Canada to Welcome 1.5 Million New Permanent Residents in Next Three Years

Canada is set to welcome nearly 1.5 million new permanent residents over the next three years, according to the new targets recently announced by Immigration Minister Marc Miller.

The Immigration Levels Plan sets guidelines and targets for how many permanent residents Canada plans to welcome under economic, humanitarian, and family reunification streams.

Steady Target of 500,000 Annual Newcomers

Canada does not foresee a cut to immigration levels and plans to hold its target of annual newcomers steady at 500,000 people starting in 2026, according to plans tabled in Parliament by Miller. This is aimed at allowing time for successful integration and sustainable population growth.

Categories of New Permanent Residents

The total number of new permanent residents will be divided into four broad categories:

• Economic: Economic migrants are projected to make up the largest chunk of newcomers, with 281,135 economic migrants projected in 2024 and 301,250 per year in 2025 and 2026.
• Family Reunification: Family reunification numbers will also go up, from 114,000 in 2024 to 118,000 in 2025 and 2026. Spouses, partners, and children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents are expected to number 84,000 annually, while parents and grandparents will be at 34,000.
• Refugees and Protected Persons: The number of refugees and protected persons that Canada welcomes as new permanent residents will go down from 76,115 in 2024 to 72,750 in 2025 and 2026.
• Humanitarian, Compassionate, and Others: The number of new immigrants welcomed annually under humanitarian and compassionate grounds will go down from 13,750 in 2024 to 8,000 in 2025 and 2026.

Breakdown of the Economic Category

The economic category is broken into several sub-categories:

• Provincial Nominee Program (PNP): Provinces can issue invitations to new immigrants to live there based on specific labor requirements. In 2024, 110,000 new immigrants will be welcomed under the PNP, increasing to 120,000 each in 2025 and 2026.
• Atlantic Immigration Program: This program promotes settlement in Canada’s four Atlantic provinces, with 6,500 people welcomed in 2024 and 8,500 each in 2025 and 2026.
• Federal High Skilled Program: This program includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and workers with prior Canadian work experience. It will welcome 110,770 new permanent residents in 2024 and 117,500 each in the subsequent two years.
• Federal Business Visas: Canada aims to issue 5,000 Federal Business visas in 2024 and 6,000 in each in 2025 and 2026.
• Other Immigration Pilots: The federal government has launched several immigration pilots to boost workers in specific fields, including visas for caregivers, healthcare workers, agri-food workers, as well as the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and the Economic Mobility Pathways Project.

Promoting Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec

In addition to the overall annual target of 485,000, Ottawa plans to welcome 26,100 French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec in 2024. That annual target will increase to 31,500 in 2025 and 36,000 in 2026.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Canada’s immigration strategy aims to align immigration policies with the country’s labor market needs. However, the current certification process for foreign-trained professionals remains a barrier.

A report by the Royal Bank of Canada highlights the underutilization of the current immigrant workforce and the need for pathways to permanent residency for migrant workers, including international students.

Despite challenges, Canada remains committed to its immigration targets and will continue to welcome new permanent residents in various categories with a focus on economic needs, family reunification, and humanitarian grounds.