According to fresh IRCC data, Canada had another excellent month in terms of new permanent residence arrivals. The number of new immigrants arriving in Canada continues to rise. According to fresh data obtained by CIC News from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, Canada received 37,780 new permanent residents in August. Canada’s immigration levels have been higher than typical for the third month in a row. In July, nearly 40,000 new permanent residents arrived in Canada, compared to nearly 36,000 in June. Prior to the epidemic, Canada received anywhere from 25,000 to 35,000 new immigrants every month. Following the adoption of COVID-19 public health initiatives in Canada, immigration levels began to decline considerably in April 2020.
Canada’s recent permanent resident arrivals were falling short of the pace required to meet the country’s 2021 immigration target until June of this year. Beginning this year, Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023 seeks to accept at least 401,000 new immigrants yearly. Between January and August, around 222,000 immigrants arrived in Canada. To meet its immigration objective for this year, it will need to admit 179,000 new immigrants, or 45,000 per month on average, for the rest of 2021. Although the aim remains aspirational, it is attainable for the reasons listed below.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) took substantial actions in the first half of the year to support Canada’s ability to meet the target. On February 13, 2021, it held the by far largest Express Entry lottery in history, inviting 27,332 people to apply for permanent residency. In the midst of the pandemic, the IRCC believes that 90% of these candidates are in Canada. Express Entry is the most common option for skilled workers to enter Canada. This year’s Express Entry invitation pool was roughly six times greater than the previous high.
IRCC focused on Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program candidates in the first half of the year, as they are largely in Canada right now and hence are less likely to have their immigration process disrupted due to the epidemic. In addition, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRCC) introduced six temporary immigration streams in May, allowing 90,000 people presently living in Canada to apply for permanent residency. Such major initiatives by IRCC, according to an internal IRCC memo obtained by CIC News through an access to information request to the Canadian government, are unsurprisingly part of a coordinated attempt to land 401,000 immigrants this year.
High levels of immigration, according to the Canadian government, are critical to the country’s post-pandemic economic expansion. There are other compelling reasons to assume that Canada will come close to meeting its 2021 targets. In addition to the above-mentioned IRCC actions, the recent easing of travel restrictions will allow additional new immigrants from other countries to move to Canada. All authorized permanent residents with the required papers were able to travel freely in Canada in June. Canada removed its flight restriction on India, the country from which the majority of new immigrants come, in late September.
Although if Canada fails to miss its target, the Immigration Levels Plan allows it to raise newcomer intake in 2022 and 2023 to adjust. Based on policy and operational considerations, the levels plan includes a range that allows IRCC to alter its aims lower or higher.
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