Annual Report on Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2023 - 2024
As required by the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures, this report provides information on travel, hospitality and conference expenditures for Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.
Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures incurred by a federal department or agency relate to activities that support the department or agency’s mandate and the government’s priorities.
Mandate:
IRB’s travel, hospitality and conference expenditures support the delivery of the following core programs and services:
• The IRB renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding immigration and refugee protection cases. This includes determining refugee protection claims and appeals and applications to vacate or cease refugee protection. It also includes making decisions on admissibility hearings and detention reviews, and on appeals on certain immigration cases. The IRB delivers these services through the following four divisions:
Refugee Protection Division
Refugee Appeal Division
Immigration Division
Immigration Appeal Division
• The IRB carries out its work in Ottawa and three regional offices: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, one satellite office in Calgary, points of service in Winnipeg and Edmonton and itinerant locations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as required. All these sites hold hearings, supported by adjudicative and corporate support.
More information on the IRB’s mandate and activities can be found in the 2023-2024 Departmental Result Report and 2024-2025 Departmental Plan.
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Travel, Hospitality and Conference Expenditures for Year ending March 31, 2024
Expenditure category |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2024 ($ thousands) |
Expenditures for year ended March 31, 2023 ($ thousands) |
Variance ($ thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel | |||
Operational activities |
$526.00 |
$401.00 |
$125.00 |
Key stakeholders |
$74.00 |
$26.00 |
$48.00 |
Internal governance |
$74.00 |
$105.00 |
-$31.00 |
Training |
$483.00 |
$177.00 |
$306.00 |
Other |
$9.00 |
$11.00 |
-$2.00 |
| A. Total travel | $1,166.00 |
$720.00 |
$446.00 |
| B. Hospitality | $28.00 |
$3.00 |
$25.00 |
| C. Conference fees | $24.00 |
$3.00 |
$21.00 |
| Total [A+B+C] | $1,218.00 |
$726.00 |
$492.00 |
| International travel by minister and minister's staff (included in travel) | $0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
Explanation of significant variances compared with previous fiscal year
Total travel:
Travel expenditures have increased by $581 thousand compared to the previous fiscal year; from $720 thousand in 2022-2023 to $1,302 thousand in 2023-2024. This increase reflects a continued return to normal activities since the pandemic, with a greater presence in the workplace. For example, there has been a resumption of in-person National Training Seminars (NTS) and travel. Overall, 2023-2024 travel expenditures represent 57% of pre-pandemic levels, using 2018-2019 expenditures as a reference.
Hospitality:
The increase in hospitality expenditures in 2023-2024 of $25 thousands compared with the previous fiscal year is a result of more in-person activities such as the resumption of in-person National Training Seminar. The 2023-2024 spending represents 60% of pre-pandemic hospitality expenditures.
Conference fees:
With the lifting of all pandemic-related restrictions, the number of in-person conferences has increased, which is reflected in our expenditures. The 2023-2024 conference expenditures represent 53% of pre-pandemic expenditures. During the pandemic, a review exercise was conducted to recognize conferences as training. Conferences that help maintain or acquire skills or knowledge needed to perform one’s tasks have been deemed training and are now part of IRB Departmental Training List. Therefore, conferences expenditures are understandably less than pre-pandemic levels for 2023-2024.Minister and minister’s exempt staff - International travel:
Not applicable