The <!-- Uncapitalized per MOS:JOBTITLES. This denotes an office, not a title and should not be in capitals. -->minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship () is the minister of the Crown responsible for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The minister is a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada and the Canadian Cabinet.
Lena Diab has served as the minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship since 2025. The minister is selected by the prime minister and appointed by the Crown. The modern day role was created by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act in 1994 and the minister was known as the minister of citizenship and immigration until the present name was adopted in 2015. Before the modern-day role was introduced, the portfolios responsible for immigration in Canada throughout history were titled: Immigration and Colonization (1917–36), Mines and Resources (1936–50), Citizenship and Immigration (1950–66), Manpower and Immigration (1966–77), and Employment and Immigration (1977–96).
The Constitution Act, 1867, grants the federal Parliament as well as provincial legislatures concurrent (shared) jurisdiction over immigration. The minister works with provincial counterparts to set policy and regulate immigration to Canada. Federal legislation relating to nationality status, such as the Citizenship Act, and immigration and refugee law such as the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, is administered by the minister. IRCC supports the minister in managing most operational programs, such as issuing Canadian passports. The Immigration and Refugee Board, which is independent from the department, also reports to the minister. The office responsible for immigration in Canada would again be titled minister of citizenship and immigration," with its creation in 1994 by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act (Statute 42–43 Elizabeth II, c. 31),
Though having its name changed in 2015 to minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, the office created in 1994 as the minister of citizenship and immigration" is still the one that is currently in effect and is responsible for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
After 1950, the position has been succeeded by minister of citizenship and immigration (1950–1966), minister of manpower and immigration (1966–1977), and minister of employment and immigration (1977–1996).
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Ministers of Immigration and Colonization
|-
!No.
!Name
! colspan="2" |Term of office
!Ministry
|-
|1.
|James Alexander Calder
|12 October 1917
|10 July 1920
|under Borden
|-
|
|James Alexander Calder (cont’d)
|10 July 1920
|20 September 1921
| rowspan="2" |under Meighen
|-
|3.
|John Wesley Edwards
|21 September 1921
|29 December 1921
|-
|*
|Hewitt Bostock (acting)
|3 January 1922
|2 February 1922
| rowspan="5" |under King
|-
|*
|Charles Stewart (acting)
|20 February 1922
|16 August 1923
|-
|4.
|James Alexander Robb
|17 August 1923
|4 September 1925
|-
|5.
|George Newcombe Gordon
|7 September 1925
|12 November 1925
|-
|*
|Charles Stewart (acting)
|13 November 1925
|28 June 1926
|-
|*
|Robert James Manion (acting)
|29 June 1926
|12 July 1926
| rowspan="2" |under Meighen
|-
|*
|Henry Lumley Drayton (acting)
|13 July 1926
|25 September 1926
|-
|6.
|Robert Forke
|26 September 1926
|29 December 1929
| rowspan="3" |under King
|-
|*
|Charles Stewart (acting)
|30 December 1929
|26 June 1930
|-
|7.
|Ian Alistair Mackenzie
|27 June 1930
|7 August 1930
|-
|8.
|Wesley Ashton Gordon
|7 August 1930
|23 October 1935
|under Bennett
|-
|9.
|Thomas Alexander Crerar
|23 October 1935
|30 November 1936
|under King
|}
Minister of Mines and Resources (1936–50)
The minister of mines and resources was a cabinet portfolio from 1936 to 1950 that had absorbed the responsibilities belonging to the offices of minister of immigration and colonization, as well as of the minister of the interior, minister of mines, and superintendent-general of Indian affairs. The last minister of immigration and colonization, Thomas Alexander Crerar, remained in office under the new title of minister of mines and resources.
Citizenship and Immigration (1950–66)
The office of minister of citizenship and immigration came in force on 18 January 1950, and would be abolished and replaced by the minister of manpower and immigration as of 1 October 1966.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="5" |Ministers of Manpower and Immigration
|-
!No.
!Name
! colspan="2" |Term of office
!Ministry
|-
| rowspan="2" |1.
| rowspan="2" |Jean Marchand
|1 October 1966
|20 April 1968
|under Lester Pearson
|-
|20 April 1968
|5 July 1968
| rowspan="6" |under Pierre Trudeau
|-
|2.
|Allan MacEachen
|5 July 1968
|23 September 1970
|-
|3.
|Otto Lang
|24 September 1970
|27 January 1972
|-
|4.
|Bryce Mackasey
|28 January 1972
|26 November 1972
|-
|5.
|Bob Andras
|27 November 1972
|13 September 1976
|-
|6.
|Bud Cullen
|14 September 1976
|14 August 1977
|}
<!-- Moved from Minister of Employment and Immigration -->Minister of Employment and Immigration (1977–96)
The minister of employment and immigration was an office in the Cabinet of Canada, in operation from 1977 to 1996, and was first held by Bud Cullen, who continued from his preceding role as the minister of manpower and immigration.
On 12 July 1996, the office of the minister of employment and immigration was abolished and replaced with the office of minister of human resources development. The portfolio for immigration was transferred to the office of minister of citizenship and immigration following the reorganization of the government and formation of the department for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="6" |Ministers of Employment and Immigration
|-
!No.
!Name
! colspan="2" |Term of office
!Political party
!Ministry
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |1
|Bud Cullen
|15 August 1977
|3 June 1979
|Liberal
|20 <small>(P. E. Trudeau)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |2
|Ron Atkey
|4 June 1979
|2 March 1980
|Progressive Conservative
|21 <small>(Clark)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |3
|Lloyd Axworthy
|3 March 1980
|11 August 1983
| rowspan="3" |Liberal
| rowspan="2" |22 <small>(P. E. Trudeau)</small>
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |4
| rowspan="2" |John Roberts
|12 August 1983
|29 June 1984
|-
|30 June 1984
|16 September 1984
|23 <small>(Turner)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |5
|Flora MacDonald
|17 September 1984
|29 June 1986
| rowspan="5" |Progressive Conservative
| rowspan="4" |24 <small>(Mulroney)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |6
|Benoît Bouchard
|30 June 1986
|30 March 1988
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |7
|Barbara McDougall
|31 March 1988
|20 April 1991
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |8
| rowspan="2" |Bernard Valcourt
|21 April 1991
|24 June 1993
|-
|25 June 1993
|3 November 1993
|25 <small>(Campbell)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |–
|Lloyd Axworthy (second time)
|4 November 1993
|24 January 1996
| rowspan="2" |Liberal
| rowspan="2" |26 <small>(Chrétien)</small>
|-
! scope="row" style="background:; color:white" |9
|Douglas Young
|25 January 1996
|11 July 1996
|-
| colspan="6" |<small>Key:</small>
|}
See also
- Immigration to Canada
- Minister of Immigration (Quebec)
- Canadian citizenship