Liberals shift immigration focus to family reunification, refugee resettlement

Canada will seekto admit a record number of immigrants as theLiberal government shifts its focus on family reunification and the settlement of refugees, says Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum.

"This plan sends a message about the importance of family," McCallum said in Brampton, Ont., on Tuesday.

"It outlines a significant shift in immigration policy towards reuniting more families, building our economy and upholding Canada's humanitarian traditions to resettle refugees and offer protection to those in need."

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McCallumsaidCanada will admit between 280,000 and 305,000 new permanent residents in 2016, a record increase from the260,000 to 285,000 newcomers the previous Conservative government had planned to welcome by the end of 2015.

The Liberal plan will see Canada admit:

• 151,200 to 162,400 caregivers, provincial nominees, and otherskilled workers under the economic stream.
• 75,000 to 82,000 spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents of Canadians under the family reunification plan.
• 51,000 to 57,000refugees, protected persons and others admitted for humanitarian reasons.

The Liberal plan also includes admitting 18,000 privately sponsored refugees, "three times more than in earlier years," McCallum said.

The government has resettled some 25,000 Syrians, a mix of government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees, in four months. The Liberals have also pledged to resettle another 10,000 government-assisted Syrian refugees by the end of 2016.

Liberals shift immigration focus

9 years ago

Duration 7:44

Immigration Minister John McCallum discusses the government's immigration policy that will see fewer economic immigrants and an increase in refugees and family reunification.

Reviewing sponsorshipconditions

McCallum said the governmentwill reviewsome of the conditions imposed on Canadians looking to sponsor their children and spouses living overseas, making family reunification a priority.

"The government of Canada will make family reunification an important priority because when families are able to stay together, their integration to Canada and ability to work and grow their communities all improve,"McCallumsaidin a much-anticipated report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

"We will work to restore the maximum age for dependants to 22 from 19 and re-examine the two-year conditional permanent residence provision for sponsored spouses."

In its annual report to Parliament, theLiberal government is also pledging to:

• Eliminate the$1,000 labour market impact assessment (LMIA) feefor families looking to hirecaregiversfor family members with physical and mental disabilities. An LMIA is a document employers must file to prove the need to hire a foreign worker over a Canadian one.
• Reviewthe express entry system launched in January 2015 "to provide more opportunities" for applicants who have Canadian siblings.
• "Expand and monitor the use of biometrics" to verify the identity of all temporary and permanent residents who need a visa or permit toenterCanada.

Fewer economic immigrants

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel denouncedthe government's decisionto admit fewer economic immigrants.

"These cuts to economic immigration come at a time when our workforce is aging, our economy is slowing, and refugees are waiting for months to have long-term affordable housing," Rempel said during question period,

She said the government's changes to thecaregivers program would "leave the most vulnerable Canadians without care."

While the Liberals have doubled the cap to 10,000parentand grandparent sponsorship applications,they hope to issue up to20,000 visas a target that remains unchanged from last year.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan said she is "disappointed" to seethe level for parents and grandparents sponsorship stay the same as it was underthe Conservatives.

"With the doubling of applications and the same level as the Conservatives, we can expect the wait times to get even worse," Kwan said in a written statement to CBC News.

The Liberals have budgeted an additional $25 million to reduce application processing times in 2016-17, followed by an additional $50 million a year for the next three years.

Changing focus of immigration policy

9 years ago

Duration 8:47

MPs Michelle Rempel and Jenny Kwan responds to the government's immigration priorities

Some 'significant barriers' remain

The government has also committedto reviewing express entry butimmigration lawyerMarkHolthesaid there islittle in the report to suggest there will be significant changes for international students ortemporary foreign workers who were hit the hardest by the newsystem launched by the previous Conservative government in 2015.

"There was token lip service to the value of each of these groups within Canadian immigration policy, but in the end, nothing was done to address the significant barriers they face in qualifying for permanent resident status in Canada," said Holthe, apartner at thelaw firm of Holthe Tilleman in Calgary.

According to the annual immigration report tabled in Parliament Tuesday, "Canada's immigration system balances compassion with economic opportunity."

Holthe said he would like the new plan to provide"equal chance at immigration for temporary foreign workers, international students, family members and refugees alike."

TheDepartment of Immigration plans to spend$1.7billion in 2015-16, upfrom$1.3billion in 2014-15. The increase is attributed to the Liberals'commitment to fast-track the resettlement of 25,000 Syrian refugees.

Planned spending is forecast at$1.6billion in 2016-17.