CIMM – Refugee Resettlement – March 23, 2026

Key Messages

• The Government of Canada is matching immigration levels with Canada's economic needs and capacity so that the system does better—for newcomers and everyone.
• While that means that we are resettling fewer refugees through this year’s Levels Plan, Canada will continue to uphold its longstanding tradition of offering protection to the displaced and persecuted by welcoming 29,300 refugees in 2026.
• We will continue to work with our partners, including sponsors across the country, to resettle refugees.

Resettlement Immigration Levels 2026–2028

• The 2026–2028 Levels Plan includes an overall reduction to admissions targets for resettled refugees (compared to the 2025–2027 Levels Plan), which reflects the broader downward trend of reduced overall targets and aligns with the objective of better matching immigration levels with Canada’s economic needs.

Resettlement Program Performance

• Canada’s Refugee Resettlement Program consistently meets its performance benchmarks. The program has two performance indicators: 1) number of resettled refugees admitted to Canada (where the target is the annual Levels Plan range), and 2) percentage of resettled refugees in the world that Canada resettles (where the target is ≥20%).

If pressed on program results:

• Canada expects to meet both of its performance benchmarks in 2026.
• While the total number of resettled refugee admissions to Canada in 2026 will decrease compared to 2025, Canada will retain its position in the top three resettlement countries globally.

Impacts of the Levels Plan on the Resettlement Program

• The current processing time for Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) applications is 18 months as of January 31, 2026, (including refugees arriving under the stream that blends government and private support).
• The processing time for Privately Sponsored Refugee applications is 38 months as of January 31, 2026.
• These processing times are historical and reflect averages for applications that have been processed in the past six months.
• Application intake in the GAR program is managed through Agreements with referral partners, so we do not expect the lower admissions targets to have a significant impact on processing times.
• As the number of existing applications in the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program remains much higher than the admissions targets, processing times are expected to increase. Measures are in place to limit intake to mitigate this challenge.

If pressed on processing times:

• Historically, the Refugee Resettlement Program has not had service standards for processing times, recognizing the complexity of refugee cases and variable conditions in refugees’ countries of residence.
• However, the Department agreed with a recommendation by the Office of the Auditor General to establish service standards in all lines of business, including in refugee resettlement. As such, the Department is working towards establishing a service standard for the Refugee Resettlement Program.

If pressed on commitments:

• With the targets set out in this Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is on track to meet most of its existing commitments, including the 2024–2026 multi-year resettlement commitments to resettle 12,000 persons each from Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific regions, and 4,000 persons from the Americas by 2028 through the GAR program.

If pressed on expanding any existing special initiatives or programs:

• This year’s Levels Plan supports a return to sustainable immigration levels and the Department is focused on implementing existing initiatives through our partnerships within the Levels Plan.

Intake Control for the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program

• Due to ongoing high demand for the PSR Program, applications from private sponsors exceed the spaces available under the Immigration Levels Plan, resulting in a large volume of applications and lengthy wait times.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped accepting new applications from Groups of Five and Community Sponsors under the PSR Program in November 2024 and will continue this pause until December 31, 2026.
• IRCC has also set a cap of 5,000 people for applications in 2026 from Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs).
• These measures continue IRCC’s efforts to address the large volume of applications in the PSR Program and to move to more predictable wait times for applicants and for sponsors.
• IRCC will continue to process applications to the PSR already received and to resettle sponsored refugees to Canada, in line with the targets established in the Immigration Levels Plan. For 2026, Canada is aiming to welcome 16,000 privately sponsored refugees.

Resettlement of Uyghurs and Other Turkic Muslims (Motion 62)

• The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang affecting Uyghurs and Turkic Muslims.
• The government has not publicly announced implementation details about this population due to safety and security risks to applicants, our program delivery partners, and Canadian staff.
• What we can share is that as of January 31, 2026, the Department has received applications for almost 860 Uyghurs, of which 215 people have arrived in Canada.

If pressed on perceived slow progress on the Motion:

• Due to the complex environment in which we are operating, we have undertaken this initiative according to a timeline that recognizes the sensitivities and risks involved. This approach gives us and our partners the flexibility to respond to the differing needs and circumstances of potential applicants.

If pressed on what risks the Uyghur population is facing:

• Our first priority is the safety of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims abroad. This is why we will not be providing any details concerning the work underway to provide protection for these individuals, as it could put them at further risk.

If pressed on whether the government will meet the 10,000 person commitment as outlined in the Motion:

• Despite the overall reduction to admissions targets for resettled refugees, the government is continuing to provide protection pathways for this group within the 2026–2028 Levels Plan.
• We are implementing this initiative according to a timeline that recognizes the sensitivities and risks involved.

Resettlement of Yazidis and Other Survivors of Daesh

• Under various initiatives from 2017 to 2020, the government welcomed more than 1,400 Yazidis and survivors of Daesh and their family members to Canada. Yazidi families in Canada are generally integrating well. However, many continue to struggle with being separated from members of their family.
• In December 2023, the government put another special initiative in place to reunite Yazidis and survivors of Daesh, who were already resettled to Canada, with family living in Iraq. These individuals, along with their family members, are being welcomed as GARs.
• This effort sought to further support their integration and settlement in Canada and help them to continue to recover from the trauma they have faced.
• Intake for this initiative is now closed as we have accepted 400 applications into processing.
• Processing continues, and as of January 31, 2026, approximately 690 people have arrived in Canada to be reunited with their families.

Human Rights Defenders

• Under the GAR program, IRCC has a stream to accept annual referrals for up to 500 people, including both the human rights defender refugees themselves and their families who are at risk due to their work.
• In 2025, approximately 345 individuals were admitted as GARs within the Human Rights Defenders special program.
• The government works closely with referral partners and experts on international protection, including in civil society, to identify and reach the defenders most in need of Canada’s protection.

LGBTQI+ Resettlement

• Canada has a proud history of providing protection to and helping resettle those most in need. That includes those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQI+) community.
• In 2026, Canada will continue to resettle people who are persecuted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics who have been referred to Canada by referral partners or identified by private sponsors.
• Under the GAR program, IRCC has a stream to accept annual referrals for up to 250 people, including both the LGBTQI+ refugees themselves and their families from Rainbow Railroad, in addition to referrals from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
• Since 2011 Canada has been working with the Rainbow Refugee Society to resettle LGBTQI+ refugees through the PSR Program. Under the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership, the Government of Canada provides the start-up expenses and three months of income support for up to 50 privately sponsored refugees each year, while the remaining income and settlement support is provided by the sponsoring group.
  • Recently, IRCC extended this partnership for another five years until December 31, 2029. This partnership allows for the sponsorship of 50 LGBTQI+ refugees each year.

Pakistan: Processing Times for Privately Sponsored Refugees

• The Government of Canada remains concerned about the situation of Afghan refugees.
• We continue efforts to bring resettlement and humanitarian clients to Canada in as timely a manner as possible, in line with spaces in the Immigration Levels Plan.

If pressed on why private sponsorship processing times for Pakistan were reported as 18 months in February and as 37 months in March 2026:

• IRCC provides information on processing times on its departmental website so that sponsors and clients can plan and make informed decisions.
• Processing times represent a snapshot of the average processing time for applications over the previous six month period.
• Processing times on the departmental website are updated monthly and can change for many reasons:
  • In the case of PSR applications, the time it takes to review sponsorship decisions tends to fluctuate as they may be processed in batches at particular points in the year.
  • When older applications are processed, this will result in longer processing times.
  • The volume of applications may change—if the total number of cases included in the calculation is small, it would shift the reported processing time.

If pressed about the current security situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan:

• Canada is monitoring the situation developing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• The Canadian High Commission in Islamabad remains open and continues to provide services.

If pressed on if applications are being processed outside of first-in / first-out sequence:

• The Resettlement Program resettles Afghans, including with Sponsorship Agreement Holders under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.
• There are circumstances where vulnerable clients are priority processed; we do not share case-specific information.

Rohingya Refugees

• Since the Myanmar military’s crackdown on Rohingya people in 2017, Canada has been supporting the resettlement of Rohingya refugees. Canada resettled over 1,200 Rohingya refugees in 2024, and approximately 1,800 in 2025.

If pressed on the government’s ongoing commitment to resettle Rohingya refugees:

• Canada recognizes the ongoing vulnerability of this population and will continue resettling Rohingya refugees in 2026.

In-Canada Supports for Refugees

• To support GARs and other eligible clients, IRCC funds immediate and essential services under the Resettlement Assistance Program. These services include supports such as temporary accommodation, assistance finding permanent accommodation, and providing basic orientation to Canada. GARs also receive income support, which includes a one-time start-up payment to help clients set up a new home, as well as monthly income support generally for one year for shelter and other basic needs.
• In the PSR Program, resettled refugees receive financial and integration supports from their sponsors in Canada, typically for one year after arrival.
• As permanent residents, all resettled refugees are also eligible to receive longer-term settlement services through IRCC’s Settlement Program.

Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

• Beyond refugee resettlement, Canada offers a labour mobility pathway which supports skilled refugees and other qualified displaced persons to arrive in Canada to fill labour market needs.
• The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) allows employers in Canada to fill vacancies in a wide range of sectors, including health care, construction, food service, and manufacturing.
• Since 2019, over 1,200 refugees and displaced persons have been admitted to Canada under the EMPP.

If pressed on the future of the program:

• Canada is dedicated to attracting skilled refugees and displaced persons from around the world to fill skills shortages and drive economic growth.
• The EMPP was developed as a time limited pilot and the recent increase in intake is a positive indication of its success and demonstrates the growing interest from applicants, employers and stakeholders.
  • While new applications are not currently being accepted, Canada continues to process existing applications in line with available levels space while we engage partners on next steps.