Canada Welcomes a Historic 431,645 Newcomers in 2022

Canada receives a record number of newcomers as permanent residents in 2022. Generally, Canada welcomes around 300,000 immigrants a year. 

Recently, the Canadian Government announced that it had reached the “target of 431,645 new permanent residents” for 2022. The announcement came as a January 3, 2023, News Release by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).  

According to the Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser, “Today marks an important milestone for Canada, setting a new record for newcomers welcomed in a single year.”

The annual immigration targets are set by Canada for three years at a time. As per the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan released on February 14, 2022, Canada planned on welcoming 13,29,700 between 2023-2025. However, the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan increased the admissions target for the three years to a combined total of 14,50,000. 

Previously, the year 2021 had a new record set for permanent resident admissions. 401,000 newcomers were welcomed in 2021, surpassing the earlier record from 1913 that had the most newcomers in a year in Canadian history. 

Canada needs immigrants, as newcomers - 

1. Contribute to the economy by working, 
2. Create jobs for Canadians, 
3. Support local businesses, and 
4. Enrich communities. 

The decision by the Government of Canada to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022 was in recognition of the value of Canadian immigration.  

Setting the bar higher for processing, IRCC processed around 5.2 million applications in 2022.

These were for - 

• Canada PR visa, 
• temporary residence on a work permit or a Canada study permit, and 
• citizenship. 

Applications processed in 2022 were double the number of applications processed by IRCC in 2021. 

In view of the IRCC plan to bring in a historic number of newcomers, the processing has been streamlined and new technology has been introduced. Other improvements to Canada’s immigration system include taking more processes online and adding resources.

Canada is indeed well-positioned for the future. According to IRCC, “As the Government of Canada focuses on addressing the acute labour market shortages we are facing today and building a strong economy into the future, one thing remains certain: immigration is a key part of the solution”.

By 2036, immigrants are projected to represent up to 30% of the population in Canada, up from 20.7% in 2011. A little over 1.3 million new immigrants settled permanently in Canada between 2016 to 2021. 

Immigration accounts for almost 100% of the growth in the Canadian labour force. Around 75% of Canada’s population growth comes from immigration. A majority of newcomers are economic immigrants coming into Canada through the Express Entry system. Other immigration routes are also available. 

The right time to begin planning to settle in Canada with your family is right now. Get your Canada Initial Evaluation Report to assess your eligibility. 

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