Under the Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, Canada will increase its objective to 432,000 immigrants in 2022
Canada has raised the bar even further, aiming to welcome 451,000 new immigrants by 2024. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser detailed the reasons for the new levels to plan in a statement to CIC News
The Canadian government just released its Immigration Levels Plan for the years 2022-2024.
Canada’s immigration targets have been raised yet again. It will aim to welcome about 432,000 new immigrants this year, rather than the 411,000 it had planned.
At approximately 3:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the announcement was made.
Canada will aim for the following number of new immigrant arrivals over the next three years:
431,645 permanent residents in 2022
447,055 permanent inhabitants in 2023
451,000 permanent residents in 2024
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser explained, “This levels plan is a mix of needs for our country and our international duties,” said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser. It emphasises attracting qualified workers who will contribute to Canada’s economy and address the labour deficit, as well as acknowledging the value of family reunion and assisting the world’s most vulnerable communities through refugee resettlement. Our priority remains on bolstering our economic recovery by increasing newcomer retention in areas where significant economic, labour, and demographic issues exist. I’m pleased of what Canada has accomplished thus far, and I’m excited to see how newcomers will continue to make Canada a desirable place.”
In 2022, 56% of new immigrants will come through economic-class channels like Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and the Temporary to Permanent Residence (TR2PR) stream, which was accessible in 2021.
The PNP will be the primary admissions programme for low-income immigrants, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) expecting 83,500 arrivals under the programme in 2022. IRCC has cut Express Entry admissions in half for this year, but it hopes to recover to normal levels by 2024 when it expects 111,500 Express Entry immigrants to arrive.
The levels plan appears to indicate that IRCC is temporarily decreasing Express Entry admissions to make room for TR2PR admissions. Under the TR2PR stream, IRCC hopes to land 40,000 migrants in 2022 and the final 32,000 migrants in 2023.
Meanwhile, Express Entry lotteries are held every two weeks, and IRCC continues to handle Express Entry applications.
Furthermore, the PNP is used by the majority of Canada’s provinces and territories, and PNP invites have been continuing since the outbreak began.
In 2022, the family class will account for 24% of admissions targets, with 80,000 people expected to enrol in the Spouses, Partners, and Children Program and 25,000 in the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP). In comparison to its earlier strategy, the IRCC has upped its PGP admissions target by 1,500 slots.
The remaining 20% of immigrants will be admitted through refugee and humanitarian programmes. This is a 5 percentage point increase above Canada’s previous immigration levels plan, and it is most likely due to Canada’s plans to relocate 40,000 Afghan refugees over the next few years. Because of the larger refugee and humanitarian intake, economic and family class immigration will account for a smaller share of entrants than typical in 2023 and 2024, as Canada intends to decrease its refugee and humanitarian intake once its Afghan resettlement operation is completed.
The very first Migration Levels Plan since October 2020 was announced today.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), Canada’s principal immigration statute, mandates that the Canadian government must declare its immigration plan by November 1 of each year, while Parliament is in session. Last year, however, a level plan announcement was postponed owing to the Canadian government’s September election.
The immigration system in Canada is guided by the levels plan. It lays forth the number of immigrants that Canada plans to accept through its various federal, provincial, and territorial schemes. The IRCC and the provinces and territories then alter their activities in accordance with the plan to guarantee that they can recruit, settle, integrate, and retain the intended number of newcomers.
Until 2015, Canada received approximately 250,000 immigrants every year. It set a new baseline goal of 300,000 arrivals each year in 2016. Prior to the epidemic, the objective was set at around 340,000 immigrants per year, however, due to the pandemic, immigration fell below 200,000 in 2020.
The Canadian government then surprised the world by announcing in October 2020 that it would seek to accept over 400,000 migrants annually in the future to aid the country’s post-COVID economic recovery. This is the most ambitious goal in Canadian history.
Last year, Canada set a new record for newcomers by welcoming 405,000 permanent residents, the majority of whom were already living in the nation. Prior to the epidemic, the majority of new immigrants to Canada came from other countries.
Express Entry, the PNP, and Quebec’s streams accounted for 62% of new immigrants in 2021.
Last year, the Spouses, Partners, and Children Program and the Parents and Grandparents Program each welcomed 20% of the family class.
In 2021, a total of 15% of refugees and humanitarians were accepted into the country.
“All Other Immigration” was used to classify the remaining funds.
Canada is aiming for a large number of newcomers to help the country’s economy and finances. Canada requires more immigration to maintain its population, labour force, and economic growth, as well as to have enough employees to pay the taxes needed to support critical social services like health care and education. Reuniting families, giving humanitarian aid, and bolstering Canada’s Francophone heritage are among the social immigration goals pursued by the country.
During the epidemic, immigration may have assumed a higher economic significance. Because of increased spending and reduced economic activity as a result of the epidemic, governments across Canada are running fiscal deficits. Furthermore, due to Canada’s ageing population, huge economic changes under COVID, and fewer immigrants migrating from overseas, firms across the country are confronting labour shortages.
By November 1st, 2022, the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 will be announced.
Unless Canada has an election for the second season in a row, the Canadian government will be legally obligated to present its second Immigration Levels Plan of the year no later than Tuesday, November 1st, 2022. This proposal will take the place of the one that was announced today.
The announcement for 2021 was postponed owing to the federal election in September, as previously stated.
The typically anticipated announcement will be the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025.