The Canadian government announced in October 2018 that it wants 1,000,000 new permanent immigrants in the next 3 years and is increasing immigration to
- 310,000 in 2019
- 340,000 in 2020
- 350,000 in 2021
primarily in economic programs to address skills shortages and gaps in the labour market. Canada pledged to invest $440 million to increase immigration. The funds will be used to support increased demands on IRCC’s global processing network and immigrant settlement programs. Additional funding will enable IRCC and its partners to process and screen more applications for permanent residency in a timely manner.
On January 3, 2019, IRCC Minister Ahmed Husen announced 16 organizations will receive a combined $113 million to offer immigration and settlement pre-arrival support services virtually and in-person abroad to approved future immigrants through to 2023. The immigration integration services will be split into three categories:
- economic and family class immigrants
- Francophone immigrants
- refugees
Pre-arrival services help immigrants integrate into the Canadian workforce faster and more smoothly, to educate new immigrants on life in Canada, and to minimize potential roadblocks after arrival. The groups receiving funding will encourage future immigrants to apply for relevant job licences and professional qualifications before their arrival in Canada, and get a head start on any required skill training.
Immigrant Unemployment Declines to Lowest Rate on Record
Programs to support successful integration to life in Canada are critical for immigrants to successfully enter the Canadian workforce. Canada's unemployment rate for immigrants is the lowest it has been since 2006 when these statistics were first tracked. Employers are increasingly relying on newcomers to fill jobs, new research from Statistics Canada shows. By 2036, Statistics Canada projects immigrants will make up 24.5% - 30% of Canada's population and Canada will be competing with other industrial countries for a share of young, skilled workers.
- 74% Canada workforce were born in Canada
- 26% Canada workforce are immigrants
- 6.4% Canadian working-age immigrants are unemployed
- 5% working-age born Canadians are unemployed
- 49.5% of immigrant workforce has university degrees
- 30.3% Canadian born workforce has university degrees
Economic immigrants will make up almost 60% of new permanent residents admitted to Canada; most will immigrate through the Express Entry immigration system for skilled workers.
Education has been key to successful immigration to Canada. 30% of Canadian schoolchildren are either immigrants themselves or have at least one parent born abroad, "yet Canada has one of the highest performing education systems in the world as ranked by the Program for International Assessment, or PISA, test that 15-year-olds from more than 70 countries take... Part of Canada’s success is connected to its strong track record on educating immigrants. "
Pre-arrival immigrant integration services will strengthen Canada's immigration success rate and help build a stronger Canada.
Don't wait to begin your immigration journey to Canada - do it now.
