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Canada Updates Delegation of Authority to Immigration Officers

Canada Restructures Authority Delegation for Immigration Officers

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    IRCC Restructures Immigration Authority to Speed Up Decisions

    Canada’s federal immigration system is undergoing a major internal transformation as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduces a revised governance framework that reshapes how immigration decisions are authorized and delivered.
    The changes are outlined in the newly released Instrument of Designation and Delegation (IDD), published on January 16, 2026, and approved by Immigration Minister Lena Diab. The updated framework officially took effect on December 15, 2025, replacing the previous delegation model introduced last year.
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    What Is the Instrument of Designation and Delegation?

    The IDD is a legally binding document that defines how the immigration minister’s powers are distributed among federal officials. It authorizes immigration-related decision-making across departments such as IRCC, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

    Under the new framework, immigration officers across Canada and overseas are granted expanded authority, while a limited set of powers remains reserved exclusively for the minister. In total, the revised IDD delegates 189 statutory powers to officials and retains 15 powers at the ministerial level.

    Also check out 2026-2028 immigration levels plan | Canada Immigration Plan 2025 to 2027 Canada Immigration Levels Plan For 2024-2026 | Canada Immigration Level Plan for 2023-2025​

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    Why the Immigration System Is Being Restructured

    The restructuring comes amid broader federal efforts to modernize public service delivery and reduce administrative overlap. The Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has signaled intentions to streamline federal operations, including workforce reductions across multiple departments.
    Within this context, IRCC’s updated delegation model aims to improve operational efficiency while maintaining oversight in high-impact decision areas such as asylum, permanent residence, and inadmissibility assessments.
    Province Canadian city
    Ontario Ottawa
    London
    Mississauga
    Toronto
    Brampton
    Hamilton
    British Columbia Nanaimo
    Victoria
    Vancouver
    Kelowna
    Alberta Calgary
    Edmonton
    Quebec Quebec City
    Montreal
    Saskatchewan Regina
    Manitoba Winnipeg
    Nova Scotia Halifax

    Within this context, IRCC’s updated delegation model aims to improve operational efficiency while maintaining oversight in high-impact decision areas such as asylum, permanent residence, and inadmissibility assessments.

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    Study Permit Numbers Tightened Nationwide

    Managing student intake became another key priority in 2025. The federal government significantly reduced the number of study permits it planned to issue, citing pressure on housing, healthcare, and public infrastructure.

    The cap introduced for the year limited the number of applications processed and resulted in fewer permits being approved overall. Mid-year data showed that new student arrivals were well below annual targets, confirming the immediate impact of these restrictions. Further reinforcing this trend, authorities later announced even lower issuance targets for 2026, indicating that tighter controls on international student numbers will continue in the near future.

    National rank Canadian city
    1 Ottawa, Ontario
    2 Nanaimo, British Columbia
    3 Victoria, British Columbia
    4 Vancouver, British Columbia
    5 Quebec City, Quebec
    6 Calgary, Alberta
    7 Halifax, Nova Scotia
    8 Edmonton, Alberta
    9 Kelowna, British Columbia
    10 Montreal, Quebec
    11 London, Ontario
    12 Mississauga, Ontario
    13 Toronto, Ontario
    14 Brampton, Ontario
    15 Regina, Saskatchewan
    16 Winnipeg, Manitoba
    17 Hamilton, Ontario
    While these figures represent a significant numerical reduction, officials indicate that the adjustment aims to bring goals in line with realistic processing capacity rather than actually slashing immigration. In fact, statistics for the first eight months of 2025 already indicate that actual admissions have lagged behind planned numbers, reaching just 42% for temporary foreign workers and 29% for students thus far.
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    Expanded Authority Across Immigration Operations

    One of the most notable changes is the wider distribution of decision-making powers across settlement, resettlement, and application processing roles.

    IRCC has also established a new Service Delivery Sector, granting officers the authority to:

    • Conduct immigration examinations
    • Assess medical admissibility
    • Decide on work permit and study permit applications
    • Make determinations on permanent residence files

    This move is expected to reduce processing bottlenecks and distribute workloads more evenly across the department.

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    New Powers in Quebec-Related Immigration Cases

    The updated IDD gives Resettlement Operations explicit authority to refuse permanent resident visas for applicants intending to settle in Quebec if they do not hold a valid Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).
    According to IRCC, this clarification is designed to prevent jurisdictional delays and ensure alignment with Quebec’s provincial immigration authority, improving processing efficiency for both federal and provincial systems.
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    Canada’s Immigration Regions Reduced to Five

    As part of the restructuring, IRCC has consolidated its international operations into five global regions, down from nine. The newly defined regions are:
    • Americas and the Caribbean
    • Europe, Maghreb, and Multilateral Affairs
    • Middle East
    • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • Indo-Pacific

    Previously separate regions, such as South Asia, North Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and the United States, have now been integrated into broader geographic groupings. The consolidation is intended to simplify oversight and standardize decision-making across regions.

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    Refugee Processing Split Into Two Specialized Branches

    Another significant change affects how refugee-related cases are handled. The former combined Asylum and Refugee Resettlement Branch has been divided into two specialized units:
    • Asylum Branch
    • Resettlement, Family, and Humanitarian Branch
    Under the new structure, authority over refugee claims is tiered. Junior officers are now authorized to confirm eligibility, while senior officers handle ineligibility decisions and more complex determinations. This division is expected to accelerate case processing while preserving review safeguards.
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    Updates to Officer Titles and Internal Roles

    The revised IDD also modernizes internal terminology and reporting structures. Several role names have been updated to reflect operational realities, including:
    • Introduction of a new Manager designation at the PM-05 level within key operational branches
    • Renaming Integrity Risk Management to Migration Integrity Operations
    • Reclassifying overseas “Immigration Officers” as Migration Officers

    These changes aim to align titles with responsibilities and support consistency across domestic and international operations.

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    What This Means for Applicants and Stakeholders

    For applicants, the restructuring does not alter eligibility criteria or application requirements directly. However, it may influence processing timelines, officer discretion, and regional consistency, particularly for applications related to refugee protection, Quebec immigration, and temporary residence.
    For employers, students, and immigration applicants in 2026, the changes signal a system that is becoming more centralized, role-specific, and efficiency-driven.
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    Options for Employers in Restricted Regions

    Employers operating in CMAs with unemployment rates above 6% still have viable alternatives:

    1. Switch to the High-Wage Stream

    By increasing the offered salary to meet or exceed provincial wage thresholds, employers can submit LMIA applications under the high-wage TFWP stream.

    2. Wait for the Next Review

    Unemployment rates are reassessed every three months, meaning some regions may become eligible again in the second quarter of 2026.

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    Governor General’s Role Remains Advisory

    Although the bill references powers vested in the Governor General, these authorities are exercised strictly on the advice of the Prime Minister and cabinet. The office itself does not independently determine immigration policy.
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    Looking Ahead

    IRCC has not indicated whether further delegation reforms are planned, but the scale of the current overhaul suggests a long-term shift in how Canada manages immigration decision-making.
    As Canada continues to adjust its immigration system to meet economic, humanitarian, and operational goals, the updated IDD marks one of the most significant internal governance changes in recent years.
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