For the year 2024, Canada aims to admit 485,000 new immigrants, while in 2025 and 2026, the target is set at 500,000 immigrants each year.
For the year 2024, Canada aims to admit 485,000 new immigrants, while in 2025 and 2026, the target is set at 500,000 immigrants each year.
Canada has unveiled its Immigration Levels Plan for the years 2024-2026, maintaining its current immigration targets.
For the year 2024, Canada aims to admit 485,000 new immigrants, while in 2025 and 2026, the target is set at 500,000 immigrants each year, the CIC News reported.
In 2022, Canada admitted a record 437,000 new immigrants, and the 2023 target is 465,000.
The new targets align with the previously announced Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025. The latest update includes the 2026 target and adjustments to the number of immigrants admitted under various classes and programs throughout the 2024-2026 period.
“These immigration levels will help set the pace of Canada’s economic and population growth while moderating its impact on critical systems such as infrastructure and housing,” Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller said in a report via CTV News.
In 2024, the economic class will welcome approximately 281,135 immigrants, constituting 58 percent of the annual target, and this is expected to increase to 301,250 immigrants or 60 percent of the annual target by 2026. The family class target for 2024 is set at 114,000 immigrants, accounting for 24 percent of all admissions, with the number rising to 118,000 immigrants in 2026, maintaining the same percentage.
For humanitarian admissions, 89,865 immigrants will be targeted in 2024, making up about 19 percent of all admissions, which includes refugees, protected persons, and individuals admitted for humanitarian, compassionate, or other reasons. In 2026, the target will be 80,832 immigrants, representing 16 percent of all admissions.
The Express Entry program’s target is 110,700 permanent resident admissions in 2024 and will rise to 117,500 immigrants for each of the years 2025 and 2026. The Provincial Nominee Program target is 110,000 immigrants in 2024, increasing to 120,000 in 2025 and maintaining the same number in 2026. The Spousal, Partner, and Children sponsorship program is set to admit 82,000 individuals in 2024, and this number will grow to 84,000 for each of the years 2025 and 2026. The Parents and Grandparents Program will have a target of 32,000 immigrants in 2024, followed by 34,000 immigrants in 2025 and 2026.
The Canadian government said that the plan aims to support economic growth while addressing pressures in areas such as housing, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Starting in 2026, the government plans to stabilize permanent resident levels at 500,000, allowing time for successful integration and enhancing Canada’s labor market. The government also intends to recalibrate the number of temporary resident admissions over the next year to ensure the sustainability of this aspect of the immigration system.
Under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act, Canada’s primary immigration law, the federal government is required to release its annual immigration plan by November 1 in non-election years. The Immigration Levels Plan serves as a guideline for the number of new permanent residents to be admitted to Canada over the next three years, categorizing them into economic, family, and humanitarian classes.
The announcement comes after Miller introduced a new strategy on October 31 to modernize its immigration system.
Titled “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future,” the strategy aims to reshape Canada’s immigration system by aligning the labor market with immigration, modernizing the application process, enhancing application processing services, supporting smaller communities in attracting and retaining immigrants, and promoting francophone immigration across the country.
The strategy is built on three pillars, including creating a more welcoming experience for newcomers, aligning immigration with labor market needs, and developing a comprehensive and coordinated growth plan.
To achieve these goals, IRCC will introduce the Digital Platform Modernization, a new operating platform designed to improve user experience and increase efficiency. The DPM will provide online services, automation, and digital self-service options to streamline the application process and make it more user-friendly.
IRCC will also identify necessary skills, match newcomers with job opportunities, and create category-based Express Entry rounds to attract top talent. Additionally, a Chief International Talent Officer will be appointed to align immigration policies with long-term skills and labor strategies.
While attracting top talent is a priority, IRCC also recognizes the need to address challenges related to affordability, housing, and international credentials that can deter newcomers from staying in Canada.
The strategy also underlined the significance of national and regional immigration programs, like the Atlantic Immigration Program, in sustaining growth and supporting Canada’s economy.
Moreover, IRCC will explore options for developing an integrated plan to coordinate housing, healthcare, and infrastructure in collaboration with various government departments and local authorities.
“We’ll continue to prioritize trades and skilled workers in construction. I’m looking at a number of options within my department to make that stream more attractive to the foreign workers, including credentials having support from unions and employers to make sure that those construction jobs that are needed,” Miller told reporters in Ottawa via Global News.
Quebec’s government, led by Prime Minister François Legault, has also unveiled its Immigration Plan for 2024 and 2025, with a primary emphasis on enhancing French language integration. The plan aims to admit over 60,000 immigrants annually, with measures including proficiency in French, encouraging younger immigrants, and supporting integration in all regions of the province.
“The message will be very clear as much for students as for workers. In the future, if you want to come to Quebec for more than three years, if you want to be received as a permanent immigrant, you need to speak French,” he said in a report by Immigration.ca.
Economic immigration will remain the dominant category, with skilled workers and business admissions increasing, while family class admissions will remain stable.
The plan also makes knowledge of French compulsory for some economic programs, with exceptions for certain workers. Quebec is releasing a two-year plan to assess the impact of these measures and ensure the vitality of the French language.
