Canada welcomed more than 35,000 new immigrants in June this year. It was the first time amid the COVID-19 pandemic that the country admitted over 25,000 immigrants in a month.
As per the new Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023, the government of Canada has planned to welcome a minimum of 401,000 new permanent residents.
June has been one of the greatest months for Canadian immigration since the outbreak of the coronavirus. The immigration minister is optimistic that Canada will achieve its target of welcoming around 401,000 new people as permanent residents in 2021. And to achieve its target, Canada needs to accept an average of 43,000 new immigrants per month by the end of 2021.
Canadian immigration during COVID-19 pandemic
Before the pandemic storm, the federal government was welcoming 341,000 newcomers annually. Now, IRCC has planned the most ambitious immigration target in Canada’s immigration history. For the upcoming three years, Canada needs 401,000 newcomers to have economic recovery post the pandemic.
At the beginning of 2021, IRCC welcomed 24,680 immigrants in January. In the following months, it lost pace with admitting around 23,395 newcomers in February, 22,425 in March, 21,155 new immigrants in April, and 17,100 in May. Then, June became the biggest immigration month for Canada as it got 35,000 new permanent residents.
Although 143,000 people became permanent residents in the first six months of this year, Canada still falls short of achieving its 2021 immigration target as it needs another 258,000 new immigrants in the second half of 2021. Over 40,000 new permanent residents should land in Canada per month so that IRCC can meet its target.
Further, IRCC has introduced six new immigration streams for permanent residence this year. It will allow around 90,000 international student graduates and essential services workers to stay in Canada. The immigration department plans to process at least 40,000 permanent residency applications under the new streams by the end of 2021.
To conclude, we can expect a huge rise in immigration levels in the coming months. There is a great chance that Canada might hit a high record by the end of 2021 as permanent residents can arrive through various pathways, for instance, people with expired COPR, people under the Canadian Experience Class, and some other platforms.
