Association suggests feds collaborate when making complex economic programs
The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) urged the federal government to create a federal Canadian Business Immigration Council (CBIC) composed of government stakeholders and other experts to advise on the design of business immigration programs.
In a media release, CILA added that the proposed CBIC can also assist the Canadian government in assessing performance so that business immigration programs can meet national economic development and prosperity objectives.
CILA made this recommendation in its new report titled “Engine of Growth: How a Canadian Business Immigration Council Can Support National Prosperity.”
CILA also suggested that the federal government develop a framework to test and iterate on different business immigration programs until it attains the policy outcomes desired. CILA explained that an iterative approach will enable evidence-based policymaking and evade the drawbacks of launching new programs and abruptly discontinuing them when they fall short of policy goals.
CILA asserted that improving business immigration more swiftly would entail fundamental paradigm shifts, rather than incremental adjustments.
“These shifts are from volume to value, from processing to governance, from intuition to evidence, from one-off consultations to continuous feedback, and from centralized control to shared stewardship,” CILA said.
When developing complex economic programs, CILA recommended that the Canadian government collaborate with the private sector, civil society, academia, and immigrant communities, each with distinct perspectives.
CILA noted that the CBIC will serve as an institutional mechanism rather than a traditional advisory committee. CILA claimed that the CBIC can help the federal government:
- Shift toward collaborative policymaking
- Collect real-time market intelligence
- Track important outcomes
- Identify risks early
- Suggest adjustments before minor issues become systemic problems
Catalyst Canada
Last year, CILA established its Catalyst Canada initiative, aimed at addressing how the country can make the most of business immigration to grow the economy and create more jobs. CILA’s new report summarized the findings of Catalyst Canada, chaired by Siavash Shekarian.
According to Shekarian, rather than focusing on perfect policy, Catalyst Canada stressed the importance of policy architecture designed for continuous improvement.
“Programs will require tuning,” Shekarian said in the media release. “Criteria will require adjustment. Market behaviour will reveal blind spots. But a trusted, adaptive governance engine allows those insights to translate into action quickly, transparently, and responsibly.”
Business immigration
In its media release, CILA highlighted the potential of business immigration to promote the Canadian government’s policy priorities, as identified in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s May 2025 mandate letter.
CILA noted that Canada once welcomed 30,000 business immigrants per year, representing up to a quarter of the country’s economic class admissions.
Under its immigration levels plan for 2026–28, the federal government intends to admit 500 business immigrants annually. According to CILA, Canada has downscaled business immigration due to backlogs, concerns about limited economic benefits, and other challenges.
“Business immigration can support Canada’s economy in various ways,” Shekarian said. “These include promoting productivity and GDP per capita growth, supporting affordability and the health care system, as well as strengthening foreign direct investment, international trade, and Canada’s fiscal standing.”
