Mark Miller presented "An Immigration System for Canada's Future"

Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller has launched Canada's new immigration plan. It defines the main actions to transform and develop the system. Some changes are already underway and some are just in the pipeline. Among them:

• Positioning the immigration system for rapid adaptation and response to growing global humanitarian crises;
• Developing a new francophone immigration policy to enhance the viability of francophone minorities;
• Improving the International Student Program by working with provinces and territories — so that universities with high standards can benefit from faster processing of study permits (you can read more about this here);
• Integrating housing, health and infrastructure planning, among other important services, into immigration planning in Canada, in close collaboration with provinces, territories and municipalities;
• Establishing an advisory body of newcomers with immigration experience;
• Creating a Chief International Talent Officer position to better align immigration programs with the labor market;
• finalizing the website so that job seekers can easily find the information they need.

The new Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) will provide new capabilities such as a single online window into immigration programs, improved automation and digital self-service.

Another area in which the ministry plans to develop is accelerated issuance of visitor visas for tourism, major conferences and events. As of June 6, 2023, 13 more countries have been added to the list of partially visa-exempt countries. Travelers from 67 countries can now apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) in lieu of a visa, with most eTA applications approved within minutes.

What's all this for?

The proportion of Canada's working-age population is shrinking. 50 years ago, there were about seven workers for every elderly person in Canada. Currently, there are about three workers for every elderly person, and in the foreseeable future this proportion may fall to almost two workers for every elderly person. An aging workforce has broad implications for the economy, such as chronic labor shortages. That said, nearly two-thirds of recent immigrants are of working age (25 to 54), which helps rejuvenate Canada's population.

In this regard, Canada is interested in attracting more and more young professionals. Miller defined the main flows for the near future as follows:

• Start-Up Visa program and an invitation to the country's entrepreneurs;
• international students with in-demand skills — new measures are needed to better transition them into the labor market, update the Graduate Work Permit Program, and promote training in in-demand sectors;
• foreign professionals — measures are expected to recognize foreign degrees and raise awareness of financial aid and loans;
• regular selections of specialists in sought-after professions under federal and provincial immigration programs.

The Minister concluded by recalling the department's successes, particularly the digitalization of work. From spring 2023, applicants can use the status tracker to find information about their applications in the Express Entry system, applications for sponsorship, study permits, work permits, visitor visas, citizenship and passports.

Two weeks before Marc Miller's report, Karen Hogan, Canada's chief auditor, gave an analysis of the Department of Immigration's problems. In her report, she gave the department recommendations for development.