New Plan Increases Canadian Immigration Levels
Almost one-million Canadian visas will be granted to new permanent residents over the next three years under Canada’s most recent immigration plan which was unveiled on November 1, 2017. This is the first time that Canada’s government has released a three-year Canadian immigration plan. For 2017, the official target for immigration to Canada was set at 300,000 new permanent residents and according to Ahmed Hussen, the Canadian immigration minister, this will be the new minimum goal for immigration to Canada each year. Previous Canadian immigration levels had been approximately 260,000 new permanent residents annually. Nonetheless, the three-year goals established for immigration to Canada substantially increase the number of Canadian visas for new permanent residents to 310,000 in 2018, 330,000 in 2019, and 340,000 in 2020 (a total of 980,000 new immigrants over the three-year period).
Foreign workers with the education, skills and experience needed to fill high-demand jobs in Canada will receive around 60% of the Canadian visas granted to new permanent residents each year (177,500 in 2018, 191,600 in 2019, and 195,800 in 2020). Most of these foreign workers will immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) using the Express Entry system. Several thousand Canadian visas will also be issued to foreign workers who want to live and work in the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). Additionally, a large number of Canadian visas will be granted through the Caregiver Program and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. The increased number of Canadian visas being made available to foreign workers is great news for people in other countries who want to live and work in in Canada!
The new Canadian immigration plan also raises the number of permanent resident visas that will be issued to the family members of citizens or permanent residents of Canada between 2018 and 2020. For example, the target for Canadian visas granted for family reunification is set at 86,000 for 2018, 88,500 during 2019 and 91,000 in 2020. Family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents that may qualify for a visa to Canada through family reunification include spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents who meet the eligibility requirements.
Canada is known around the world for its compassion, humanitarian assistance to people in need, and international peacekeeping efforts, so it is not surprising that thousands of Canadian visas will be granted for refugees and other protected persons, as well as for humanitarian reasons. During 2018, the goal is to issue 46,500 Canadian visas through these programs, followed by 49,900 in 2019 and 53,200 in 2020. A recent example of how Canadians have reached out to help people in difficult situations around the world is allowing tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War to immigrate to Canada.
Thus, if you and your family would like the opportunity to live and work in Canada as permanent residents, now is a good time to start the process. To find out which Canadian immigration program you may qualify for, click here!
