The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department of Canada announces a new immigration plan this November. According to the plan, Canada will welcome about 1.5 million new permanent residents by 2025. As Canada is facing critical labor market shortages it needs more skilled workers to sustain its economy.
According to this announcement, the plan’s motive is to embrace immigration to help businesses find workers and skills in Canada’s key sectors. Healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and trade fall under the key sectors of Canada. The plan will commence as 2023-2025 Immigration Level’s Plan and will execute in three levels. The official statement explains that Canada will have 465,000 permanent residents in 2023 and 485,000 in 2024. It will be having the highest arrivals in 2025 with a whopping 500,000 new permanent residents. Just last year Canada saw about 405,000 immigrants in its different regions. This was the highest Canada ever had.
Plan Highlights
- A long-term focus on economic growth, with just over 60% of admissions in the economic class by 2025
- Using new features in the Express Entry system to welcome newcomers with the required skills and qualifications in sectors facing acute labor shortages such as health care, manufacturing, building trades, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
- Increases in regional programs to address targeted local labor market needs, through the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Reuniting more families faster
- Ensuring that at least 4.4% of new permanent residents outside Quebec are Francophone
- Support for global crises by providing a safe haven to those facing persecution, including by expanding the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
International Students in the Focus too
Canada also made some reforms to its working hours earlier this year. The previous amendment removed the limit on working hours for international students. Although the removal is temporary, students will be able to work above 20 hours a week. This reform will officially start on November 15th, 2022. This reform also falls under Canada’s attempt to address its labor shortage. But in the long run, it cannot become Canada’s problem solver.
“A temporary lift is not the way to address Canada’s labor market shortages”
–Vinitha Gengathran, Executive Director, York University and Bord Director at Canadian Bureau for international Education
Alongside direct PR immigrants, Canada also recognizes its international students as an important source of possible permanent residents. Last year in 2021, 88,000 students acquired direct permanent resident status from their post-graduation work permit. Besides this direct conversion there as an additional 157,000 new permanent residents from international students in Canada. International students who graduate can use the Express Entry System to apply for permanent residency.
There are some new features in the entry system too. Because of the implementation of the Level’s Immigration Plan, the Express Entry system is now designed to attract more immigrants who have skills in health care, manufacturing, building traders, and STEM.
This is a good opportunity for both education and migration agents to consider Canada as a great study destination. Subscribe to our blog to get such interesting blogs and news for education and migration agencies.
