Financial Statements 2020-2021

1. Authority and objectives

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is an independent, accountable administrative tribunal established by Parliament on January 1, 1989 to resolve immigration and refugee cases fairly, efficiently and in accordance with the law. The IRB ensures continued benefits to Canadians: by only accepting refugee claimants needing protection in accordance with international obligations and Canadian law; by contributing to the integrity of the immigration system, the safety and security of Canadians and upholding Canada's reputation of justice and fairness for individuals; and promoting family reunification. The IRB also contributes to the quality of life of Canada's communities by strengthening our country's social fabric and by reflecting and reinforcing core values that are important to Canadians. These include respect for human rights, peace, security and the rule of law.

The Board strategic outcome is to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.

Two programs support this strategic outcome:

Adjudication of immigration and refugee cases

The Immigration and Refugee Board 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 in admissibility hearings and detention reviews, and on appeals on certain immigration cases.

This program is split into 4 department specific activities:

Refugee Protection Division

The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) delivers the IRB's Refugee Protection program. It renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding refugee protection claims made by persons in Canada, and pre-removal risk assessments of persons subject to a removal order.

Refugee Appeal Division

The Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) delivers the IRB's Refugee Appeal program. It renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding appeals against a decision made on a refugee protection claim of the Refugee Protection Division.

Admissibility Hearings and Detention Reviews

The Immigration Division (ID) delivers the Admissibility Hearings and Detention Reviews program. It renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding foreign nationals or permanent residents who are alleged to be inadmissible to Canada pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and foreign nationals or permanent residents who are detained under IRPA authority.

Immigration Appeal

The Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) delivers the Immigration Appeal program. It renders quality decisions and resolves cases in a timely manner regarding sponsorship applications refused by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; certain removal orders made against permanent residents, refugees and other protected persons and holders of permanent resident visas; permanent residents outside of Canada who have been found not to have fulfilled their residency obligation; and appeals by the Minister of Public Safety Canada against a decision of the Immigration Division on admissibility.

Internal services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization, and not those provided to a specific program. The groups of activities are Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services and Other Administrative Services.

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

These financial statements have been prepared using the Government's accounting policies stated below, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards. The presentation and results using the stated accounting policies do not result in any significant differences from Canadian public sector accounting standards.

Significant accounting policies are as follows:

(a) Parliamentary authorities

The IRB is financed by the Government of Canada through Parliamentary authorities. Financial reporting of authorities provided to the IRB do not parallel financial reporting according to generally accepted accounting principles since authorities are primarily based on cash flow requirements. Consequently, items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Financial Position are not necessarily the same as those provided through authorities from Parliament. Note 3 provides a reconciliation between the bases of reporting. The planned results amounts in the "Expenses" and "Revenue" sections of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position are the amounts reported in the Future-oriented Statement of Operations included in the 2020-21 Departmental Plan. Planned results are not presented in the "Government funding and transfers" section of the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and in the Statement of Change in Departmental Net Debt because these amounts were not included in the 2020-21 Departmental Plan."

(b) Net cash provided by Government

The IRB operates within the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is administered by the Receiver General for Canada. All cash received by the IRB is deposited to the CRF and all cash disbursements made by the IRB are paid from the CRF. The net cash provided by Government is the difference between all cash receipts and all cash disbursements, including transactions between departments of the Government.

(c) Amounts due from the CRF

Amounts due from the CRF are the result of timing differences at year-end between when a transaction affects authorities and when it is processed through the CRF. Amounts due from the CRF represent the net amount of cash that the IRB is entitled to draw from the CRF without further authorities to discharge its liabilities.

(d) Revenues

Other revenues are recognized in the period the event giving rise to the revenues occurred. The IRB does not charge for its services and its only revenue generally stems from gains on disposals of crown assets, Access to Information and Privacy fees and interest on overdue accounts receivable.

Revenues that are non-respendable are not available to discharge the Department's liabilities. While the Deputy Head is expected to maintain accounting control, he or she has no authority regarding the disposition of non-respendable revenues. As a result, non-respendable revenues are considered to be earned on behalf of the Government of Canada and are therefore presented in reduction of the entity's gross revenues.

(e) Expenses

Expenses are recorded on the accrual basis:

• Vacation pay and compensatory leave are accrued as the benefits are earned by employees under their respective terms of employment.
• Services provided without charge by other government departments for accommodation, employer contributions to the health and dental insurance plans and legal services are recorded as operating expenses at their estimated cost.

(f) Employee future benefits

• Pension benefits: Eligible employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan (the "Plan"), a multiemployer pension plan administered by the Government. The IRB’s contributions to the Plan are charged to expenses in the year incurred and represent the total obligation of the IRB to the Plan. The IRB’s responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the financial statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan’s sponsor.
• Severance benefits: The accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures ceased for applicable employee groups. The remaining obligation for employees who did not withdraw benefits is calculated using information derived from the results of the actuarially determined liability for employee severance benefits for the Government as a whole.

(g) Accounts receivables

Accounts receivable are initially recorded at cost. When necessary, an allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying value of accounts receivable to amounts that approximate their net recoverable value.

(h) Non-financial assets

The costs of acquiring equipment and other capital property are capitalized as tangible capital assets and are amortized to expense over the estimated useful lives of the assets, as described in Note 7. All tangible capital assets purchased individually or in bulk, and leasehold improvements having an initial cost of $10,000 or more are recorded at their acquisition cost.

(i) Contingent liabilities

Contingent liabilities are potential liabilities that may become actual liabilities when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. If the future event is likely to occur or fail to occur, and a reasonable estimate of the loss can be made, a provision is accrued, and an expense recorded to other expenses. If the likelihood is not determinable or an amount cannot be reasonably estimated, the contingency is disclosed in the notes to the financial statements.

(j) Measurement uncertainty

The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported and disclosed amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes at March 31. The estimates are based on facts and circumstances, historical experience, general economic conditions and reflect the Government's best estimate of the related amount at the end of the reporting period. The most significant items where estimates are used are contingent liabilities, the liability for employee future benefits and the useful life of tangible capital assets. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated. Management’s estimates are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, they are recorded in the financial statements in the year they become known.

(k) Related party transactions

Related party transactions, other than inter-entity transactions, are recorded at the exchange amount. Inter-entity transactions are transactions between commonly controlled entities. Inter-entity transactions, other than restructuring transactions, are recorded on a gross basis, and are measured at the carrying amount, except for the following:

1. Services provided on a recovery basis are recognized as revenues and expenses on a gross basis and measured at the exchange amount.
2. Certain services received on a without charge basis are recorded for departmental financial statement purposes at the carrying amount.

3. Parliamentary authorities

The IRB receives its funding through annual parliamentary authorities. Items recognized in the Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position and the Statement of Financial Position in one year may be funded through Parliamentary authorities in prior, current, or future years. Accordingly, the IRB has different net results of operations for the year on a government funding basis than on an accrual accounting basis. The differences are reconciled in the following tables:

(a) Reconciliation of net cost of operations to current year authorities used

(b) Authorities provided and used:

4. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

The following table presents details of the IRB's accounts payable and accrued liabilities:

5. Employee future benefits

(a) Pension benefits

The IRB’s employees participate in the Public Service Pension Plan (the "Plan"), which is sponsored and administered by the Government of Canada. Pension benefits accrue up to a maximum period of 35 years at a rate of 2 percent per year of pensionable service, times the average of the best five consecutive years of earnings. The benefits are integrated with Canada/Québec Pension Plans benefits and they are indexed to inflation."

Both the employees and the IRB contribute to the cost of the Plan. Due to the amendment of the Public Service Superannuation Act following the implementation of provisions related to Economic Action Plan 2012, employee contributors have been divided into two groups – Group 1 relates to existing plan members as of December 31, 2012 and Group 2 relates to members joining the Plan as of January 1, 2013. Each group has a distinct contribution rate.

The 2020-21 expense amounts to $17.0 million ($13.3 million in 2019-20). For Group 1 members, the expense represents approximately 1.01 times (1.01 times in 2019-20) the employee contributions and, for Group 2 members, approximately 1.00 times (1.00 times in 2019-20) the employee’s contributions.

The IRB’s responsibility with regard to the Plan is limited to its contributions. Actuarial surpluses or deficiencies are recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Government of Canada, as the Plan’s sponsor.

(b) Severance benefits

Severance benefits provided to the IRB’s employees were previously based on an employee’s eligibility, years of service and salary at termination of employment. However, since 2011 the accumulation of severance benefits for voluntary departures progressively ceased for substantially all employees.

Employees subject to these changes were given the option to be paid the full or partial value of benefits earned to date or collect the full or remaining value of benefits upon departure from the public service.

By March 31, 2021, substantially all settlements for immediate cash out were completed. Severance benefits are unfunded and, consequently, the outstanding obligation will be paid from future authorities.

The changes in the obligations during the year were as follows:

6. Accounts receivable and advances

The following table presents details of the IRB's accounts receivable and advances balances:

7. Tangible capital assets

Amortization of tangible capital assets is done on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset as follows:

Assets under construction are recorded in the applicable capital asset class in the year that they become available for use and are not amortized until they become available for use.

Cost

Accumulated amortization

Net book value

8. Contractual obligations

The nature of the IRB's activities can result in some large multi-year contracts and obligations whereby the IRB will be obligated to make future payments when the services or goods are received. The IRB does not have significant multi-year contracts to report.

9. Contingent liabilities

Contingent liabilities arise in the normal course of operations and their ultimate disposition is unknown.

Claims and litigation

Claims have been made against the IRB in the normal course of operations. These claims include items with pleading amounts and others for which no amount is specified. While the total amount claimed in these actions is significant, their outcomes are not determinable. IRB recorded and included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (note 4), an allowance for contingent liabilities for which the outcome is likely and the amount could be estimated at $253,000 ($0 in 2019-20). Claims and litigations for which the outcome is not determinable, and a reasonable estimate can be made by management is $0 at March 31, 2021 ($278,000 in 2019-20).

10. Related party transactions

The IRB is related as a result of common ownership to all government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations. Related parties also include individuals who are members of key management personnel or close family members of those individuals, and entities controlled by, or under shared control of, a member of key management personnel or a close family member of that individual. The IRB enters into transactions with these entities in the normal course of business and on normal trade terms.

During the year, the IRB received common services which were obtained without charge from other Government departments as disclosed below.

(a) Common services provided without charge by other government departments

During the year, the IRB received services without charge from certain common service organizations, related to accommodation and the employer’s contribution to the health and dental insurance plans. These services provided without charge have been recorded at the carrying value in the IRB’s Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position as follows:

The Government has centralized some of its administrative activities for efficiency, cost-effectiveness purposes and economic delivery of programs to the public. As a result, the Government uses central agencies and common service organizations so that one department performs services for all other departments and agencies without charge. The costs of these services, such as the payroll and cheque issuance services provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada are not included in the IRB’s Statement of Operations and Departmental Net Financial Position.

(b) Other transactions with other government departments and agencies

11. Segmented information

Presentation by segment is based on the IRB's core responsibility. The presentation by segment is based on the same accounting policies as described in the Summary of significant accounting policies in note 2. The following table presents the expenses incurred and revenues generated for the main core responsibilities, by major object of expense and by major type of revenue. The segment results for the period are as follows:

12. Adjustments to prior year’s results

In 2020-2021, the department conducted a review of its calculation of the amount due to/from the consolidated revenue fund (CRF). As a result of the review, the department identified that Quebec Sales Tax (QST) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) (including Harmonized Sales Tax - HST) Refundable Advance should be excluded from the calculation of the “Due to/from the CRF” to comply with accounting guidelines. This change has been applied retroactively and comparative information for 2019-2020 has been restated. The effect of this adjustments is presented in the tables below.

Statement of financial position (Unaudited)

Statement of operations and departmental net financial position (Unaudited)

Statement of change in departmental net debt (Unaudited)

13. Comparative information