Federal-Provincial-Territorial Relations

March 2025

Purpose

This briefing is intended to:

• Provide information about the federal-provincial-territorial partnership and current strategic issues.
• Highlight opportunities to work with provincial and territorial counterparts.

Background: Federal-Provincial-Territorial Relations

• Immigration is a shared jurisdiction under Section 95 of the Constitution Act, 1867. Both the federal and provincial governments can legislate on immigration matters, with federal paramountcy.
• The federal government engages provinces and territories on an ongoing basis multilaterally through the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI). You chair this body with a provincial counterpart (currently Saskatchewan).

Background: Bilateral Immigration Agreements

• Bilateral engagement with provinces and territories is guided by legally-binding bilateral agreements that outline broad immigration objectives and roles and responsibilities between both orders of government.
• All provinces and territories, except for Quebec and Nunavut, have Canada-Provincial/Territorial Immigration Agreements in place (immigration in Quebec is governed by the Canada-Quebec Accord) (See Annex A).
• Most importantly, bilateral immigration agreements provide authority to provinces and territories to operate what are known as provincial and territorial nominee programs, which jurisdictions use to select permanent immigrants to fill key labour market needs.
• These agreements also include program-specific annexes that set out key federal and provincial objectives in certain domains (e.g., foreign workers, international students, francophone immigration).

FPT Relations – Departmental Priorities & Engagement

• The Department has had active engagement with provinces and territories over the past few years as adjustments were made to federal immigration policies and programs.
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• Immigration levels (including spaces allocated to provincial and territorial nominee programs)
• Regional immigration programming
• Asylum claimants, international crises, and the border
• Francophone immigration

Key Issue – Immigration Levels

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• Provinces and territories objected to the reduction in the number of spaces available under Provincial and Territorial Nominee Programs, which they use to meet regional labour needs.
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  • Additional provincial or territorial nominee spaces were offered to jurisdictions willing to accept asylum claimants from Ontario and Quebec; conversations with key provinces are ongoing.
  • Additional immigration flexibilities (open work permits) have been offered to provinces who have immigrants they would like to nominate in future years under their provincial or territorial nominee program.
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Key Issue – Regional Immigration Programing

• A shared priority for all orders of government is to grow immigration outside of major urban centres.
• There are federal regional permanent resident programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP).
• Some provinces and territories are concerned with what they perceive as duplication between federal and provincial/territorial economic programs creating competition in attracting immigrants to smaller regions.
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• The Department is moving forward with changes that would remove duplication between federal and provincial/territorial roles and create efficiencies in processing applications under provincial and territorial nominee programs – this responds to a provincial and territorial request and will be well-received.

Key Issue – Asylum, International Crises, and the Border

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• Canada’s international commitments and humanitarian responses to various crises (e.g. Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan) have resulted in a significant number of arrivals. [Redacted]
• Provinces and territories are seeking increased federal investment to support vulnerable populations, including housing for asylum claimant [Redacted]
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Key Issue – Francophone Immigration

• IRCC has increased Francophone Immigration targets under the Immigration Levels Plan Redacted
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Key Takeaways

• Engagement with provincial and territorial governments is frequent, at multiple levels and is key to the effective delivery of the Department’s mandate and priorities.
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• Public opinion in Canada on immigration has historically been positive. However, this support is being challenged [Redacted]

Annex A – Immigration Agreements as of March 2025

Annex A – BIA Statuses as of March 2025