Finance Branch
The Finance Branch provides services, advice and information to departmental management concerning the financial management of the department's policies and programs. The Branch is divided into four directorates: Financial Policy and Systems, Accounting Operations, Financial Planning, Analysis and Reporting, and Cost Management. The key functions carried out by the Branch include: providing (i.e. implementing, maintaining and developing) financial policies and systems; providing accounting services; managing the loan portfolio; developing cost recovery/revenue generating plans; developing fee regulations; developing resource management plans for reallocating departmental funds or securing funding approval through central agencies to fund departmental programs; developing and implementing activity-based costing approaches and models which include financial and operational volumes data from CIC and partner departments; and providing financial analysis and reporting services.

Departmental Secretariat
The Departmental Secretariat provides a broad range of services to support the Minister and Deputy Minister through the following five units: 1) Briefings, 2) Question Period Unit, 3) Parliamentary Relations, 4) Corporate Committees and 5) Minister's Office Support Unit.

Briefings coordinates briefing material going to the Minister and staff, and to the Deputy Minister, from the department; coordinates logistics and content for ministerial events and travel; manages and coordinates oral briefing sessions for the Minister, Chief of Staff, Minister's staff and Parliamentary Secretary.

The Question Period Unit manages the preparation of Question period (QP) notes, maintains the Minister's QP briefing book and tracks departmental performance in meeting QP timelines.

Parliamentary Relations serves as the main link between the department and the Minister's Office for all parliamentary activities except QP notes. The unit supports the department in the development of parliamentary strategies, manages CIC's parliamentary returns, monitors and reports on parliamentary business, including parliamentary committees, supports the movement of CIC items through the parliamentary process, and provides training for officials appearing before parliamentary committees, and provides notes to the Executive Committee and others with respect to parliamentary processes.

Corporate Committees supports the Deputy Minister, through management and coordination of Deputy Minister-chaired corporate committees and ensuring that decision-making structures are effective and aligned with strategic outcomes. The unit also supports the Audit and Evaluation committees and manages coordination activities between Deputy Minister corporate committees (Tier 1) and Assistance Deputy Minister corporate committees (Tier 2). It also provides administrative support to the Citizenship Judge screening process.

The Minister's Office Support Unit is responsible for providing administrative, human resources and financial services to the Minister's Office as well as working with Briefings to coordinate briefings and events.

Internal Audit and Accountability Branch
The Internal Audit and Accountability (IAA) Branch is committed to advancing the achievement of CIC's Strategic Outcomes by providing value-added assurance and advisory services and identifying opportunities for strategic change so as to support the strengthening of CIC's governance, risk management practices and management control frameworks. Services are rendered by conducting systematic, disciplined and objective audits and reviews to assist management in determining where the organization can further strengthen its management practices and what remedial actions are available and appropriate. Internal Audit acts as the liaison office for the Office of the Auditor General, the Treasury Board Secretariat Office of the Comptroller General and other Central Agencies that perform audits and reviews of CIC's activities. Internal Audit is also responsible for the implementation of the Internal Disclosure Policy (Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace) within CIC.

Office of Conflict Resolution
The Office of Conflict Resolution (OCR) provides a range of confidential informal conflict resolution services for all employees of Citizenship and Immigration Canada to assist them in effectively preventing and dealing with issues, concerns and conflicts that arise in the workplace.

The Deputy Minister assigns the responsibilities and duties of the Office of Conflict Resolution as per his/her general authority under the Public Service Employment Act. The Office of Conflict Resolution reports directly to the Deputy Minister.

Office of the Assistant Deputy Attorney General
The Office of the Assistant Deputy Attorney General forms part of the Citizenship, Immigration and Public Safety (CIPS) Portfolio.

The CIPS Portfolio supports the responsibilities of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Minister of Public Safety Canada by providing a full range of strategic legal services (legislative, advisory and litigation) to the Department of Public Safety Canada (PS) and its agencies, to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) and to the Department of Justice's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Section.

The CIPS Portfolio is comprised of the Office of the Assistant Deputy Attorney General and seven (7) Legal Services Units (LSUs), namely, Public Safety Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), National Parole Board (NPB), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It also includes the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Section (War Crimes Section) that has the carriage of the management of Justice's responsibilities under the War Crimes Program. These LSUs and the War Crimes Section, with the support of the regional offices of the Department of Justice (Regional Offices) across Canada, and specialized advisory services at Justice national headquarters, serve the Portfolio's clients.

Client Service Modernization Sector

Information Management and Technologies Branch (IMTB)
The Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) function plans, builds and operates the applications, information and technology infrastructure needed to support the delivery of CIC's services and programs to Canadians, and to administer and manage the department. The branch ensures the integrity, accuracy and effective delivery of departmental information holdings, including departmental records (both paper and microfilm) and library holdings.

The Global Case Management System (GCMS) is a multi-year program to replace Citizenship and Immigration Canada business systems with an integrated case management-based set of applications and infrastructure components in support of all of the department's client operations. The program will improve CIC's overall efficiency, and client service delivery, as well as facilitate communications and data sharing with our delivery partners. GCMS will also provide the technological foundation to support new business initiatives and capitalize on innovative technology. The first deployment (D1), Citizenship Processing, is in production; the schedule for delivery of the second deployment (Release 2) is currently under review.

Service Improvement Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) established "transforming client service" as a key strategic objective in its 2006-07 departmental business plan. The Service Improvement Office (SIO) was established in June 2006 to lead this change agenda and to coordinate a series of departmental projects for operational simplification. (It should be noted that, as of April 1, 2008, responsibility for coordinating the development and publication of operational manuals and bulletins to support citizenship and immigration services delivered by CIC and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been transferred to the Operational Management and Coordination Branch).

The SIO comprises four groups:
The Service Modernization Governance team is responsible for developing and implementing a coordinated, horizontal approach to the branch's business planning to ensure strategic alignment between SIO's key objectives, priority setting, risk mitigation as well as human and financial resources planning. As part of developing an enterprise-wide approach to setting service improvement priorities and deliverables, this group is charged with coordinating the work of the Client Service Committee, monitoring the progress of service improvement projects (including associated regulatory requirements), as well as providing administrative support to the branch.

The Innovation and Development team is charged with developing an overall CIC vision for client service, assessing client needs and satisfaction, developing service partnerships with federal departments/agencies and other stakeholders, as well as leading internal and external change management strategies.

The Standards and Simplification team has a mandate to develop and coordinate a broad range of projects focused on process improvement and simplification, performance measurement, service standards and quality assurance.

The e-Business Design and Application team is charged with the development and deployment, from the business perspective, of an electronic application (e-Application) that will address virtually all lines of business as well as the development and ongoing enhancement of a variety of supporting on-line tools (e-Tools) such as e-Change of Address (e-COA). It is also responsible for development of the department's e-Policies related to, for example, electronic signature and e-Authentication.

The SIO maintains a series of project files in support of its activities.

Corporate Services Sector

Administration and Security Branch
The Administration and Security Branch provides services, advice and information to departmental management concerning key functions: security, accommodation, procurement and contracting services and common services.

The Branch is organized into three directorates: Accommodation, Administration, and Corporate Security.

Accommodation is responsible for supporting our department's priorities by providing a safe and productive workplace within a context of modern management and responsible partnership with other government departments. The directorate has two units – the Strategic Accommodation Unit is responsible for management of the national space envelope and the development of accommodation policies and tools to support both the Regions and NHQ; the Facilities Management Unit provides planning, design and facilities management services to the NCA Region.

Administration is responsible for the material management, assets management and procurement and contracting programs of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It also manages the envelopes for common services such as the Acquisition Card, Crown Asset Disposal/Removal, the Fleet Management Program, Mail services, Shipping and Receiving services and Translation Services.

Corporate Security is responsible for the overall management of security including physical and personnel security, Business Continuity Planning, Emergency Preparedness and Planning, Security Training and Awareness and the Controlled Assets Program for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Communications Branch
The role of the Communications Branch is to provide services which will meet the communications needs of the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the department and its clients. The Branch informs the public, in both official languages, about departmental policies, programs and services, alerts key audiences to major new departmental initiatives, and provides advice and guidance to the Minister and senior departmental officials on all communications aspects of programs, operations and activities. The Communications Branch is divided into three directorates: e-Communications, Strategic Communications, and Public Environment. The key functions carried out by these directorates include: publishing; internal communications; media relations; media monitoring and analysis; speechwriting for the Minister and senior departmental officials; strategic communications advice and planning; public opinion research and analysis; program-related communications assistance; departmental publications; the development and maintenance of the department's internal and external websites; and strategic advice for the development and design of website content.

Corporate Affairs Branch
The Corporate Affairs (CA) Branch offers a range of corporate services to the department. It is a service-oriented organization organized into four main business lines.

Corporate Planning and Reporting (CPR) leads the department's integrated strategic and business planning process and produces accountability reports to Parliament and the Canadian public (including on its implementation of Gender Based Analysis; Sustainable Development, and Section 41 of the Official Languages Act).

The Ministerial Enquiries Division provides enquiries and correspondence management services to the offices of the Minister and the Deputy Minister. Its mandate is to prepare replies to written enquiries/correspondence for the Minister and Deputy Minister; reply to telephone enquiries from Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators; and provide reception services to the Minister's office.

Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) manages access requests made under the provisions of the Access to Information and Privacy Act and is responsible for managing human rights complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The Management Accountability Office (MAO) promotes and supports management excellence in the department – strengthening management practices and accountabilities. The Management Accountability Framework and the newly ratified Federal Accountability Act are key instruments in defining these accountabilities.

Human Resources Branch
The Human Resources Branch provides a full range of human resources services such as staffing and classification, official languages, pay and benefits, training and development, labour-management relations, workplace ethics, conflict resolution, health and safety, organizational well-being (including recognition programs) and individual/organizational performance evaluation. This branch also provides departmental services in the area of planning and environmental analysis, resourcing strategies, policies and monitoring as well as supports the implementation and development of the departmental Human Resources Management system. The Human Resources branch also defines and supports departmental strategies on learning and change management and ensures learning and career management services as well as program related training.

Workforce Renewal Office (ceased operation March 31, 2008)
The Workforce Renewal Office was mandated to discover demographic challenges facing Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), scope out strategies for facing these challenges, and position CIC as an attractive employer today and in the future.

Operations Sector

Case Management Branch
The role of Case Management Branch is to review and manage contentious, sensitive and high profile cases for both the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Minister of Public Safety Canada (PS) (through liaison with the Canadian Border Services Agency [CBSA]).

In general terms, Case Management cases are often directed towards the Ministers of both departments for use in the House of Commons and include preparation of House cards/Question period notes, case chronologies and Ministers' Office Field Request for Assistance (MOFRAs). At the same time, some of its cases may involve seeking the Minister's special exemption from certain provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Citizenship Act and the attendant regulations.

The operations of this Branch are complex involving coordination and cooperation with other CIC and CBSA offices both in Canada and abroad, other government departments, agencies and external non-governmental organizations.

This Branch is organized into two divisions which are operational in focus. In addition, the Director General's Office supports the Director General in branch-wide concerns like budget management, human resources and program measurement.

Case Review Division:
This division is managed by the Director, Cases and Operations and has three principle areas of responsibility. This division is responsible for the review, assessment and preparation of a variety of documents for use by the Ministers and senior management of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Public Safety Canada (PS), as well as field staff.

1) Danger to the Public/Rehabilitation Unit: This unit is responsible for the review of requests for directions for admissibility hearings involving long-term permanent residents of Canada; Danger Opinions for persons who have been convicted of serious offences outside of Canada as it relates to eligibility before the Immigration and Refugee Board to hear a claim to be a Convention Refugee and for persons who have been convicted of serious offences in Canada as it relates to refoulement; extradition requests; risk of return (Pre-Removal Risk Assessment) cases; requests for rehabilitation; Reciprocal Arrangement cases; the Transfer of Offenders Act; and the issuance of some temporary resident permits.

2) Citizenship Unit: This unit is responsible for the analysis of certain cases to determine whether they should be referred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for investigation and possible criminal charges under the Citizenship Act, due to fraud, or if revocation of citizenship should be recommended to the Minister. The unit liaises with Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on security cases, and reviews briefs provided by CSIS to determine if clients meet the citizenship requirements. The unit also reviews the cases of persons under the age of 60 for whom a citizenship judge has recommended a waiver of one or more of the citizenship requirements, and determines whether a waiver is warranted. The unit is the contact point for overseas offices when they discover possible fraud in the citizenship process by persons applying for permanent resident cards to return to Canada. The unit works closely with the Department of Justice on complex and litigious cases. The unit also processes requests for special grants of citizenship, which require a submission to the Governor in Council. They also handle requests from the Minister's offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), including House cards/Question period notes, Ministers' Office Field Request for Assistance (MOFRAs), briefing notes, and correspondence.

3) Immigration Cases Unit: This unit is responsible for the assessment of high profile, contentious or sensitive cases and preparation of House cards/Question period notes, case chronologies and MOFRAs and other documentation for use by the Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Public Safety Canada, and senior staff in both departments. This unit also handles some aspects of the extradition process and formulates responses to a variety of clientele on a myriad of immigration-related issues. These cases often involve liaison with Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). Cases related to organized crime, crimes against humanity/war crimes and security are primarily managed by CBSA.

There are also three ministerial assistants who report to the Director, Case Review, Immigration Cases Unit and act as liaison between the Ministers' staff, CIC and CBSA and are involved in the research and analysis of complex and sensitive immigration and citizenship cases. They recommend appropriate courses of action and strategy which meet the requirements of the Ministers' offices while respecting the integrity of the various acts and regulations.

Litigation Management Division
This division is managed by the Director, Litigation Management Division and is mandated to monitor litigation activity; manage litigation cases arising out of the citizenship, immigration, and refugee programs in Canada and abroad; and to review vulnerable legislation, policies, programmes, and practices. The division responds to requests for assistance or information from Ministers' offices and field offices in Canada and abroad.

The division ensures good stewardship of public resources by ensuring that Department of Justice counsel are only engaged in defending decisions and decision-making processes that, on peer review by departmental colleagues, appear to comply with procedural fairness and are consistent with departmental operational policies.

The litigation case management part of the mandate consists of several key activities. The division initiates challenges on behalf of the responsible Minister in regards to decisions taken by Citizenship Judges and Immigration and Refugee Board members. The division also serves as instructing client and tribunal in regards to all overseas visa litigation arising out of the application of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In addition, the division serves as instructing client in regards to actions for damages and all other significant challenges requiring national coordination arising out of applications for benefits or entitlements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In all such litigation proceedings, the division provides advice and guidance to departmental officials to ensure that the appropriate action is taken in response to court orders.

Litigation case management is carried out by departmental experts with the requisite program expertise and factual knowledge to provide instructions in regards to a complex caseload on extremely short notice (48 hours to 15 days) on behalf of the Minister. This responsibility of the instructing client is carried out in the context of inflexible court-imposed deadlines, where decision-makers have to absorb very significant amounts of technical information in a short time period, and where the quality of the decision depends on extensive research, analysis, and consultation. In providing instructions and information to the Department of Justice, these experts ensure that the responsible policy centre is appropriately informed and engaged in regards to litigation that may result in the need to amend legislation, regulations, or a Ministerial direction.

The Litigation Management Division also serves as the secretariat to the Litigation Strategy Committee, a committee composed of senior managers in both Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) who determine the departmental response to issues arising out of litigation of particular significance to either department.

Centralized Processing Region
The Centralized Processing Region is responsible to support and deliver CIC's centralized processing functions. It is comprised of five regions: Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Call Centre in Montreal and the Query Response Centre.

[C1] The Query Response Centre (QRC) retains on microfilm records of entry to Canada for permanent residents and temporary residents, as well as selected enforcement documents. The Centre is responsible for: providing information on the status of immigrants and temporary residents in relation to the provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA); providing certified copies of CIC documents held on microfilm from 1936 to today, through applications submitted by clients; providing amended or certified copies of Records of landings and verifying the status of applications for Canadian Citizenship and Permanent Resident Cards.

[C2] CPC-Vegreville (CPC-V) is responsible for processing applications for permanent residence from all prospective immigrants who are already in Canada. These include Protected Persons, Protected Temporary Resident Class (PTRC), Spouse or Common Law Partner Class in Canada, Live-In Caregivers (LCP) and Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) applications; processing applications for extension of temporary resident status for visitors seeking to extend their stay, temporary foreign workers and foreign students; temporary resident permits (TRP); applications for Protected Persons Status documents; and applications for new work, study and temporary resident permits for persons seeking permanent residence from within Canada who have obtained their first stage of approval.

[C3] The Mississauga Case Processing Centre (CPC-M) is the national processing centre for all family class sponsorships for permanent resident applicants residing outside of Canada. It also serves as the contact point for social services sponsorship default notification and acts as the national repository for family class sponsorship applications.

[C4] CPC-Sydney (CPC-S) is responsible for the initial processing of applications for grant of citizenship and all applications for proof of citizenship, and searches of citizenship records; it processes applications for the resumption, retention and renunciation of Canadian Citizenship and maintains the national microfilm archives for all citizenship records. CPC-S is also responsible for processing permanent resident (PR) cards for new permanent residents upon receipt of their permanent resident status at a point of entry or a local Citizenship and Immigration office; and processing PR card applications for existing permanent residents who already reside in Canada.

[C5] The National Call Centre responds to in-Canada enquiries from clients, Members of Parliament and the general public regarding all lines of business for CIC as well as answering questions regarding immigration enforcement on behalf of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Foreign Credential Referral Office
The Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO) offers internationally trained and educated individuals authoritative and accurate information on the Canadian labour market and Canada's credential assessment processes. It also provides path-finding and referral services overseas and in Canada to help internationally trained individuals get the information they need in order that they may put their skills to use more quickly in Canada.

In partnership with the FCRO, Service Canada Centres provide in-person and telephone services for individuals seeking information related to the assessment and recognition of their foreign credentials. These services help individuals identify the regulatory or assessment body appropriate for their needs.

The FCRO works in collaboration with the Foreign Credential Recognition Program to further strengthen foreign credential recognition processes in Canada.

The office is not directly responsible for assessing or recognizing foreign credentials, experience or education.

Health Management Branch
Health Management Branch's (HMB) primary activities focus on Canadian immigration medical screening and assessment. In addition, HMB advises senior managers and the Minister on medical and health issues affecting immigration.

The Operations Directorate is responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of the Immigration Medical Examination and Assessment Program, ensuring timely immigration medical examination and assessment for immigrants, refugees, refugee claimants and certain classes of temporary residents who apply to enter Canada; writing and implementing operational policies and guidelines; overseeing globally the operational management of the Designated Medical Practitioners (DMP) and other health services who contribute to the immigration medical examination process. As well, Health Management Branch's regional medical offices may contribute to some aspects of the Public Service Health Program Overseas and consular services. The directorate also provides other services such as responding to humanitarian crisis (including preparedness for influenza pandemic); advising Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and other partners; liaising and developing operational partnerships with governemental and non-governmental organizations, including international partnerships.

The Strategy, Policy and Business Effectiveness Directorate is responsible for developing policy in immigration health and related operations, leading the Health Management Branch's business effectiveness activities, analyzing and reporting on operational and immigration health data, and coordinating branch communications, IT initiatives, and contributing to immigration health research.

The Centralized Services Directorate manages all aspects of financial and administration services of the Health Management Branch including branch management and coordination of human resources, financial administration and access to information and privacy.

The Program Management and Controls (PMC) Directorate manages the Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program which provides temporary, essential and emergency health coverage for persons who fall under CIC responsibility for their health care costs. These persons include refugee claimants, asylum seekers, convention refugees and persons under detention by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The Program Management and Controls (PMC) Directorate supports the Immigration Medical Examination and Assessment Program by establishing and implementing a management accountability framework for Designated Medical Practitioners (DMP) who provide immigration medical examinations for applicants to Canada. The PMC Directorate is also responsible for Post-Arrival Health Management (PAHM) which includes the Medical Surveillance Program. This program is designed to refer newcomers needing medical surveillance to provincial and territorial public health authorities. Health conditions of public health significance in the immigration context include tuberculosis (TB) and syphilis. PAHM is also invested in strengthening immigration health management during post-arrival for higher risk groups and in designing a program which will focus on good immigrant health outcomes and the impact of health on integration.

The Program Management and Controls (PMC) Directorate coordinates the provision of health services to federal government employees and their families posted to Canadian missions abroad. This program, a joint responsibility of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Health Canada, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the Treasury Board Secretariat, focuses primarily on Occupational Health and Safety services in the workplace to Canadian-based and locally-engaged staff. It also provides various other services such as preventive public health care (vaccinations), coordination of health care access, assessment of health care facilities abroad, emergency preparedness, and liaison with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

International Region
International Region is responsible for the delivery of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's immigration programs abroad. Business lines include immigrant and non-immigrant selection and processing, program integrity and reporting and liaison on matters falling under CIC's mandate. International Region also plays a role in the coordination of the department's international activities, particularly with respect to international migration, multilateral organizations, other countries, and international travel for CIC in conjunction with other parts of CIC and with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT). International Region is composed of five divisions – Geographic Operations, Resource Management, Personnel, Operational Coordination, and Field Support.

Delivery of Canada's immigration programs abroad includes, more specifically: delivery of the overseas component of annual immigration levels; management of programs abroad such as the immigrant, temporary resident, travel document related to permanent resident status determination, and refugee program; maintaining a consistent approach across geographic regions; ensuring that the delivery of the program is consistent with Canadian law and policy and with Canada's bilateral and multilateral foreign policy interests; and coordination and liaison on such concerns with other departments and agencies (e.g. the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The Geographic Operations Division manages the delivery of immigration, temporary resident and refugee programs at missions abroad offering CIC services. It manages overseas service delivery reconfiguration when this occurs.

The Resource Management Division maintains an operational structure through the allocation of financial and human resources to ensure global immigration is consistent with levels established by Cabinet. This includes those resources in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) financial base that support the immigration program. Resource Management includes resource allocation and administrative services and overseas resources management.

In close co-operation with the Resource Management Division and CIC's Human Resources Branch, the Personnel Division manages human resources relating to the International Region. This division includes assignments, personnel services and training.

The Operational Coordination Division is responsible for the implementation abroad of matters related to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and its regulations including issues of admissibility, and communications with missions on such topics. Similarly, it is responsible for initiatives to promote Canada for the purpose of recruiting immigrants and the development of reports from statistics generated by the operations abroad.

Field Support provides program support to the Region for a client service framework, a comprehensive quality assurance framework, coordination of the preparation abroad of mission International Region Immigration Management Plans (IRIMP), information management, visits and protocol, and access to information and privacy.

Operational Management and Coordination Branch
The Operational Management and Coordination Branch is responsible for coordinating all operational activities of the department, domestically and internationally, in a coherent and integrated network. It is comprised of seven divisions in National Headquarters (Operational Information Management; Citizenship Program and Promotion; Integration and Resettlement Program Delivery; Temporary Resident Program Delivery; Permanent Resident and In-Canada Protection Program Delivery; Operational Performance Management and Support; and Fraud Deterrence and Verifications). The office of the Director General is also supported by a Secretariat whose role is to provide support to the governance structure of the sector and the CIC-CBSA MOU.

The Operational Information Management Division is comprised of three units. The Information Services Unit develops and distributes application kits, interfaces with the Service Improvement Office (SIO) on e-Application and coordinates and engages on service initiatives affecting operations. The Operations and Partnership Support Unit develops content (in partnership with Communications Branch and the Information Management and Technology Branch on client service initiatives, e.g. e-mail, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and website redesign and provides support to the CIC National Call Centre. The Manuals and Operational Bulletins Unit coordinates and publishes program/policy manuals for CIC and CBSA, publishes operational bulletins, maintains business process maps and works with SIO to develop a model for integrated functional guidance tools.

The Citizenship Program Delivery and Promotion Division is comprised of two units. The Citizenship Unit is responsible for managing and coordinating citizenship program delivery as well as the functions in the Citizenship Act delegated to the Registrar of Citizenship, and providing functional guidance and advice on the citizenship program. The Citizenship Promotion Unit promotes the citizenship program through various initiatives such as special ceremonies; manages and promotes the Citation for Citizenship Award; leads the development of enhanced citizenship promotional activities by providing functional guidance to the field and to partners.

The Integration and Resettlement Program Delivery Division is comprised of three units. The Integration Unit is responsible for the national management of integration programs and services (including the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program, the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP), the Host Program, Enhanced Language Training (ELT), Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) to support the settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society; functional guidance and oversight to the field in the delivery of core settlement services. The Refugees Resettlement Unit is responsible for the national management of resettlement programs. These programs include the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP); the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program and the Immigration Loans Programs (ILP); provides functional guidance to the field; manages the Refugee Matching Centre for Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR); develops operational guidelines, manuals and training material. The iCAMs and Portal Unit manages and coordinates products, content and contribution.

The Temporary Resident Program Delivery is comprised of three units. The Special Events Unit is responsible for providing specialized client service to Other Government Departments (OGDs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) who are hosting an international event in Canada (including Winter Olympics/Paralympics 2010); provides information to the event organizers on the temporary resident process and working closely with other Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) branches and several OGDs including the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Heritage Canada to ensure a horizontal approach towards delivery of government services related to an event. The Operational Readiness Unit provides leadership and consistency in planning for and reporting on issues involving natural and man-made disasters that have an impact on CIC as well as working closely with other government departments and external stakeholders to prepare responses and guidelines in response to these events. The Temporary Resident Unit provides functional advice and guidance on the processing and screening of temporary residents (Temporary resident visas (TRV), Student Permit (SP), Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW), Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP), Canadian Economic Class (CEC), Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)); develops operational guidelines, manuals and training material.

Permanent Resident and In-Canada Protection Program Delivery is comprised of two units. The Immigration Program Unit is responsible for providing functional advice and guidance relating to the application of all provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) related to the Immigration program (i.e. permanent residence) including admissibility, misrepresentation, criminality, medical issues, as well as non-compliance with the residency obligations for permanent residents; coordinating the guidelines and manual amendments relating to the Immigration program (permanent residence); the primary liaison with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on mutual interests. The Inland Refugee and Protection Programs Unit manages, coordinates and provides functional guidance on front-end refugee claimant processing (including application of the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement); the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) process and in-Canada landings of protected persons and develops operational guidelines, manuals and training material.

The Operational Performance Management and Support Division is comprised of two units. The Finance and Administration Unit provides financial support and advice to the ADM of Operations as well as providing advice and functional guidance on financial management for Operational Management and Coordination and the Centralized Processing Region; identifies and monitors compliance to various policies, regulations and procedures while addressing departmental initiatives, challenges and changes for the branch; prepares and analyzes costing exercises and financial business cases for the branch and the sector in support of sector and departmental priorities; coordinates all HR and staffing related activities for the branch. The Performance Management Unit coordinates and develops sector and branch business plans, including HR and business continuity plans; monitors and assesses business and management processes in relation to the Management Accountability Framework (MAF); leads branch and sector responses to corporate reporting requirements, develops performance measurement and monitoring standards for all business lines; leads all aspects of operational data management, including collection, analysis, reporting, forecasting and dissemination, for the sector and the department; manages production issues, immigration levels and operational targets in Canada and overseas, and informs senior management decision-making as it relates to the effectiveness of the service delivery network; ensures alignment of business cases across planning, reporting, evaluation, and financial analysis functions.

The Fraud Deterrence and Verifications Division is responsible for issues related to program integrity and fraud deterrence across all CIC business lines, both domestically and internationally. This division consists of three units: Quality Assurance; Identity and Documents; and Field Support. Activities undertaken by the division include oversight of the manufacture of the Permanent Resident Card; provide operational support and functional guidance on civil, travel and identity documents; conducting and coordinating quality assurance activities at three Centralized Processing Centres within Canada and local CICs and facilitating the sharing of best practices and the promotion of greater operational cohesion in field of application fraud deterrence. The division is the primary CIC point of contact for the Intelligence Directorate of CBSA and in particular the Migration Integrity Support and Anti-Fraud and Human Trafficking Units. It also works closely with other domestic and international partners with similar fields of responsibility.

Regions

Atlantic Region
The Atlantic Region of Citizenship and Immigration Canada is responsible for the delivery of Canada's immigration programs and program activities in the four Atlantic Provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. This includes immigrant selection, non-immigrant processing, immigration medical services, reporting and liaison, immigration, visitor and refugee programs, Citizenship, Settlement, Admissibility, Selection, and Inland Control.

The Atlantic Region is also responsible for ensuring a consistent approach across the four provinces; as well as for coordination and liaison with other departments and agencies such as the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Health Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Atlantic Region ensures that the delivery of these programs is consistent with Canadian law and policy.

The Atlantic Region consists of six local offices and the Atlantic Regional Headquarters. In addition to providing immigrant and temporary admissions services, inland offices also grant citizenship and work with the provinces, municipalities and community groups to help newcomers integrate and promote understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

British Columbia and Yukon Region
The British Columbia and Yukon Territory Region coordinates the delivery of citizenship and immigration services to residents and visitors throughout British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Core service activities include the immigration and temporary resident programs, citizenship, and settlement programs of the department through inland offices. The region consists of six inland offices. Officers in the inland offices are responsible for processing applications for temporary and permanent residence status. In addition to providing immigrant and temporary admissions services, inland offices also grant citizenship and promote understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship. In the Yukon Territory, the department, in concert with service providing organizations, administers the full range of settlement services under the immigrant settlement program. In British Columbia, however, because the responsibility for design and delivery of other settlement programs devolved to the Province of British Columbia under the terms of the Canada-British Columbia Agreement for Co-operation on Immigration, the department administers only the resettlement assistance program for government-assisted refugees and an airport reception program for new immigrants arriving from abroad.

Ontario Region
This region is comprised of directorates and regional management areas which report to the office of the Director General.

Strategic Planning and Executive Services (SPEXS) leads the Planning and Accountability Cycle for Ontario Region. SPEXS facilitates the development of regional priorities and the region's integrated and business resource plan. The Directorate is responsible for integrating the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) in Ontario Region. SPEXS is a dedicated focal point for cross-cutting Modern Management initiatives. SPEXS coordinates monthly senior management meetings and itineraries for visiting dignitaries.

The Settlement and Intergovernmental Affairs Directorate assists newcomers to adapt, settle and integrate into Canadian society by funding community-based delivery partners who deliver CIC settlement and resettlement programs across Ontario. This Directorate is responsible for implementing the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) in the region. This involves building partnerships with the different levels of government and community-based groups in order to meet the objectives of COIA.

Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) at Mississauga and Niagara Falls (with a satellite office in Toronto) is responsible for administering the PRRA program, as well as processing the Humanitarian and Compassionate (with risk) in-Canada Applications for Permanent Residence in accordance with the Single Decision-Maker model. PRRA partners are: the Canada Border Services Agency, the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Department of Justice in administering the program.

The Program Directorate is responsible for all aspects of processing in-Canada applications referred by central processing centres, the Citizenship program, in-person refugee claims, coordination of continuous process improvement, quality assurance, some enforcement activity, and the development and maintenance of partnerships. This unit is also responsible for the coordination and delivery of the permanent resident card renewal ongoing partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and working with the Department of Justice to maintain the integrity of IRPA. A newly formed Temporary Foreign Worker Unit was created within the Program Directorate in 2008. The mandate of this unit is to provide guidance to Ontario employers seeking to hire Labour Market Opinion exempt workers.

The Communications Directorate provides communications products and services for both internal and external clients and designs communications strategies and action plans to achieve departmental and regional objectives. It provides advisory, editorial, media and community relations services to the Director General, the regional management team and managers. The Communications Directorate responds to media inquiries pertaining to program, operational and case issues.

Finance, Administration and Informatics Services (FAIS) responds to the operational needs of CIC staff and programs through the provision of integrated corporate services in the areas of Finance, Security, Administration, and Information Managemenent and Technology Services. In addition, the management and co-ordination of Access to Information and Privacy for Ontario Region, which provides service to departmental staff and the public at large, is also part of the FAIS Directorate.

Human Resources provides advice and services to the Region in the areas of Compensation and Benefits, Staffing, Official Languages, Diversity, Health and Safety, Staff Relations, Classification, Learning and Development, and Awards and Recognition.

Prairies and Northern Territories Region
The Prairies and Northern Territories Region is responsible for the delivery of Canada's immigration, refugee, temporary resident (visitor, temporary foreign workers and foreign students), citizenship, and settlement programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

Services are delivered through a network of seven Citizenship and Immigration Centres (CICs) located in Calgary, Lethbridge, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and Yellowknife. Service to Nunavut is provided by CIC Winnipeg. In addition, there is a Regional Pre-removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Unit and a Regional Temporary Foreign Worker Unit (TFWU), both located in Calgary. The Regional Headquarters, located in Winnipeg, is responsible for Policy and Programs, Finance and Administration, Communications, Human Resources, Information Technologies and Public Rights.

Quebec Region
The role of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Quebec Region is to implement federal programs and offer citizenship and immigration services for the Quebec Region in collaboration with the Government of Quebec departments, in particular the Ministère de l'Immigration et des Communautés culturelles du Québec (MICC), which, under the Canada-Quebec Accord, has shared jurisdiction with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in the area of immigration.

The Region's mandate is carried out by a regional office with six regional directorates: Operations, Programs and Partnerships, Human Resources, Information Technologies and Telecommunications, Communications, and Finance and Administration. Four local offices offer immigration and citizenship services outside the Montreal region, namely Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City and Sherbrooke.

The Quebec Region provides Canadian citizenship granting services and has the mandate to promote citizenship and the values associated with it.

Immigration services are offered to clients within Canada through the Region's network of inland offices.

These services include the processing of permanent residence applications, the initial processing of refugee claimants, the granting of permanent resident cards, applications for temporary resident extensions, and the pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) service.

All Quebec Region staff are committed to providing quality immigration and citizenship services to all members of the public. In order to meet client needs, the CIC Call Centre fields questions and comments from the general public.

In addition, a range of client services suited to the needs of the general public have been set up in the Quebec Region. These include the Regional Foreign Student Unit which is intended as an advisory service for our partners in academia and seeks to improve our service to student clients; and the Regional Foreign Worker Unit, which gives advice on issuance of work permits before the worker enters Canada through any Quebec Region port of entry, and answers questions from employers wishing to hire foreign workers.

One of Regional Client Services' main focuses is on maintaining an excellent partnership with constituency offices, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other partners. It organizes regional tours to raise awareness among federal constituency office staff and deal efficiently with complaints.

The Quebec Region plays an active role in various programs, in particular as a partner in the "Our Missing Children" program. The aim of this program is to identify children who have been abducted or are runaways and who appear at our borders or are already in Canada. Great vigilance is exercised in these cases by officers of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) at ports of entry and by officers at CIC's inland offices. CIC is a partner in this program, which is administered by CBSA, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Strategic and Program Policy Sector

Citizenship Branch
The Citizenship Branch is the centre for citizenship policy within the department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The work of the branch is driven by an evidence-based policy framework that supports a systematic and integrated approach to policy direction, program solutions, and legislative options.

The branch is responsible for the policy interpretation of the Citizenship Act, leadership of legislative modernization and has an important supporting role in the management of litigation pressures. The branch also builds strong partnerships within CIC, as well as with other key government departments and domestic and foreign stakeholders to engage and address the full spectrum of citizenship issues.

Immigration Branch
Immigration Branch is responsible for the development of policy and program design affecting the selection of people to Canada, both immigrants and non-immigrants.

Social Policy and Programs Division
This division is responsible for policy and program development related to maximizing the social benefit of immigration to Canada, with the exception of refugee and integration policies and programs. The scope of this division's policy and program responsibilities includes matters related to: family reunification from overseas and within Canada; sponsorship; inter-country adoption; discretionary decision-making for humanitarian and compassionate or public interest reasons; temporary resident permits and the permit holder class; and trafficking in persons. The division is also responsible for policy issues concerning immigration representatives.

Temporary Resident Policy and Programs Division
This division is responsible for all policy and program development related to temporary migration, including international students, temporary workers, live-in caregivers and trade agreements affecting the movement of people.

Permanent Resident Policy and Programs Division
This division is responsible for all policy and program development related to permanent migration, including business immigration (investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons), skilled workers, provincial nominees, migration to official language minority communities and transitional migrants (those transitioning from temporary to permanent resident status).

Service Line Support Division
This division is responsible for the coordination and management of branch administrative functions, for setting program performance standards, objectives, priorities and goals in the context of the planning and accountability process, and for evaluating and reporting on program performance.

Horizontal Immigration Policy Division
This division is responsible for horizontal policy development on issues that span economic and non-economic streams. The division will advance forward-looking evidence-based policy that draws linkages between many policy and program issues within the branch. This will be supported by the development and enrichment of the knowledge base. The division also acts as a liaison between the branch and Research and Evaluation and Metropolis branches. A central responsibility of the division will be to lead in the development and implementation of levels policy in support of the department's objectives to support economic growth, family reunification and humanitarian protection while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.

Integration Branch
The Integration Branch is responsible for the development of policy and programs that support the settlement, adaptation and integration of newcomers into Canadian society. The branch develops policies and programs that promote integration and Canadian citizenship and ensures that the federal government meets its responsibilities towards the immigrants it accepts for permanent residence. The Integration Branch is composed of four divisions: Foundational Programs; Program Policy and Business Management; Business Services and Client-Centered Programs.

The Foundational Programs Division is responsible for the development, refinement and enhancement of programs and policies intended to facilitate the settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada. Activities include the elaboration of a language learning strategy, enhancing community connections through a societal and immigrant engagement strategy, and reviewing existing settlement services such as Host and Welcoming Communities Initiatives. Another key focus of the division is expanding access to and awareness of community services including Canadian Orientation Abroad, settlement publications and the development/negotiation of Portal content. The division is also responsible for the development of policies and strategies to ensure the integration of newcomers to Francophone minority communities and for the coordination of the CIC-Francophone Minority Communities Steering Committee.

The Program Policy and Business Management Division, is responsible for horizontal integration policy and program issues and management (e.g. Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, generic briefing notes, policy research). The division is also responsible for branch accountability mechanisms (e.g. iCAMS, the performance measurement database, evaluation frameworks, and the Risk Management Accountability Framework) for integration programs to better link funding to outcomes. In addition, the division is responsible for stakeholder engagement, coherence, coordination and linkages on national initiatives to ensure horizontal collaboration.

The Business Services Division (BSD) provides both the Integration and Citizenship branches with the capacity to plan, analyze and coordinate business planning activities and to strengthen the human resource, administrative and financial capacity of the branches to deliver on their mandates. BSD is also responsible for the ATIP coordination for both branches.

The Client-Centered Programs Division provides policy and developmental assistance on new integration initiatives as well as outreach activities with other departments and stakeholders. Activities include the management of the Enhanced Language Training (ELT) initiative, working with stakeholders on immigrant labour market integration issues, implementation and evaluation of pilot or demonstration projects. Policy and operational management of these programs is currently assumed by the division.

International and Intergovernmental Relations Branch
The International and Intergovernmental Relations (IIR) Branch provides strategic direction to CIC's international and interprovincial relations. It has two divisions.

International Policy Coordination develops the department's international migration strategy and coordinates departmental engagement in the international arena by: managing and enhancing Canada's participation in bilateral and multilateral organizations active in migration; supporting Canada's foreign policy objectives by working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and other government departments, as well as with researchers and non-governmental organizations; and by identifying and pursuing the links between international migration and other foreign policy issues. International Policy Coordination identifies emerging issues and assesses their impact on CIC activities and priorities. It articulates specific positions in consultation with government partners to engage effectively in the international migration dialogue. It steers Canada's contributions (financial and substantive) to selected international and multilateral bodies which address the issues of migration management, capacity building, and how migration interacts with other cross-cutting interests (e.g. development, trade, health, security, social cohesion) within geographical regions and around the globe. As Canada is a participant in many such organizations and informal groups, this branch supports Canadian delegates to meetings and provides consistent and targeted inputs and messages to encourage broad acceptance of Canadian positions. Finally, it works with other countries' representatives and various departments and levels of government to arrange coherent, strategic programs for incoming and outgoing high-level government delegations.

The Intergovernmental and Stakeholder Relations Division serves as the department's focal point for federal-provincial/territorial (FPT) relations and is responsible for developing strategic partnerships with the provinces and territories. Since jurisdiction over immigration is a shared responsibility, ongoing intergovernmental consultation and cooperation is a critical aspect of managing the immigration program. Multilateral, regional, and/or bilateral approaches to engagement are required to advance policy issues and to develop a more responsive immigration program that respects the unique needs of each province and territory. The division negotiates and manages framework agreements for cooperation with provinces and territories. The division also supports other CIC branches in FPT liaison and consultation functions. In addition, the division is responsible for developing strategic partnerships with key national stakeholders.

Metropolis Secretariat
CIC supports the Metropolis Project Secretariat which coordinates the Metropolis Project and its strategic directions. The Metropolis Project is an international network for comparative research and public policy development on migration, diversity, and immigrant integration in cities in Canada and around the world. The key objective of the project is to give governments solid information to help them develop policies that can accommodate and manage social change arising from immigration. The project is structured as a partnership with both domestic and international components.

Nationally, CIC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada support the Metropolis Project. The federal departments and agencies that are long-term partners with CIC in the project include the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canada Border Services Agency, Canada Economic Development for Quebec, Canada Mortgage and Housing, Canadian Heritage, FedNor, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Justice Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Safety Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Rural Secretariat, and Statistics Canada. The Metropolis Project Secretariat coordinates federal activities through an interdepartmental committee structure. Five Metropolis Centres of Excellence - located in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and Atlantic Canada - have been created, each a partnership of major universities. Collectively the Centres involve over 20 universities and several hundred affiliated researchers and graduate students. Federal, provincial and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector representatives participate actively in the management and advisory structures of each of the Centres. In addition to receiving core federal support, the Centres draw extensive support from the universities and receive additional project resources from federal departments, provinces, NGOs and the private sector.

The International Metropolis Project involves a partnership of policy makers and researchers from over 20 countries, including the United States, most of Western Europe, Israel, Argentina and the Asia-Pacific Region, and inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations such as the European Commission, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, the Migration Policy Institute, the International Organization for Migration and the Migration Policy Group. The international project achieves significant leverage with its academic resources and its network. CIC's Metropolis Project Team provides strategic direction and coordination to the International Steering Committee that manages the international project.

Refugees Branch
Refugees Branch is composed of the Asylum, Refugee Resettlement, Horizontal Policy and International Protection, and Refugee Program Support Divisions. They are responsible for the development of refugee policies and programs; liaison with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB); and representing the interests of CIC and the Government on refugee issues.

Research and Evaluation Branch
Research and Evaluation Branch is responsible for strategic research and statistics, evaluation and knowledge transfer.

The Evaluation Division undertakes program evaluation studies to support management decision-making.

Strategic Research and Statistics provides support to evidence-based policy and program development; and is the departmental focal point for the development, conduct and contracting of research.

The Knowledge Transfer Division contributes to evidence-based policy development, develops the departmental multi-year research plan and produces knowledge products such as the Facts and Figures.

Risk Mitigation Branch
The Risk Mitigation Branch (RMB) is composed of three divisions; Identity and Document Policy, Risk Assessment and Control, Visa Policy, and an Administrative Services Unit.

RMB has the overall responsibility for the development of department-wide strategies to mitigate risk to CIC programs and support program integrity. The branch has the lead on identity policy, document policy, inadmissibility policy, program integrity and visa policy.

RMB participates in a number of domestic and international fora to develop coordinated strategies and foster cooperation.

The Identity and Document Policy Division is responsible for developing program policy for CIC on the use of biographical and biometric personal identifiers; monitoring Canadian and international developments in identity management; and leading CIC policy representation on/at fora dedicated to developing uses and standards for biometrics and identity management. This division is also responsible for developing program policy for CIC on the acceptability of foreign travel and identity documents for CIC programs, including travel to Canada; and on the issuance of Canadian travel and identity documents.

The Risk Assessment and Control Division is responsible for three broad themes: risk mitigation strategies, inadmissibility policy, and information sharing with international partners. The division develops and updates a strategy to mitigate security, criminality and health risks in CIC programs. It assesses the tools available to officers to alleviate those risks and proposes methods of mitigating risk whenever the existing tools are inadequate relative to the risk. The division is also responsible for developing policies relating to the application of inadmissibility provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that fall within the mandate of CIC: criminality, inadmissibility for financial reasons, misrepresentation, inadmissible family member as well as non-compliance, including non-compliance with the residency obligation for permanent residents. The work also includes developing a strategy to tackle fraud in CIC programs. The division also negotiates and manages information sharing arrangements with international.

The Visa Policy Division is responsible for conducting country reviews and regularly assessing Canada's Temporary Resident Visa requirements. The review process includes producing country reports and conducting technical visits. The division then makes recommendations, based on interdepartmental consultations, to lift or impose a visa requirement. The division also develops policy options for transit visas such as the Transit Without Visa pilot which allows certain travellers with valid US visas to transit Canada on their way to the US without having to obtain a Canadian transit visa. The division provides secretariat support for the Canada-US Visa Policy Coordination Working Group which provides a forum for both countries to discuss and share information that could have an impact on their respective visa policies. The division also provides analysis and support for CIC's participation in the Canada-EU Joint Visa Working Group on visa-related issues and country conditions.

The Administrative Services Unit is responsible for providing advice to the branch on all financial, administrative, procurement, facilities, human resources, training and planning issues, including the production of the business, human resources and gender-based analysis plans. The division is also responsible for coordinating the branch's input for the Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), the Departmental Performance Report (DPR) and the Annual Report on Immigration to Parliament.

Strategic Policy Branch
This branch was created as a result of the division of the former Strategic Policy and Partnerships Branch into two new branches (one being the Strategic Policy Branch, the other being the International and Intergovernmental Relations Branch). The Strategic Policy Branch is responsible for major cross-cutting policy issues relating to the Citizenship and Immigration portfolio.

The Strategic Policy Branch provides strategic policy direction for the department, including the integration of the department's agenda with the broader government agenda. Strategic Policy provides strategic policy advice for the Minister, Deputy Minister and the Assistant Deputy Ministers on government-wide and department-wide issues, leads on and coordinates long-term and ongoing corporate strategic policy, is responsible for managing the regulatory process and prepares briefing material in support of the Minister's participation in cabinet committees.

The branch comprises three directorates: Strategic Policy Development, Strategic Priorities, and Regulatory Policy and Cabinet Briefings. The areas of responsibilities for each of these directorates are as described below.

The Strategic Policy Development Directorate works in collaboration with partners in program policy areas to provide strategic policy advice and coordination, as well as support policy innovation with respect to key current issues such as levels planning, inventory management, immigrant selection, social and economic integration and outcomes, and refugees. This directorate is also responsible for guiding policy development for emerging issues, such as labour market trends, and migration health policy issues.

The Strategic Priorities Directorate undertakes medium to long-term planning and priority setting in support of CIC's strategic policy agenda. The Directorate's work includes: identifying horizontal priorities within CIC and across the federal government; collaborating with other government departments and agencies in policy development; guiding the integration of CIC's policies; developing immigration framework policies; transition planning; and supporting the policy development process in the department through its secretariat role for CIC's Policy Committee.

The Regulatory Policy and Cabinet Briefings Directorate is responsible for the following key areas:

Regulatory Policy: developing and providing guidance in the development of regulations in CIC; developing the annual departmental regulatory plan; preparing delegation and designation instruments; and implementing the "Smart Regulations" initiative.

Cabinet Briefings: preparing Cabinet and Cabinet Committees documents, including briefing notes for the Minister's participation at Cabinet and Committee meetings, weekly agendas and cabinet business lists for CIC.

Other

Office of the Senior Citizenship Judge
The Citizenship Commission is an independent administrative tribunal reporting directly to the Minister. The Commission is administered by a Senior Judge who ensures that Citizenship Judges, who are appointed by Order-in-Council, discharge their statutory and administrative duties under the Citizenship Act, and acts as the link between Citizenship Judges, the Minister and the department with regard to citizenship issues.

Citizenship Judges are required to conduct the following activities: determine, in accordance with the Citizenship Act, whether applicants meet the requirements to become citizens; perform the ceremonial functions associated with administering the Oath of Citizenship; work to maintain the integrity of the citizenship process; and carry out an ambassadorial role associated with the promotion of the concept and values of Canadian citizenship in the communities where they are appointed.