See Canada’s new Immigration levels plan here.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced his plan to transform Canada’s immigration system, entitled ‘An Immigration System for Canada’s Future’.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Miller outlined key details of his strategy, including to incorporate housing, health care and infrastructure planning, along with other important services, into Canada’s immigration levels planning.
He also plans to create a new Chief International Talent Officer position, whose job it will be to align immigration programs and pathways with the labour market.
Further changes will be made to the international student system, with a Recognized Institutions Framework to be introduced in partnership with provinces to allow established colleges and universities to access faster Study Permit processing.
A new Francophone Immigration Policy will aim to build on the minority French-speaking population and increase its demographic weight, Miller said.
Read More
Immigration From Hong Kong Spikes As IRCC Eases Restrictions
Immigration From India To Drop As Canada Pulls Out Personnel
More Immigration Needed To Resolve Housing Crisis, Conference Board Of Canada Says
He also plans to build an advisory body made up of immigrants to inform program and policy improvements, and introduce measures to ensure an ‘equitable and sustainable’ response to humanitarian crises.
Finally, Miller also plans to make the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website more user-friendly.
making our website more user-friendly, so that applicants can easily find the information they need
“Hearing from stakeholders and newcomers provided important insight into how we can develop a stronger and more integrated immigration system in Canada,” Miller said.
“With these measures, we aim to build a system that is easier to navigate, with an inclusive and coordinated plan that aligns our immigration programs and policies with the needs of the country.
“As we move forward, the people who come to Canada will continue to be at the heart of our work, whether they wish to work, study, or call this place their home.”
Watch Video
Miller’s plan comes as he is about to release his first Immigration Levels Plan since taking over the portfolio from Sean Fraser.
He is expected to unveil his plan tomorrow for the number of immigrants in all categories over the next three years.
He is doing so against a backdrop of falling support for increasing immigration in Canada. Immigration is being blamed for a housing and cost of living crisis in the country.
Under its current 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, Ottawa has set its immigration target for 2023 at 465,000 new permanent residents. The country is also to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and another 500,000 in 2025.
That’s a total of 1.45 million immigrants that Canada’s current immigration levels plan intends to welcome into the country during those three years.
The latest figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), though, show Canada is already on track to welcome far more than its planned number of immigrants this year.
During the first eight months of this year, Canada saw the arrival of 338,905 new permanent residents, putting the country on track to welcome 508,357 new permanent residents by the end of this year provided the level of immigration so far continues through to the end of 2023.
That would be 9.3 per cent more than the current immigration level for this year of 465,000 new permanent residents.
Canada’s 2023 to 2025 Immigration Levels Plan
|
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
||
|
Overall Planned Permanent Resident Admissions |
465,000 |
485,000 |
500,000 |
|
|
Economic |
Federal High Skilled |
82,880 |
109,020 |
114,000 |
|
Federal Economic Public Policies |
25,000 |
– |
– |
|
|
Federal Business |
3,500 |
5,000 |
6,000 |
|
|
Economic Pilots: Caregivers; Agri-Food Pilot; Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot; Economic Mobility Pathways Project |
8,500 |
12,125 |
14,750 |
|
|
Atlantic Immigration Program |
8,500 |
11,500 |
14,500 |
|
|
Provincial Nominee Program |
105,500 |
110,000 |
117,500 |
|
|
Quebec Skilled Workers and BusinessFootnote6 |
See the Quebec immigration plan |
To be determined |
To be determined |
|
|
Total Economic |
266,210 |
281,135 |
301,250 |
|
|
Family |
Spouses, Partners and Children |
78,000 |
80,000 |
82,000 |
|
Parents and Grandparents |
28,500 |
34,000 |
36,000 |
|
|
Total Family |
106,500 |
114,000 |
118,000 |
|
|
Refugees and Protected Persons |
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad |
25,000 |
27,000 |
29,000 |
|
Resettled Refugees – Government-AssistedFootnote7 |
23,550 |
21,115 |
15,250 |
|
|
Resettled Refugees – Privately Sponsored |
27,505 |
27,750 |
28,250 |
|
|
Resettled Refugees – Blended Visa Office-Referred |
250 |
250 |
250 |
|
|
Total Refugees and Protected Persons |
76,305 |
76,115 |
72,750 |
|
|
Humanitarian and Other |
Total Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other |
15,985 |
13,750 |
8,000 |
Immigration is the main driver of population growth in Canada, making up nearly a quarter of the population, or 8.3 million people, in 2021. This was the largest proportion since Confederation and the highest among the G7.
Canada’s work-age population is shrinking, with about three working people to each senior. The aging workforce is causing chronic labour shortages, with immigration a key way to make up the shortfall.
Close to two thirds of recent immigrants are of core working age — between 25 and 54 — helping rejuvenate Canada’s population.
In putting together this strategy, IRCC heard 17,500 opinions, including over 2,000 organizations and over 2,100 current or former clients, such as foreign workers in Canada on a temporary basis, international students, and permanent residents.
