Canada Grants 471,550 PR Visas in 2023 Exceeding Annual Target

Canada made over half-a-million visa decisions in 2023. These include permanent residence applications and requests to be granted a permit for study/work purposes.

As per recent official data, 471,550 were granted Canadian permanent residence in 2023. The overall Canada PR visa grants in 2022 were 437,600.

Canada PR visas are granted by the Canadian government through the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The latest data reveals that the 2023 PR admissions target was successfully met and exceeded. The 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan was announced on November 1, 2022. The Plan laid down the PR admissions for the next three years -

• 465,000 in 2023
• 485,000 in 2024
• 500,000 in 2025

The 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan was announced a year later, on November 1, 2023. The admissions targets for 2024 and 2025 were retained as earlier. The target for 2026 was set at 500,000.

The overall admissions for Canadian permanent residency include the primary applicant and their dependents (spouse/partner and children).

Canada PR routes include-

• Express Entry
• Provincial Nominee Program
• Start-up Visa Program
• Atlantic Immigration Program
• Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
• Quebec skilled worker and business
• Parents and Grandparents Program

The figures for the decisions reached on temporary residence applications were also posted. The numbers contain the total decisions reached which might also include visa rejections.

How many temporary visa applications were finalized in 2023?

In 2023, IRCC finalized -

• 16,46,300 work permits, and
• 10,89,600 study permits.

Work permit applications include extensions.

How many immigrants got Canadian citizenship in 2023?

Between April and December 2023, 293,000 newcomers were granted Canadian citizenship. Compared with the data for the same period a year ago, there was an increase of 13,900. In 2022, 279,100 newcomers got Canadian citizenship in the same period.

The official statistics reveal that Canada is well on its way to meeting the target of granting 485,000 Canada PR visas in 2024. Another 500,000 will get PR in 2025, followed by another 500,000 in 2026. Annual targets are only for permanent residency grants. There are no yearly targets for temporary residents who come to Canada on work or study permits.

Backlog reduction

The Canadian government is taking various steps to reduce the existing backlogs with IRCC.

Steps taken in this direction include -

• For the year 2024, maintaining the annual target of 485,000 admissions.
• Launch of a Permanent Residence Portal for certain PR applicants to apply online, finalize applications, and secure Canada PR card with no in-person interaction.
• Introduction of an Application Status Tracker for those applying for -
  • Sponsoring a spouse/partner or dependent child
  • Being sponsored as a spouse/partner or dependent child
  • Express Entry
  • Study permit
  • Work permit
  • Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
• A significant reduction in the backlog of Express Entry applications. New applicants can expect their Express Entry PR applications to be processed within the IRCC standard of six months.

IRCC is committed to the goal of processing 80% of Canadian permanent resident applications within service standards.

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