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CANADA IMMIGRATION TO ACCEPT 1.2 MILLION NEW IMMIGRANTS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS

By Atty. Henry Moyal

Has the pandemic slowed down immigration? While everyone is affected by the pandemic in one way or another whether your local restaurant has shut down or local gym has closed, it seems that Canada Immigration is ramping up business – not slowing down.

This month, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, tabled the 2021‒2023 Immigration Levels Plan, which sets out a path for increases to immigration targets to help the Canadian economy recover from COVID-19, drive future growth and create jobs for middle class Canadians.

The pandemic has highlighted the contribution of immigrants to the well-being of our communities and across all sectors of the economy. Our health-care system relies on immigrants to keep Canadians safe and healthy. Other industries, such as information technology companies and our farmers and producers, also rely on the talent of newcomers to maintain supply chains, expand their businesses and, in turn, create more jobs for Canadians.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has continued to accept and process applications throughout the pandemic. However, the global travel restrictions and capacity constraints led to a shortfall in admissions over the last several months. To compensate for the shortfall and ensure Canada has the workers it needs to fill crucial labour market gaps and remain competitive on the world stage, the 2021 to 2023 levels plan aims to continue welcoming immigrants at a rate of about 1% of the population of Canada, including 401,000 permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022 and 421,000 in 2023. The previous plan set targets of 351,000 in 2021 and 361,000 in 2022.

This multi-year levels plan recognizes the importance of family reunification and Canada’s global commitment to protecting those most at risk through refugee resettlement.

Highlights of the plan include

• an increase in admissions over the 3 years of the plan to make up the shortfall in 2020
• a focus on economic growth, with about 60% of admissions to come from the Economic Class
• a continued focus on innovative and community-driven approaches to address diverse labour and demographic needs across the country
• a renewed commitment to capacity-building and digital transformation in Canada’s immigration system, to support operations and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the processing of applications
• additional points for French-speaking candidates under Express Entry, to promote the growth of Francophone communities outside of Quebec
• a commitment to admit up to 500 refugees over the next 2 years through the Economic Mobility Pathways Project, an innovative approach that helps qualified refugees apply for permanent residence through existing economic immigration pathways
• a pathway to permanent residency for eligible asylum claimants who were working on the front lines of the pandemic between March 13 and August 14, 2020, providing direct care to patients in health-care institutions

With a total of 1.2 new immigration from 2021–2023 Canada’s goal is to be the place among the world’s top destinations for talent and creating a strong foundation for economic growth while reuniting family members with their loved ones and fulfilling Canada’s humanitarian commitments.

Attorney Henry Moyal is a certified and licensed immigration lawyer in Toronto, Ontario.
The above article is general advice only and is not intended to act as a legal document.
Send questions to Attorney Moyal by email canada@moyal.com or call 416 733 3193