The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) oversees areas such as immigration, refugees, Canadian citizenship and newcomer programs.
Immigration is a large part of Canada’s roots. It has taken on several categorical iterations and namesakes throughout the last hundred years to get to its current name of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The IRCC was created to link immigration services with citizenship registration, promote the unique ideals Canadians share, and help to build a stronger Canada.
The IRCC is the formal branch of the Canadian government that oversees:
- The arrival of immigrants to Canada.
- Providing protection to refugees.
- Programs to help newcomers settle in Canada.
Immigration
The ‘Immigration’ portion of the department title refers to Canada’s efforts to build and maintain a policy of welcoming newcomers in a way that is beneficial to Canadians and newcomers alike. Canada has traditionally been a country with a progressive, open immigration policy. The purpose of the ‘Immigration’ branch is to facilitate immigration to Canada, protect applicants from fraud, and provide information on what to expect after you arrive in Canada. Immigrate’s services directly align with the values and regulations of the Immigration branch to make the process easier and faster for you. To learn all the benefits that Canada has experienced from immigration, check out our blog on ‘Why Canada is prioritizing immigration during the pandemic.’
Refugees
The ‘Refugees’ portion of IRCC is responsible for monitoring the ever-changing state of refugee status’. Due to global instability and conflict, there has been an influx in the number of refugees. The IRCC’s job is to approach this situation with compassion by offering security and opportunities in Canada. This can be done by applying for refugee status from within Canada, coming to Canada as a refugee, sponsoring refugees, and providing refugee services. It is the IRCC’s responsibility to facilitate these processes.
Citizenship
Becoming a Canadian citizen is a wonderful opportunity. The underlying purpose of the IRCC is to facilitate citizenship for all. This branch is in control of Canadian citizenship applications, the citizenship test, and how to resume or give up your application status.
To break this down further, this means the IRCC is in charge of:
- Granting citizenship.
- Issuing and approving status documents (such as passports, citizenship status, visas, and permits for traveling, living and visiting Canada).
- Multiculturalism in Canada.
- Enforcement of rules (such as immigration violations, the detonation process, and immigration admissibility hearings)
Canada has maintained their stance of being open and welcoming to all immigrants, no matter the route taken. The IRCC has 7,304 full-time employees dedicated to enhancing the values and promoting the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. Recently, the IRCC has pledged to increase funding dedicated to improving program delivery and decreasing processing times.
Immigrate works with the IRCC guidelines to make your immigration process easy, fast, and transparent. To learn more about this, book a consultation with our experts. Let us bring the world to you.