Around 15,000 new immigrants were welcomed in the month of November 2020 according to the Canadian government.
15,300 new permanent residents were welcomed in November 2020 according to the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship in Canada (IRCC) data. It also shows that the country welcomed roughly the same level of newcomers in October and September. While this number is an improvement when compared to previous months, immigration to Canada remains low due to the effects of the ongoing pandemic.
25,000-35,000 new immigrants are usually welcomed every month in Canada. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant decline in this figure since Canada imposed travel restrictions in March 2020.
Canada has welcomed 174,000 immigrants in the first 11 months of 2020. Due to this, Canada’s intake for all of 2020 will be below 200,000 new immigrants which is the first time this has happened since 1999. Canada welcomed over 341,000 new immigrants in 2019.
Canada has time and again assured of maintaining high levels of immigration despite the pandemic. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino had announced an ambitious Immigration Levels plan in October 2020 that will see Canada target the highest levels of newcomers in its history.
The 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan of Canada will target to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year out of which almost 60 per cent will be arriving through economic class pathways such as Express Entry.
There has been a significant increase in Canada’s Covid-19 cases due to a second wave of the deadly disease. This outbreak resulted in new public health measures being imposed across the country such as night curfews. Canada has already begun the largest vaccination campaign in its history and aims to vaccinate all pro-vaccine residents of Canada by September 2021.
Even during the pandemic, new immigration invitations are being issued and sent to skilled worker candidates, and applications are being processed under the family class and temporary resident streams such as for work permit holders and international students by the government of Canada.
Along with the numerous travel exemptions, IRCC keeps on announcing various new policies to help newcomers during the pandemic. Last week it was announced that IRCC will provide work permit extensions to some of those in Canada who have been badly affected by the pandemic.
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