Program delivery update: IL 3 - Designation of officers and delegation of authority
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
August 13, 2026
The Instrument of Designation and Delegation (IDD) has gone through an significant review and has been updated effective July 7, 2026. The updates include:
Key Themes and Proposed Changes
Renaming:
Extensive updates to align with organizational restructuring reflecting recent branch and sector reorganizations (2025–2026), including:
- Rebranding Migration Integrity Operations Branch: Risk and Integrity Authority Branch (RIAB)
- Renaming of:
- International Affairs and Crisis Response (IACR) → International Affairs (IA)
- Protection and Family Programs → Social Programs
- Permanent Economic Branch → Permanent Economic and Chief International Talent Office
- Reallocating decisions from the Migration Integrity Sector to Strategic Policy Planning and Risk
Expansion and Rebalancing of Delegations
- Transfer of appropriate delegations to either Risk and Integrity Authority Branch or Litigation and Case Management Branch
- Targeted delegation increases to improve efficiency and decision-making:
- Allowing Case Processing Officers (PM-03) to file appeals to the Refugee Appeal Division, improving capacity for Ministerial interventions
- Expanding authorities for International Platform Branch staff (including locally engaged staff) to align with domestic processing authorities
- Adding Locally Engaged Program Assistants and other frontline roles to support decision-making in medical and operational processes
- Inclusion of new operational roles for the Case Processing Agents in resettlement operations
- Creation of a new definition for the Client Support Centre to reflect expanded responsibilities at first point of contact
Streamlining and Standardization of Delegations
- Adding Information Sharing Officers to the Case Processing Officer definition to support cross-training and operational flexibility and removal of duplicative listings
- Eliminating separate listing of Information Sharing Officers where covered by definitions
- Standardization of delegation levels across regions and networks, including alignment between international and in-Canada authorities
- Replacing “Manager” with “Assistant Director” in Asylum Branch to ensure accurate reporting structures and titles
- Rationalization of titles to reflect lowest appropriate decision-making level to
- Reduce bottlenecks
- Enable faster processing of lower-complexity decisions
- Allow senior officers to focus on complex cases
- Expanded role for Client Support Centre agents to resolve low-risk issues at first contact (e.g., issuing biometric instructions, resending communications)
Program-Specific Adjustments
- Updates to reflect program ownership and accountabilities, including:
- Clarifying that Express Entry authorities reside with Permanent Economic / OPS rather than multiple branches
- Removing inappropriate delegations (e.g., for provisions not applicable to certain branches)
- Addition of Operational Planning and Support Branch (OPS) authorities for electronic processing, Permanent Residents cards, and Travel Documents