Canadian PM announces ministers for immigration, labor

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his new cabinet, including naming the Hon. John McCallum as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Hon. MaryAnn Mihychuk as Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.

McCallum and Mihychuk will be tasked with implementing the Liberal Party’s immigration goals, including removing visa requirements for Mexican nationals, doubling the Sponsorship of Parents and Grandparents program and giving a boost to permanent residence applicants who have siblings in Canada.

Trudeau was elected Prime Minister in October and was sworn in Wednesday.

McCallum and Mihychuk will play key roles in the new government. McCallum will lead the renamed Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (previously called the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration). He has served in the past as Liberal Party critic for Citizenship and Immigration and as Minister of Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Mihychuk is a former member of the Manitoba Legislature, where she served as Minister of Industry, Trade, and Mines, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Other Liberal Party immigration-related goals include doubling the budget for family class immigration processing, providing immediate permanent residence to new spouses entering Canada, restoring the maximum age for dependents to 22 from 19, eliminating the CA$1,000 (US$760) LMIA fee for those seeking caregivers for family members with disabilities, and expanding Canada’s intake of refugees from Syria and Iraq to 25,000.

BAL Analysis: Trudeau is expected to reopen Parliament in December and has signaled his intention to push an ambitious agenda on immigration and other issues. BAL will follow developments in Canada and report on major immigration-related changes.

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