Pathways to Prosperity: Canada

The Conference Board of Canada’s second Canadian Immigration Summit will be held on April 4-5, 2016. Hosted by the Conference Board’s National Immigration Centre, this two-day event is convening more than 250 leading representatives from government, business, education, non-profits and immigrant-serving organizations from across Canada.

Summit Overview

Immigration matters more than ever to Canada’s social and economic prosperity—we require a vibrant, healthy, larger, and highly responsive immigration system to ensure our future. At the same time, forces of international and domestic change are placing great pressure on the immigration environment. We need to develop innovative, efficient, and responsive policies and programs to meet the challenges.

The Canadian Immigration Summit 2016 is designed to help.

Its domestic and international best practice sessions offer delegates leading strategies on how to make Canada’s immigration system works for all stakeholders—ensuring that our country remains open and hospitable to immigrants and temporary residents.

Delegates will tackle attraction, settlement, labour market integration, and regulatory challenges.

They will discuss how to optimize immigrants’ valuable contributions to Canada’s economic competitiveness, and social and cultural vitality; the role and meaning of citizenship in immigration context; and how cross-sectoral stakeholders can help ensure the success of resettled refugees in Canada.

Summit Themes

The Summit will focus on the following themes:

Supporting People:

Immigrants and temporary residents face a multitude of settlement and integration challenges. At this year’s Summit, we examine best practices in helping these people thrive:

• How can we improve immigrants’ labour market outcomes?
• How can we more effectively resettle and integrate refugees?
• How can we make Canadian communities more welcoming and inclusive?
• How can we access more public and private resources to enhance services?

Creating Partnerships:

Immigration crosses jurisdictions and sectors. That means strong partnerships are critical to sustaining our immigration system. This year’s Summit examines how to enhance collaboration between key players.

Enhancing Prosperity:

Immigrants are a vital source of high-skilled talent. They are entrepreneurial, innovative, and boost international trade. They stimulate demand for “immigrant-friendly” products and services. This year’s Summit examines how Canada can continue to attract high-skilled immigrants while also looking at how stakeholders can help immigrants find work commensurate with their skills, education, and experience. Additional areas of consideration include how stakeholders can support immigrant entrepreneurship and innovation to maximize the contributions of immigrants to Canada’s economy.

Developing a National Immigration Action Plan for Canada:

Imagine an optimal immigration system for Canada’s future. We invite delegates to share their vision and discuss how we can build a better immigration system. Summit sessions will inform delegates’ dialogue by assessing current performance and exploring opportunities for change. This will help shape the National Immigration Action Plan for Canada.