Toronto 
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser has announced plans to boost the number of new immigrants in Canada by welcoming around 1.5 million people from 2023 to 2025.
The federal government says the ambitious plan has a target of granting permanent residency to 465,000 in 2023, 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.
Ottawa says it is focussing on long-term growth by admitting over 60% of admissions in the economic class by 2025 and focussing on immigrants with the required skills and qualifications in sectors facing acute labour shortages such as health care, manufacturing, building trades and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Canada is also planning to process applications under family reunification programs faster and increase applications through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot to achieve the immigration targets.
The increased immigration plan comes as 2021 census data revealed that 23 % of Canadian residents have been landed immigrants or permanent residents.
Canada welcomed 405,000 permanent residents in 2021. The set target range for 2020 was between 300,000 and 410,000.
2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan
| Immigrant Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Low Range | High Range | Target | Low Range | High Range | Target | Low Range | High Range | ||
| Overall Planned Permanent Resident Admissions | 465,000 | 410,000 | 505,000 | 485,000 | 430,000 | 542,500 | 500,000 | 442,500 | 550,000 | |
| Economic | Federal High Skilled | 82,880 | 67,750 | 88,000 | 109,020 | 89,500 | 115,750 | 114,000 | 93,500 | 121,000 |
| Federal Economic Public Policies | 25,000 | 19,500 | 32,750 | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Federal Business | 3,500 | 2,350 | 4,000 | 5,000 | 3,500 | 7,000 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | |
| Economic Pilots: Caregivers; Agri-Food Pilot; Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot; Economic Mobility Pathways Project | 8,500 | 4,650 | 10,800 | 12,125 | 6,750 | 16,125 | 14,750 | 9,000 | 19,750 | |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | 8,500 | 3,000 | 8,800 | 11,500 | 6,000 | 12,500 | 14,500 | 8,500 | 16,500 | |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 105,500 | 91,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | 105,500 | 120,000 | 117,500 | 112,000 | 129,250 | |
| Quebec Skilled Workers and Business | See the Quebec immigration plan | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||
| Total Economic | 266,210 | 233,000 | 277,250 | 281,135 | 250,000 | 305,000 | 301,250 | 265,000 | 326,000 | |
| Family | Spouses, Partners and Children | 78,000 | 72,000 | 84,000 | 80,000 | 75,000 | 86,000 | 82,000 | 77,000 | 88,000 |
| Parents and Grandparents | 28,500 | 25,000 | 38,000 | 34,000 | 29,000 | 45,000 | 36,000 | 30,750 | 48,000 | |
| Total Family | 106,500 | 100,000 | 118,000 | 114,000 | 105,000 | 130,000 | 118,000 | 107,000 | 135,000 | |
| Refugees and Protected Persons | Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad | 25,000 | 22,000 | 35,000 | 27,000 | 24,000 | 38,000 | 29,000 | 26,000 | 35,000 |
| Resettled Refugees – Government-Assisted | 23,550 | 18,500 | 30,000 | 21,115 | 16,750 | 26,000 | 15,250 | 12,000 | 17,000 | |
| Resettled Refugees – Privately Sponsored | 27,505 | 20,000 | 29,000 | 27,750 | 22,000 | 29,500 | 28,250 | 23,000 | 30,000 | |
| Resettled Refugees – Blended Visa Office-Referred | 250 | – | 400 | 250 | – | 400 | 250 | – | 400 | |
| Total Refugees and Protected Persons | 76,305 | 66,000 | 93,000 | 76,115 | 66,000 | 93,000 | 72,750 | 64,000 | 80,000 | |
| Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | Total Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other | 15,985 | 11,000 | 16,750 | 13,750 | 9,000 | 14,500 | 8,000 | 6,500 | 9,000 |
| French‑speaking immigration admissions necessary to meet 2023 objective in Francophone Immigration Strategy | 15,862 | 19,910 | ||||||||
As per the news release, immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth, and, by 2032, it’s projected to account for 100% of Canada’s population growth.
More Information is available here.
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