher numbers of applications in other streams, receiving more than 1.1 million visitor visa applications in 2010 and over 203,000 student applications in 2010 (compared with 1.0 million and 196,000 respectively in 2009).

CIC facilitated the entry of 182,276 temporary foreign workers in response to labour market demand and helped meet short-term employment needs that could not easily be filled by the domestic labour force. This represents a marginally greater portion (2 percent) of temporary foreign workers admitted compared with the previous year. After the August 2010 announcement of regulatory improvements for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), CIC worked with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada³⁸ (HRSDC) and CBSA to implement measures to strengthen worker protection and ensure employer compliance with program requirements. As a result, on April 1, 2011, new regulations came into force that include three main provisions: to establish factors to guide the assessment of the genuineness of the job offer to a temporary foreign worker; to create authority to deny access to the program for employers who are found to have failed to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages, working conditions and occupation; and to establish a maximum cumulative duration of four years of work for most temporary foreign workers, to be followed by a period of four years in which the worker would be ineligible to work in Canada.

The Government of Canada also pursued improvements to the program through continued negotiations with provincial and territorial governments, resulting in the signing of bilateral agreements (TFWP Annexes) with British Columbia, Yukon and Nova Scotia.

An evaluation of the International Student Program, completed in July 2010, identified three key issues: the global competitiveness of the program; program integrity; and CIC’s processing capacity. Findings showed that the availability of work opportunities and access to permanent residency make Canada attractive to students. However, the program was also found to be vulnerable to misuse by people posing as students and hampered by a lack of information on legitimate educational institutions, which may lead to processing delays or refusals.

Work permit programs continue to be popular tools to attract top students. All three streams of work permit programs (co-op programs, on and off-campus work programs, and the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program) saw growth in the number of work permits approved. In total, 50,843 work permits were approved in 2010, an increase of 14 percent from 2009. Making these work opportunities increasingly available is important to international students, particularly if they are considering immigrating permanently, since work experience is an eligibility requirement for immigration streams like the Canadian experience class and some provincial nominee programs.

The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Immigration made a commitment in June 2010 to improve Canada as a destination of choice for international students seeking a quality education. In response, CIC established a federal-provincial-territorial ad hoc working group to discuss proposals for regulatory and policy amendments related to international students that aim to both enhance program integrity and improve services to genuine students attending genuine educational institutions. Deputy ministers of provincial and territorial ministries of education provided formal support for this work and have mandated their respective departments to negotiate a common framework with CIC that would serve to structure bilateral arrangements governing the joint management of the International Student Program in the future.

An important success story in the improvement of program integrity and client service for the International Student Program is the Student Partners Program (SPP), a pilot between Canadian visa offices in India and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges³⁹ (ACCC). The program started with 20 ACCC member colleges and has grown to 39 participating colleges. To enhance program integrity, the SPP requires applicants to submit mandatory, verifiable documents on language skills and financial support. An information feedback agreement with member colleges is also in place to monitor whether students actually study at their college. Since the introduction of the SPP, overall outcomes for Indian students destined for participating colleges have improved significantly.

Substantive plans and strategies for completing the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project and managing the business change were finalized and approved by all partners, and effective project approval was granted on March 24, 2011.⁴⁰

Lessons Learned

In its implementation of regulatory changes to the TFWP, CIC adhered to recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General 2010 fall report: to better ensure program integrity, CIC worked closely with HRSDC on clear guidelines for each department on respective roles and responsibilities under the new regulations.

Strategic Outcome 2: International recognition and acceptance of the principles of managed migration consistent with Canada’s broader foreign policy agenda, and protection of refugees in Canada

The overarching objectives of CIC’s second strategic outcome are to promote the Canadian vision of managed migration internationally and to offer Canada’s protection to those in need. Managed migration has long-term benefits, such as minimizing risks for Canada as a country of destination; ensuring CIC has viable programs that address labour market issues and demographics; and improving economic benefits for businesses, Canadians and immigrants. Internationally, migration and humanitarian issues continue to gain the attention of governments, forums, non-governmental organizations, and academic and other research institutes. CIC is expanding its leadership role in framing and advancing important international migration policy, protection and governance dialogues. Given the complexity of these links, CIC works with domestic and international partners on issues of global migration and protection to determine how to proceed and to identify opportunities for advancing Canada’s priorities.

Canada partners with other countries and with international and civil society organizations to come to the aid of displaced individuals. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees⁴¹ (UNHCR) Global Trends 2010 report,⁴² there were 43.7 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 15.4 million refugees and 837,500 asylum-seekers and 27.5 million internally displaced people⁴³ at the end of 2010. Canada works closely with the UNHCR to search for durable solutions for refugees, especially those in protracted refugee situations. Every year, Canada resettles 10,000 to 12,000—or one out of every 10—of the refugees resettled globally, and offers protection to many more who come to Canada seeking refugee protection.

Program Activity 3: Canada’s Role in International Migration and Protection

Assert Canada’s position in the context of international migration in order to protect Canada’s right to set its citizenship, immigration and refugee policy; to meet legal and international obligations; to steer the international agenda on migration management issues, including its linkages with other public policy sectors; to contribute to managing migration internationally; and to support development of Canada’s image abroad.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
4.0	3.9	3.3

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
18	8	10

Explanation of change: Planned FTEs by program activity did not reflect the most recent spending trends of the Department as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010–2011 RPP. Actual FTEs have increased by 1 over the prior year’s actual FTEs.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
Canada influences the international policy debate as part of its responsibilities with respect to international migration and refugee protection	Number and description of new or renewed international agreements and/or other arrangements led, undertaken or established (multilateral, regional, bilateral, including international organizations)	CIC responds to ad hoc requests	Met all:In 2010–2011, 64 international agreements were developed or renewed.

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

CIC continued to define priorities to enhance international engagement and foster greater coherence between CIC’s international policy and operations. The Department defined its strategic migration policy agenda for targeted international regions, and managed and directed Canada’s participation in key international forums regarding migration.

CIC continued to represent Canada’s immigration interests by participating directly or by assisting other departments in about 80 international migration events, and by advancing, leading and coordinating over 250 Government of Canada positions and activities. The Department engaged other governments and international organizations by encouraging mutually beneficial exchanges to promote increased understanding of migration trends and perspectives.

Participation in the Regional Conference on Migration⁴⁴ (RCM) allowed Canada to influence and advance the Department’s strategic objectives of migration management and international protection in countries of the Americas. Several countries in the region have modernized their migration legislation and programs, established mechanisms for safe and orderly return, developed international protection programs, and joined in efforts to combat irregular migration, human smuggling, trafficking in persons and the activities of unscrupulous intermediaries.

Active participation in the RCM has also allowed the strengthening of international networks for intelligence and cooperation, in turn facilitating the work of other federal departments and the general advancement of Canadian interests with governments and international and civil society organizations across the region. Additional work has focused on advancing managed migration and international protection issues bilaterally with a number of countries in the Americas.⁴⁵

CIC continued to monitor international developments that affected the arrival of refugees in the country and to expand its international asylum dialogue with other governments. Canada continued to support the search for durable solutions to refugee situations internationally, and protracted refugee situations in particular, through multilateral organizations and other diplomatic channels.

CIC played a key role in the development of a Canada–U.S. Beyond the Border Declaration⁴⁶ and continued to support the government’s commitment to address threats early and to promote solutions to facilitate low-risk trade and travel.

CIC led Canadian participation in the Global Forum on Migration and Development,⁴⁷ influencing the agenda to focus on policy discussion and practical approaches to human rights issues.

The Migration Policy Development Program (MPDP) continued to provide funding to organizations active in the areas of migration policy development and research, promote research activity and public discussion on migration issues, encourage information exchange between states, and strengthen intergovernmental relationships and international networks. MPDP funding supported membership in international forums that strengthened intelligence and information exchanges, and allowed Canadian influence in policy directions internationally. The MPDP fund also contributed directly to capacity-building activities in support of departmental priorities in Canada’s priority region of the Americas, particularly in the development of legislation and programs to manage migration and promote governance, prosperity and security internationally. These efforts included information exchanges focused on labour migration, refugee protection, human smuggling and trafficking in persons.

Finally, in March 2011, CIC signed a memorandum of understanding with New Zealand⁴⁸ to implement the Five Country Conference (FCC) High Value Data Sharing Protocol.⁴⁹ This protocol enables Canada to securely and confidentially check the fingerprint information of asylum seekers and foreign nationals facing deportation in Canada with those stored in New Zealand immigration databases. The initiative was developed as part of the FCC, a forum for immigration and border security comprising CIC and CBSA in partnership with counterpart organizations in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Lessons Learned

Major factors like demographic change, emerging economies and new technologies are beginning to have a sizable impact on patterns of migration and on assumptions related to labour supply and demand. This in turn is fuelling an increase in international discussion on migration and migration management. This increased complexity demands a more strategic approach to CIC’s international engagement to ensure that its objectives are carefully formulated and advanced in international forums, and to facilitate coordination within the Department and across the Government of Canada.

Canada’s ability to influence the international community to expand protection space through resettlement also highlights the importance of developing, in cooperation with the UNHCR, a longer-term agenda and strategy focused on particular countries.

Program Activity 4: Refugee Program⁵⁰

Fulfilling Canada’s international obligations by coming to the aid of persons in need of protection in Canada and maintaining its humanitarian tradition by protecting refugees abroad and resettling them to Canada.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
102.4	120.8	112.7

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
113	318	(205)

Explanation of change: Total authoritiesincreased by $18.4 million over planned spending, mainly due to temporary funding for the Interim Federal Health Program.

Actual spending was less than total authorities by $8.1 million, due to lower than planned requirements for the Interim Federal Health Program, including costs related to the Haiti relief effort.

Planned FTEs by program activity did not reflect the most recent spending trends of the Department as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010–2011 RPP. Actual FTEs have increased by less than 4 percent over the prior year’s actual FTEs.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
Persons in need of protection and Convention refugees are protected by Canada by upholding our international obligations and humanitarian traditions, while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians	Number of protected persons and Convention refugees granted permanent residence by category	CIC to admit refugees and protected persons in numbers that align with 2010 Immigration Levels Plan ranges: 19,600–26,000	Mostly met: In 2010, the 7,264 resettled government-assisted refugees fell just short of the lower range set for this group. However, 9,041 protected persons were landed in Canada that, together with the 3,558 dependants from abroad, exceeds the upper range of 12,000 contained in the 2010 Levels Plan for this immigration category. For refugees resettled from abroad, 4,833 privately sponsored refugees were welcomed in Canada, falling within the target range of 3,300–6,000.

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

Canada has a long history as a tolerant, compassionate and humanitarian nation, and lives up to these values through the Refugee Program. As a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees,⁵¹ the 1967 Protocol⁵² and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,⁵³ Canada has a legal obligation to provide safe haven to individuals in need of protection.

In fulfilling this obligation, major advancements were made this year in reviewing policies and programs for refugees and protected persons. Significantly, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act received royal assent on June 29, 2010. The changes brought about by this legislation support the underlying principles of Canada’s asylum system: ensuring fairness; protecting genuine refugees; and upholding Canada’s humanitarian tradition. The new asylum system exceeds Canada’s international and domestic legal obligations and ensures eligible refugee claimants receive a fair hearing based on their personal situation, with avenues for appeal. As part of this Act, the government also announced a 20‑percent increase in the number of resettled refugees that Canada will receive each year, which means that, by 2013, Canada will welcome 14,500 persons or 11 percent of all refugees resettled from around the world. Significant work on implementation of the new in-Canada asylum system has already begun, including backlog reduction and increased resettlement of refugees.⁵⁴

With regard to resettlement, CIC completed an evaluation of the Government-assisted Refugee (GAR) Program and the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). The GAR evaluation concluded that the program remains relevant, well regarded and well aligned with government priorities. RAP was found to be in line with UNHCR guidelines regarding the provision of immediate and essential needs to refugees, and RAP clients reported a great deal of satisfaction with the services they received. However, the evaluation also found that RAP service providers are having difficulty meeting the increasingly complex needs of their clients. The evaluation made a number of recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of both programs, which the Department addressed in the management response. The evaluation and CIC ’s management response were finalized in summer 2011.

CIC also completed a review of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program and developed a strategy to address the key issues of growing inventories, long wait times and stakeholder relations. CIC is now implementing this strategy in collaboration with stakeholders from the private sponsorship community, with full implementation expected by early 2012.

After extensive review and internal and external stakeholder consultations, CIC initiated the repeal of the source country class. Repealing the source country class will allow CIC to focus its resettlement resources on priority refugee situations in collaboration with resettlement partners and to manage application intake more effectively. The repeal is expected to come into effect in fall 2011.

CIC’s Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides temporary health coverage for refugee claimants, asylum seekers, Convention refugees, victims of human trafficking and persons under CBSA detention. Through a network of 18,000 registered health-care providers across Canada, the IFHP continued to provide coverage to approximately 110,000 beneficiaries. A review of the program’s policies has begun, including evaluating options for aligning the policies with the legal authority. In addition, the new claims administrator contract has been in place since January 2011.

Through the Intergovernmental Immigration and Refugee Health Working Group, CIC and its international partners developed a strategy to align and to implement quality assurance tools that improve the reliability of diagnosis for tuberculosis worldwide. In 2010–2011, CIC performed 518,794 immigration medical assessments, which found 417 active tuberculosis cases (398 of them were rendered inactive) and 1,161 cases inadmissible on health grounds. In addition, 11,796 cases were assessed requiring referral to provincial and territorial public health for medical surveillance upon arrival to Canada.

CIC completed and implemented the guidelines for the definition of designation of countries with high tuberculosis risk. CIC also worked with PHAC to develop a joint position on Hepatitis B screenings.

For cases referred to provincial and territorial health authorities for medical surveillance, provinces and territories reported individual compliance in 52% of cases. CIC surveyed local public health authorities to analyse requirements for enhancing individual compliance rates being received from provinces and territories.

Lessons Learned

Negotiating exit permits for individuals who do not meet criteria imposed by the country of asylum continues to be an issue, and illustrates how the legislative and policy framework governing the resettlement program is at times at odds with the international context within which the program operates. CIC will conduct a review and develop recommendations to address the exit permit issue over the next year.

More broadly, the lack of strategic focus means that the resettlement program is pulled in many different directions at once, and risks not meeting its primary objective of protection. A close examination of where and when resettlement presents the most effective protection tool is necessary. The Department is developing options to refocus the resettlement program on strategic outcomes to enhance Canada’s ability to provide effective protection and durable solutions to refugee populations around the world.

Strategic Outcome 3: Successful integration of newcomers into society and promotion of Canadian citizenship

CIC develops policies and programs to support the settlement, including refugee resettlement, and longer-term integration of newcomers into Canadian society leading
to the acquisition of citizenship, while setting the stage for their participation and contribution to Canada. As immigrants and refugees seek to overcome challenges specific to settling in a new country, settlement programming provides support to maximize newcomers’ potential and realize their aspirations, eventually leading to their full participation and citizenship in Canadian society. Welcoming newcomers and assisting with settlement and longer-term integration is a shared effort; the achievement of this strategic outcome, therefore, depends on partnerships and contributions from the federal government, provinces, territories, employers, service providers, community organizations and others.

To better support the integration of newcomers into Canadian society, the Multiculturalism Program has three objectives: to build an integrated, socially cohesive society; to improve the responsiveness of institutions to the needs of a diverse population; and to actively engage in discussions on multiculturalism and diversity at the international level.

The acquisition of citizenship is a significant step in the integration process of newcomers. Granting citizenship to eligible applicants provides established newcomers with the full range of rights of Canadian citizenship, and encourages them to fulfil the responsibilities of citizenship. The acquisition of citizenship also helps newcomers develop a stronger sense of belonging to Canada and share a common bond as part of the Canadian family. CIC focuses efforts on enhancing the meaning of Canadian citizenship, protecting its value, promoting civic participation and encouraging the expression of Canadian citizenship in order to foster a sense of belonging for both newcomers and established Canadians alike. The Department also focuses on implementing other initiatives to enhance the integrity of the Citizenship Program by ensuring that citizenship applicants meet legislative and regulatory requirements before being granted citizenship.

Program Activity 5: Integration Program⁵⁵

Develop policies and programs to support the settlement, resettlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society by delivering the orientation, adaptation and language programs for newcomers.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
1,013.4	996.1	975.7

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
415	373	42

Explanation of change: Total authorities decreased by $17.3 million from planned spending, due to the impact of strategic review reductions, internal transfers and transfers to other government departments.

Actual spending was less than total authorities by $20.4 million, primarily due to lower than planned spending in Settlement Program contribution programs and related operating costs.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
Newcomers contribute to the economic, social and cultural development needs of Canada	Labour market participation—Employment rate compared to Canadian average after five years and after 10 years	Improvement in participation rate relative to Canadian average by 2012	Mostly met:Labour Force Survey data show that the employment rate of all immigration categories after five years increased by 4.7% from 62.0% to 66.7% over January 2010 to January 2011. The employment rate for established immigrants (in Canada 10 years or more) on the other hand declined slightly over the same period from 54.2% to 54.0%.56 For Canadian-born individuals, the employment rate increased from 62.6% to 62.9%.

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

Through agreements with CIC, the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec are responsible for the design, delivery and administration of settlement services in their respective jurisdictions, supported by federal funding. In all other jurisdictions, CIC manages settlement services, with different forms of co-management in Alberta and Ontario. CIC regularly reviews its settlement arrangements with all provinces and territories with the goal of improving outcomes for newcomers. Accordingly the Canada–British Columbia Immigration Agreement⁵⁷ was renewed in 2010–2011 with stronger provisions for outcomes-based accountability.

CIC focused on measuring the impacts of settlement and resettlement programs, to further strengthen public confidence in Canada’s support to newcomers, including refugees. CIC engaged stakeholders to identify key outcomes and indicators of successful settlement and advance the implementation of a performance measurement strategy to inform the review of settlement and integration programming. As part of this focus, CIC has implemented a modernized approach that is outcomes-based and responsive to newcomer needs. Enhanced delivery of orientation, adaptation and language programs now provides support and services to assist in the settlement and long-term integration of newcomers; helps newcomers contribute to the economic, social, cultural and civic development needs of Canada; and encourages participation by a range of players, such as employers and volunteers, in the provision of settlement services and the fostering of welcoming communities for newcomers.

CIC began to implement action items from the 2010 evaluation of the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC). In particular, progress was made to enhance language assessment in the Settlement Program. CIC implemented a pilot to test a portfolio-based assessment method in collaboration with the LINC service provider organizations in Ottawa. The pilot, which will run until January 2012, supports ongoing teacher–student dialogue with the objective of improving the student’s progress in acquiring official language proficiency.

CIC developed two versions of a standardized language test (the Milestones Test) based on a Canadian language benchmark. On implementation, the test will contribute to the Department’s ability to assess overall program outcomes and impact, while also providing newcomers with a means to demonstrate their language proficiency.

CIC concluded the Language Training Vouchers pilot project, which tested new ways to increase the uptake rate of free LINC language training by newcomers. The results of this one-year pilot showed that clients who received a voucher were 25 percent more likely to access a LINC service than clients who did not receive a voucher.

CIC launched the development phase of the on-line national repository of language teaching tools and resources to help language instructors share resources and develop on‑line communities of practice among language instructors. The LearnIT2teach project was also implemented to help language instructors in Ontario effectively integrate computers and the web into their teaching methods and classrooms.

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Immigration agreed to develop a pan-Canadian framework for settlement outcomes to help guide future settlement and integration policies across the country. A national survey to assess the settlement outcomes of newcomers is under development and will inform the framework.

CIC also signed a bridge-to-work agreement with the Province of Ontario to help skilled immigrants enter the Canadian labour market and find employment that matches their education and skills. CIC began negotiations with Ontario for a successor arrangement to the Canada–Ontario Immigration Agreement⁵⁸ (COIA), which expired March 31, 2011. These negotiations have not yet been concluded. In support of these negotiations, the Department also undertook an evaluation of COIA and the final results will be available in 2011–2012.

CIC enhanced settlement funding fairness across Canada by transitioning to calculating funding for settlement in all jurisdictions (except Quebec) based on the proportion of immigrant intake in each jurisdiction, with extra weight for refugees and an amount for capacity building. Federal funding for settlement and immigration services is provided to Quebec through an annual grant under the Canada–Québec Accord.⁵⁹

After consulting federal and provincial settlement partners and focus groups of newcomers, CIC renewed and expanded its suite of settlement information and orientation content for newcomers this year. This information will also be incorporated into the Welcome to Canada⁶⁰ publication and the CIC website.

CIC continued to work closely with the Welcoming Communities Initiative Community–University Research Alliance on various research projects. This included the development of a repository of experts for local immigration partnerships (LIPs), which enhances CIC’s ongoing policy development of LIPs. The Department also partnered with the Quebec-based Institut national de recherche scientifique to develop a repository of community-based projects to collect and disseminate best practices, including those funded through Community Connections.

CIC continued to build on its collaboration with key stakeholders to promote the recruitment of French-speaking newcomers and foster their integration into Francophone Minority Communities (FMCs). The CIC Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee, in collaboration with its community partners, continued the implementation of the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities⁶¹ to support the economic integration of French-speaking immigrants into FMCs through the development of strong immigration networks. CIC continued its efforts to raise awareness among employers through the organization of job fairs for newcomers.

Lessons Learned

The audit of the administration of settlement programs and the evaluations of LINC and the Immigration Settlement and Adaptation Program noted a lack of consistency in needs assessment activities and the ability to establish a baseline of newcomer needs. In response, CIC consulted the settlement sector and undertook public opinion research to develop guidelines on needs assessment to clarify the Department’s expectations of organizations providing settlement services. CIC also developed an interim on-line tool to assist newcomers in understanding their own settlement needs and planning their settlement pathway. The Department examined options for changes to current reporting requirements to facilitate the collection of baseline data on newcomer needs.

A key finding of the 2010 LINC evaluation was that “over 90 percent of LINC classes feature continuous intake, which presents challenges for teachers, but makes classes more accessible for students.” In response to the need to strike a balance between program accessibility and the quality of the classroom experience, CIC undertook analysis to assess the impact of different types of student intake on learner retention and level of completion. The results of the analysis are now being assessed with a view to developing options to improve the quality of the classroom experience.

The LINC evaluation indicated that child-minding costs had risen without a commensurate increase in program uptake. To address this problem, CIC undertook stakeholder consultations and reviewed its child-minding services to establish optimal cost and wait-list baselines. CIC also researched a new child-care model aimed at establishing a more flexible, cost-efficient service that will be piloted in 2011–2012.

The Host Program evaluation (2010) highlighted the development of newcomers’ language skills and their increased knowledge of Canadian culture as the most positive impacts of the program. Accordingly, CIC has committed to supporting related eligible activities through the Community Connections stream of the Settlement Program, for example, conversation circles to connect newcomers, establish support networks and acquire language skills.

Moving forward on the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications,⁶² CIC will build on the experience gained with the initial eight target occupations and work with a greater variety of stakeholders in implementing the framework for the next six target occupations (see the discussion of Canada’s Economic Action Plan at the end of Section II for further details).

Program Activity 6: Citizenship Program⁶³

Design, develop and implement policies and programs to administer the acquisition of Canadian citizenship and to enhance the values and promote the rights and responsibilities of Canadian Citizenship.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
62.0	76.4	68.8

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
421	714	(293)

Explanation of change: Total authorities were $14.4 million higher than planned spending, primarily due to additional operating authorities carried forward from the previous fiscal year.

Actual spending was less than total authorities by $7.6 million, primarily due to lower than planned expenditures in the Multiculturalism and Community Historical Recognition grants and contributions programs.

Planned FTEs by program activity did not reflect the most recent spending trends of the Department as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010–2011 RPP. Actual FTEs have increased by less than 3 percent over the prior year’s actual FTEs.

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
Citizens’ full participation in Canadian society	Number and percentage of people who take up citizenship from permanent residence	Maintain or improve on current rate of 85% of permanent residents who become naturalized citizens	Met all: According to the most recent Census data (2006), 85% of eligible newcomers became Canadian citizens.
	Number of citizenship grant and proof applications processed—positive and negative decisions	Minimum of 170,000 grants and 38,000 proofs	Mostly met: CIC processed 153,644 applications for grant of citizenship, including 143,329 individuals who became Canadian citizens, and issued 69,766 citizenship certificates (“proofs” of citizenship) to existing Canadians in 2010.64

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

CIC continued its work to promote intercultural and interfaith understanding, through active membership in the International Task Force on Holocaust Remembrance, Research and Education,⁶⁵ collaboration with the Global Centre for Pluralism⁶⁶ and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation,⁶⁷ various commemorative activities for Black History Month and Asian Heritage Month, and through its work with federal institutions. CIC also launched “A Fun Path to Learning,” a web corner for teachers and youth that provides educational tools regarding citizenship, Canadian identity, multiculturalism and immigration.

Inter-Action, a new component of the Multiculturalism grants and contributions program, was launched. The projects stream focuses on long-term, multi-year projects that support community engagement, while the events stream provides grants to small community-based events that promote intercultural understanding.

Progress on results achieved on multiculturalism by CIC and across the federal government will continue to be reported in the Annual Report on the Operation of the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.⁶⁸

CIC encourages intercultural dialogue at national and international levels to combat all forms of discrimination and racism, including anti-Semitism. The Department worked with the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism,⁶⁹ to prepare for the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism conference in Ottawa (November 7–9, 2010). Parliamentarians and experts from over 50 countries attended. The Ottawa Protocol⁷⁰ was a major outcome of this conference and represents global cooperation in the fight against anti-Semitism.

CIC continued to implement its Citizenship Action Plan, which consists of a set of coordinated initiatives that aim to improve the integrity of the Citizenship Program and strengthen the value and meaning of Canadian citizenship by promoting civic memory, civic participation and a sense of belonging to Canada. CIC revised the citizenship test study guide Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship,⁷¹which was originally introduced in November 2009. Released in March 2011, the updated version strengthens content on common Canadian values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the equality of men and women.

A new citizenship test that aligns with the study guide was introduced in March 2010. The new test retains its 20-question, multiple-choice format; however, the pass mark was raised to 75 percent (from 60 percent) to ensure that applicants demonstrate a solid understanding of the information from Discover Canada. The Department also amended its regulations pertaining to knowledge requirements. In particular, the Citizenship Regulations were amended respecting citizenship knowledge requirements to achieve greater flexibility in the ability to test applicants consistently on a range of knowledge of the characteristics of Canada, and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

In 2010, the Citizenship Program underwent several operational changes, which increased the time needed to review grant applications or for applicants to move forward in the application process. Because of these changes, the 2010 target for grants processing was not met. Some key initiatives that had an impact on processing include the implementation of program integrity measures and the introduction of a standardized language assessment tool for CIC officials and citizenship judges, which required training all citizenship officers and judges. In addition, the temporary policy to allow applicants who failed the citizenship test on their first attempt to rewrite the test had an impact on processing. Influenced by a combination of high application intake and these operational changes, 80 percent of grant applications were processed within 19 months of receipt of application during the 12‑month period ending December 31, 2010.

CIC was able to exceed its targets for proof processing (issuance of citizenship certificates to existing citizens). In fact, the Department succeeded in reducing proof inventories by nearly 45 percent (from 43,362 applications in 2009 to 24,475 applications in 2010). As result, 69,766 certificates were issued in 2010, which is approximately 32,000 applications above the normal processing capacity of 38,000 applications per year. Furthermore, processing times were reduced in 2010. For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010, 80 percent of proof applications were processed in 8.5 months for applications from within Canada (down from 11.4 months in 2009), and 12.5 months for those processed outside Canada (down from 15.4 months in 2009).

In 2010, CIC undertook an operational review of the Citizenship Program to better understand program challenges and determine where to concentrate its modernization efforts in support of operational efficiency and effectiveness. As an outcome of that process, an implementation roadmap is being developed and includes staging for process changes in line with the Department’s broader service modernization agenda.

Finally, in June 2010, Bill C-37 (proposing to amend the Citizenship Act) was introduced to improve the integrity of the Citizenship Program and to protect the value of Canadian citizenship. Specifically, the bill proposed to add authority to regulate citizenship consultants, increase penalties for citizenship fraud, strengthen citizenship residency requirements, improve the ability to bar persons who committed crimes abroad from becoming Canadian citizens, streamline the revocation and removals process, and ensure the Act supports the implementation of the first generation limit to passing on citizenship. Bill C-37 died on the order paper when the parliamentary session ended in March 2011.

Lessons Learned

Throughout 2010–2011, CIC made progress on the Citizenship Fraud Action Plan by reinforcing the roles and responsibilities of citizenship officers’ in maintaining program integrity and implementing mandatory system checks at strategic points in the citizenship grant application process to ensure that applicants continue to meet their residency obligation.

The National Citizenship Fraud Conference capped the year’s activities, bringing together approximately 50 citizenship officials from across Canada. Also present at the conference were participants from CBSA, the RCMP and Passport Canada.⁷² A number of anti-fraud tools developed to assist citizenship officials in the detection of fraud and newly implemented procedures were presented and discussed.

Program Activity 7: Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
136.3	230.5	225.3

2010-11 Human Resources FTEs

Planned	Actual	Difference
1,091	1,492	(401)

Explanation of change: Total authorities were $94.2 million higher than planned spending, due to funding provided through Supplementary Estimates for government advertising programs, the reform of the refugee determination system, salary-related costs and transfers from other program activities. Included in Internal Services is spending for projects that relate to other program activities, such as the Global Case Management System, but are reported under Internal Services.

Actual spending was less than total authorities by $5.2 million, due to lower than planned costs in refugee reform, advertising programs and other general operating lapses.

Planned FTEs by program activity did not reflect the most recent spending trends of the Department as this information was not available at the time of the preparation of the 2010–2011 RPP. Actual FTEs have increased by 12 percent when compared with the prior year’s actual FTEs.

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

In 2010–2011, CIC continued work to improve management practices and capacity in several areas.

CIC instituted systematic processes for management oversight of program activities and performance, and strengthened planning and the Performance Measurement Framework to ensure a stronger focus on results. With the approval of its revamped Program Activity Architecture and Performance Measurement Framework by Treasury Board and the development of a strategy to implement these tools throughout 2011–2012, CIC is positioned to support sound outcomes-based departmental planning and management oversight. The 2010–2015 strategic plan was also updated, and departmental planning was further enhanced to integrate long-term investment planning.⁷³ Quarterly reviews of departmental plans continued to ensure accountability and adequate senior management oversight.

CIC continued the implementation of an internal service agenda. CIC’s internal service providers measured and reported performance against a set of high-volume services on a quarterly basis. They also continued to develop standards for additional internal services to provide staff with a framework of accountability and transparency so they know what they can expect from such services. CIC implemented periodic measurement of employee satisfaction with internal services to determine where improvements are needed to better support CIC staff in delivering quality services to Canadians.

Lessons Learned

Recognizing that an effective and efficient back office is necessary to deliver quality services to Canadians, CIC undertook a number of changes in 2010–2011:

• The Finance Sector was reorganized to fully implement the Chief Financial Officer Model, to provide increased emphasis on internal controls and to better monitor the financial aspects of CIC’s grants and contributions programs. This reorganization included creation of two branches—Financial Operations and Financial Management—to carry out this important work.
• Enterprise-wide investment planning processes were set up to ensure integration with departmental planning and management processes and long-term sustainability.
• An integrated change management approach continued to be the foundation for improving CIC’s capacity to adapt to change. This ensures that leaders and managers are properly equipped and supported to adapt and respond to a complex environment and that employees remain motivated in times of change.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
6.1	6.1	5.5

Budget 2009’s Economic Action Plan⁷⁴ (EAP) allocated $50 million over two years to CIC and HRSDC, with CIC receiving $13.7 million for 2009–2010 to 2010–2011. This spending is included under Program Activity 5: Integration Program. The funding provided under the EAP supported the government’s comprehensive efforts over this period in addressing foreign credential recognition (FCR) barriers faced by newcomers.

EAP funding supported the creation and implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, which facilitates the efforts of governments in the development of a common approach to FCR, including timely assessment and recognition. Over 2010–2011, CIC, in conjunction with HRSDC, Health Canada, and provincial and territorial partners, confirmed that the framework’s initial eight target occupations⁷⁵ are meeting the one-year commitment to timely service and established action plans for each occupation that identify current and future improvements to support FCR.

Funding provided under the EAP also supported the expansion and enhancement of pre‑arrival services. In October 2010, CIC assumed responsibility for the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP), administered by the ACCC, from HRSDC. In addition to the change in stewardship, the services provided under CIIP were extended to a broader group of immigrants, including both the federal skilled worker and provincial nominee categories and their working-age dependants. In January 2011, the service locations expanded with the opening of a new office in the United Kingdom (London) bringing the total number of established CIIP offices to four, including offices in China, India and the Philippines.

The EAP committed to support the strengthening of FCR information by developing a website to share best practices. This website, called the International Qualifications Network⁷⁶ (IQN), enables registered members across Canada to share information about their own FCR initiatives and forge new partnerships to facilitate best practices regarding FCR. Over 2010–2011, CIC continued its development of the IQN content and engagement of stakeholders, contributing to its ongoing efforts to collaborate with partners and stakeholders on FCR, although significant demands on CIC resources delayed its implementation.

SECTION III: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Financial Highlights

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited)
As at March 31, 2011 ($ thousands)

	% Change	2010-11	2009-10
Assets
Financial assets	6%	347,113	328,524
Non-financial assets	-5%	181 017	190,624
Total	2%	528,130	519,148
Liabilities	4%	771,376	744,602
Equity of Canada	-8%	(243,246)	(225,454)
Total	2%	528,130	519,148

The due from the Consolidated Revenue fund comprise 53 percent ($278 million) and the tangible capital assets comprise 32 percent ($169 million) of total departmental assets ($528 million).

Deferred revenues comprise about 52 percent ($398 million) of total liabilities ($771 million).

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited)
For the year ended March 31, 2011 ($ millions)

	% Change	2010-11	2009-10
Total expenses	4%	1,866,243	1,796,058
Total revenues	0%	465,204	465,841
Net cost of operations	5%	1,401,039	1,330,217

Total departmental expenses have increased by $70 million or 4 percent from $1.8 billion in 2009–2010 to $1.9 billion in the current year. CIC has an important international presence for the delivery of immigration services to immigrants, visitors and refugees through the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In 2010–2011, the estimated amount for these services abroad was $173 million.

Financial Highlights Charts

Across Canada, CIC also has a strong regional presence responsible for the delivery of programs and services related to citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism. The pie charts below presents CIC’s expenses and revenues by program activity.

 
Total expenses were $1.9 billion. Transfer payments comprise the majority of expenses (50 percent or $948 million), followed by employee costs, which include salaries and benefits (32 percent or $602 million).

Display Text Version

 
The total revenues were $465 million from services under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Citizenship Act.

Display Text Version

Financial Statements

The financial highlights presented in this Departmental Performance Report offer a general overview of CIC’s financial position and operations. CIC’s unaudited financial statements are prepared in accordance with accrual accounting principles and, therefore, are different from the information published in the Public Accounts of Canada, which are prepared on appropriation-based reporting. The detailed unaudited financial statements for the Department can be found on CIC’s website at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/programs.asp.

List of Supplementary Information Tables

All electronic supplementary information tables found in the 2010–2011 Departmental Performance Report can be found on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s website at www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dpr-rmr/2010-2011/index-eng.asp.

• Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue
• User Fees Reporting
• Status Report on Major Crown/Transformational Projects
• Details on Transfer Payment Programs
• Up-Front Multi-Year Funding
• Green Procurement
• Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
• Internal Audits and Evaluations

SECTION IV: OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

Organizational Contact Information

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

Other Items of Interest

Metropolis

CIC continued to support the work of Metropolis,⁷⁷ an international network for comparative research and public policy development on migration, diversity and immigrant integration in cities in Canada and around the world. The Metropolis Project organized successful, large-scale national and international conferences and delivered highly focused, policy-relevant seminars and learning events that brought together policy makers, academics and non-governmental sector participants. These efforts expanded CIC’s understanding of issues related to migration and diversity.

Research Activities

CIC’s research activities provide senior management with the necessary evidence-based analysis to support policy and program development. In addition to building an immigration levels forecasting model and related tools, maintaining the longitudinal immigrant tax-filer database (IMDB) and the Immigration-Contribution Accountability Measurement System (called iCAMS), and supporting ad hoc data requests, the Department also undertook research projects on labour market responsiveness and economic indicators, social integration, sponsorship, language acquisition, and literacy. Multiculturalism research focused on visible and religious minorities, religious diversity, population projections for 2031, and analysis of trends in public opinion. Data development work is centred on the redesign of the IMDB, augmentation of the data portal and the development of new data sets to support program monitoring. Further, various knowledge transfer activities were undertaken, based on in-house and external research, to support evidence-based policy development and capacity development.

Gender-based Analysis

CIC continued to implement gender-based analysis (GBA) throughout the Department. A new departmental GBA policy was developed, which was informed by the review of CIC’s strategic framework for GBA (2005–2010). GBA was incorporated in files from policy development to evaluation, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, settlement programming, the refugee reform process and the evaluation of the Government-assisted Refugee and Resettlement Assistance programs. Gender, as it relates to migration and diversity, was also a theme of the Metropolis Project’s work, including working papers, research reports, conferences and seminars. For more information on the Department’s GBA activities, please refer to the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration.⁷⁸

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1 For information on CIC’s programs, please consult www.cic.gc.ca.

2 All federal legislation can be accessed on the Department of Justice website at laws.justice.gc.ca.

3 For information on CBSA, please consult www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

4 Ministerial Instructions authorities introduced through legislative changes in 2008 enable the Minister to better manage application intake and stop backlog growth by prioritizing the processing of certain categories of applications in line with the government’s objectives for immigration. For information on the Ministerial Instructions, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2010/ob218.asp.

5 For the Service Delivery chapter of the Auditor General’s report, please consult www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_oag_201010_03_e_34286.html. For the Report of the Standing Committee, please consult www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5070394&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3.

6 For information on International Experience Canada, please consult www.international.gc.ca/canada-europa/france/jeunesse-youth/programme_mobilite-mobility_program-en.asp.

7 For more information on VACs, please consult www.vfs-ca-id.com.

8 For the strategy, please consult www.ec.gc.ca/dd-sd/default.asp?lang=En&n=F93CD795-1.

9 For information on the action plan, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2008/2008-11-28.asp.

10 For information on the 2008 Ministerial Instructions, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2008/2008-11-28a.asp.

11 For information on the 2010 Ministerial Instructions, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2010/2010-06-26.asp.

12 The Five Country Conference partners are: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

13 For information on economic outcomes for newcomers, please consult www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2008319-eng.pdf.

14 For information on the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/reform.asp.

15 Numbers presented in this report are up to date and may differ from numbers previously published by CIC.

16 For spending areas in Canada’s whole-of-government framework, please consult www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ppg-cpr/frame-cadre-eng.aspx.

17 For spending areas in Canada’s whole-of-government framework, please consult www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ppg-cpr/frame-cadre-eng.aspx.

18 For spending areas in Canada’s whole-of-government framework, please consult www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ppg-cpr/frame-cadre-eng.aspx.

19 For information on the Canada–Québec Accord, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/agreements/quebec/can-que.asp.

20 For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, please consult www.actionplan.gc.ca.

21 An electronic version of the Public Accounts is available on the Public Works and Government Services Canada website. For the Public Accounts of Canada 2010–2011, please consult www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/txt/72-eng.html.

22 For information on CBSA, please consult www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.

23 For information on the RCMP, please consult www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

24 For information on CSIS, please consult www.csis-scrs.gc.ca.

25 For information on the federal Department of Justice, please consult www.justice.gc.ca.

26 For information on Health Canada, please consult www.hc-sc.gc.ca.

27 For information on PHAC, please consult www.phac-aspc.gc.ca.

28 For more information, please consult Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Facts and Figures 2009, at www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/menu-fact.asp.

29 For more information on Program Activity 1, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/paa/activity-01.asp.

30 Immigrants who have been in Canada for five years or less.

31 Immigrants who have been in Canada for five to 10 years.

32 For more information on the action plan, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2008/2008-11-28.asp.

33 For more information on theconsultations, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/consultations/marriagefraud/index.asp.

34 A notice requesting comments on a proposal to introduce a conditional permanent residence period of two years or more for sponsored spouses and partners in a relationship of two years or less with their sponsors was published in Canada Gazette, Part I, on March 26, 2011. For more information, please consult www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-03-26/html/notice-avis-eng.html#d114.

35 For more information on the 2008 Ministerial Instructions, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2008/2008-11-28a.asp.

36 For more information on the 2010 Ministerial Instructions, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2010/2010-06-26.asp.

37 For more information on Program Activity 2, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/paa/activity-02.asp.

38 For more information on HRSDC, please consult www.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca.

39 For information on ACCC, please consult www.accc.ca.

40 Further information about the Temporary Resident Biometrics Project is available in the section on major Crown projects (please see Section III of this report)

41 For information about the UNHCR, please consult www.unhcr.org.

42 For the UNHCR Global Trends 2010 report, please consult www.unhcr.org/4dfa11499.html.

43 For information about internally displaced people, please consult www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c146.html.

44 For information on the RCM, please consult www.rcmvs.org.

45 Mainly with Mexico but to a lesser extent with Costa Rica and other RCM countries, and also with Chile and Brazil.

46 For information on the declaration, please consult www.borderactionplan-plandactionfrontalier.gc.ca/psec-scep/declaration-declaration.aspx?lang=eng.

47 For information on the Global Forum on Migration and Development, please consult www.gfmd.org.

48 For information on the New Zealand memorandum of understanding, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/English/department/media/releases/2011/2011-03-24b.asp.

49 For information on the data sharing protocol, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/atip/pia-fcc.asp.

50 For more information on Program Activity 4, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/paa/activity-04.asp.

51 For information on the 1951 Convention, please consult www2.ohchr.org/english/law/refugees.htm.

52 For information on the 1967 Protocol, please consult www2.ohchr.org/english/law/protocolrefugees.htm.

53 For information about the Convention against Torture, please consult www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat.htm.

54 For information on the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/reform.asp.

55 For more information on Program Activity 5, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/paa/activity-05.asp.

56 For information on the Labour Force Survey, please consult www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3701&lang=en&db=imdb&adm=8&dis=2.

57 For information on the Canada–B.C. agreement, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/agreements/bc/index-bc.asp.

58 For information on COIA, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/agreements/ontario/can-ont-index.asp.

59 For information on the Canada–Québec Accord, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/agreements/quebec/can-que.asp.

60 For the Welcome to Canada booklet, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/welcome/index.asp.

61 For the strategic plan, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/settlement/plan-minorities.asp.

62 For information on the framework, please consult www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/publications/fcr/pcf.shtml.

63 For more information on Program Activity 6, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/paa/activity-06.asp.

64 The total number of proof applications processed (which includes those that are approved, refused or closed for other reasons) could not be provided due to system limitations.

65 For information on the task force, please consult holocausttaskforce.org/about-the-itf.html.

66 For information on the centre, please consult www.pluralism.ca.

67 For information on the foundation, please consult www.crrf-fcrr.ca.

68 For published annual reports, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/multi-report2010/index.asp.

69 For information on the Canadian coalition, please consult www.cpcca.ca.

70 For information on the Ottawa Protocol, please consult www.antisem.org/archive/ottawa-protocol-on-combating-antisemitism.

71 To see the study guide, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover.

72 For information on Passport Canada, please consult www.ppt.gc.ca.

73 Formal approval for the CIC investment plan will be sought in fall 2011.

74 For information on the EAP, please consult www.actionplan.gc.ca.

75 The eight target occupations are: financial auditors and accountants, engineers, architects, medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and registered nurses.

76 For information on IQN, please consult www.credentials.gc.ca/partners/outreach/outreach.asp.

77 For information on Metropolis, please consult www.metropolis.net.

78 For information on gender-based analysis in 2010, please consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/annual-report2010/section5.asp.