IRCC Deputy Minister Transition Binder 2022: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Landscape in Immigration

Current Issues and Opportunities for Engagement

July 2022

Table of Contents

• FPT Engagement Overview
• Overview of the Canada-Quebec Relationship
• Current FPT Landscape
• PT Priorities
• Opportunities for Engagement

FPT Engagement Overview

IRCC’s relationships with PT partners are well-established, with significant engagement occurring multilaterally and bilaterally.

Multilateral

Through the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration and associated senior tables and working groups

Bilateral

Immigration agreements provide program authorities and accountabilities & highlight shared interests

Regional

With the Atlantic Provinces on the Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Municipal

Chiefly through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Quebec

Immigration-related matters guided by the Canada-Quebec Accord

Overview of the Canada-Quebec Relationship

The Canada-Quebec bilateral relationship on immigration is defined by shared jurisdiction and guided by the principle that immigration should support the preservation of Quebec’s demographic importance in Canada and its distinct identity

• IRCC’s relationship with Quebec is defined by the 1991 Canada-Quebec Accord, signed following the failure of the Meech Lake Accord.
• Quebec has a sophisticated immigration system, which requires – and benefits from – the cooperation of both levels of government.
• This cooperation has been key to managing immigration to the province over the years, and in particular the strains associated with the influx of asylum seekers since 2017, which has most impacted Quebec.
• [Redacted]
• Quebec is focused on addressing labour market shortages through personalized integration services, lowering levels while increasing proportion of economic immigrants, seeking greater control of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, reforming the international student program and seeking additional control over Family Class selection.

Current FPT Landscape

• Since March 2022, the majority of FPT engagement has been related to Canada’s immigration response to the crisis in Ukraine.
• Prior to that, the focus was on other unanticipated FPT priorities including Afghan resettlement efforts and pandemic response.
• This progression through unique circumstances has at times resulted in a challenging FPT environment.
• [Redacted]
• PTs view immigration as key to meeting labour market needs but need to balance those needs with pressure on provincial services and housing.
• While PT priorities vary by jurisdiction, they share a mutual interest in key areas such as economic immigration and improving processing times.

PT Priorities

Opportunities for Engagement

• Upcoming in-person FMRI meeting (July 27-28, 2022) represents an opportunity to discuss a range of shared immigration priorities.
• Ukraine has dominated recent conversation, but Ministers will discuss a variety of priority issues:
  • Settlement and Resettlement (with a focus on Afghanistan and Ukraine);
  • Multi-year Immigration Levels Planning;
  • Agility of Economic Immigration System (future oriented discussion); and
  • Regional Economic Immigration (including Municipal Nominee Program)
• In advance of the meeting, Minister may engage bilaterally with provinces and territories to identify issues and bilateral priorities which may be raised.
• An FPT Deputy Minister planning meeting will take place on July 6th which will also include an update on work related Temporary Resident eligibility for Settlement Services. ADMs will meet to finalize the FMRI communique in mid-July.

Annex A: Provincial/Territorial Political Landscape^{Footnote *}

Political Parties in power:

• Liberal Party
  Yukon
  Premier: Sandy Silver
  Next Election: 2025
  Imm. Min: Ranj Pillai

  Newfoundland and Labrador
  Premier: Andrew Furey
  Next election: 2025
  Imm. Min Gerry Byrne
• Progressive Conservative Party
  Manitoba
  Premier: Heather Stefanson
  Next election: 2025
  Imm. Min Jon Reyes

  Ontario
  Premier: Doug Ford
  Next election: 2026
  Imm.Min Monte McNaughton

  New Brunswick
  Premier: Blaine Higgs
  Next election:2024
  Imm.Min: Arlene Dunn
  Nova Scotia
  Premier: Tim Houston
  Next election:2025
  Imm. Min: Jill Balser

  Prince Edward Island
  Premier: Dennis King
  Next election: 2023
  Imm.Min: Matthew Mackay
• New Democratic Party
  British Columbia
  Premier: John Horgan
  Next election: Oct 2024
  Imm. Min: Nathan Cullen
• United Conservative Party
  Alberta
  Premier: Jason Kenney
  Next election: 2023
  Imm. Min: Kaycee Madu
• Saskatchewan Party
  Saskatchewan
  Premier: Scott Moe
  Next election: 2024
  Imm. Min: Jeremy Harrison
• Coalition Avenir Quebec
  Quebec
  Premier: Francois Legault
  Next election : Oct 2022
  Imm. Min: Jean Boulet
  Intergov. Min : Sonia Lebel
• Consensus Government
  Northwest Territories
  Premier : Caroline Cochrane
  Next election : 2023
  Imm. Min: RJ Simpson

  Nunavut
  Premier: PJ Akeeagok
  Next election: 2025
  Imm. Min: PJ Akeeagok

Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
Next election; Oct 2023
Imm. Min: Sean Fraser
Intergov. Min: Dominic LeBlanc

Note: Except for Quebec, the Intergovernmental Affairs Minister is the Premier of each province/territory
Note: Alberta’s Premier, Jason Kenney announced on May 8, 2022 that he would step down.