New data from the Canadian government shows the country welcomed 184,370 new permanent residents in 2020, as newcomer flows plummeted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The level of new immigrants admitted is the lowest level since 1998, when Canada welcomed 174,000 new immigrants.
Marco Mendicino - Canada's Immigration Minister, announced in March 2020, that Canada would target 341,000 new immigrants in 2020, which is the same level as in 2019. Days later, however, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada was forced to impose new travel restrictions to contain the spread of COVID -19.
Data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that immigration to the country declined around the time that travel restrictions took effect and the flow of newcomers from the country has not. still regained their pre-pandemic level. Nonetheless, Canada maintains an unwavering commitment to welcoming high levels of immigrants to support its economic recovery from COVID.
Get a Free Express Entry Assessment
Canada has continued to accept and process new as well as existing newcomers applications for immigration. It's about completing the processing of as many applications as possible so that those eligible for permanent or temporary status can do so now while travel restrictions and other pandemic disruptions persist. The second reason the governments of Canada are now processing applications is to allow the country's immigration system to recover as quickly as possible after the pandemic.
At the end of October 2020, Mendicino announced the most ambitious immigration goals in Canadian history. As part of the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada aims to welcome at least 401,000 new immigrants per year.
Mendicino is convinced that the immigration targets were realistic even during the pandemic in a recent TV interview. This is because IRCC is inviting more immigrant applicants living in Canada currently to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system. The provinces and territories use a similar approach under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and in Quebec.
Also, the travel restrictions contain several exemptions that allow some people, such as close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, to immigrate to Canada during the pandemic.
On average, Canada has welcomed 300,000 new immigrants each leading up to the pandemic hit year. The country's immigration rate is around 0.9%, which is three times as many new immigrants per capita as the United States. Canada's immigration rate fell to 0.5% in 2020, the country welcoming fewer than 200,000 immigrants for only the second time since 1989 (the only other time was in 1998).
Going forward, immigration levels to Canada will likely exceed 200,000 newcomers in 2021 as IRCC has since adjusted to the pandemic. One of the main reasons why immigration failed to cross the 200,000 newcomer mark last year is that arrivals of permanent residents to Canada fell between mid-March and May 2020, Federal government officials who have been affected by lockdowns and other pandemics measures. As Mendicino noted in his recent television interview, IRCC has since expanded its activities to incorporate remote working and more online processing. These measures should help it avoid unexpected disruptions in its ability to support restoring immigration levels.
The pandemic will continue to impact Canada's immigration levels, but we can expect levels to exceed 401,000 per year once COVID-19 is brought under global control. In the meantime, IRCC and the provinces and territories continue to send out new immigration invitations. IRCC held an Express Entry draw yesterday and is expected to hold another this week.
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 02 Feb, 2021 | 03:26 AM] 216
By Eva Olsen [Published 11 Feb, 2021 | 07:00 AM] 1154
By Eva Olsen [Published 12 Feb, 2021 | 04:00 AM] 344
By Joseph Parker [Published 18 Feb, 2021 | 06:00 AM] 195
By Eva Olsen [Published 19 Feb, 2021 | 07:00 AM] 230
By Eva Olsen [Published 24 Feb, 2021 | 05:00 AM] 359
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 09 Mar, 2021 | 04:14 AM] 333
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 18 Mar, 2021 | 06:55 AM] 279
By Eva Olsen [Published 01 Apr, 2021 | 04:24 AM] 210
By Joseph Parker [Published 13 Apr, 2021 | 04:55 AM] 214
By Eva Olsen [Published 14 Apr, 2021 | 04:58 AM] 254
By Joseph Parker [Published 15 Apr, 2021 | 05:10 AM] 345
By Eva Olsen [Published 19 Apr, 2021 | 04:10 AM] 205
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 21 Apr, 2021 | 05:25 AM] 271
By Eva Olsen [Published 21 Apr, 2021 | 05:25 AM] 443
By Joseph Parker [Published 20 Apr, 2021 | 04:54 AM] 424
By Eva Olsen [Published 23 Apr, 2021 | 04:21 AM] 260
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 03 May, 2021 | 04:53 AM] 335
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 05 May, 2021 | 05:04 AM] 330
By Eva Olsen [Published 05 May, 2021 | 05:30 AM] 484
By Joseph Parker [Published 06 May, 2021 | 04:34 AM] 478
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 14 May, 2021 | 04:14 AM] 286
By Eva Olsen [Published 14 May, 2021 | 04:34 AM] 338
By Joseph Parker [Published 21 May, 2021 | 04:50 AM] 395
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 22 May, 2021 | 04:02 AM] 317
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 27 May, 2021 | 04:36 AM] 421
By Eva Olsen [Published 03 Jun, 2021 | 04:42 AM] 351
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 08 Jun, 2021 | 05:29 AM] 282
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 09 Jun, 2021 | 05:41 AM] 211
By Joseph Parker [Published 10 Jun, 2021 | 05:39 AM] 270
By Eva Olsen [Published 11 Jun, 2021 | 03:55 AM] 502
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 19 Jun, 2021 | 04:54 AM] 293
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 22 Jun, 2021 | 04:08 AM] 239
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 26 Jun, 2021 | 05:40 AM] 220
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 06 Jul, 2021 | 04:41 AM] 404
By Eva Olsen [Published 19 Jul, 2021 | 05:28 AM] 207
By Joseph Parker [Published 20 Jul, 2021 | 04:16 AM] 334
By Eva Olsen [Published 21 Jul, 2021 | 04:37 AM] 247
By Joseph Parker [Published 28 Jul, 2021 | 04:39 AM] 286
By Joseph Parker [Published 02 Aug, 2021 | 04:29 AM] 409
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 11 Aug, 2021 | 05:23 AM] 243
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 16 Aug, 2021 | 05:13 AM] 607
By Joseph Parker [Published 17 Aug, 2021 | 05:45 AM] 318
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 23 Aug, 2021 | 04:26 AM] 372
By Eva Olsen [Published 08 Sep, 2021 | 04:25 AM] 403
By Eva Olsen [Published 10 Sep, 2021 | 04:23 AM] 241
By Joseph Parker [Published 14 Sep, 2021 | 05:40 AM] 293
By Joseph Parker [Published 21 Sep, 2021 | 05:35 AM] 380
By Eva Olsen [Published 23 Sep, 2021 | 04:28 AM] 293
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 24 Sep, 2021 | 04:40 AM] 365
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 02 Oct, 2021 | 04:24 PM] 499
By Eva Olsen [Published 05 Oct, 2021 | 04:32 AM] 471
By Joseph Parker [Published 06 Oct, 2021 | 04:48 AM] 494
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 06 Oct, 2021 | 05:45 AM] 539
By Joseph Parker [Published 12 Oct, 2021 | 04:26 AM] 381
By Eva Olsen [Published 14 Oct, 2021 | 05:45 AM] 466
By Joseph Parker [Published 18 Oct, 2021 | 04:45 AM] 263
By Joseph Parker [Published 19 Oct, 2021 | 05:55 AM] 279
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 20 Oct, 2021 | 04:45 AM] 805
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 21 Oct, 2021 | 04:47 AM] 345
By Eva Olsen [Published 21 Oct, 2021 | 05:03 AM] 1722
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 01 Nov, 2021 | 04:41 AM] 9312
By Joseph Parker [Published 10 Nov, 2021 | 05:42 AM] 279
By Eva Olsen [Published 23 Nov, 2021 | 05:08 AM] 314
By Joseph Parker [Published 26 Nov, 2021 | 04:35 AM] 961
By Joseph Parker [Published 30 Nov, 2021 | 04:55 AM] 394
By Eva Olsen [Published 01 Dec, 2021 | 05:02 AM] 353
By Joseph Parker [Published 02 Dec, 2021 | 04:55 AM] 542
By Eva Olsen [Published 03 Dec, 2021 | 05:17 AM] 856
By Joseph Parker [Published 06 Dec, 2021 | 05:22 AM] 395
By Eva Olsen [Published 13 Dec, 2021 | 04:32 AM] 519
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 15 Dec, 2021 | 04:38 AM] 4609
By Eva Olsen [Published 15 Dec, 2021 | 05:47 AM] 404
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 16 Dec, 2021 | 05:42 AM] 483
By Eva Olsen [Published 17 Dec, 2021 | 04:32 AM] 313
By Joseph Parker [Published 22 Dec, 2021 | 05:11 AM] 461
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 27 Dec, 2021 | 04:52 AM] 415
By Eva Olsen [Published 27 Dec, 2021 | 05:38 AM] 435
By Eva Olsen [Published 29 Dec, 2021 | 05:43 AM] 1397
By Joseph Parker [Published 29 Dec, 2021 | 04:28 AM] 347
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 30 Dec, 2021 | 03:58 AM] 654
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 03 Jan, 2022 | 05:26 AM] 358
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 05 Jan, 2022 | 03:05 AM] 871
By Eva Olsen [Published 05 Jan, 2022 | 06:22 AM] 393
By Eva Olsen [Published 07 Jan, 2022 | 04:53 AM] 604
By Joseph Parker [Published 07 Jan, 2022 | 05:36 AM] 3883
By Joseph Parker [Published 10 Jan, 2022 | 05:32 AM] 670
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 17 Jan, 2022 | 05:11 AM] 737
By Eva Olsen [Published 19 Jan, 2022 | 04:03 AM] 1832
By Eva Olsen [Published 24 Jan, 2022 | 04:43 AM] 691
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 25 Jan, 2022 | 05:17 AM] 807
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 26 Jan, 2022 | 05:21 AM] 1145
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 27 Jan, 2022 | 05:07 AM] 1574
By Eva Olsen [Published 31 Jan, 2022 | 04:41 AM] 772
By Joseph Parker [Published 01 Feb, 2022 | 04:32 AM] 1125
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 02 Feb, 2022 | 04:42 AM] 828
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 04 Feb, 2022 | 05:15 AM] 851
By Eva Olsen [Published 05 Feb, 2022 | 04:23 AM] 4445
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 07 Feb, 2022 | 04:51 AM] 547
By Eva Olsen [Published 07 Feb, 2022 | 05:11 AM] 517
By Joseph Parker [Published 08 Feb, 2022 | 05:46 AM] 600
By Eva Olsen [Published 11 Feb, 2022 | 05:24 AM] 865
By Joseph Parker [Published 14 Feb, 2022 | 04:55 AM] 637
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 16 Feb, 2022 | 04:50 AM] 731
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 17 Feb, 2022 | 05:12 AM] 1438
By Joseph Parker [Published 19 Feb, 2022 | 05:33 AM] 1117
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 25 Feb, 2022 | 05:39 AM] 768
By Joseph Parker [Published 01 Mar, 2022 | 04:53 AM] 697
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 02 Mar, 2022 | 04:23 AM] 811
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 04 Mar, 2022 | 05:03 AM] 823
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 05 Mar, 2022 | 05:41 AM] 977
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 11 Mar, 2022 | 05:45 AM] 750
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 14 Mar, 2022 | 04:17 AM] 930
By Joseph Parker [Published 15 Mar, 2022 | 04:14 AM] 1210
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 16 Mar, 2022 | 04:10 AM] 829
By Eva Olsen [Published 22 Mar, 2022 | 10:25 AM] 531
By Eva Olsen [Published 22 Mar, 2022 | 06:32 AM] 574
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 28 Mar, 2022 | 05:21 AM] 569
By Eva Olsen [Published 04 Apr, 2022 | 05:10 AM] 1137
By Eva Olsen [Published 05 Apr, 2022 | 05:44 AM] 587
By Joseph Parker [Published 06 Apr, 2022 | 05:57 AM] 595
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 07 Apr, 2022 | 05:07 AM] 525
By Eva Olsen [Published 08 Apr, 2022 | 05:33 AM] 536
By Eva Olsen [Published 13 Apr, 2022 | 03:34 PM] 607
By Joseph Parker [Published 18 Apr, 2022 | 05:28 AM] 336
By Eva Olsen [Published 21 Apr, 2022 | 05:43 AM] 369
By Eva Olsen [Published 23 Apr, 2022 | 11:53 AM] 937
By Scarlett Wilson [Published 30 Apr, 2022 | 05:12 AM] 234
By Joseph Parker [Published 02 May, 2022 | 05:10 AM] 448
By Joseph Parker [Published 06 May, 2022 | 05:32 AM] 331
By Joseph Parker [Published 20 May, 2022 | 05:00 AM] 380
Stay up to date with the latest news
Comments
We welcome your feedback
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *