ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the evolution of stakeholder engagement in Canadian immigration policy over the past 160 years – a practice widely regarded as one of the key factors behind the success of Canada’s immigration system. While early immigration laws, such as the Immigration Act of 1869, reflected exclusionary and state-centred priorities serving settler colonial and business interests, later reforms introduced limited forms of stakeholder engagement. The Immigration Act of 1976 marked a key moment by institutionalising provincial consultations and recognising a broader array of actors, including refugee advocates and family sponsors. Since the adoption of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2001, the system has increasingly incorporated stakeholder input, especially in the selection of skilled immigrants, through mechanisms like the Provincial Nominee Program, Express Entry and structured consultations. Using a typology of stakeholder relationships with the state – communicative, consultative and collaborative – we analyse the varying roles stakeholders play and the processes through which they engage in immigration policymaking. While collaborative models have emerged in provincial and regional planning, at the subnational level, stakeholder’s role remains consultative, with stakeholders offering input but lacking decision-making power. This evolving governance landscape illustrates both the growing complexity of multi-level immigration policymaking and highlights the need for clearer co-governance mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability and inclusivity in skilled immigration policy.
