Ministers/Deputy ministers Responsible for Immigration/Citizenship

1867 – 2025

(As of 2025)

Under the Constitution Act, 1867, immigration is shared between the federal government and the provinces, with federal legislation prevailing. The following is a chronological list of the ministers responsible for immigration and citizenship in Canada from Confederation to the present. Names of deputy ministers and their dates in office follow names of ministers.

Between 1950 and 1966 and from 1993, the immigration minister has been and is responsible for citizenship. Otherwise, it was the Secretary of State with that responsibility.

Ministers of Agriculture (1862-1892)

Jean-Charles Chapais
1 July 1867 – 15 November 1869

Joseph C. Taché
1 July 1877

Christopher Dunkin
16 November 1869 – 24 October 1871

Joseph C. Taché

John Henry Pope
25 October 1871 – 5 November 1873

Joseph C. Taché

Luc Letellier de St. Just
7 November 1873 – 14 December 1876

Joseph C. Taché

Isaac Burpee (acting)
15 December 1876 – 25 January 1877

Joseph C. Taché

Charles Alphonse Pantaléon Pelletier
26 January 1877 – 8 October 1878

Joseph C. Taché

John Henry Pope
17 October 1878 – 24 September 1885

Joseph C. Taché

John Carling
25 September 1885 – 14 March 1892

Joseph C. Taché
to 1888

John Lowe
from 1888

Ministers of the Interior (1892-1917)

Edgar Dewdney
14 March 1892 – 16 October 1892

John Lowe

Thomas Mayne Daly, Jr.
17 October 1892 – 27 April 1896

John Lowe
to 1893

Alexander M. Burgess
from 1893

Hugh John MacDonald
1 May 1896 – 8 July 1896

Alexander M. Burgess

Richard William Scott (acting)
17 July 1896 – 16 November 1896

Alexander M. Burgess

Clifford Sifton
17 November 1896 – 28 February 1905

Alexander M. Burgess
to 1897

James A. Smart
1897 – 1904

William W. Cory
from 1894

Sir Wilfrid Laurier (acting)
14 March 1905 – 7 April 1905

William W. Cory

Frank Oliver
8 April 1905 – 6 October 1911

William W. Cory

Robert Rogers
10 October 1911 – 28 October 1912

William W. Cory

William James Roche
29 October 1912 – 12 October 1917

William W. Cory

Ministers of Immigration and Colonization (1918-1936)

James Alexander Calder
12 October 1917 – 20 September 1921

William W. Cory
to 1917

Joseph A. Coté
1918 acting

William W. Cory

John Wesley Edwards
21 September 1921 – 29 December 1921

William W. Cory

Frederick C. Blair acting

Hewitt Bostock (acting)
3 January 1922 – 2 February 1922

Frederick C. Blair

Charles Stewart (acting)
20 February 1922 – 16 August 1923

Frederick C. Blair

William J. Egan
from 1923

James Alexander Robb
17 August 1923 – 4 September 1925

William J. Egan

George Newcombe Gordon
7 September 1925 – 12 November 1925

William J. Egan

Charles Stewart (acting)
13 November 1925 – 28 June 1926

William J. Egan

Robert James Manion (acting)
29 June 1926 – 12 July 1926

William J. Egan

Sir Henry L. Drayton (acting)
13 July 1926 – 25 September 1926

William J. Egan

Robert Forke
25 September 1926 – 29 December 1929

William J. Egan

Charles Stewart (acting)
30 December 1929 – 26 June 1930

William J. Egan

Ian A. MacKenzie
27 June 1930 – 7 August 1930

William J. Egan

Wesley A. Gordon
7 August 1930 – 2 February 1932

William J. Egan

Wesley A. Gordon (acting)
3 February 1932 – 23 October 1935

William J. Egan
to 1934

Thomas Magladery
from 1934

Thomas A. Crerar
23 October 1935 – 30 November 1936

Thomas Magladery
from 1936

Ministers of Mines and Resources (1936-1950)

Thomas A. Crerar
1 December 1936 – 17 April 1945

Charles Camsell
from 1936

James Allison Glen
18 April 1945 – 10 June 1948

Charles Camsell
to 1945

C.W. Jackson
1946

Hugh.L. Keenleyside
from 1947

James Angus MacKinnon
11 June 1948 – 31 March 1949

Hugh.L. Keenleyside

Colin William George Gibson
1 April 1949 – 17 January 1950

Hugh.L. Keenleyside
to 1950

Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration (1950-1966)

Walter E. Harris
18 January 1950 – 30 June 1954

Laval Fortier
from 1950

John W. Pickersgill
1 July 1954 – 21 June 1957

Laval Fortier

Davie Fulton (acting)
21 June 1957 – 11 May 1958

Laval Fortier

Ellen L. Fairclough
12 May 1958 – 8 August 1962

Laval Fortier
to 1959

George F. Davidson
from 1960

Richard A. Bell
9 August 1962 – 22 April 1963

George F. Davidson
to 1963

H.M. Jones
from 1963 acting

Guy Favreau
22 April 1963 – 2 February 1964

H.M. Jones
to 1964 acting

C.M. Isbister
from 1963

René Tremblay
3 February 1964 – 14 February 1965

C.M. Isbister

John R. Nicholson
15 February 1965 – 17 December 1965

C.M. Isbister

Jean Marchand
18 December 1965 – 30 September 1966

C.M. Isbister
to 1965

Tom Kent
from 1966

Ministers of Manpower and Immigration (1967-1977)

Jean Marchand
1 October 1966 – 5 July 1968

Tom Kent

Allan J. MacEachen
6 July 1968 – 24 September 1970

Tom Kent
to 1968

Louis E. Couillard
from 1968

Otto E. Lang
24 September 1970 – 27 January 1972

Louis E. Couillard

Bryce S. Mackasey
28 January 1972 – 26 November 1972

Louis E. Couillard
to 1972

Jacques Desroches
from 1971

Robert K. Andras
27 November 1972 – 13 September 1976

Jacques Desroches
to 1973

Allan E. Gottlieb
from 1973

Jack S.G. (Bud) Cullen
14 September 1976 – 14 August 1977

Allan E. Gottlieb
to 1977

Jack L. Mannion
from 1977

Ministers of Employment and Immigration (1977-1993)

Styled Canada Employment and
Immigration Commission

Jack S.G. (Bud) Cullen
15 August 1977 – 3 June 1979

Jack L. Manion

Ronald G. Atkey
4 June 1979 – 2 March 1980

Jack L. Mannion
to 1979

J.D. Love
from 1979

Lloyd Axworthy
3 March 1980 – 12 August 1983

J.D. Love
to 1981

Gaëtan Lussier
from 1982

John Roberts
12 August 1983 – 16 September 1984

Gaëtan Lussier

Flora I. MacDonald
17 September 1984 – 14 July 1986

Gaëtan Lussier

Benoit Bouchard
14 July 1986 – 31 March 1988

Gaëtan Lussier
to 1986

Arthur Kroeger
from 1986

Barbara MacDougall
31 March 1988 – 21 April 1991

Arthur Kroeger

Bernard Valcourt
21 April 1991 – 25 June 1993

Arthur Kroeger

Minister-Designate of Public Security

Douglas Lewis
25 June 1993 – 3 November 1993

V. Peter Harder
from 1993

Minister-Designate of Human Resources and Labour

Bernard Valcourt
25 June 1993 – 3 November 1993

Jean-Jacques Noreau
from 1993

Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration (1993 – 2008)

Sergio Marchi
4 November 1993 – 24 January 1996

V. Peter Harder
from 1993

Janice Cochrane
from 1995

Lucienne Robillard
25 January 1996 – 2 August 1999

Janice Cochrane

Elinor Caplan
3 August 1999 – 14 January 2002

Janice Cochrane
to 2001

Michel Dorais
from 2001

Denis Coderre
15 January 2002 – 11 December 2003

Michel Dorais

Judy Sgro
12 December 2003 – 13 January 2005

Michel Dorais
to 2004

Janice Charette
from 2004

Joseph Volpe
14 January 2005 – 5 February 2006

Janice Charette

Monte Solberg
6 February 2006 – 3 January 2007

Janice Charette
to 2006

Richard Fadden
from 2006

Diane Finley
4 January 2007 – 29 October 2008

Richard Fadden

Ministers of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism (2008 – 2015)

Jason Kenney
30 October 2008 – 14 July 2013

Richard Fadden
to 2009

Neil Yeates
from 2009

Chris Alexander
15 July 2013 – 3 November 2015

Neil Yeates
to 2013

Ministers of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (2015 – Present)

John McCallum
4 November 2015 – 9 January 2017

Anita Bigusz
from 2013 to 2016

Marta Morgan
from 2016

Ahmed Hussen
10 January 2017 – 19 November 2019

Marta Morgan
to 2019

Catrina Tapley
from 2019

Marco Mendicino
November 20, 2019 – October 25 2021

Catrina Tapley

Sean Fraser
26 October 2021 – July 26 2023

Catrina Tapley
to May 4, 2022

Christiane Fox
Christiane Fox

Marc Miller
July 26 2023 to March 14, 2025

Christiane Fox
to July 18, 2022

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar
from January 27, 2024

Rachel Bendayan
March 14, 2025 to May 13, 2025

Christiane Fox
to July 18, 2022

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar
from January 27, 2024

Lena Metlege Diab
from May 13, 2025

Dr. Harpreet Kochhar
from January 27, 2024

Prepared by IRCC and CIHS in May, 2025

Sources: https://bdp.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal and internet searches

Bulletin 113 October 2025

Main Topics Covered

The launch of Hearts of Freedom, authored by CIHS members and others, as well as a review.
The final instalment of an immigration officer’s experiences working at a Canada Immigration Centre in the 1980s.
Information on the 2025 Gunn Prize award.
A few paragraphs about Canada’s “immigration halls” — federally funded immigration settlement buildings established across the country at the turn of the 20th century.
A photo of a group of immigration officers in Lisbon in the early 1970s.
Photos of events held in mid-June 2025 by CIHS members and others.
A note of remembrance for the recent deaths of Stephan Hesse, the Honourable John McCallum, P.C., M.P., Ian Rankin, Michel Vermette, and Kelda Whalen.

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