Canada to welcome 1,000,000 immigrants over the next 3 years
Canada’s 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan aims at increasing the number of permanent residents admitted to the country, and as many as 1,000,000 immigrants are expected in the next three years. The proposed plan targets an increase of 10,000 each year: from 341,000 in 2020 to 351,000 in 2021 and 361,000 in 2022. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino tabled the plan in the House of Commons this week.
According to Mendicino, the reasoning behind this plan is that it will benefit Canada by driving further economic growth, lead to better innovation and also grant employers access to a greater talent pool.
“Our immigration system benefits all Canadians by strengthening the middle class, keeping families together and building strong and inclusive communities. This increase in immigration levels supports a system that will help Canadian business create good middle-class jobs and grow the economy while ensuring Canada continues to meet its humanitarian obligations around the world,” Mendicino said in a statement following the tabling of the plan.
Our immigration system benefits all Canadians by strengthening the middle class, keeping families together and building strong and inclusive communities.
Canada’s labour force continues to grow by a small amount every year thanks to immigration. According to reports published by the government, Canada’s worker-to-retiree ratio is currently 4 to 1. By 2035, when 5 million Canadians are set to retire, the ratio will be down to 2 to 1, which means that there will be only 2 workers for every retiree. So, an increase in the admittance of permanent residents will address the concerns regarding Canada’s ageing population and workforce.
With increased space for the Provincial Nominee Program, an Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Agri-Food and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilots, the levels plan directly addresses labour market needs across Canada to ensure businesses can get the talent they need, where they need it.
The proposed 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan in the House of Commons earlier today draws its solid economic foundation from its predecessor and continues to responsibly grow the number of permanent residents admitted to Canada each year.
Key commitments of the 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan
- Responsibly grow Canada’s population
- Take the steps to make the Atlantic Immigration Pilot a permanent program to continue supporting economic growth in Atlantic Canada, with 5,000 admissions
- Create a new stream to provide a safe haven for human rights advocates, journalists and humanitarian workers at risk abroad
- Facilitate the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, to address specific labour market shortages
- Support family reunification through sustained high admissions
- Reduce application processing times and improve service delivery and client services at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The Government of Canada also reiterated its commitment to continue implementing steps to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec, while supporting the successful integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers and strengthening Francophone communities.
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