Key Takeaways
- The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department has undergone significant restructuring, with changes authorized by Immigration Minister Lena Diab.
- The Instrument of Designation and Delegation (IDD) has been updated to reflect these changes, including the expansion of powers to various roles and the restructuring of geographic areas.
- The IDD delegates 189 powers to officials, while retaining 15 powers for the minister alone.
- The changes include the creation of a new Service Delivery Sector and the splitting of the refugee division into two branches: asylum claims and resettlement.
- The restructuring aims to streamline processing and improve service delivery, with a focus on reducing headcount and improving efficiency.
Introduction to the Restructuring
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department has published a document detailing significant restructuring, with changes authorized by Immigration Minister Lena Diab. The latest version of the Instrument of Designation and Delegation (IDD), published on January 16, 2026, outlines a slew of changes effective as of December 15, 2025. The IDD is a legal document that delegates the immigration minister’s authority to officers, including IRCC, CBSA, and RCMP officials. The latest version of the IDD delegates 189 powers to officials, while retaining 15 powers for the minister alone. This update replaces the previous version of March 11, 2025, which had been authorized by then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
Distribution of Powers
The new IDD grants a wide range of additional powers across roles in Settlement and Resettlement Operations, and creates a new Service Delivery Sector. The agents of this sector perform functions such as conducting examinations, assessing for medical inadmissibility, and making determinations on applications for work permits, study permits, and permanent residence. Under the new IDD, Resettlement Operations is authorized to refuse to issue permanent resident visas to applicants seeking to settle in Quebec without holding Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs). This change is expected to streamline processing and improve efficiency. The expansion of powers to various roles aims to reduce the workload of higher-level officers and enable them to focus on more complex cases.
Geographic Restructuring
IRCC has undergone significant geographic restructuring, with the number of regions reduced from nine to five. The new regions are: Americas and the Caribbean, Europe, Maghreb and Multilaterals, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Info-Pacific. The previous regions, including distinct regions for Northern Europe, South East Asia and Oceania, North Asia, South Asia, and the United States of America, have been merged or eliminated. This restructuring aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IRCC’s operations, with a focus on reducing bureaucracy and improving service delivery.
Refugee and Asylum
The latest version of the IDD has split what was formerly the Asylum and Refugee Resettlement branch into two: the Asylum Branch, and the Resettlement, Family, and Humanitarian Branch. Under the new authorization of powers, authority for the determination of refugee claims has been split between higher and lower-level officers. Lower-level officers are authorized to confirm eligibility, while ineligibility decisions are handled by higher-level officers. This change aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of refugee claim processing, with a focus on reducing backlogs and improving the overall quality of service.
Minor Changes and Updates
In addition to the major changes outlined above, the new IDD includes a number of minor changes and updates. These include the introduction of a new "Manager" designation for an officer of PM-05 level or equivalent within the Immigration Operations Branch and Humanitarian and Identity Operations Branch. The IDD also renames Integrity Risk Management to Migration Integrity Operations, and renames international officials to "Migration Officers" (formerly named "Immigration Officers"). These changes aim to improve the clarity and consistency of IRCC’s operations, with a focus on reducing confusion and improving communication.
Conclusion
The restructuring of IRCC’s operations, as outlined in the latest version of the IDD, aims to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of service provided by the department. The changes, including the expansion of powers to various roles, the restructuring of geographic areas, and the splitting of the refugee division, aim to reduce bureaucracy, improve processing times, and enhance the overall quality of service. As the Liberal government under Mark Carney targets significant reductions in headcount across the broader federal public service, these changes are likely to have a significant impact on the operations of IRCC and the services provided to Canadians and newcomers alike.
