The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) meeting at Nova Scotia

The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) held a meeting at the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Mar 10, 2023 to discuss the future of immigration in Canada.

The ministers discussed advancing joint initiatives to address pan-Canadian immigration priorities and the effectiveness of Canada's immigration system to meet economic and regional needs. They also talked about increasing provincial/territorial (PT) involvement in economic immigrant selection, increasing allocations in the Provincial/Territorial Nominee Programs (PNPs), improving application processing times, reducing duplication, and providing greater agency over PNPs.

Ministers condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and discussed the impact on Ukrainians and their family members who are fleeing Russia's aggression and violence. They emphasized the need for a collaborative multilateral approach to ensure newcomers are welcomed in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Ministers discussed collective priorities on Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR), particularly as it relates to internationally-educated healthcare professionals, and committed to delivering a more agile, client-centered economic immigration system with increased PT involvement in the selection of economic immigrants.

The ministers also reflected on past service delivery models, the current approach, and what may be needed in the future for the delivery of settlement services, with an emphasis on exploring opportunities to better support outcomes and retention, including greater PT involvement and enhanced funding. They agreed to take steps to ensure public support for immigration remains strong and to work together to ensure that long-term FPT immigration and settlement goals contribute to Canada's current and future prosperity.

The Quebec minister responsible for immigration holds observer status at the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Ministers' Table, and Prince Edward Island officials participated as observers due to a provincial election. The FMRI is an FPT decision-making body with the goal of supporting a flexible, timely and effective immigration system for Canada.