Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
| Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada | |
 | |
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1994 |
| Type |
Department responsible for
|
| Jurisdiction | Canada |
| Employees | 7,000 |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website |
www |
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for matters dealing with immigration to Canada, refugees, and Canadian citizenship. Formerly known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the department was established in 1994 following a reorganization within the federal government and was renamed to its current name with the swearing in of the 29th Ministry in 2015.[1]
History
Prior to 1994, immigration was placed under several ministries:
- Department of the Interior (Canada)
- Department of Immigration and Colonization 1917 to 1936
- Department of Mines and Resources 1936 to 1950
- Department of Citizenship and Immigration 1950 to 1966
- Department of Manpower and Immigration 1966 to 1977
- Department of State for Citizenship 1966 to 1991
- Department of Employment and Immigration 1977 to 1991
- Department of Multiculturalism and Citizenship 1991 to 1994
Following amendments to the Canadian Passport Order which dissolved Passport Canada as an independent agency, IRCC took over responsibility for issuing Canadian passports effective July 1, 2013.[2]
On November 10, 2016 the Toronto Star reported that the IRCC website crashed when it was flooded with a large increase in traffic on the night of the United States presidential election. The increase in traffic was said to be 5 times larger than normal, and the percentage of users from the United States increased from the normal ten percent to fifty percent of all users.[3]
Presence
IRCC operates a large network of "Citizenship and Immigration Centres" throughout Canada and in an important number of embassies, high commissions and consulates abroad. Service Canada recently started to take over some of the domestic field operations of the department, while with its creation in 2003, the Canada Border Services Agency took over the control of enforcement and entry control at land borders and airports.
IRCC remains responsible for the establishment of policies and processing of permanent and temporary residence visa, refugee protection and citizenship applications.
Funding
IRCC helps immigrants and refugees settle in Canada by funding organizations like the Canadian Caregivers Association to provide newcomers with settlement programs. These organizations are called service provider organizations.
IRCC funds the following programs through service provider organizations:
- Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
- Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (called the Integrated Service Program in Alberta)
- Host Program
- Resettlement Assistance Program (for resettled refugees)
The services provided under these programs include the following:
- Adult language classes in English and French
- Information on life in Canada
- Job searching
- Participation in community activities
- Access and referral to community resources
Related Legislation
Staffing
The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada department employs 7,000 staff. In 2006 the Canadian government reduced the landing fee per immigrant by 50%.[4]
Current Citizenship and Immigration Structure
- Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Deputy Minister
- Associate Deputy Minister
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Program Policy
- Associate ADM, Strategic and Program Policy
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations
- Associate ADM, Operations
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services
- Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Financial Officer
- Deputy Minister
Citizenship Commission
The Citizenship Commission is the arms length body of IRCC responsible for the appointment of citizenship judges. The body's mandate is directed by the Citizenship Act.
The Commission is headed by a Senior Citizenship Judge and serves a 5-year term. The current head of the Commission is Renata Brum Bozzi (since 2013).[5]
List of former Commission heads:
- George Springate 2008-2013
- Michel Simard 2003-2008
See also
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Canadian nationality law
- Economic impact of immigration to Canada
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- Immigration to Canada
- Permanent residency in Canada
- Quebec Selection Certificate
- Temporary resident
- Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
References
- ↑ McGregor, Janyce (7 November 2015). "Justin Trudeau's cabinet: 6 changes found in the fine print". CBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
- ↑ "Canadian Passport Order".
- ↑ https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/10/visits-from-five-times-the-usual-number-of-americans-crashed-canadian-immigration-site.html
- ↑ Promoting opportunity for new Canadians - Prime Minister of Canada Archived 2006-09-14 at the Wayback Machine.. Pm.gc.ca (2006-05-12). Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ↑
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. |
- Citizenship and Immigration Canada
- Going to Canada - Immigration Portal: A source of free and useful information for newcomers and prospective immigrants to Canada.
- Foreign Credentials Referral Office: Provides information, path-finding and referral services on foreign credential recognition to help foreign-trained workers
- Canada Immigration: An immigration site with details on Canada Immigration.
- CIC Inland Processing Times: A historical graphical record of processing times for applications processed within Canada.
- Immipedia: A community written guide to Canadian immigration.
- e-CAS Tracker: A tool that automatically notifies people when their application status is updated on Citizenship and Immigration Canada's e-CAS service.
- CanadaBaba - Latest Canadian Immigration Information: Free resource for Visas, Immigration, Settling and getting Citizenship in Canada
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