Ottawa · May 17, 2023
2023 Canadian Immigration Summit
Co-Creating to Advance Our Immigration System
The 2023 Canadian Immigration Summit will gather thought leaders from across Canada to co-create innovative strategies that address the biggest challenges in immigrant selection, settlement, and inclusion.
Canada has long been a global leader in immigration. We know from experience that immigrants bring tremendous value to our country, from meeting labour needs to enriching multiculturalism. But the world is rapidly changing, and our immigration system is evolving with it. Continued innovation is critical to amplify the benefits of immigration for both Canada and immigrants themselves.
The 2023 Canadian Immigration Summit will bring together thought leaders and employers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as immigrants and refugees, to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities in immigration. Join us for a series of highly interactive, participant-led workshops championed by key immigration leaders. Learn, collaborate, and network at one of Canada’s foremost immigration events.
Location
Ottawa Conference and Event Centre
200 Coventry Road
Ottawa, ON, K1K 4S3
Contact Us
1-888-928-7190
The Conference Board of Canada’s Associate Director of Immigration Research, Iain Reeve, discusses what makes the 2023 Canadian Immigration Summit unique and how you can make an impact.
Explore Summit Themes
At the summit, you will select one of three concurrent themes. Throughout the day, you will attend a series of sessions that build on one another to test new ideas, exchange perspectives, and prototype solutions. Each theme will be championed by immigration leaders who will act as expert resources . You can get to know the summit champions for each theme in the agenda. Summit themes include:
A
Temporary Immigration and Pathways to Permanent Residence
As Canada’s reliance on temporary workers grows, what is the rationale for temporary residence and the evidence to support it? What opportunities are there for people to transition to permanent residence, and what should guide the creation of these pathways to ? Which stakeholders should be part of these conversations?
B
Resettling Refugees for the Long Term: The Role of Employment
The offer of resettlement helps people find safety. Once in Canada, refugees want to build new lives and enjoy new opportunities. What role does employment play in supporting their resettlement journeys?
C
Enhancing Employers’ Capacity to Assess Skills, Experience, and Education Acquired Abroad
Alongside an unprecedented talent shortage, Canada is also dealing with talent waste: underemployment of people due to challenges recognizing their skills and credentials. What strategies can big and small employers leverage when recruiting and hiring to ensure a better match between people’s skills and their jobs?
What to Expect
- Work alongside key thought leaders to innovate solutions for some of the most wicked problems in immigration.
- Delve deep into the big ideas, priorities, and strategies of top policy-makers, employers, and non-profit leaders.
- Hear about the employment experiences of refugees and immigrants.
- Share your own experience and learnings with leaders to address current challenges facing immigrants and their integration.
- Benefit from in-person networking opportunities with immigration decision-makers.
- Be inspired to take individual and collective action towards co-creating solutions to improve the immigration system.
Agenda
Please note: All agenda times are in Eastern Standard Time. See what time that is for you.
At this year’s Immigration Summit, our program will be hands-on. Championed by immigration leaders, each of the interactive concurrent sessions will focus on a key challenge. Speakers/leaders will drive conversations to help participants define the problem, workshop solutions, and develop key take-aways to address persistent challenges in the Canadian immigration system. Participants will gain insight into new and emerging practices and be part of driving them forward.
May 17, 2023
8:00 am
Registration and Breakfast
9:00 am
Welcome Remarks
9:15 am
Aali came to Canada in 2005 as an international student to pursue his PhD studies at the University of Ottawa. After graduation, he co-founded Giatec in 2010 with a passion to bridge the gap between academia and the construction industry. In this talk, Aali will share his story of bootstrapping a tech start-up, and the lessons learned in building a diverse team of 130 employees and a global company in concrete sustainability.
Speaker
Dr. Aali Alizadeh
CTO, Giatec and Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa
9:45 am
Session description coming soon.
Moderator
Magdalene Cooman
Senior Research Associate, The Conference Board of Canada
Speaker
Arif Khimani
President & COO, MobSquad
Noel Baldwin
Director, Government and Public Affairs, Future Skills Centre
Dorra Gdoura
Assistant Director, Adult Career Transition Centre, La Cité
10:15 am
Break
10:30 am
Your session champion(s) and/or a top expert in the field will introduce the theme and identify the current state of knowledge using a mix of research and lived experience. Through a presentation and Q&A format, this session will answer the following key questions: What do we know today? How is the issue impacting immigrants and Canadians? Where is more data and evidence needed? By advancing our understanding of the problem, we will prepare to workshop ways forward in subsequent sessions.
This theme will examine the consequences of a growing temporary residence program and why they matter. Discussions will explore the current availability of pathways to permanent residence and the impacts of these policies on newcomers.
Speakers
Naomi Alboim
Senior Policy Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration (CERC), Toronto Metropolitan University
Rupa Banerjee
Canada Research Chair in Immigrant Inclusion and Associate Professor of Human Resource Management
Shafiul Maznabin
Senior Data Service Representative, The Canadian Institute (C5 Group Inc.)
Armine Yalnizyan
Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson Foundation
Champions*
Armine Yalnizyan
Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson Foundation
Rupa Banerjee
Canada Research Chair in Immigrant Inclusion and Associate Professor of Human Resource Management
*Champions will follow the same theme throughout the day.
This theme brings together refugee resettlement experts, employers, settlement service providers, and refugees to share their experiences and challenges with employment opportunities and best practices in long-term resettlement.
Speakers
John Biles
Acting Senior Director, Settlement Network, Resettlement Operations Directorate, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Fariborz Birjandian
Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
Lisa Bokwa
Senior Director, Resettlement Policy, IRCC
Anita Carroll
SVP, Corporate and Stakeholder Engagement, ACCESS
Julie Clark
Senior Director, International Network, IRCC
Dr. Wendy Cukier
Founder, Diversity Institute and Academic Director Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
Tommy Desfosses
Director Of Corporate Operations, PAL Airlines
Rema Jamous Imseis
Representative to Canada, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Reza Mohammadi
Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Carleton University
Lori Wilkinson
Professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba
Champion*
John Biles
Acting Senior Director, Settlement Network, Resettlement Operations Directorate, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
*Champion will follow the same theme throughout the day.
This theme will explore the strategies that employers may leverage when recruiting and hiring to ensure they can better match immigrants’ skills and credentials with jobs.
Speakers
Henry Akanko
Director, Hire Immigrants Ottawa
Daniel Cervan-Gil
Associate Director, Employer Initiatives, WES
Kristi Clark
Human Resource Manager, GIATEC
Shamira Madhany
Managing Director and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services
Corinne Pohlmann
Senior Vice-President, National Affairs and Partnerships, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Mehdi El Saadaoui
Senior Program Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Champions
Shamira Madhany
Managing Director and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services
Corinne Pohlmann
Senior Vice-President, National Affairs and Partnerships, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
*Champions will follow the same theme throughout the day.
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:10 pm
Building on the previous session, participants will work together with champions and facilitators to co-create and workshop solutions that address the problems identified in the first session. Facilitators will use interactive techniques including brainstorming, small group discussions, and design thinking to address systemic issues related to the session theme.
A2 Theme: Temporary Immigration and Pathways to Permanent Residence
B2 Theme: Resettling Refugees for the Long Term—The Role of Employment
C2 Theme: Enhancing Employers’ Capacity to Assess Skills, Experience, and Education Acquired Abroad
3:00 pm
Break
3:15 pm
Following the workshopping session, facilitators will lead a discussion within each theme to share what champions and participants have learned and how they can put their new knowledge and connections into action. Participants will also share the insights and solutions they have garnered from the previous two sessions.
A2 Theme: Temporary Immigration and Pathways to Permanent Residence
B2 Theme: Resettling Refugees for the Long Term—The Role of Employment
C2 Theme: Enhancing Employers’ Capacity to Assess Skills, Experience, and Education Acquired Abroad
4:00 pm
Break
4:15 pm
Speaker
The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
5:00 pm
Networking Reception
This years Canadian Immigration Summit Is Pre Approved for 7 CPD Hours Through the CICC.
Speakers
Dr. Aali Alizadeh
CTO, Giatec and Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa
Henry Akanko
Director, Hire Immigrants Ottawa
Naomi Alboim
Senior Policy Fellow, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration (CERC), Toronto Metropolitan University
Noel Baldwin
Director, Government and Public Affairs, Future Skills Centre
Rupa Banerjee
Canada Research Chair in Immigrant Inclusion and Associate Professor of Human Resource Management
John Biles
Acting Senior Director Settlement Network Resettlement Operations Directorate, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Fariborz Birjandian
Chief Executive Officer Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)
Lisa Bokwa
Senior Director, Resettlement Policy, IRCC
Anita Carroll
SVP Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement, ACCES Employment
Daniel Cervan-Gil
Associate Director, Employer Initiatives, WES
Julie Clark
Senior Director, International Network, IRCC
Kristi Clark
Human Resource Manager, GIATEC
Magdalene Cooman
Senior Research Associate, The Conference Board of Canada
Dr. Wendy Cukier
Founder, Diversity Institute and Academic Director Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
Tommy Desfosses
Director Of Corporate Operations, PAL Airlines
The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Dorra Gdoura
Assistant Director, Adult Career Transition Centre, La Cité
Rema Jamous Imseis
Representative to Canada, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Arif Khimani
President & COO, MobSquad
Shamira Madhany
Managing Director and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services
Shafiul Maznabin
Senior Data Service Representative, The Canadian Institute (C5 Group Inc.)
Reza Mohammadi
Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Carleton University
Corinne Pohlmann
Senior Vice-President, National Affairs and Partnerships, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
Mehdi El Saadaoui
Senior Program Advisor, Employment and Social Development Canada
Lori Wilkinson
Professor of Sociology, University of Manitoba
Armine Yalnizyan
Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson Foundation
Summit Champions
Rupa Banerjee
Associate Professor, Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour, Toronto Metropolitan University
John Biles
Acting Senior Director Settlement Network Resettlement Operations Directorate, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Shamira Madhany
Managing Director and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services
Corinne Pohlmann
Senior Vice-President, National Affairs and Partnerships, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
Armine Yalnizyan
Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, Atkinson Foundation
Past Event
Previous Conference Highlights:
At Canadian Immigration Summit 2022, we explored how to make Canada’s immigration system more innovative, resilient, and responsive to complex challenges and unique opportunities.
410
Past Attendees
Attendees by Job Function
Attendees by Job Title
Some of Our Noteworthy Speakers From Canadian Immigration Summit 2022
The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Lou Janssen Dangzalan
Founder, LJD Law
Adeena Niazi
Founder and Executive Director of Afghan Women Organization
Testimonials
Register
Co-develop immigration system solutions with public, private, and non-profit leaders.
Registration is now closed.
The Conference Board of Canada delivers insights that help Canadians build a stronger future. Proceeds from this event are invested back into producing and disseminating our evidence-based research.
Sponsors
Is your organization interested in being a sponsor? View our sponsorship packages and contact us to find out about sponsorship opportunities and benefits.
