Delivering the Promise
A framework and action plan for a prosperity-driven immigration system for Canada
Canada has historically benefited tremendously from immigration. The promise of immigration has been this: that immigrants can come here from around the world, contribute to our economy and society, build a great life for themselves, and that collectively we will all be better off.
But that promise is at risk.
- Surging population growth, driven by non-permanent and permanent residents, has put pressure on Canada’s ability to support that growth.
- Gaps in selection criteria and credential recognition have created mismatches between talent and opportunity.
- And perhaps, most importantly, Canada’s economy has stagnated. And with future productivity expectations in the gutter, our economy will not grow at the pace required to deliver opportunity for a growing population.
All of this has created frustration among Canadians: Less than one-third of Canadians believe that our current approach to immigration is effective, and one-third of immigrants are unsure of their decision to move to Canada.
That’s a bad sign for Canada’s future.
Future prosperity requires that the Canadian economy generates more value, not just because there are more of us, but because each one of us is better off.
To get there, we need a new approach—a renewed focus on the actual purpose of economic immigration: to generate prosperity for all.
Read the Final Report
Delivering the Promise: A Framework & Action Plan for a Prosperity-Driven Immigration System
Canada needs a clear vision and plan for economic growth through immigration. One that is driven by prosperity. One that delivers the promise of immigration—for all Canadians and the economy.
The final report from the Task Force on A Prosperity-Driven Immigration System for Canada is both a framework for a prosperity-driven immigration strategy and an action plan to get us started.
What is Prosperity-Driven Immigration?
Done well, immigration is good for newcomers, businesses, and established Canadians alike. It builds a skilled workforce to support Canada’s future growth and adds cultural richness to the fabric of the nation. A prosperity-driven immigration system contains three fundamental pillars:
Market Responsiveness: Our selection of economic immigrants must prioritize the skills and experience most highly valued in the economy and adapt to evolving labour market needs.
Immigrant Support: We must support newcomers from the outset so that they can easily, quickly, and fully participate in society.
Long-Term Success: Everyone must see the value in immigration. We must ensure that Canada is viewed as the top destination for immigration and has the capacity to respond to population growth.
A Vision for a Prosperity-Driven Immigration System
The Action Plan
Canada has long been known for its strong system of immigration—and has enjoyed public support and international acclaim because of it—but there are ways that we can refine this strategy.
The biggest opportunity to drive greater prosperity through immigration is through attracting and selecting the candidates with the greatest potential—and then supporting newcomers to successfully integrate into daily life.Â
ATTRACT
Making Canada the top destination for
prospective economic immigrants
SELECT
Selecting immigrants with the
highest economic potential
SUPPORT
Helping newcomers successfully
integrate into life in Canada
The time is right to reform immigration:
70% of Canadians want to see changes made to the immigration system, including increasing focus on economic immigration, improving selection of economic immigration, and improving credential recognition.
Our Journey to a Prosperity-Driven Immigration System for Canada
Over the past year, we conducted extensive research over the last year, engaging with over 70 stakeholders, including policymakers at various levels of government, think tanks, economists, researchers, settlement organizations, industry, and immigrants themselves to better understand current issues and identify opportunities. And we have shared our key lessons and insights along the way, which you can explore in the timeline below.Â
Canada’s Immigration Target Increase—Explained
The federal government aims to attract 1.5 million new residents to Canada by 2025. This short piece looks at the scale, significance, and high stakes of this increase.
Immigrants to Canada: Who They Are & How They Come Here
This piece will explore who is migrating to Canada and the various immigration streams, including economic, family, refugee/humanitarian, and students.
What is Prosperity-Driven Immigration?
This piece will examine the nuanced relationship between economic growth and immigration, delving into how increased immigration targets impact living standards for current residents and new immigrants.
Deep Dive: Canada’s National Immigration Strategy
Canada’s immigration program has been a model for other nations, but few know how it works. This piece will investigate the mechanisms of Canada’s economic strategy, how it has changed, and how well immigrants do over time.
Read Chapter One: The Evolution of Immigration Policy in Canada
Read Chapter Two: A Focus on Economic Immigration
Deep Dive: Alberta’s Role in Immigration
This piece delves into the provincial role in immigration via the Provincial Nominee Program.
Common Barriers Immigrants Face (And How We Might Address Them)
A prosperity-driven immigration strategy stresses the importance of supporting immigrants upon landing and throughout their early residence. This piece outlines the common barriers faced by new immigrants and strategies to mitigate and eliminate them, emphasizing the importance of supporting immigrants in their early residence.
A Look at the Unintended Consequences of Immigration
This piece explores the most significant challenges and potential consequences of a large-scale immigration strategy, including housing affordability and wage growth, among others.
A Snapshot of Alberta’s Labour Force Needs
This piece will survey the current landscape of Alberta’s labour force, changing employer needs, and consider how immigration strategies should evolve to ensure labour needs are met.
Journey to a Prosperity-Driven Immigration Strategy
This piece summarizes the key lessons and insights we’ve uncovered over nine months of research and engagement with newcomers, newcomer-serving agencies, economists, business leaders, and more.
Perceptions of Canada’s Immigration System
This report looks at how Canadians currently feel about Canada’s approach to immigration and what changes are needed to maintain strong public support for immigration.
Delivering the Promise: Task Force Final Report
This is the final report from the Task Force on Prosperity-Driven Immigration. It is a clear vision and plan for an improved immigration system that can generate better economic growth and settlement outcomes—that improves prosperity for everyone.
Task Force Members
Amir Shami
President & CEO, Rotaflow Group of Companies
Andy Trewick
President & CEO, Graham Construction
Irfhan Rawji
Founder & Executive Chair, MobSquad
James Ha
President, Boardwalk REIT
Marco DiFranco
General Manager of Human Resources, Rocky Mountain Equipment
Navin Arora
Executive Vice President, TELUS and President, TELUS Business Solutions
Rachel Moore
Executive Vice President, Corporate Services, Ovintiv
Our future prosperity requires that the Canadian economy generates more value,
not just because there are more of us, but because each one of us is better off.
Media Inquiries
For more information on this project or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact: media@businesscouncilab.comÂ