An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond.

Transcription

1 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond. REPORT AUGUST 2017

2 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Kareem El-Assal Preface This report summarizes discussion points and recommendations from the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017: Innovating at 150 and Beyond. It provides an overview of the importance of immigration to Canada s economic future, highlights the key remarks made by federal and provincial immigration ministers, and provides suggestions on how Canada can improve its selection, settlement and integration, and citizenship policies. To cite this report: El-Assal, Kareem. An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, The Conference Board of Canada* Published in Canada All rights reserved Agreement No *Incorporated as AERIC Inc. An accessible version of this document for the visually impaired is available upon request. Accessibility Officer, The Conference Board of Canada Tel.: or accessibility@conferenceboard.ca The Conference Board of Canada and the torch logo are registered trademarks of The Conference Board, Inc. Forecasts and research often involve numerous assumptions and data sources, and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. This information is not intended as specific investment, accounting, legal, or tax advice. The findings and conclusions of this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the external reviewers, advisors, or investors. Any errors or omissions in fact or interpretation remain the sole responsibility of The Conference Board of Canada.

3 CONTENTS i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Introduction 2 Overview 3 Immigration in Canada s Economic Growth Equation 4 Ministerial Remarks 5 Maintaining Public Support for Immigration in the Era of Brexit and Trump 8 Sending the Right Messages to Global Talent 8 How Many Immigrants Does Canada Need in the Future? 10 Refining Canada s Selection Policies 11 Should Canada Admit More Semi-Skilled Immigrants? 13 Strengthening the Immigration-Innovation Nexus 14 Improving Canada s Business Immigration Programs 16 The Importance of Pre-arrival Services 17 Integrating Skilled Immigrants Into the Labour Market 19 Connecting Refugees With Employment Opportunities 20 The Municipal Role in Canadian Immigration 21 Citizenship 22 Conclusion 23 Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 Appendix A 24 Canadian Immigration Summit 2017 Resources Appendix B 25 Bibliography

4 Acknowledgements This National Immigration Centre report was prepared by The Conference Board of Canada under the direction of Craig Alexander, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist. The report was written by Kareem El-Assal, Senior Research Associate, Immigration. The author thanks Craig Alexander and Pedro Antunes, Deputy Chief Economist, for their internal reviews of the report. Any errors or omissions in fact or interpretation contained in this report remain the sole responsibility of The Conference Board of Canada. We apologize in advance to any speaker whose views may not have been fully captured in this event synopsis. Sponsors The Conference Board of Canada thanks Fragomen Canada and AURAY Capital for sponsoring this report. It also expresses gratitude to all delegates and sponsors of the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017: Innovating at 150 and Beyond. The National Immigration Centre The Conference Board of Canada s National Immigration Centre is a major, research-intensive initiative that examines the immigration challenges and opportunities facing Canada today. Meeting the challenges and benefiting from immigration requires a multi-year effort that brings together many stakeholders and leads to concerted action. The Centre is studying the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of Canada s immigration policies, programs, and practices in light of the needs and objectives of governments, employers, communities, and immigrants. Through independent, evidence-based, objective research and analysis, the Centre is making recommendations for action to help improve Canada s immigration system. The National Immigration Centre s goals are to: build a strong empirical base and foster dialogue among stakeholders to generate common understanding, shared purpose, and collaborative action; raise public awareness of the nature and importance of immigration to Canada s economy, society, and culture; track and report on the immigration system s performance in achieving Canada's economic, social, and cultural goals.

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond. At a Glance Over 300 delegates attended the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017: Innovating at 150 and Beyond in Ottawa to discuss innovative solutions to strengthen the country s immigration system. This report summarizes the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017 s discussion points and recommendations on how Canada can strengthen its immigration system. The report also evaluates two important questions explored at the Summit. First, with populism on the rise globally, how can Canada maintain public support for its immigration system? Secondly, with the federal government set to boost immigration levels, how many immigrants should Canada admit moving forward? Find Conference Board research at

6 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond On the eve of the country s 150th anniversary, The Conference Board of Canada hosted the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017: Innovating at 150 and Beyond. Over 300 delegates attended the event in Ottawa to celebrate immigration s role in Canada s success as a nation and discuss innovative solutions to strengthen the country s immigration system. This report summarizes the Summit s discussion points and recommendations. It begins with an overview of the importance of immigration to Canada s economic future. Next, it highlights key remarks made by federal and provincial immigration ministers at the event. It then looks at two important questions explored at the Summit. First, with populism on the rise globally, how can Canada maintain public support for its immigration system? Second, with the federal government set to boost immigration levels, how many immigrants should Canada admit moving forward? The report goes on to provide delegate suggestions on how Canada can improve its selection, settlement and integration, and citizenship policies. The report is divided into the following sections: Immigration in Canada s economic growth equation Ministerial remarks Maintaining public support for immigration The importance of sending the right messages to attract more global talent How many immigrants does Canada need in the future? Refining Canada s selection policies Should Canada admit more semi-skilled immigrants? Strengthening the immigration-innovation nexus Improving Canada s business immigration programs The importance of pre-arrival services Integrating skilled immigrants into the labour market Connecting refugees with employment opportunities The municipal role in Canadian immigration Canadian citizenship in the 21st century Find Conference Board research at ii

7 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond. Report Summary Canada has a strong immigration system, but it needs to confront many issues moving forward such as ensuring that the public continues to support immigration. Building upon Canada s track record of developing innovative immigration policies and programs, delegates at the 2017 Summit offered many thoughts on how key issues and challenges could be addressed. Canada s 150th anniversary provides Canadians with the opportunity to celebrate their nation and immigration s contributions to the country s development. It also serves as a reminder that Canada needs to continue its tradition of developing innovative immigration policies and programs to support the country s continued success. Find Conference Board research at

8 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Introduction On the eve of the country s 150th anniversary, The Conference Board of Canada hosted the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017: Innovating at 150 and Beyond. Notable speakers included Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; three ministers responsible for immigration in their provinces: Laura Albanese (Ontario), Kathleen Weil (Quebec), and Donald Arseneault (New Brunswick); and Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary. Over 300 delegates joined them in Ottawa to celebrate immigration s role in Canada s success as a nation and discuss innovative solutions to strengthen the country s immigration system. Canada has a rich history of innovating to meet its immigration goals. Examples include its launch of the world s first points system to select immigrants objectively, the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, the Provincial Nominee Program, and in more recent times, Express Entry, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, and the Global Talent Stream. Overview This report summarizes the Summit s discussion points and recommendations. It begins with an overview of the importance of immigration to Canada s economic future. Next, it highlights key remarks made by the federal and provincial immigration ministers. It then looks at two important questions explored at the Summit. First, with populism on the rise globally, how can Canada maintain public support for its immigration system? Second, with the federal government set to boost immigration levels, how many immigrants should Canada admit moving forward? The report goes on to provide delegate suggestions on how Canada can improve its selection, settlement and integration, and citizenship policies. Find Conference Board research at 2

9 The Conference Board of Canada The report is divided into the following sections: Immigration in Canada s economic growth equation Ministerial remarks Maintaining public support for immigration The importance of sending the right messages to attract more global talent How many immigrants does Canada need in the future? Refining Canada s selection policies Should Canada admit more semi-skilled immigrants? Strengthening the immigration-innovation nexus Improving Canada s business immigration programs The importance of pre-arrival services Integrating skilled immigrants into the labour market Connecting refugees with employment opportunities The municipal role in Canadian immigration Canadian citizenship in the 21st century Immigration in Canada s Economic Growth Equation Craig Alexander of The Conference Board of Canada shed light on the country s need for immigrants. Canada s natural population increase (the number of births minus deaths) continues to decline, while its retirement rate is rising. In addition to these trends, slow labour force and productivity growth are placing pressure on the economy. For instance, the labour force grew by an average of 1.8 per cent per year between 2001 and 2005, during which Canada s real GDP growth averaged 2.6 per cent annually, but these figures are forecast to decline to 0.8 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively, until 2020 (and will decline even further in the decades to follow). Slower economic growth will translate into weaker revenue for federal and provincial/territorial governments, which are already struggling to balance their finances. Their fiscal challenges will be exacerbated by the fact that Canada s aging population will drive up demand for provincially funded health services and federal Old Age Security pensions. Health care spending, for example, is forecast to rise by 5.2 per cent annually between 2015 and Find Conference Board research at 3

10 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Canada will need to increase its productivity, expand and support its talent pool, and tackle immigrant employment barriers. To alleviate these pressures in support of a better economic future, Alexander said that Canada will need to increase its productivity, expand and support its talent pool, and tackle immigrant employment barriers. To improve productivity, Canada needs to encourage businesses to invest more in workers and technology, conduct more research and development and commercialize more patents, reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and barriers to competition and labour mobility, and reform its tax system to encourage businesses to grow. Canada also needs to expand its talent pool by supporting the employment of those under-represented in the labour market (Indigenous peoples, women, mature workers, the disabled, disengaged youth, and immigrants) and supplementing its domestic workforce through immigration. Further, Canada needs to identify how to better integrate immigrants in the labour market by continuing to strengthen the linkage between the immigrant selection process and its labour market needs, make it easier for temporary residents to transition to permanent residence, facilitate greater regionalization of immigrants across Canada, improve its accreditation processes, and enhance its settlement supports for permanent and temporary residents such as by ensuring that welcoming communities are fostered across the country. Without immigration, Canada s economic growth would be much different. Assuming that it continues to welcome 0.82 per cent of its population in immigrants each year, Canada s real GDP growth is projected to rise by 1.8 per cent annually between 2016 and But, in the absence of immigration, this figure would fall to 1.08 per cent. Ministerial Remarks Minister Hussen opened by highlighting the successes of Canadian immigration initiatives, including the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program, Express Entry, and the Start-Up Visa Program. 1 Moving forward, the federal government will continue to pilot new programs to achieve its immigration goals. For instance, it launched the Atlantic Immigration Pilot in March 2017 to boost immigrant attraction and 1 Links to the videos of the ministers speeches are found in Appendix A. Find Conference Board research at 4

11 The Conference Board of Canada retention in Atlantic Canada. The Global Talent Stream, which launched in June 2017, will process the applications of high-skilled workers within only two weeks. The federal government is also looking to launch a dedicated service channel to assist high-growth foreign companies that want to make significant job-creating investments in Canada, and it will help them navigate the immigration process so that they can move their headquarters to Canada. Further, the federal government is evaluating its settlement and integration program to determine how it can deliver language training better, such as by combining work and language training as they do in Germany. Minister Hussen also emphasized the importance of delivering better client service to those wishing to come to Canada. This includes reducing processing times and providing information quickly and in easily understandable ways. An audience member asked the three provincial immigration ministers what could be done to better connect newcomers with jobs. Noting that comprehensive solutions are needed, Minister Weil cited Quebec s grant subsidy program as an example. The program is designed for employers that hire immigrants and visible minorities it has a retention rate of some 90 per cent. Ontario s bridge training program and its Office of the Fairness Commissioner are among the measures it has in place to improve immigrant attachment to the labour market, said Minister Albanese, while Minister Arseneault explained that New Brunswick is seeking creative solutions such as a pilot project to integrate refugees into skilled trades professions. Maintaining Public Support for Immigration in the Era of Brexit and Trump With anti-immigrant sentiments on the rise globally, the provincial immigration ministers were asked what they were doing to help ensure their provinces residents supported immigration. Minister Arseneault said that New Brunswick has a public campaign on the value of immigration to the province 2 and regularly engages with employers and 2 Government of New Brunswick, We Are All NB. Find Conference Board research at 5

12 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond There are three drivers of populism: economic, cultural, and political. the community, while Minister Weil explained that as one facet of its efforts to ensure public support, the Quebec government consults with stakeholders on immigration levels and composition every three years. According to Minister Albanese, it is important for Canadians to do a better job of communicating why the country needs immigrants. Keith Banting of Queen s University and John Ibbitson of The Globe and Mail discussed what Canada can learn from the rise of populism in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Banting explained that there are three drivers of populism: economic, cultural, and political. If a segment of a population is economically and culturally insecure, and if the right political incentives are in place, populists can draw upon these insecurities to win votes. Economic insecurity is largely a function of growing inequality and precarious employment, while cultural insecurity is due to concerns about the impacts of immigration and multiculturalism on a country s character and national security. As we saw in 2016, the necessary conditions fell into place for populists to succeed in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Banting argued that while Canadians are generally supportive of immigration, their support is conditional. Touching on recent public polling data, he noted that some 8 out of 10 Canadians believe immigration has a positive economic impact, while about 6 out of 10 feel immigration levels are too high, and about 5 out of 10 say that too many immigrants do not adopt Canadian values. 3 Based on these and Queen s University 4 data, Banting said that roughly one-third of Canadians support multiculturalism; one-third do not; and one-third support it conditionally, that is, their views can change based on economic and social factors. However, Banting believes that Canada does not have the requisite conditions for anti-immigrant politicians to succeed in the country due to what he refers to as the populist s paradox while a portion of Canada s population is economically and culturally insecure, a populist would be hard-pressed to leverage these feelings to his or her political advantage because immigrants are a significant voting bloc, accounting for one-fifth of Canada s population. Moreover, most 3 The Environics Institute, Focus Canada Fall Queen s University, Multiculturalism Policy Index. Find Conference Board research at 6

13 The Conference Board of Canada immigrants live in the cities that have the greatest number of seats in elections. As such, unlike other countries, politicians in Canada often need to secure immigrant votes to win. But moving forward, Canada cannot continue to assume that it is exceptional and that multiculturalism will shield it from anti-immigrant tides. Rather, Banting said that Canada must find ways to better integrate immigrants into the economy and ensure that its economy and social safety net are strong to alleviate concerns that immigrants have a negative impact on the country s prosperity. Continuing from where Banting left off, Ibbitson said that based on public polling data and federal election results, it is safe to assume that about one-fifth of Canada s population is concerned about the economic impact of immigration and immigration levels. He cautioned that this number could grow due to technological disruption, and it would be a mistake for us to ignore low-skilled workers, who are impacted the most by such technological change, as doing so would threaten the consensus that immigration is good for Canada s economy. Technological change is already disrupting the media landscape, with traditional news outlets downsizing as more people globally get their news from social media. Ibbitson said that one challenge is that this has resulted in the rise of alternative, non-mainstream voices and false information that have contributed to growing populism. To maintain public support for immigration in Canada, Ibbitson suggested the following. First, governments should look for market-oriented ways to support private-sector innovation and economic growth, so that the working and middle classes are cared for and wealth is distributed among them. Governments must also maintain the integrity of the immigration system so that foreign worker and refugee programs are not abused. Canadians should also be respectful of one another s views, even if they disagree. Finally, Ibbitson argued that it is imperative for Canadians to explain and defend the roles of immigration and multiculturalism in contributing to Canada s success as a nation. Find Conference Board research at 7

14 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Canada needs to evaluate what messages it wants to send to the world. Sending the Right Messages to Global Talent Against the backdrop of anti-immigrant sentiments abroad, David Crawford of Fragomen Canada spoke about the importance of Canada sending the right messages globally as it seeks to attract more talent. This entails using technology and the media to create a positive narrative about Canada that gives it a competitive edge over other countries in the global talent war. He argued that immigrants will often make their decisions on which country they want to move to based on readily available information. Moreover, the extent to which Canada uses technology effectively also sends messages to prospective immigrants. For instance, if Canada says it is open to global talent, but its immigration websites are difficult to navigate, some immigrants may perceive this as a sign that they are not welcome. Therefore, as it seeks more immigrants to grow its economy, Crawford says that Canada needs to evaluate what messages it wants to send to the world. For instance, he said that Canada should emphasize to global talent that its immigration system is merit-based and is less affected by populist politics, which are evident elsewhere. Further, he believes that Canada needs to demonstrate a more welcoming attitude toward temporary foreign workers (TFWs). They are mostly highly skilled, benefit Canada s economy, and are well suited to become immigrants; and their employers are subject to strict oversight by the federal government. Crawford observed that TFWs are often viewed suspiciously due to concerns that they displace Canadian workers, even though they have the same human capital characteristics that Canada seeks from immigrants. How Many Immigrants Does Canada Need in the Future? Following the federal government s recent announcements that Canada will admit at least 300,000 immigrants per year moving forward and that it will look to increase immigration levels, three summit speakers discussed the country s future immigration levels. Fraser Valentine of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada outlined the various Find Conference Board research at 8

15 The Conference Board of Canada Canada s GDP growth has largely been due to labour force growth, not to increased capital or productivity. factors that the federal government considers in its immigration levels planning process. These include federal government policy priorities, global trends, costs and operational considerations, public opinion, future trends, absorptive capacity, safety and security, the evidence of how well immigrants are integrating in Canada, and the impact of immigration on the country. Valentine believes that the actual number of immigrants that Canada welcomes moving forward is not as important as identifying the ideal pace at which Canada increases its immigration levels and mix of immigrants (i.e., economic, family, and humanitarian) to achieve Canada s policy goals. According to Valentine, three keys to success are targeted immigration to meet Canada s goals, positive integration so that immigrants are welcomed into Canadian society, and strong public support for the immigration system. Kate Subak of Century Initiative stated that higher immigration levels can strengthen Canada s economy even further, pointing out that the country s GDP growth has largely been due to labour force growth, not to increased capital or productivity. While conceding that it can be tough to sell population growth to the public, she said it is important to dispel myths about immigration and to point out its economic benefits. Through smart policies and public support, Canada can successfully boost its immigration levels, with Century Initiative viewing immigration as one of five pillars that can spur a prosperous Canada of 100 million people by Christopher Worswick of Carleton University said that reasons for admitting immigrants include seeking higher GDP per capita, preference for diversity, the desire of Canadians to support those with a humanitarian need, and Canada s desire to provide immigrants with a better life. Worswick said that immigration can benefit the economy by growing the labour force and demand for goods and services, but if done incorrectly, can also represent a fiscal burden. Pointing to the literature, Worswick explained that the economic benefits of immigration are limited, which may disappoint those who believe that they are positive. However, he said that the evidence also shows immigration does not have a negative impact on the economy, which refutes a common claim made by those who want to see lower immigration levels. Find Conference Board research at 9

16 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Canada s current immigration levels are high compared with historical levels, but they can be justified on economic grounds, since there is no evidence that immigration hurts the economy. They can also be justified on social grounds: Worswick believes that Canada has an ethical obligation to reunite families and assist refugees. In the future, Worswick argues that Canada should gradually increase immigration levels to about 0.9 per cent of its population (it is currently at about 0.82 per cent) as long as immigrants are integrating well, are not a fiscal burden, and are not having a strong negative consequence on Canada s population. He said that Canada should continue to focus on selecting highly-skilled immigrants since they are more likely to earn higher wages, pay more taxes, and claim fewer social benefits; and their children are likely to integrate well. Refining Canada s Selection Policies Immigration practitioners constantly grapple with selection issues, such as what selection criteria best predict whether an immigrant will succeed in Canada and whether Canada should increase its admissions of semi-skilled immigrants. Robert Vineberg of Immigration Research West weighed in on these issues. Previously, Canadian visa officers interviewed economic class immigration applicants overseas to assess their adaptability, but this has been phased out to make the application process more objective and efficient. However, Vineberg believes that interviewing is beneficial in that it allows Canada to assess whether prospective immigrants have the skills to integrate into Canadian society. He further believes that Canada should require both economic class principal applicants and their spouses to demonstrate English or French proficiency, since often a spouse will not be proficient through no fault of their own (i.e., their partner has not allowed/encouraged them to take language classes). He said that requiring proficiency for both partners would incentivize them to enhance their language skills before they arrive in Canada. Find Conference Board research at 10

17 The Conference Board of Canada Small and mediumsized enterprises often look for Canadian workers first and the vast majority do not plan on using the TFWP. Should Canada Admit More Semi-Skilled Immigrants? Both researchers and business representatives agreed that Canada should welcome more semi-skilled immigrants. Worswick said that Canada should do so rather than relying on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and that this could be done by welcoming more refugees to the country. Vineberg said that in the past, Canada s selection system was designed to bring in highly skilled immigrants, since the country had significant skilled worker shortages. Today, however, most young Canadians are highly skilled and so the country has semi-skilled worker shortages. Vineberg argued that while Canada still needs highly skilled immigrants, it should also create additional pathways for semi-skilled immigrants to fill vacancies. Ather Akbari of Saint Mary s University provided a quantitative assessment of skills and labour shortages and the role of immigrants in filling them. For instance, in Atlantic Canada, job opportunity projections between 2016 and 2018 show that over one-third of vacancies will be in intermediate and labour-intensive occupations. Given that the region needs more immigrants to replenish its labour force due to its rapidly aging population and low birth rate, the data support the notion that semi-skilled immigrants are needed. It is important to note that while the new Atlantic Immigration Pilot, launched in March 2017, allows employers in the region to hire semi-skilled immigrants, federal programs do not admit semi-skilled immigrants other than through the Caregiver Program. To support more evidence-based policy-making, Akbari said it would be helpful if Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) projections were conducted at the provincial level to give stakeholders a better understanding of Canada s regional labour market needs. Corinne Pohlmann of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) touched on the results of CFIB s April 2017 member survey to show that 16 per cent of respondents cited a shortage of semi-skilled labour as limiting their ability to increase sales or production. She noted, based on past CFIB surveys, that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often look for Canadian workers first and the vast majority have not, and do not, plan on using the TFWP. However, those who do use it Find Conference Board research at 11

18 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond report that it has allowed them to fulfill specific labour needs, keep their business open, employ Canadian workers, and expand their business. But SMEs find the TFWP difficult to use, reporting that it is onerous and expensive ($1,000 per application) to hire a TFW. Pohlmann recommended that a federal immigration stream be created to facilitate two-step migration for semi-skilled TFWs. She also suggested developing a TFW Bill of Rights to protect TFWs and to promote stricter enforcement of the TFWP, rather than more rules, so that the federal government strikes a better balance between program integrity and allowing scrupulous employers to access the program as needed. Finally, she said that there needs to be a more reasonable approach to TFWP application fees and that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot should be expanded nationally if its model proves successful. Mark Wales of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) explained that agri-food is a high-growth sector that employs 2.3 million Canadians and accounts for $100 billion of Canada s GDP, and that Canada is the world s fifth-largest agri-food exporter. However, pointing to a 2016 Conference Board report, 5 Wales highlighted that the agri-food sector is facing chronic labour shortages even as its worker productivity increased by 45 per cent between 2004 and Its shortages are due to the sector s aging workforce, with 93,000 workers set to retire between 2014 and 2025, and a shrinking number of young workers, many of whom do not want to work in agri-food. In the absence of available Canadians, the sector has increasingly turned to the TFWP. Wales offered some of CAHRC s labour task force s recommendations, including that Canada seek to increase the supply of labour by increasing the awareness of Canadians about career opportunities in the sector. When Canadians are not available, the sector should be able to turn to the TFWP, but the program requires some reforms. Wales said that the TFWP Agricultural Stream s national commodity list should be expanded and its application process streamlined, since it can take about six months for applications to be processed, which farmers say is too slow. He also proposed the launch of a new agri-food stream for 5 Burt and Meyer-Robinson, Sowing the Seeds of Growth. Find Conference Board research at 12

19 The Conference Board of Canada Canada needs to do a better job of retaining more international students as immigrants. food-processing jobs, with selection criteria based on labour market information such as vacancies and the employer s location and growth plans. A potential benefit of this recommendation is that it would help boost immigration in rural communities where processing plants are often located. He also believes that a federal stream for semi-skilled immigrants should be created. Strengthening the Immigration-Innovation Nexus Ilse Treurnicht of the MaRS Discovery District and Horatio Morgan of Ryerson University weighed in on the role of immigration in strengthening Canada s innovation performance. Treurnicht argued that Canada faces two choices as the world experiences major economic, geographic, technological, environmental, and political changes. Canada can either watch these changes happen or find a way to control its destiny. Treurnicht explained that Canada has a generous endowment a robust economy, an abundance of natural resources, productive researchers, a strong education system, a skilled workforce, maturing start-up ecosystems, liveable communities, and a strong civil society. But it has two structural deficits in terms of innovation. Canada has one of the lowest population densities in the world, and it has a larger 65-and-over population than its 15-and-under population, which creates economic challenges such as a smaller labour force and tax base. She said there are five things we should look at to strengthen the immigration-innovation nexus. First, Canada needs to do a better job of retaining more international students as immigrants and integrating them into its innovation ecosystems. Second, cities must be equipped to receive immigrants. Third, Canada must come up with a comprehensive approach for immigrants to contribute to the economy to leverage their global connections, cultural competencies, knowledge, and experiences. Fourth, there needs to be greater alignment between immigration and innovation, technology, and education systems. Finally, Canada needs to draw upon the facts and data to demonstrate that immigrants play a formative role in building companies, creating jobs, and contributing to communities, and that it is not just up to politicians to speak out in Find Conference Board research at 13

20 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond favour of immigration the business community and other members of Canadian society must also do so. Adding to this, Morgan said that Canada needs to address several major gaps to boost its innovation performance. Like Treurnicht, he called for a greater integration in policy areas, particularly between innovation, international trade, and immigration. Second, Canada could implement a government-sponsored intellectual property (IP) support services plan that delivers assistance to Canadian companies based on their age and size. Start-ups and small companies would be given priority and would be provided with affordable, cross-border technology licensing support services, while medium-to-large companies would be provided with a wider range of cross-border assistance to allow them to generate substantial revenue from their IP portfolio in global markets. Third, Canada needs a more strategic approach to international trade that prioritizes the global expansion and success of medium-to-large Canadian companies with valuable intellectual property. Fourth, Canada needs to improve its business immigration programs to attract those with validated, innovative, and scalable businesses. Finally, Canada would benefit from accompanying its major policies and initiatives with appropriate performance metrics to help evaluate its results and spur improvements. Improving Canada s Business Immigration Programs Several sessions at the Summit featured discussion on how Canada can enhance its efforts to attract immigrant entrepreneurs and investors and provide supports to those who want to launch a business in the country. Eddie Kadri of Kadri Law Professional Corporation and Marc Audet of AURAY Capital argued that Canada is missing the opportunity to stimulate economic growth through business immigration, while Kailin Che of Canadian Acceleration and Business Incubation offered suggestions to improve the federal Start-Up Visa Program s incubator/ accelerator stream. Kadri explained that while there is a surge in global wealth, Canada s business immigrant intake is very low. Among his proposals, he Find Conference Board research at 14

21 The Conference Board of Canada recommends expanding the use of Express Entry to provide business immigrants with more and quicker pathways into Canada. He suggested that Canada expand the use of its ports-of-entry (POE) processing so that more visas are issued to those who submit applications on the same day, which he argued would give Canada a significant global competitive advantage. This could be done by training more Canadian officials on business immigration matters so that they can process applications at a POE in a streamlined fashion. He proposed a new federal immigrant entrepreneur program whereby Labour Market Impact Assessment exempt work permits would be issued at POE to foreign nationals from countries that do not require a visa to enter Canada and to those who already hold a valid Canadian visa. They would be required to pay a performance bond equal to 10 per cent of the proposed business investment that they will make in Canada. The work permit would be for two years to allow entrepreneurs time to launch businesses. After two years, the federal government would evaluate the performance of the business if the entrepreneur fulfills the terms of their business plan, they would gain permanent residence. But if they do not fulfill the terms, they would lose both their pathway to permanent residence and their performance bond. Audet touched on the findings from a recent Conference Board report 6 to argue that Canada is missing out on attracting immigrant investors who can support its economic development agenda. He said that Canada should look at launching a new federal immigrant investor program and assess various investment options to see how the program s economic benefits could be maximized. In addition, he called for the launch of a national business immigration roundtable and more research so that the public and private sectors can work together to improve Canada s programs. Che said that the Start-Up Visa Program s incubator/accelerator stream would benefit from greater quality assurance mechanisms, such as more stringent admissions requirements for designating incubators and accelerators, increased due diligence, and implementation of a review process for designated entities and applicants after immigrants arrive in 6 El-Assal, Entrepreneur and Investor Immigration. Find Conference Board research at 15

22 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Canada. She said the federal government and designated organizations could market the Start-Up Visa Program more effectively abroad to increase awareness about it. Mary Karamanos of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) explained that BDC recognized there was a lack of support available for immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada. In partnership with ACCES Employment, an immigrant-serving organization, it launched the Entrepreneurship Connections program to tackle the main barriers that immigrant entrepreneurs commonly face in Canada, such as a lack of regulatory knowledge, financing, understanding of Canadian business, and professional networks. The program combines four weeks of business training and four months of mentoring with an established business owner. It currently operates in Toronto, but BDC and ACCES hope to expand it nationally. In addition, BDC has launched a new small business loan pilot program for new immigrants, who often have trouble securing financing due to their lack of credit history in Canada. Successful applicants can receive up to $50,000 in financing from BDC. The Importance of Pre-arrival Services Canada s settlement and integration services have come a long way in recent years, with technology playing a major role in the evolution of how services are being delivered. A prominent innovation has been the delivery of pre-arrival services online so that immigrants can gain relevant information in key areas such as finding housing, employment, schools for their children, and health services. Andrew Leverman of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia spoke about his organization s Settlement Online Pre-arrival (SOPA) program. 7 SOPA provides a suite of services to newcomers, including settlement advice and employment courses, so that immigrants are more prepared to find work once they arrive in Canada. So far, more than 2,000 immigrants have registered in the program. Fifty per cent have found a job and 75 per cent of those have landed one in their field within three months of arrival. Leverman recommends that more awareness 7 SOPA, Arrive Prepared. Find Conference Board research at 16

23 The Conference Board of Canada be created among immigrants about the value of pre-arrival programs so that more immigrants can benefit from them. He believes that more immigrants should be deemed eligible by governments to access prearrival services. Leverman also suggested that stakeholders who operate pre-arrival programs collaborate more to address gaps in services for immigrants and reduce duplication within their programs. Finally, he called for the cost of technology to be factored in when governments fund initiatives such as SOPA, since it can be costly to launch websites and perform maintenance on them. Integrating Skilled Immigrants Into the Labour Market Speakers offered various perspectives on how Canada could better address its long-standing immigrant employment challenges. Bonnie Kennedy of the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) touched on a 2016 Conference Board report 8 to recommend that Canada expand the use of its prior learning and assessment systems. For example, CAPLA manuals provide stakeholders with guidelines on how to effectively assess the prior learning of immigrants. 9 It is also imperative to create more awareness about prior learning tools and techniques to key stakeholders such as governments, employers, regulatory bodies, educational institutions, and settlement organizations. Kennedy also suggested the launch of a national, multi-stakeholder skills and lifelong learning strategy that would include referral capacity for assessment and recognition of formal and informal learning so that immigrants can receive advice on where they can go to receive recognition. Finally, she called for the development of a pan-canadian career development plan that includes prior learning advice so that immigrants are provided with a variety of career pathways and assessment scenarios over time to help guide their career plans in Canada. Keith Johnson of Keith Johnson Consulting offered suggestions to improve Canada s foreign qualification recognition processes. First, 8 Grant, Brain Gain Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment, Quality Assurance for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Canada. Find Conference Board research at 17

24 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond By having more employers embrace diversity, immigrants will have better success integrating into the labour market. Canada needs to strongly encourage immigrants to access pre-arrival supports so that they have a more robust understanding of their career options before they come to Canada. Second, he would like to see greater flexibility in how experienced immigrant practitioners are assessed (i.e., competency-based assessments) so that they can work in their fields in Canada. Third, he argued that while the idea is good in theory, bridge training programs are not sustainable in Canada due to lack of funding and so there needs to be more dialogue on whether Canada should continue to operate them. Fourth, more effort should be made to develop alternative career pathways. Finally, he would like to see more sustainable funding for national alliances of regulators, so that efforts could be made on a permanent basis rather than through the current ad hoc approach to move to national standards in regulated professions. Josephine Etowa of the University of Ottawa offered similar suggestions, though she said that given the success of bridging programs for nurses, there is a need for a comparative analysis of various programs to identify which ones are most effective. Further, she suggested that more prearrival supports be made available, so that immigrants seeking to work in regulated professions can begin the certification process while they are overseas. She pointed to the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program as a good practice model that could be scaled up in more immigrant source countries so that newcomers are equipped with enough information to find good jobs quickly in Canada. She also said that a one-stop shop portal could be developed to connect employers with immigrants who have begun the certification process overseas, which would allow employers to find suitable candidates. She emphasized the importance of employers creating inclusive work environments so that their staff develop adequate intercultural awareness and that by having more employers embrace diversity, immigrants will have better success integrating into the labour market. Find Conference Board research at 18

25 The Conference Board of Canada Connecting Refugees With Employment Opportunities Since they are not admitted to Canada based on their skills, refugees often encounter greater employment barriers than other classes of immigrants. Summit speakers looked at Canadian practices to address these barriers and an innovative initiative that aims to connect refugees overseas with employment opportunities around the world. Anila Lee Yuen of the Centre for Newcomers discussed the refugee employment initiatives her organization operates in Calgary. For instance, its EthniCity Catering program is a social enterprise that provides work experience for newcomers with lower levels of English who were unsuccessful in previous job applications. Participants, 40 per cent of whom are refugees, gain skills and food services training. Ninety per cent of participants find a job after participating in the program. Judith Hayes of Manitoba Start spoke about the Refugee Employment Development Initiative, a pilot program funded by the federal and Manitoba governments. It seeks to teach refugees transferable skills that they can apply in the workplace and facilitate work placements that could lead to labour market integration. It is a nine-week program in which refugees get three weeks of pre-employment skills training, followed by a paid six-week work placement (at no cost to employers) in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and hospitality. Hayes believes that labour market integration programs that are structured to include employers are more effective because they help match immigrants and refugees with available vacancies. Kevin Smiley of SuraiTea provided an employer s perspective on hiring refugees. In May 2016, he launched a tea packaging business in Ottawa that has created three full-time jobs for refugees. SuraiTea has relied upon the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre to provide human resources assistance, office space, and training programs for refugee employees. So far, 25 refugees have been trained in production and 20 have been trained in sales. Smiley advises employers to be patient with their new hires, since they are motivated to succeed and to work with community partners to leverage their expertise. Find Conference Board research at 19

26 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Sayre Nyce of Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB) spoke about her organization s mission to facilitate immigration pathways for refugees through skilled worker programs. She explained that refugees have valuable skills that can benefit employers in countries such as Canada. TBB was launched in 2015 and has focused on refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. It identifies the refugees skills and develops partnerships with employers around the world, including in Canada, in hopes of matching the refugees with job opportunities. Since July 2016, 8,000 refugees have uploaded their profiles on TBB s website. One of the lessons learned from this initiative is that technology can be very useful in connecting refugees with employers and in allowing employers to test refugees online to evaluate their skills. The Municipal Role in Canadian Immigration Angelique Reddy-Kalala of the City of Moncton and Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, discussed the importance of municipalities in Canada s immigration system. When immigration was outlined as an area of shared federal-provincial jurisdiction at Confederation, Canada was a rural nation, but today most Canadians and immigrants live in cities. Reddy-Kalala provided a glimpse of the many initiatives her city is conducting to welcome immigrants and integrate them into the labour market and community. Greater Moncton has an immigration strategy with 18 objectives to attract and retain immigrants and tap into their skills to boost its economy. The city hosts job fairs for immigrants and international students, holds multicultural events, has a local immigration partnership, and is committed to meeting the unique needs of francophone newcomers. She recommended that the federal and provincial governments consult more with cities and that formal policy tables be created featuring all three levels of government to discuss solutions to immigration issues. An audience member asked Mayor Nenshi how he viewed the municipal role within Canada s immigration system. He explained that despite their constitutional constraints, municipalities are key to Canada s immigration system since they are responsible for overseeing communities and bringing different groups of people together. For instance, Calgary Find Conference Board research at 20

27 The Conference Board of Canada hosts events such as newcomer fairs that feature city services officials (e.g., police, fire, transit, parks) to help better understand the needs of newcomers in the city. He also said that mayors have an important advocacy role to play, such as by talking to the federal and provincial governments on how key newcomer challenges for example, language training and affordable housing can be addressed. When the audience asked what he would like to see the federal and provincial governments do to support Calgary s immigration efforts, the mayor addressed three areas. First, he would like the federal government to process private sponsorship of refugee applications more quickly and allow more refugees to enter Canada through this stream. Second, he said that Canada needs to figure out how language training programs for newcomers could be improved, such as by using technology so that immigrants can learn at home. Finally, he would like to see more affordable housing investments, which would help the Canadian-born and immigrants alike. Nenshi said that during Canada s 150th anniversary, he wishes that every Canadian gives a gift back to the country by conducting three acts of community service and referred delegates to the website that raises awareness about this initiative. 10 Citizenship Andrew Griffith of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute spoke about 2014 and 2017 changes to the Citizenship Act and the future of Canadian citizenship. Using recent citizenship data, he pointed out that application and naturalization rates have declined, which he believes is largely a function of the increase in application fees. However, he stated that despite the high cost of gaining Canadian citizenship, Canada s other citizenship policies (e.g., length of time to qualify for citizenship) remain globally competitive. Griffith raised several observations and questions about the future of Canadian citizenship. Given that top talent is highly mobile, there is a 10 3 Things for Canada. Find Conference Board research at 21

28 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond Newcomers bring human, social, and financial capital, but more can be done to enhance immigration s economic benefits in Canada. good chance that some people will leave Canada even after gaining citizenship, which raises questions such as the following: How can Canada effectively balance its desire for immigrants to stay in the country with the reality that individuals today are highly mobile? In light of this reality, how can it continue to ensure that Canadian citizenship is meaningful, knowing that some immigrants seek only the material benefits of citizenship? What voting rights should non-residents have? He also asked: How can the federal government balance its desire to recover the costs of applications through its fees with the social consideration that fees should not be a barrier to becoming a citizen of Canada? Conclusion Canada has a strong immigration system, but it needs to confront many issues moving forward. It must pursue proactive measures to ensure that Canadians continue to hold favourable views on immigration. It also needs to identify the right level and mix of immigrants to achieve its policy goals. Newcomers bring human, social, and financial capital, but more can be done to enhance immigration s economic benefits in Canada. For instance, identifying how Canada can leverage the talents and connections of immigrants to boost innovation and international trade can enhance the country s economic competitiveness. Canada also needs to identify how it can effectively integrate immigrants and refugees into the labour market. Building upon Canada s track record of developing innovative immigration policies and programs, delegates at the Canadian Immigration Summit 2017 offered many thoughts on how such issues could be addressed. For example, public support for immigration is contingent upon Canada developing market-oriented solutions so that the private sector can spur more wealth creation for the benefit of the working and middle classes. One way Canada can strengthen its immigration-innovation nexus is by retaining more international students as immigrants and integrating them into the country s innovation ecosystems. To better connect immigrants and refugees with jobs, more awareness-raising is needed Find Conference Board research at 22

29 The Conference Board of Canada on how Canadian stakeholders can effectively assess the skills and competencies of newcomers. Canada s 150th anniversary provides Canadians with the opportunity to celebrate their nation and immigration s contributions to the country s development. It also serves as a reminder that Canada needs to continue its tradition of developing innovative immigration policies and programs to support the country s continued success. Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 The Canadian Immigration Summit 2018 will take place at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa May 30 31, Details of the event are available here: Rate this publication for a chance to win a prize! Find Conference Board research at 23

30 An Innovative Immigration System at 150 and Beyond APPENDIX A Canadian Immigration Summit 2017 Resources Summit Agenda Videos Minister Ahmed Hussen s speech: Ministers Albanese, Arseneault, and Weil s session: Ilse Treurnicht s speech: Immigration levels session: Presentation Slides Find Conference Board research at 24

31 Appendix B The Conference Board of Canada APPENDIX B Bibliography 3 Things for Canada. (accessed June 26, 2017). Burt, Michael, and Robert Meyer-Robinson. Sowing the Seeds of Growth: Temporary Foreign Workers in Agriculture. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment. Quality Assurance for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Canada: The Manual El-Assal, Kareem. Entrepreneur and Investor Immigration: Creating Jobs and Growth. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, Government of New Brunswick. We Are All NB. (accessed June 26, 2017). Grant, Michael. Brain Gain 2015: The State of Canada s Learning Recognition System. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, Queen s University. Multiculturalism Policy Index. mcp/ (accessed June 26, 2017). SOPA. Arrive Prepared. (accessed June 26, 2017). The Environics Institute. Focus Canada Fall 2016: Canadian Public Opinion About Immigration and Citizenship. October 25, Find Conference Board research at 25

32 Insights. Understanding. Impact. e-library. Do you want to have access to expert thinking on the issues that really matter to you and your organization? Our e-library contains hundreds of Conference Board research studies in the areas of Organizational Performance, Economic Trends and Forecasts, and Public Policy.