In March 2021, Canada welcomed 22,425 new permanent residents.
According to data released earlier this week by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the nation accepted over 70,000 new immigrants in the first quarter of this year.
This figure for Q1 2021 is significantly higher than the 30,000-40,000 newcomers Canada has received every quarter since the outbreak began.
The most ambitious immigration initiative in the country’s history guides IRCC. Marco Mendicino, the department’s minister, unveiled the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan in late October 2020.
In 2021, Canada hopes to accept 401,000 new immigrants, tying the record set in 1913. Over the next two years, it expects to get even more immigrants.
In contrast, due to coronavirus disturbances, Canada accepted just 184,000 refugees last year, well short of the 341,000 arrivals it welcomed in 2019.
The current levels strategy is based on the rationale of welcoming high levels of immigration to help Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
Due to COVID-19 travel limits, Canada prioritises the transfer of temporary immigrants to permanent residents during the pandemic.
The keyway IRCC accomplishes this is by conducting Express Entry draws for people who are already in Canada. Express Entry is the primary method by which Canada accepts economic immigrants. The economic class accounts for approximately 60% of the new immigrants admitted to Canada each year.
Candidates for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) have been targeted in Express Entry draws. In 2021, the CEC made up the vast majority of eligible Express Entry applicants.
On February 13, IRCC invited 27,332 CEC candidates to apply for permanent residency, nearly six times the previous Express Entry draw record.
Furthermore, IRCC unveiled six new permanent residence streams last week to relocate approximately 90,000 critical staff and foreign graduates to permanent residence. In just over 24 hours, the English-speaking foreign graduate stream met its limit of 40,000 applicants.
The record-breaking Express Entry draws, as well as these six new sources, will provide IRCC with a strong tailwind in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, supporting its 401,000 goals.
Many Canadians invited under Express Entry last year and in the first half of this year will be granted permanent resident status by the end of the year. Furthermore, IRCC recently announced that it hopes to hire at least 40,000 essential staff and graduates by the end of the year.
Furthermore, seasonality plays a significant role in Canadian immigration. During the warmer spring and summer months, permanent residence landings begin to increase. Despite travel restrictions, there is still a chance that those qualified to immigrate to Canada may do so in the coming months when the weather is better.
The rapid start to the year by IRCC, combined with the aforementioned tailwinds, positions Canada to meet its 401,000 marks this year.
