IRCC’s Internal Audit and Accountability Branch conducted an internal audit in March, and a document distributed internally by IRCC on 18 July 2022 suggests establishing explicit guidelines for pilot programs.
Eleven pilot programs have been created since April 2013. A permanent project has been implemented. Three others are being converted into permanent programs. Three others have been replaced or redesigned, and four others are yet to be initiated.
The establishment of all programs is governed by Ministerial Instructions. In the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), the immigration minister is allowed to provide specific instructions to immigration officers that will improve the government’s ability to accomplish its immigration goals.
An audit conducted by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency included interviews with 27 significant individuals. It includes top management from the IRCC, staff of the program, and outside stakeholders. Respondents expressed concern that pilot projects are most often developed or terminated due to urgent economic necessities or shifting government priorities, rather than tests of novel immigration policies.
Conclusion of Audit
Pilot programs are not defined by IRCC in terms of their goals and development, according to the audit.
Currently, there are no rules determining the importance of launching a pilot program. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act – (IRPA) provides the immigration minister with the authority to issue ministerial instructions that permit the creation of a new class of permanent residents in order to fulfill the government’s economic immigration goals. These instructions could be used to develop pilot programs to test the effectiveness of the new class of permanent residents in meeting the government’s objectives.
For each new economic class pilot, IRPA allows up to 2,750 candidates to participate. Pilots are intended to be temporary, lasting up to five years. Other than that, no guidelines exist for developing pilot programs. A review of the concept for the program is conducted by several IRCC divisions, including top management and key stakeholders.
Many pilot programs were not permanent after the five-year period. It has been proven that some programs, like the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), work well at attracting and retaining skilled immigrants in regions or industries where they are needed. It is quite likely that a program will stick around forever when it achieves such success.
Programs cannot be evaluated without rules in order to determine whether they are meeting the economic needs of Canada.
An audit revealed that IRCC does not maintain a centralized list of crucial pilot program recommendations or metrics. The funding levels, major risks, and performance outcomes of a program cannot be evaluated as a result.
According to interviewees, perceptions of pilot programs are inaccurate
A number of interview respondents expressed concern about the perceived overlap between pilot programs and current pathways to permanent residency. For instance, the audit highlights the overlapping criteria of several PNPs – (Provincial Nominee Programs) and the SUV – (Start-Up Visa Program). It is still true that there is an overlap between the qualified occupations. Even though the SUV was designed with the intention of attracting innovative technology companies. Entrepreneurs can choose from a variety of PNP streams.
Also revealed by the audit is the lack of funding for most pilot programs. Even though they are believed to require more resources and personnel. Several of the department’s pilot initiatives performed well despite not receiving additional funding, which put more pressure on the staff. The AIP, for instance, relied entirely on department resources without receiving additional funding. Costs associated with pilot initiatives were discovered to be nonexistent.
Additionally, pilot program implementation deadlines are sometimes shorter than traditional project deadlines due to new economic demands. Consequently, when programs are being developed, more personnel and resources are needed, along with greater coordination and communication with external stakeholders.
Audit results suggest that the projects were not reviewed to determine if they would have an impact on the department’s ability to manage key programs. This makes it impossible to determine whether departmental employees will be able to complete the pilot program on top of their normal, everyday activities. A quality assurance evaluation wasn’t always conducted and training was inconsistent. In these situations, it is challenging to understand how the department handles its workload.
Suggestions
IRCC suggests establishing explicit guidelines for pilot programs to enhance monitoring, conduct risk analysis, and access the effectiveness of the pilot program. Considering IRCC’s increasingly busy workload, this is especially important.
After recently reaching its 2022 annual objective for permanent resident admissions. The department hopes to admit up to 500,000 new permanent residents by 2025. The government anticipates accepting 14,750 of them under the experimental economic class programs. Atlantic Immigration Program and Start-Up Visa will target 14,500 and 6,000 immigrants, respectively, by 2025. In both cases, economic immigration had a testing phase before they became established routes.
