VICTORIA – Premier Christy Clark announced today the creation of the B.C. Immigration Task Force to review key government programs in order to increase the number of skilled immigrants and investors in British Columbia.

“We’ve laid out an ambitious plan to create jobs in the BC Jobs Plan and we will need skilled immigrants to help fill more than one million job openings expected over the next decade,” said Premier Christy Clark. “The goal of this task force is to assess all of the immigration programs currently available to B.C., address their effectiveness and recommend ways to improve the current system so that British Columbia can successfully attract more skilled workers every year.”

The task force will be chaired by Richmond-Steveston MLA John Yap and will be made up of business and community leaders. The task force will examine the current system of economic immigration to Canada and B.C., including a review of: the Provincial Nominee Program, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Immigrant Investor Program. The task force will assess the outcomes and results of all the programs and explore opportunities through the New West Partnership to increase the federal government’s responsiveness to immigration needs in Western Canada.

Task force members will engage with employers, industry and sector associations, settlement service providers, community associations and other relevant groups.

“The immigration task force is the first step in realizing our goal of a more efficient and effective immigration system,” said Yap. “We know that people from all over the world with diverse skill sets and talents want to come to our province, and we want to do everything we can to bring them here so they can make British Columbia their new home.”

Work will start immediately and a final report to be made public will be submitted to the Premier by March 31, 2012.

Learn More:

Visit the BC Jobs Plan website: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

The Minister is meeting with stakeholders and the public to discuss the important issue of immigration levels and mix. Following the Calgary session today, the Minister will meet with stakeholders in Vancouver on July 18, Toronto on July 20 and Montreal on July 22. Online consultations will take place later this summer and will be open to the public.

The purpose of the consultations is to seek feedback on immigration levels, including the appropriate level of immigration for Canada, and the most suitable mix between economic, family class and protected persons. Discussions on system management to provide improved services, such as reasonable processing times, and addressing issues such as fraud, will also be included.

In planning for the total number of people to admit as permanent residents, CIC not only balances immigration objectives but also considers several other factors, including broader government commitments, input from provinces and territories, and current and future economic conditions. The Department must also consider its operational ability to process applications in a timely manner, as well as the capacity of communities to welcome newcomers.

In addition to presenting an opportunity to gather input from stakeholders and the public on key questions facing CIC, the consultations also allow the Department to share with stakeholders and the public some of the considerations and difficult choices involved in managing a global immigration system.

The consultations present an important opportunity to generate greater understanding of the trade-offs involved in setting immigration levels. There are competing visions and diverging goals for the future of the immigration program, and there is no single right answer on what the focus should be. Engaging stakeholders and the broader public in that conversation is a key part of developing a plan that will work for Canada going forward.

Invited stakeholders represent a variety of perspectives, including those of employers, labour, academia, learning institutions, professional organizations, business organizations, regulatory bodies, municipalities, settlement provider organizations and ethnocultural organizations.

A report on the consultations will be available on the CIC website once stakeholder and public consultations have been completed.

More information about the online consultations will be available on the CIC website in the coming weeks. Interested participants may sign up online at www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/consultations/index.asp.

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Candice Malcolm
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounders

• Stakeholder Consultations on Immigration Levels and Mix

Toronto, March 18, 2011 — In order to improve the integrity of the immigration system, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today announced that a new regulatory body is being proposed to oversee immigration consultants.

“The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council – or ICCRC – has committed to enhancing the protection of the Canadian public and those who use the services of immigration consultants,” said Minister Kenney. “I am confident that, with the ICCRC’s strong regulation of immigration consultants, people using our immigration processes will be offered quality consultation, representation and advice.”

A notice has been published on the website of the Canada Gazette, Part I, proposing to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations so that the ICCRC becomes the regulator of immigration consultants. The official Gazette publication will be available on March 19, 2011.

The proposed amendments are open for public comment for a 30-day period. The current intention is that the final regulations would be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, and would come into effect.

This proposed regulatory amendment is the culmination of a process that began in June 2010 when Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced its intention to launch a transparent public selection process to identify a body that could be recognized as the regulator of immigration consultants.

Immigration consultants are currently regulated by the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC). Reports by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in 2008 and 2009 pointed to governance issues and a lack of public confidence in CSIC. Based on the Standing Committee’s reports, CIC decided to launch this public process.

“I anticipate that the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council will not only help ensure public confidence in the integrity of the immigration program, but also that immigration consultants provide their services in a professional and ethical manner,” added Minister Kenney.

A selection committee was established to examine all submissions received following a public process requesting submissions from parties interested in being the regulator of immigration consultants. The committee reported its conclusions to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Based on these conclusions, the ICCRC is being proposed as the regulator best placed to govern immigration consultants.

In its submission, the ICCRC committed to a variety of activities to foster a culture of transparency and openness and to protect the Canadian public and those using the services of an immigration consultant, while building a strong relationship with its members. It has also proposed innovative strategies to ensure accountability and transparency to its membership, including a hotline for members of Parliament for complaints and questions and a public awareness campaign.

Transitional measures would be put in place to ensure continuity of service for both existing members in good standing of CSIC and their clients during the transition to the ICCRC. This process could take a few months to complete and it is anticipated that the ICCRC could become the regulatory body this summer.

This process is part of a broader strategy to protect from immigration fraud people wanting to immigrate to or stay in Canada. Included in this strategy is Bill C-35, which aims to crack down on crooked consultants. As well, a multilingual domestic advertising campaign warning prospective immigrants, permanent residents and Canadian citizens not to be taken in by crooked immigration consultants was launched in February and an overseas advertising campaign, with the support of Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States—members of the Five Country Conference—was launched earlier this week. They can be viewed on YouTube.

Minister Kenney raised the issue of immigration consultant fraud in meetings with officials in China, India and the Philippines last fall and more recently in Pakistan. He has urged those governments to protect their citizens from exploitation and abuse by crooked immigration consultants.

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounder

• Proposing a regulatory body to govern immigration consultants
• Transitioning to a proposed new regulator for immigration consultants
• Frequently asked questions

Ottawa, February 17, 2011 — Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is proposing changes to the Federal Skilled Worker Program to help Canada select immigrants who have the best chance of integrating and making a better contribution to the Canadian economy. CIC will be consulting with stakeholders and the public on the proposed changes beginning today.

The consultations follow the release of an evaluation of the program, which found that skilled workers are faring far better in Canada than their predecessors, thanks to their stronger language skills and arranged employment. The evaluation does show, however, that there is room for improvement.

“To stay competitive globally, we have to make sure the skilled immigrants we choose are the ones that we need, and the most likely to succeed when they get here,” said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “Research points to some key changes that will help us meet those goals.”

The input received through the consultations process will be taken into account in the development of new regulations. The proposed changes could place more emphasis on youth and language ability, and are expected to increase the number of skilled tradespeople.

CIC will consult on:

• requiring federal skilled workers to have a minimum level of language proficiency;
• making the program more accessible to skilled tradespeople, technicians and apprentices;
• placing greater emphasis on younger immigrants who will adapt more easily and be active members of the work force for a longer time frame;
• redirecting points from work experience to other factors that better contribute to success in the Canadian work force; and
• reducing the potential for fraudulent job offers.

The current Federal Skilled Worker Program was introduced in June 2002 with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The program is based on an objective and transparent points system, which considers factors such as language skills, age and education in the selection of immigrants. The system aims to be more effective at selecting those who will succeed economically.

In-person consultation sessions will take place with key stakeholders in five cities across the country beginning February 17. These sessions are not open to the general public or the media. Other organizations or interested individuals who wish to provide input can submit their feedback online at www.cic.gc.ca until March 17.

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A summary of the results of this process will be published on our website in spring/summer 2011.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounder

• A Tale of Two Skilled Workers: Impact of Proposed Immigration Changes
• Proposed Changes to the Federal Skilled Worker Program

Legislation Would Give Employees Time Off to Become Citizens

National online consultation launched to gather views on impact of marriage fraud

Ottawa, September 27, 2010 — Canadians are invited to participate in an online consultation on the issue of marriage fraud, also known as “marriages of convenience,” Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

The national consultation questionnaire, available on this website: cic.sondages-surveys.ca/s/marriage-fraud/langen/, will gather input on the magnitude of the problem as well as opinions and ideas on how best to address it. The questionnaire is part of consultations launched by Minister Kenney at a Town Hall meeting held in Brampton, Ontario, on September 1.

“In Brampton, I heard heartbreaking stories from people duped into marriage by fraudsters simply looking for a ticket to immigrate to Canada,” said Minister Kenney. “It took a lot of courage for these people to speak out—and in doing so they have helped bring attention to this sensitive issue, which undermines the integrity of our immigration system.”

A backgrounder is provided to inform participants of initiatives taken by Canada and other countries to address this issue. The questionnaire will be available on the CIC website until October 27, 2010.

Responses to the online consultation, along with messages collected from the Town Hall meeting in Brampton and other meetings to be held this fall, as well as research data on the issue, will help inform future actions taken by the Department to address marriage fraud.

Minister Kenney raised immigration fraud issues during his recent visit to China, India and the Philippines. There, he discussed opportunities to collaborate to combat fraud, including attempts to use marriages of convenience to circumvent Canada’s immigration laws.

“While we may never be able to completely eliminate marriage fraud, we can and must do more to pursue those who engage in this kind of exploitation, while better protecting the victims,” added Minister Kenney.

The survey is voluntary. It is not designed as a tool to enforce Canadian law or to deal with individual cases, but rather to inform the public policy process. Individuals who believe they are victims of marriage fraud should also contact the police or appropriate authority. Please visit our How to report fraud page for more information about appropriate authorities.

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Celyeste Power
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounder

• Marriage Fraud—Have Your Say

Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Statutory authority

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Sponsoring department

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issue and objectives

Foreign nationals who wish to live in Canada as permanent residents must normally apply for and obtain a permanent resident visa before they arrive in Canada. Alternatively, they may apply for permanent residence from within Canada if they meet the eligibility requirements of an in-Canada immigration class. Despite the foregoing, foreign nationals in Canada or abroad who do not meet the eligibility requirements to apply within an immigration class may be granted permanent resident status or an exemption from any criteria or obligations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), if justified on humanitarian and compassionate or on public policy grounds, as is stipulated in section 25 of the IRPA.

Section 25 of the IRPA is a discretionary provision that gives the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration the authority to grant permanent resident status or an exemption from any applicable requirement of the IRPA or its Regulations, if it is justified by humanitarian and compassionate or public policy considerations. The purpose of section 25 of the IRPA is to provide the Minister with the flexibility to approve cases in exceptional circumstances. It is a discretionary tool designed to enhance the attainment of the objectives of the IRPA and to uphold Canada’s humanitarian tradition; it is not intended to be an alternative stream for immigration to Canada or an appeal mechanism.

Section 25 provides the legal basis for both the humanitarian and compassionate provision and public policies. Although both humanitarian and compassionate and public policies may be used to grant permanent resident status or an exemption from any criteria or obligations of the IRPA, these provisions differ in the following ways:

• A humanitarian and compassionate provision is a discretionary provision taken on a case-by-case basis by the Minister or Minister’s delegate. Humanitarian and compassionate decisions have no eligibility criteria per se, though there are guidelines for decision-makers to follow. The humanitarian and compassionate process is triggered either by the foreign national making an application, or by the Minister (on the Minister’s own initiative).
• A public policy, unlike the humanitarian and compassionate provision, is designed to facilitate processing of a number of individuals in similar circumstances, all of whom must meet specific eligibility criteria. Only those applicants who meet those criteria may be granted permanent residence under the public policy. Public policies are established by the Minister.

An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Federal Courts Act, also known as the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, which recently received Royal Assent, contains several amendments to the humanitarian and compassionate provision, including the separation of section 25 into three sections. Section 25, as it previously read, was a complex provision which either compelled or allowed the Minister to consider requests for humanitarian and compassionate consideration, discussed both humanitarian and compassionate and public policy considerations, and involved applicants inside or outside Canada.

For purposes of clarity, the current aspects of section 25 have been separated into three distinct sections. As a result, section 25 concerns requests for humanitarian and compassionate consideration from foreign nationals in Canada, section 25.1 concerns humanitarian and compassionate grounds considered on the Minister’s own initiative, and section 25.2 concerns public policy considerations. The legal and technical refinements to section 25 improve the clarity of the humanitarian and compassionate provisions, and assist in more consistent application and interpretation of the Act and associated regulations.

In light of the changes to section 25, the regulations related to humanitarian and compassionate considerations that currently exist should be amended to include reference to the new sections. Thus, the changes to the humanitarian and compassionate provisions that require regulatory amendments may be characterized as technical in nature. The objective of proposing corresponding amendments to the Regulations is to maintain the status quo by ensuring that applicants who are granted positive humanitarian and compassionate consideration on the Minister’s initiative (25.1) or positive consideration on public policy grounds (25.2) would continue to benefit from the Regulations.

Description and rationale

The following amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) are proposed:

1. Insert reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the Act in sections 67 and 68 of the Regulations (regarding permanent resident visas)

Sections 67 and 68 of the IRPR relate to the issuance of permanent resident visas to foreign nationals granted exemptions from eligibility requirements under subsection 25(1) of the IRPA who have applied for humanitarian and compassionate consideration outside Canada (section 67) or in Canada (section 68). Currently, the above-noted Regulations only make reference to exemptions granted under subsection 25(1) of the IRPA. In order to maintain the status quo, amendments to sections 67 and 68 of the IRPR, by adding a reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the IRPA, would be necessary. This would ensure that foreign nationals and accompanying family members who may be granted an exemption on the Minister’s initiative (section 25.1) or on public policy grounds (section 25.2) would continue to be eligible for the possible issuance of permanent resident visas under sections 67 and 68 of the Regulations.

2. Insert reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the Act in paragraph 207(d) of the Regulations (regarding work permits)

Paragraph 207(d) of the IRPR addresses the issuance of work permits to foreign nationals in Canada who have been granted an exemption under subsection 25(1) of the IRPA. In order to maintain the status quo, it is proposed that reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 be included in paragraph 207(d) of the IRPR. Such an amendment would ensure that foreign nationals who have been granted an exemption on the Minister’s initiative (section 25.1) or on public policy grounds (section 25.2) would continue to be eligible for the possible issuance of a work permit under paragraph 207(d) of the IRPR.

3. Insert reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the Act in section 233 of the Regulations (regarding stays of removal)

Section 233 of the IRPR refers to stays of removal granted further to subsection 25(1) of the IRPA. In order to maintain the status quo, section 233 of the Regulations would require an amendment to include references to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the IRPA. This would ensure that removal orders against foreign nationals and any of their family members may continue to be stayed if the Minister is of the opinion that there exist humanitarian and compassionate or public policy considerations under section 25.1 (on the Minister’s initiative) or under section 25.2 (public policy considerations).

4. Insert reference to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the Act in paragraph 298(2)(b) of the Regulations (regarding exceptions to the payment of fees for temporary resident permits)

Paragraph 298(2)(b) of the IRPR refers to exceptions to the payment of fees for temporary resident permits for persons with pending applications further to subsection 25(1) of the IRPA. In order to maintain the status quo, paragraph 298(2)(b) of the Regulations would require an amendment to include references to sections 25.1 and 25.2 of the IRPA. This would ensure that foreign nationals with a pending decision under section 25.1 (on the Minister’s initiative) or under section 25.2 (public policy considerations) would continue to be exempt from the payment of fees for temporary resident permits.

Consultation

Provincial and territorial members of the Department’s Immigration Planning Table were advised in May 2010 of these proposed regulatory amendments and were invited to submit any comments or concerns. To date, no feedback has been received.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

The proposed amendments entail minimal implementation requirements. Guidelines in policy manuals would be updated to inform immigration officers of the new Regulations. Such measures, including training of current staff, would be funded out of resources already allocated.

Contact

Brenna MacNeil
Director
Social Policy and Programs
Immigration Branch
Department of Citizenship and Immigration
365 Laurier Avenue W
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Telephone: 613-941-9022
Fax: 613-941-9014
Email: Brenna.MacNeil@cic.gc.ca

Government of Canada will welcome more economic immigrants in 2010

Toronto, June 26, 2010 — Canada is adjusting its 2010 immigration plan to put even greater emphasis on economic recovery and further reduce the federal skilled worker backlog, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney told a news conference today.

“When I met with my provincial colleagues last week, they all stressed the importance of economic immigration,” Minister Kenney said. “As we recover from the recession, increasing economic immigration will help ensure employers have the workers they need to supplement our domestic labour supply.”

Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sets out a plan for the number of immigrants it intends to welcome within economic, family and humanitarian immigration categories. The planned range for 2010 is 240,000 – 265,000 immigrants. CIC generally achieves the midpoint of this range. In 2010, CIC anticipates achieving the upper end of this range, allowing Canada to welcome more immigrants in the economic category than originally planned. This includes federal skilled workers and record-level numbers of provincial nominees, without reducing the number in the family or humanitarian immigration categories.

Minister Kenney noted that some of his provincial colleagues expect the need will grow further in the years ahead. “This is something we will need to take into consideration when we consult more broadly on plans for future years,” he said.

Even with higher numbers of economic immigrants, Canada still receives many more applications than can be processed in a timely way. As a result, the department is limiting the number of new applications it will consider in the federal skilled worker category every year.

“Canada will continue to welcome historically high numbers of immigrants, but we need to manage the number of new applications or risk creating new backlogs and longer processing times,” Minister Kenney said. “We have more than enough applications on hand now to fill many of our needs, and we want to be fair to those people who have been waiting the longest.”

Effective immediately, to be eligible to apply as a federal skilled worker, applicants must either have a job offer, or they must have experience in one of 29 in-demand occupations. These occupations were identified through analysis of updated labour market information and consultations with provinces, territories, stakeholders and the public.

For those applying under the occupation list, the government will limit the number of applications considered for processing to 20,000 per year as a way to better manage the supply of applications with labour market demand. Within the 20,000 limit, a maximum of 1,000 applications per occupation will be considered. The limit does not apply to applicants with a job offer.

In addition, all federal skilled worker and Canadian Experience Class applicants must submit the results of an independent language test before they will be considered.

Other than the language test result requirement, these changes apply only to the federal skilled worker immigration category. The authority for the changes, known as ministerial instructions, comes from amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act approved by Parliament in 2008 as part of the Action Plan for Faster Immigration.

The instructions are meant as a flexible tool to allow the government to keep the intake of applications for economic immigration in line with the number and types of jobs available in Canada, as well as reduce application backlogs and processing times.

Since the first instructions were issued in November 2008, the backlog of federal skilled worker applicants in process prior to the legislation has dropped from 640,000 to 380,000. The majority of decisions on new applications are being made in six to 12 months, compared with up to six years prior to the changes. But in the first quarter of 2010, the number of new applications rose significantly beyond the department’s ability to process them in a timely way, leading to the recognition that a more refined approach is necessary.

“These changes bring Canada in line with the practices of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, our main competitors for skilled immigrants,” said Minister Kenney. “They help match the supply of applicants to our processing capacity and today’s post-recession job market needs. This is the only responsible way to manage our immigration system.”

The Government is also proposing new eligibility criteria for the immigrant investor program so it makes an even greater contribution to the Canadian economy. Proposed regulatory changes will require new investors to have a personal net worth of $1.6M, up from $800,000, and make an investment of $800,000, up from $400,000. These proposals were pre-published today in the Canada Gazette for a 30-day public comment period.

Canada’s current criteria for investors are the lowest in the world, and have not been changed since 1999. As a result the program draws a larger number of applicants than can be admitted every year under the immigration plan, and processing times are increasing.

Until the changes are finalized, the Government will stop accepting new investor applications to prevent a flood of applications before the new criteria take effect, which would stretch processing times even further. When the new criteria are in place, new applications will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to realize the benefits of the changes immediately.

“Canada needs investor immigrants,” said Minister Kenney. “These changes are necessary to keep Canada’s program competitive with that of other countries, and keep pace with the changing economy.”

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Alykhan Velshi
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

Backgrounders:

• Managing the Federal Skilled Worker Program: Balancing supply and demand
• Changes to proof of language requirements will help better position newcomers to adapt to Canada’s labour market
• Changes to the Federal Immigrant Investor Program will bring to Canada more resources to fund economic development and job creation initiatives
• Frequently asked questions — Changes to federal skilled worker and investor immigration programs

Statutory authority

Citizenship Act

Sponsoring department

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issue and objectives

Adults applying for a grant of citizenship are currently required under the Citizenship Act to demonstrate “an adequate knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.” The criteria for determining that an applicant has an adequate knowledge in these areas are outlined in the Citizenship Regulations. These criteria form the basis of questions used to assess a citizenship applicant’s knowledge of Canada and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

A new citizenship study guide, Discover Canada: the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, was published in November 2009. The publication of Discover Canada and the related changes to the citizenship test are key initial activities of the Citizenship Action Plan (CAP). The goal of CAP is to encourage Canadians to value, understand and practice their citizenship, thus making citizenship more meaningful.

Discover Canada includes more comprehensive information on the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens, and on Canada’s values, symbols, history and military achievements. In particular, the new guide features topics such as responsible government, Remembrance Day, the Québécois nation and the Quiet Revolution, gender equality, the impact of residential schools on Aboriginal people, and our role in world wars and other historical conflicts. The guide also features expanded sections on Canadian heroes, sports, diversity and artists. This new focus on the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship reinforces that citizenship entails reciprocal obligations between citizens and the state and will help to better prepare applicants for citizenship and enrich their understanding of what it means to be Canadian.

The launch of the new citizenship study guide, Discover Canada, necessitates revisions to the citizenship test to enable applicants to be tested on the new information contained in the study guide. CIC introduced an interim test in March 2010 that is based on the content of Discover Canada, but as per the current Regulations, it does not require applicants to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

Regulatory change is required to enable a more complete assessment of knowledge against the breadth of content of Discover Canada and to require an understanding of a range of responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. This would support introducing a test that is fully consistent with CAP principles.

Description and rationale

Greater flexibility is required in the Regulations to be able to test applicants consistently on a range of knowledge of the characteristics of Canada, rather than on a single characteristic. All of the elements below are considered important in demonstrating a fundamental understanding of Canada. Such an understanding of Canada should include an understanding of its system of government. The Regulations would therefore benefit from the inclusion of a category related to Canada’s system of government.

Regulatory amendments would also be necessary in order to require applicants to successfully demonstrate knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship outside of elections and voting procedures (as described in the bullets below).

The proposed amendments would support changes to the test that clarify the requirement for applicants to know the national symbols of Canada and demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the following:

• a range of responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, such as
  • participation in the Canadian democratic process;
  • participation in Canadian society, including volunteerism, respect for the environment and the protection of Canada’s natural, cultural and architectural heritage; and
  • respect for the rights, freedoms and obligations set out in the laws governing Canada; and

• a broad range of knowledge of Canada’s characteristics such as
  • the chief characteristics of Canadian political and military history;
  • the chief characteristics of Canadian social and cultural history;
  • the chief characteristics of Canadian physical and political geography; and
  • the chief characteristics of the Canadian system of government as a constitutional monarchy.

The proposed regulatory changes would promote an enhanced understanding of Canadian identity and values and of the responsibilities of citizenship. The pass rate is not expected to decrease compared to the pass rate for the interim test.

The work done in connection with the implementation of the interim test in March 2010 means that most of the costs associated with developing test questions based on Discover Canada content have already been borne. Additional costs associated with further revisions to the test once the new Regulations are in place are expected to be minimal, and there are no incremental costs associated with printing new tests or changes to the marking scheme resulting from the regulatory change.

There may be a minor one-time cost associated with monitoring the impact of the new test on applicants; it is not expected to exceed $75,000. There would be no additional costs to the permanent resident of learning new material, as it is all contained in Discover Canada, which is provided free of charge to applicants.

Consultation

In developing Discover Canada, CIC consulted with a panel of prominent Canadians, including public figures, authors and historians. Drafts of the new guide were also reviewed by well-known organizations and individuals involved in citizenship promotion, such as the Historica-Dominion Institute, Rudyard Griffiths, Dr. John Ralston Saul, and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. Several government departments and agencies were also consulted, including Canadian Heritage, Elections Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada. Consultations primarily took place between April and September 2009. Initial consultations sought suggestions for improvement based on the then current guide, A Look at Canada. As drafts of the revised guide were developed, the nature of the advice provided for consideration ranged from general to specific commentary focussed on the style and content of the drafts. Comments on the content were numerous and included more precision on historical dates/events and input on virtually every chapter of the document. The final draft is a reflection of the many comments received and incorporated in the development of Discover Canada. The reaction to the publication of Discover Canada has generally been positive.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

The proposed amendments entail minimal implementation requirements or incremental costs. Operational guidelines as well as the delivery of the new tests to local offices would be required and could be absorbed as a part of regular activities.

An implementation Working Group comprised of CIC officials from all branches and divisions affected by these changes was established to ensure all necessary procedures, systems support and communication tools were in place for changes to the citizenship test implemented in March 2010 to reflect changes to the study guide. The products created for the March 2010 implementation will serve as a guide for future changes to the test that would be enabled by the proposed regulatory amendment.

CIC would monitor the results of the new citizenship testing regime in 2010.

The proposed regulatory amendments are not expected to have a significant impact on processing times for citizenship applications.

Contact

Nicole Girard
Director
Legislation and Program Policy
Citizenship Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
365 Laurier Avenue W
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Telephone: 613-991-2153
Fax: 613-954-9144
Email: Nicole.Girard@cic.gc.ca

PROPOSED REGULATORY TEXT

Notice is hereby given that the Governor in Council, pursuant to paragraph 27(d) (see footnote a) of the Citizenship Act (see footnote b), proposes to make the annexed Regulations Amending the Citizenship Regulations.

Interested persons may make representations concerning the proposed Regulations within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be addressed to Nicole Girard, Director, Legislation and Program Policy, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 180 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1 (tel.: 613-991-2153; fax: 613-954-9144; email: Nicole.Girard@cic.gc.ca).

Ottawa, June 10, 2010