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Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
The original version was signed by
The Honourable Sean Fraser, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, 2023.
Government of Canada Catalogue Number: MQ1-7E-PDF
International Standard Serial Number: 2371-6509
On this page
From the Chairperson
I am pleased to present the 2023–24 Departmental Plan for the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB or the Board).
Our strategic direction was set in 2018–19 with the launch of our multi‑year
Growth and Transformation Agenda. The elements of this agenda have been to grow the Board to address an unprecedented rise in cases as well as to improve productivity, enhance quality in decision‑making, and strengthen management – with a focus on organizational culture and becoming a digital organization.
The Board's 2023–24 Departmental Plan will continue to advance these strategic directions. Having more than doubled the size of the organization over the past few years with temporary funds received in recent federal budgets, the
IRB will now stabilize its workforce with permanent funding recently committed in Budget 2022, and continue to grow to help manage rising migration trends.
Our efforts will continue to emphasize a culture of fast and fair decision making. Last year, the
IRB finalized a record number of decisions and brought wait times to their lowest since 2016. I am proud to note that with our recent transformation to a virtual-by-default hearings operating model, the most recent Global Trends Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees named Canada as one of only four countries across the world to have significantly reduced asylum claim inventories and wait times during the pandemic, supporting our objectives of improved productivity and greater access to justice.
Despite these positive developments, asylum intake is now once again well beyond the
IRB's annual processing capacity, reversing hard-won gains and leading to growing inventories and wait times. As a result, in 2023–24, the Board will continue to implement system-wide efficiencies and identify funding strategies to deal with these stark realities.
In 2023–24, the
IRB will continue to promote quality decision-making, guided by the Board's Quality Assurance Framework, recently identified as an international best practice. The Board will modernize its suite of adjudicative policies, including updating its Chairperson's Guidelines regarding vulnerable persons and child refugees. Importantly, the Board will adopt a trauma‑informed approach to adjudication.
We will also continue to advance our management agenda by implementing our future of work model and becoming an increasingly high performing, digital and healthy organization guided by our values of civility, respect, diversity and inclusion.
I am incredibly proud of the work of the Board and our employees. As we enter a new fiscal year, we will draw on lessons learned during these challenging times and leverage our new stability to further our objectives in 2023–24 and beyond.
Richard Wex
Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
Plans at a glance
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB or the Board) is Canada's largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well‑reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.
The Board's multi-year
Growth and Transformation Agenda continues to guide the work of the organization. Its strategic objectives are: to improve productivity and efficiency in support of greater access to justice for those appearing before the Board; to enhance the quality of and consistency in decision‑making; and to strengthen management. The
IRB is focussed on supporting a healthy organizational culture, while also adopting a more coordinated approach with other delivery providers and stakeholders in support of an effective refugee and immigration determination system.
In addition to the Board's
Growth and Transformation Agenda, much like organizations around the world, the
IRB has been preoccupied over the past three fiscal years with effectively managing its operations in the context of the COVID‑19 pandemic. The Board remains committed to protecting the health and safety of employees and those who appear before the Board while maintaining access to justice. In response to the pandemic, the Board accelerated the development and adoption of its Digital Strategy, shifting operations to a remote-by-default hearings model, and it is well on track to becoming a fully digital organization. In doing this, the
IRB was able to significantly reduce refugee claim inventories and wait times in 2021.
Growth
After the largest period of growth in the
IRB’s history,
Budget 2022 announced a permanent funding commitment, which, along with a comprehensive financial review underway, will allow the Board to stabilize its workforce and make longer‑term decisions related to organizational design and budget allocations.
In addition to permanent funding, Budget 2022 also announced top-up funding to finalize an additional 10,000 refugee claims over two years. In 2023–24, the Board will continue to recruit, train, and support decision‑makers and employees supporting adjudication to meet its funded performance targets across all divisions, including deciding up to 52,500 refugee protection claims and up to 14,000 refugee appeals.
Transformation
Sustain and improve productivity
Strong productivity enables the
IRB to provide access to justice to as many people as possible. The Board will maintain its culture of operational awareness by regularly monitoring and reporting on productivity results against operational plans and performance targets developed for each division, identifying challenges as they arise, and adjusting practices as required.
The
IRB will build on the work it has accomplished to date on its digital transformation and hybrid workplace model by further advancing its multi-year Digital Strategy. Additionally in 2023–24, the Board will continue its work on improving information and document sharing with
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the
Canada Border Services Agency, enhancing functionality of its
My Case portal, and piloting a new case management solution and tools for members to support adjudication. This work will help increase productivity, from intake to decision. By leveraging the successes of the
IRB's Digital Strategy and the virtual-by-default hearings model, the Board will advance the implementation of a national operating model for the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division. This national model will optimize the Board's capacity by making the best use of its resources across the country, enhancing triage and hearing readiness of files, and strategically managing its caseload.
Enhance the quality of and consistency in decision‑making
Focusing on the quality of and consistency in decision‑making ensures that the Board is providing meaningful and fair access to justice. This is fundamental to maintaining public confidence in Canada's refugee and immigration determination systems. In fiscal year 2023–24, the
IRB will continue to build on the quality assurance measures already in place as guided by its
Quality Assurance Framework.
The Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division will advance work related to support tools for its members and management. Complementary to this, the Board will continue to provide training and support to members for all divisions. As part of its efforts to continually improve the quality of and consistency in its decision‑making, the Board will undertake a review of its new member training. There will also be an increased focus on access to justice for certain populations appearing before the Board, including vulnerable populations. The Board will maintain respectful and focused proceedings by all parties to a hearing by ensuring they conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
Strengthen management with a focus on people management
The Board's continued success is a result of the efforts of its employees across the country who are dedicated to fulfilling its mandate.
The
IRB will continue to implement its Information Management Strategy, which builds on previous technological investments that the Board has made in response to the pandemic. This includes leveraging new internal collaboration tools and cloud‑based storage solutions to ensure continued compliance with Government of Canada directives with respect to the management, safeguarding, and use of data and information.
The
IRB remains committed to fostering an organizational culture in which all employees contribute to the success of the organization, feel included, and are treated with respect. In fiscal year 2023–24, the
IRB will continue to foster an organizational culture based on civility, respect, diversity, and inclusion. This is supported by the Board's
Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan and the
Strategy for Psychological Safety and Mental Health, which build on the capacity developed over recent years to respond to employee needs. The Board will also begin implementing its
2023-2025 Accessibility Plan, which details its commitments to removing barriers for people with disabilities, including employees and those who appear before the Board.
For more information on the
IRB's plans, see the “Core responsibility: planned results and resources, and key risks” section of this Departmental Plan.
Core responsibility: planned results and resources, and key risks
This section contains information on the
IRB's planned results and resources for its core responsibility. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.
Core responsibility: Adjudication of immigration and refugee cases
Description
The
IRB renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding immigration and refugee protection cases. This includes determining refugee protection claims and appeals and applications to vacate or cease refugee protection. It also includes making decisions in admissibility hearings and detention reviews, and on appeals on certain immigration cases (e.g., family sponsorship applications, certain removal orders, applications based on meeting residency obligations and admissibility hearings).
Planning highlights
In accordance with its Departmental Results Framework, the
IRB's departmental result is the fair and timely adjudication of immigration and refugee cases. This result is measured using seven indicators: 1) Percentage of cases that meet high quality standards (by way of
quality performance reviews); 2) Percentage of decisions overturned by the Federal Court; 3) Time within which 80% of refugee protection cases are finalized; 4) Time within which 80% of refugee appeals are finalized; 5) Time within which 80% of admissibility decisions are finalized; 6) Percentage of detention reviews that are concluded within legislated timeframes; and 7) Time within which 80% of final or stay decisions on immigration appeals are issued.
The plans outlined in the following sections are intended to support the
IRB in meeting its statutory mandate and the adjudicative performance targets set out for fiscal year 2023–24. Under the three strategic objectives of the
Growth and Transformation Agenda, the plans also contribute to the Agenda's two strategic outcomes of providing meaningful and fair access to justice for those appearing before the Board, and maintaining public confidence. With intake projected to exceed the
IRB's annual processing capacity, efforts will focus on advancing system-wide efficiencies, without sacrificing fairness, and responsive funding strategies.
Strategic objective: Sustaining and improving productivity
Productivity remains a priority for the
IRB as it embraces an organizational culture of operational awareness, performance, and results. Over the last few years, as part of its
Growth and Transformation Agenda, the Board has introduced and implemented multi-year initiatives to increase and sustain productivity, from intake to decision. This includes building on its digital transformation, enhancing triage and scheduling, and increasing the use of specialized teams, such as the
Task Force on Less Complex Claims. To respond to the growing eligibility inventory of claims that have not yet been referred to the
IRB by
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the
Canada Border Services Agency, in collaboration with these partners, the Board will proactively put plans in place to support increased intake.
The
IRB will continue to pursue its multi‑year Digital Strategy by leveraging technology to gain operational efficiencies and enhance user experience. Further progress toward electronic case management is expected to result in additional efficiency gains by improving the speed at which information is shared and reducing the higher cost and burden of paper-based files. The Board will focus on an end‑to‑end electronic file management system, enabled by a new cloud‑based case management solution. The Board will further collaborate with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to improve data and document exchanges between the organizations.
With the success of the
IRB's virtual-by-default hearings model and its Digital Strategy, the Board is well-positioned to move forward with its national operating model for the
Refugee Protection Division and the
Refugee Appeal Division, supported by a national registry. The national operating model will build on the work completed to date with respect to triaging and scheduling, with centralized assignment of cases across Canada. This national model will enable the Board to optimize its capacity through enhanced triage, file preparation and strategic scheduling, and assignment of cases to adjudicators nationally. This is expected to result in more efficient hearings, reduced postponements and wait times, as well as greater flexibility and resilience for business continuity and surge capacity when intake rises.
Productivity models help divisions maximize performance, allocate a balanced workload, and enhance planning capabilities. These models, which differ among the divisions depending on their case management and business processes, will be an area of focus in 2023–24. For example, the Refugee Appeal Division will review results of its productivity model to align productivity expectations with case complexity and member availability. The Immigration Division, based on its analysis of the optimum deployment of resources, will develop its own new productivity model. In the context of the national operating model, the Board will continue to refine and adjust existing triaging and assignment tools to ensure optimization of resources and capacity.
The
IRB will continue to invest in a suite of tools that promote consistency and efficiency in decision‑making. Many of these tools contribute not only to sustaining and improving productivity, but also to enhancing the quality of decision‑making at the Board. For example, with the use of modern technology such as text mining, predictive analytics, and natural language processing, the Refugee Protection Division continues to develop its comprehensive online repository of tools and resources. This includes databases of country conditions, jurisprudence and similar decisions to provide relevant hearing-ready information for decision-makers. Through improvements to online tools, including dashboards, members will have direct access to their own workflow and file information. Similarly, the Refugee Appeal Division will continue to use its Member Information Portal as an adjudicative resource for information.
Strategic objective: Enhancing the quality of and consistency in decision‑making
The
IRB is committed to maintaining its reputation for high‑quality and fair decisions. The Board's quality agenda, which is guided by its
Quality Assurance Framework, will continue to support and enhance the quality of and consistency in decision‑making. The Framework provides an overview of the activities, processes, strategies, and structures that contribute to quality adjudicative decision‑making. It is based on a model of continuous quality improvement to help inform areas for refinement and future priorities. The Framework is recognized as an international best practice and a model for administrative tribunals in Canada and abroad. Quality measurement initiatives (quality performance reviews) are completed biennially to assess the quality of proceedings and decision‑making within each
IRB division and are reported through the
IRB's Departmental Results Framework.
Focus on training and support for members and management
In fiscal year 2023–24, the Board will continue to provide ongoing training, professional development sessions, and mentorship to new members, as well as improved training materials for new members. To assess the effectiveness of new member training, the
IRB will complete a review that was initiated in 2022–23. Further to this, the Refugee Protection Division will focus on enhancing quality decision-making through advanced training for members on how to better prepare for hearings, preside over trauma-informed and efficient hearings, and render adequate reasons (e.g., how to review and identify determinative issues). To complement these efforts, the Board will focus on performance management initiatives. For example, the Refugee Appeal Division will continue its focus on an enhanced and disciplined approach to monitoring decisions and improving its data collection and analyses to support the quality of and consistency in decision‑making. This includes reviewing Refugee Appeal Division decisions overturned by the higher courts to inform training.
Focus on increased access to justice for certain populations appearing before the Board
Building on work begun in 2022–23, the
IRB will further improve access to justice through quality initiatives aimed at making proceedings more responsive and adaptive to the needs of those appearing before the Board. Further to this, the Board will continue to update its forms to ensure that they are current, clear, and accessible. The Immigration Division will build on the work done by an internal working group to assess the needs of detained persons with mental health issues and will adopt best practices based on recommendations made by the working group.
In fiscal year 2023–24, following the successful implementation of a revised Chairperson's
Guideline 4: Gender Considerations in Proceedings Before the
IRB in 2022–23, the
IRB will continue its recent and concerted effort to renew its Chairperson's Guidelines, by completing the revision of Chairperson's Guideline 8: Procedures with Respect to Vulnerable Persons Appearing Before the
IRB and Chairperson's
Guideline 3: Child Refugee Claimants: Procedural and Evidentiary Issues. Lessons learned from the implementation and completion of training related to
Guideline 4 will be leveraged for
Guidelines 3 and 8 training.
The new
Immigration Appeal Division Rules, which came into force on January 14, 2023, were implemented at the end of 2022–23, and work continues on the revision of the Immigration Division Rules in fiscal year 2023–24. This multi-year effort will focus on analyzing the results of consultations with stakeholders and other government departments undertaken in 2022–23, deciding on changes that will be made, and initiating drafting work on the Rules.
In support of improved access to justice, the
IRB will continue to implement enhancements to the
designated representatives and
interpreters programs, including an increase in the number of designated representatives to support proceedings. To assist unrepresented (self‑represented) appellants, the Refugee Protection Division and the Refugee Appeal Division will develop new supports for completing the required documentation. Additionally, to further ensure access to justice, the
IRB will increase transparency and the expectations of persons and counsel appearing before the Board, by publishing more decisions. For the purposes of enhancing quality and access to justice, the Board will continue its Web renewal exercise to improve the effectiveness of online information and the services provided.
Focus on hearing conduct
To further ensure quality hearings, the Board will continue to focus on its multi‑year counsel conduct initiative by reviewing processes for collecting, analyzing, and addressing concerns and proposing a way forward. This focus on the conduct of counsel representing individuals appearing before the Board, along with the updates to the
Procedures for Making a Complaint about a Member and the
Code of conduct for members of the
IRB in 2022–23, contributes both to the
IRB's strategic outcomes and to its core responsibility of providing access to justice and fair hearings for those who appear before it.
Alongside the counsel conduct initiative, the Office of the Ombudsperson will continue its function in dealing with member conduct complaints.
Innovation
Innovation has been key to achieving and sustaining the mandate and goals of the
IRB, including ensuring access to justice. In 2023–24, the Board continues to refine the implementation of an innovation program to collect, oversee, and prioritize experimentation activities. It will continue experiments using advanced technology, including predictive analytics, robotic process automation, and machine learning to make the best use of available resources and to support efficient and effective decision‑making. For example, to improve productivity and enhance quality in decision‑making, automation will facilitate access to live data on the nature of the case inventory (e.g., country and complexity), member availability, and hearing parameters (i.e., how many cases a member is scheduled to take on, their availability, and their speciality).
The introduction of the national operating model is another example of where the
IRB will use innovation to facilitate processes by modernizing the scheduling tools for the Refugee Protection Division.
Key risks
The following key corporate risks could impact the planned results.
| Risk | Mitigation strategy |
|---|
Intake volumes that are higher than funded capacity If intake outpaces funded capacity, as projected, there is a risk of delayed staffing and training, resulting in a return to significant backlogs and wait times. | The
IRB has used its existing internal capacity to address peaks and to meet legislated timeframes and it continues to leverage cross‑functional capacity to address immediate capacity challenges. For example, the Board is implementing a national model to improve efficiency and position itself to address a possible increase in intake levels. The Board will also stabilize its capacity through permanent funding announced in Budget 2022. Additionally, the
IRB will implement the recommendations stemming from its financial review and will seek additional funding to respond to pressures in other areas. |
Constrained supply of human capital If growth efforts are impeded because of a constrained supply of corporate services employees, adjudicative support employees, and decision‑makers (including timely appointments and reappointments of Governor-in-Council members), the
IRB will be unable to effectively meet operational targets regarding the resolution of refugee claims and immigration cases and appeals. | The Board has updated its recruitment strategies, added units within divisions and branches to support staffing processes, and continues to collaborate internally to maintain capacity. The
IRB will continue to build on Public Service and Governor-in-Council staffing strategies in consultation with its divisions and branches and streamline human resources processes to address immediate capacity challenges within the
IRB. |
External system capacity As the
IRB has grown, there may be challenges and additional pressures on participants outside of the Board, such as counsel (lawyers/immigration consultants), designated representatives and external service providers such as interpreters, which may lead to lost productivity and a decrease in quality representation. | The
IRB continues to work in consultation with lawyers and immigration consultants to schedule hearings in the most effective manner possible and to provide support to those who are not able to secure representation before the Board. The Board will also continue its Interpreter Program Review to mitigate capacity and other issues. |
Partner capacity to support
IRB priorities If priorities are not aligned across the immigration and refugee system (e.g., Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency) or with enabling partners (e.g., Shared Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada), organizational growth and achievement of operational targets may be impeded or delayed. | The
IRB will maintain its strong collaboration with key delivery and service providers, stakeholders, and portfolio partners through structures like the Asylum System Management Board. This includes effective governance with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency, and the development of integrated plans with key service providers (Shared Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada). The Board will also work with its partners to inform staffing strategies and pursue a flexible funding model to offset capacity challenges. |
Planned results for adjudication of immigration and refugee cases
The following table shows, for adjudication of immigration and refugee cases, the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023–24, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.
| Departmental result | Departmental result indicator | Target | Date to achieve target | 2019–20 actual result | 2020–21 actual result | 2021–22 actual result |
|---|
Fair and timely adjudication of immigration and refugee cases | The percentage of cases that meet high quality standards | At least 80% | March 2024 | Not availableFootnote 1 | 92% | Not availableFootnote 2 |
Percentage of decisions overturned by the Federal Court | At most 1% | March 2024 | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
Time within which 80% of refugee protection cases are finalized | At most 24 months | March 2024 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 |
Time within which 80% of refugee appeals are finalized | At most 12 months | March 2024 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 |
Time within which 80% of admissibility decisions are finalized | At most 9 months | March 2024 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 |
Percentage of detention reviews that are concluded within legislated timeframes | At least 96% | March 2024 | 97% | 96% | 98% |
Time within which 80% of final or stay decisions on immigration appeals are issued | At most 12 months | March 2024 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 | Not availableFootnote 3 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for the
IRB's program inventory is available on
GC InfoBase.
Planned budgetary spending for adjudication of immigration and refugee cases
The following table shows, for adjudication of immigration and refugee cases, budgetary spending for 2023–24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.
| 2023–24 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) | 2023–24 planned spending | 2024–25 planned spending | 2025–26 planned spending |
|---|
266,092,619 | 266,092,619 | 257,888,670 | 209,660,258 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for the
IRB's program inventory is available on
GC InfoBase.
Planned human resources for adjudication of immigration and refugee cases
The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the Board will need to fulfill this core responsibility for 2023–24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.
| 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents | 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents | 2025–26 planned full-time equivalents |
|---|
1,936 | 1,992 | 1,676 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for the
IRB's program inventory is available on
GC InfoBase.
Internal services: planned results
Description
Internal services are the services that are provided within a department or organization so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services: management and oversight services; communications services; legal services; human resources management services; financial management services; information management services; information technology services; real property management services; material management services; and acquisition management services.
Planning highlights
In 2023–24, the
IRB's internal service priorities, including those described below, will play a key supporting role in the Board achieving its mandate and strategic objectives. These priorities will also support the Board's continued focus on delivering client‑centric services that are accessible, effective, and responsive to clients' needs and supported by clear service standards.
Strategic objective: Strengthened management, including people management
Building on previous technological investments that the Board made in response to the impact of the pandemic, the
IRB will continue to advance its multi‑year Digital Strategy. This includes progressing with the digital case management system designed to automate scheduling and workload management, expanding and enhancing the functionality of the My Case portal, and creating a knowledge management platform for adjudicators to access resources and tools. The Board will also continue to implement its Information Management Strategy. This includes leveraging new internal collaboration tools and cloud‑based storage solutions to ensure continued compliance with Government of Canada directives with respect to the management, safeguarding and use of data and information.
Did you know?
In November 2019, the
IRB launched a secure online, self-service portal called
My Case. It allows counsel or their registered delegates to view their current case status and information on their active cases before the Board. It is available to all counsel who are members in good standing of a professional body (lawyers, members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, Ontario paralegals, and Quebec notaries).
The
IRB sets a high standard for promoting organizational culture that is based on the values of civility, respect, diversity, and inclusion. The Board remains committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce free from harassment and discrimination and ensuring that all employees have equal and just opportunities. The Board will continue to make significant strides with the renewal of its
Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, its new Accessibility Plan published in 2022–23, and its ongoing
Strategy for Psychological Safety and Mental Health. In 2023–24, the Board will focus on the following:
- Establishing clear targets for employment equity groups to increase the representation of visible minorities, Indigenous People, women, and persons with disabilities.
- Supporting the Board's employment equity champions and employee networks to entrench a culture of inclusion.
- Ensuring that new information and technology systems meet modern accessibility standards.
- Providing accessibility awareness and disability sensitivity training and adopting the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport.
Following years of temporary funding and growth,
Budget 2022 announced a permanent funding increase to the
IRB. With this funding commitment in place, the Board began stabilizing its workforce and financial models in 2022–23. The
IRB will continue to pursue a stabilized workforce and finalize the results of a financial stability review in 2023–24. The review will ensure that the costing model remains relevant and will inform decision‑making with multi-year integrated business and financial planning.
Finally, the
IRB will continue to address employee pay-related issues within its control and work with the Public Service Pay Centre on issues outside of its control.
Planning for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses
Most of the
IRB's contracting activity is facilitated using Public Services and Procurement Canada's mandatory
ProServices, which include prequalified Indigenous business vendors. However, the Board is unable to meet all of its targets using these tools, so the Board explored additional means to broaden its outreach to Indigenous vendors. The
IRB's procurement strategies encourage procurement officers to include one or more of these Indigenous vendors in every solicitation request processed. This has proven successful in reaching annual incremental percentage growth in awarding
IRB contracts to Indigenous businesses. The
IRB procurement activity growth for Indigenous vendors has demonstrated positive results towards meeting the planned target.
In accordance with the new Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses in the
Directive on the Management of Procurement (effective April 1, 2022), all federal organizations under Schedules 1, I.1, or 2 of the
Financial Administration Act are to produce a procurement plan to identify opportunities for Indigenous businesses. In fiscal year 2023–24, the
IRB will begin to generate quarterly reports to effectively monitor the status of the dollar value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses. In addition, the Board plans to develop a strategy to publish an internal annual procurement plan beginning in April 2023 to meet the following requirements, as per Appendix E of the Directive:
- Public disclosure of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses.
- Reporting on procurement planning and performance against the 5% target.
The
IRB's annual procurement plan will include engagement strategies to help promote and support the participation of Indigenous businesses in competing for
IRB contract awards and will monitor those results. The
IRB procurement team will also make themselves available to meet with Indigenous businesses, as appropriate, to present the
IRB procurement model and identify any future business opportunities. In addition, the team will participate in future outreach activities and Industry Days.
The Board has not identified any risks that would result in an inability to meet its target. It is anticipated that the
IRB's procurement activities to date will have contributed to its annual minimum target of awarding 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses a year earlier than the mandatory target (by fiscal year 2023–24 and no later than 2024–25).
The following table shows in % the actual, forecasted, and planned value for the target applicable.
| 5% reporting field description | 2021–22 actual % achieved | 2022–23 forecasted % target | 2023–24 planned % target |
|---|
| Total percentage of contracts with Indigenous businesses | 0.23% | 2.83% | 5.00% |
Planned budgetary spending for internal services
The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2023–24, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next two fiscal years.
| 2023–24 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) | 2023–24 planned spending | 2024–25 planned spending | 2025–26 planned spending |
|---|
| 65,609,405 | 65,609,405 | 65,208,210 | 60,274,188 |
Planned human resources for internal services
The following table shows, in full-time equivalents, the human resources the Board will need to carry out its internal services for 2023–24 and for each of the next two fiscal years.
| 2023–24 planned full-time equivalents | 2024–25 planned full-time equivalents | 2025–26 planned full-time equivalents |
|---|
| 432 | 439 | 414 |
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of the
IRB's planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2023–24 with actual spending for the current year and the previous year.
Planned spending
Departmental spending 2020–21 to 2025–26
The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.
Text format - Departmental spending 2020–21 to 2025–26
| Departmental spending 2020–21 to 2025–26 |
|---|
| | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
|---|
| Statutory | 24,887,288 | 25,955,166 | 27,720,453 | 31,617,341 | 32,045,961 | 27,509,110 |
| Voted | 219,871,701 | 238,296,893 | 270,883,643 | 300,084,683 | 291,050,919 | 242,425,336 |
| Total | 244,758,989 | 264,252,059 | 298,604,096 | 331,702,024 | 323,096,880 | 269,934,446 |
The scheduled decline in spending in 2025–26 is due to the sunsetting of temporary top-up funding approved in Budget 2022. Starting in 2025–26, funding levels are currently scheduled to return to a new permanent base level capacity approved under Budget 2022.
Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
The following table shows information on spending for each of the
IRB's core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023–24 and other relevant fiscal years.
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2020–21 actual expenditures | 2021–22 actual expenditures | 2022–23 forecast spending | 2023–24 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) | 2023–24 planned spending | 2024–25 planned spending | 2025–26 planned spending |
|---|
| Adjudication of immigration and refugee cases | 158,302,185 | 189,825,352 | 227,991,521 | 266,092,619 | 266,092,619 | 257,888,670 | 209,660,258 |
|
Subtotal |
158,302,185 |
189,825,352 |
227,991,521 |
266,092,619 |
266,092,619 |
257,888,670 |
209,660,258 |
| Internal services | 86,456,804 | 74,426,707 | 70,612,575 | 65,609,405 | 65,609,405 | 65,208,210 | 60,274,188 |
|
Total |
244,758,989 |
264,252,059 |
298,604,096 |
331,702,024 |
331,702,024 |
323,096,880 |
269,934,446 |
The
IRB has seen significant growth over the last few years. Since 2018, the Government has made temporary investments in the Board through to 2022–23 to keep pace with growth in claim volumes. In
Budget 2022, the Government announced permanent funding of $150 million annually, starting in 2023–24. In addition, Budget 2022 announced a further, temporary top up investment of $87 million over two years. The projected increased spending through 2024–25 reflects the Board's planned efforts to augment capacity to help address the forecasted rise in refugee protection claims. Planned spending in 2025–26 is reflective of the regularized funding amounts and does not reflect projected intake volumes.
Planned human resources
The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents, for each of the
IRB's core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023–24 and the other relevant years.
Human resources planning summary for the core responsibility and internal services
| Core responsibilities and internal services | 2020–21 actual full‑time equivalents | 2021–22 actual full‑time equivalents | 2022–23 forecast full‑time equivalents | 2023–24 planned full‑time equivalents | 2024–25 planned full‑time equivalents | 2025–26 planned full‑time equivalents |
|---|
| Adjudication of immigration and refugee cases | 1,326 | 1,557 | 1,637 | 1,936 | 1,992 | 1,676 |
|
Subtotal |
1,326 |
1,557 |
1,637 |
1,936 |
1,992 |
1,676 |
| Internal services | 452 | 471 | 458 | 432 | 439 | 414 |
|
Total |
1,778 |
2,028 |
2,095 |
2,368 |
2,431 |
2,090 |
The growth in the
IRB's employee complement through 2024–25 is primarily linked to the additional resources required for the Board to increase the number of refugee protection claims being finalized. The increases in 2023–24 and 2024–25 reflect temporary investments announced in Budget 2022 to process the forecasted rise in refugee protection claims over the two‑year period.
Estimates by vote
Information on the
IRB's organizational appropriations is available in the
2023–24 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of the
IRB's operations for 2022–23 to 2023–24.
The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.
A more detailed
future oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on the
IRB's website.
Future oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2024 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2022–23 forecast results | 2023–24 planned results | Difference
(2023–24 planned results minus
2022–23 forecast results) |
|---|
| Total expenses | 343,625 | 372,598 | 28,973 |
| Total revenues | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 343,625 | 372,598 | 28,973 |
As previously noted, the year-over-year variance is the result of temporary investments announced in Budget 2022 to process the forecasted rise in refugee claims over the two-year period.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Appropriate minister: The Honourable Sean Fraser
Institutional head: Richard Wex, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
Ministerial portfolio: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Enabling instrument:
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Year of incorporation/commencement: 1989
Raison d'être, mandate, and role: who we are and what we do
Information on the
IRB's
raison d'être, mandate, and role is available on the
IRB's website.
Operating context
Information on the
operating context is available on the
IRB's website.
Reporting framework
The
IRB's approved departmental results framework and program inventory for 2023–24 are as follows.
Text format - Departmental Results Framework
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s Departmental Results Framework
| Core responsibility - Adjudication of immigration and refugee cases |
|---|
Departmental results framework Departmental result: Fair and timely adjudication of immigration and refugee cases. Indicators: - The percentage of cases that meet high quality standards
- Percentage of decisions overturned by the Federal Court
- Time within which 80% of refugee protection cases are finalized
- Time within which 80% of refugee appeals are finalized
- Time within which 80% of admissibility decisions are finalized
- Percentage of detention reviews that are concluded within legislated timeframes
- Time within which 80% of final or stay decisions on immigration appeals are issued
|
Program inventory - Refugee Protection Decisions
- Refugee Appeal Decisions
- Admissibility and Detention Decisions
- Immigration Appeal Decisions
Internal Services
|
Supporting information on the program inventory
Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to the
IRB's program inventory is available on
GC InfoBase.
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on the
IRB's website:
Federal tax expenditures
The
IRB's Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.
Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government‑wide tax expenditures each year in the
Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background, and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.
Organizational contact information
Mailing address
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Minto Place, Canada Building
344 Slater Street, 12th floor
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0K1
For more contact information, visit
Contact Us .
Follow us on
Twitter,
Facebook, or
LinkedIn.
Appendix: definitions
appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A document that sets out a department's priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three‑year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A change that a department seeks to influence. A departmental result is often outside departments' immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that consists of the department's core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department's actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.
full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. Full‑time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus)(analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the Government's agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world.
high impact innovation (innovation à impact élevé)
High impact innovation varies per organizational context. In some cases, it could mean trying something significantly new or different from the status quo. In other cases, it might mean making incremental improvements that relate to a high-spending area or addressing problems faced by a significant number of Canadians or public servants.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.
A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
An inventory of a department's programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department's core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.
result (résultat)
An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the organization's influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.