Citizenship and Immigration Committee on May 31st, 2012

[Neil Yeates]

Yes, we do work with HRSDC in and around labour force projections when we—

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

So just on the labour force projections, are you aware that there are many experts who feel that demand-side analysis is inadequate?

[Neil Yeates]

Yes, there are a lot of limitations to what we have available in Canada in terms of labour market information. A lot of the data we have and HRSDC has is national in character. It's not very good at a regional or a provincial level. Some provinces have done their own analysis.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

So are you—

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Thank you. I'm sorry, the time has expired, Ms. Crowder. I almost called you “Chowder”. I apologize.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

It's okay. The elders call me “Chowder” as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, David Tilson]

Mr. Lamoureux.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Yeates, I wonder if you could indicate, in terms of the provincial nominee program, how many certificates and how many individuals would have come to Canada last year under that program.

[Neil Yeates]

We'll get the exact number. It's pretty close to 38,000.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

That's 38,000 applicants, or certificates?

[Neil Yeates]

No, individuals, with dependants, yes.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Individuals. Yes, if you can.... I see the numbers are going to be there, right.

[Neil Yeates]

Yes, it's 38,415.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

And how many certificates?

[Neil Yeates]

It would have been very close to 20,600.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

For this year, is it an increase?

[Neil Yeates]

The level's planned target for this year is a range, 42,000 to 45,000.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Are you able to meet the demands of the different provinces?

[Neil Yeates]

Provinces would all like more provincial nominee spaces.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

So we're not able to meet the demand from the provinces?

[Neil Yeates]

No.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

No? How is it determined which province gets how many?

[Neil Yeates]

Well that, has proven to be a fairly controversial question. What happened is that as the provincial nominee program started out back in 2005 there was actually fairly limited initial take-up, so levels within our levels plan weren't really an issue when it started out, and we started out literally with just a few hundred. That has grown dramatically, to the point that we're now a very large economic immigration program--as I've said, 42,000 to 45,000 this year.

So we had to basically set levels with each province, and that meant that the provinces that started up early, such as Manitoba, got actually, relatively speaking, quite high numbers for provincial nominees. Others that started much later—as an example, Ontario—ended up with much lower provincial nominee numbers.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Given that Manitoba started much earlier and has been successful in this program, and that Ontario's starting to move forward on it, is the department prepared to assure Manitoba that they'll be able to maintain the numbers they've received over the last number of years?

[Neil Yeates]

We're meeting with the provinces and the territories next week, and we're going to have a discussion about levels-planning for 2013 and further years.