What is the current immigration situation in Canada?

Immigrants make significant contributions to Canada’s economy and population growth, bringing new ideas, skills, and perspectives with them.

Immigration to Canada can vary according to birthplace, admission category, and period of arrival.

Asian immigration has grown substantially while European immigration has steadily decreased over five decades.

Immigration

Canada possesses a rich immigration history, with over 8.3 million individuals, equivalent to 23 percent of the population, having arrived from foreign lands since gaining independence.

These immigrants have significantly influenced the country’s diverse landscape and culture.

Simultaneously, they have played a crucial role in addressing demographic aging, driving economic growth, and meeting essential labor needs, like healthcare and education, by bringing in skilled workers from abroad.

However, it is important to note that immigration continues to be a topic of debate in Canada, as some citizens express concerns about its potential impact on housing and the availability of social services.

Since the outbreak began, the federal government has implemented travel and immigration restrictions in order to protect its population and control further spread of the virus – creating strain on our refugee system and restricting travel across national borders.

As a result, more than 50 thousand individuals sought asylum in Canada – an unprecedented total.

This rise can be explained by multiple factors including new U.S. policies and travel and asylum restrictions as well as increased immigration enforcement and the expiration of temporary protected status for Haitians.

Most refugees were resettled through government-assisted programs, with most refugees being sponsored by families that took on financial responsibility for their relocation and paid the associated relocation costs themselves.

A small proportion was privately sponsored through religious or community organizations without taking financial responsibility themselves – government-assisted resettlement programs comprised 34% of total resettled refugees in 2021.

Over this same time period, the percentage of refugees privately sponsored dropped significantly, from 4.1% to 3.2%.

This may reflect both an increase in private sponsoring as well as decreased risk in home countries for these refugees.

Asia continues to account for a larger share of immigrants settling in Canada than it had at any point since 1971 when European immigration rates dropped significantly compared with this latest census count.

Recently, more settlers to Canada have chosen to live outside large urban centers, leading to greater population growth in small urban and rural regions – most significantly Ottawa-Gatineau, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, and Hamilton-Niagara Falls.

Refugees

For every permanent resident accepted into Canada, three temporary residents arrive for temporary work or study, collectively contributing significantly to the economy.

However, this situation has sparked debates about immigration volumes. In 2019, when the federal government unveiled ambitious immigration targets, certain Canadians expressed discontent, suggesting that the influx of newcomers was excessive.

Conversely, there were also calls for reducing immigration levels, citing concerns about the added pressure on infrastructure, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

The federal government is charged with giving economic migrants a fair opportunity to live in Canada, but must also balance this responsibility against other goals such as public safety and national security, cultural diversity, and the ability to integrate newcomers.

Canada has an established immigration history; however, there are limits as to the number of people that can be accepted into its borders at one time.

Most refugees entering Canada are referred by either the UN or provincial sponsors, with private sponsorship accounting for roughly 58%.

Most refugees hail from Asia (particularly Middle East), but African emigration has seen an upswing since the early 1990s.

Some asylum seekers entering the country without going through official entry points have become an increasing practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving health care and other benefits until their cases have been heard by officials.

Once approved, asylum seekers may apply to become permanent residents after some period.

Immigrants arriving in Canada typically do so with the hope of creating better lives for themselves and their families.

Economic migrants can be admitted through various programs, including the federal high-skilled worker program and “Canadian Experience Class,” which allows foreign workers, international students, and graduates of Canadian universities to transition toward permanent residency status.

Researchers have observed that, despite the many advantages of migration, integration may not always go smoothly.

This is particularly true for refugees, who face numerous difficulties such as familial separations and language/cultural barriers that limit employment/education opportunities as well as stigma.

Furthermore, current immigration policies may impede eligibility for refugee integration programs and services.

Temporary Workers

Immigration has long been an integral component of Canada’s economy.

It provides a relatively young stream of workers to supplement native-born populations and fill labor shortages caused by declining birthrates. Immigrants from diverse parts of the globe also bring unique skills that drive innovation;

yet despite efforts made to attract highly skilled migrants, low-wage workers remain by far the majority among foreign workers entering Canada to work.

Recently, more people are entering Canada as temporary workers than in years past.

This trend can be explained by changes to the global economic landscape resulting in a shortage of workers for certain sectors as well as changes to Canada’s workforce recruitment strategies; as a result, the Canadian government has upped its recruitment of international workers.

Most foreign workers enter through one of two pathways: the International Mobility Program or the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Companies unable to find workers domestically can hire foreigners who meet broad criteria; those with work permits receive basic labor protections, while some may gain permanent residency after a certain amount of employment time has elapsed;

however, abuse and exploitation often occur as visas bind workers exclusively to specific employers.

Immigration will help to alleviate Canada’s labor shortage in the short term, yet won’t fully offset aging and fertility trends.

That is why Canada is taking steps to create more pathways to permanent residence for low-wage workers through personal care worker pilot programs in 2019, as well as expanding provincial nominee programs.

Immigrants to Canada increasingly arrive with pre-admission experience through work or study permits or as asylum seekers – also known as two-step immigration – which allows them to test out workplace environments, and social, cultural, and language environments before making permanent moves, which can increase long-term success.

By 2021, nearly one-quarter of immigrants had some kind of pre-admission experience here, with economic immigrants entering through this route more than doubling since 2016.

Citizenship

Canada has welcomed more immigrants than ever before; last year alone saw over 431,000 permanent residents arrive – the highest annual total ever.

This influx was designed to replace retiring Baby Boomers and keep the economy expanding; however, not everyone is supportive; according to an Angus Reid poll, only 13% named anything higher than 331,000 as their ideal annual immigration level.

Canada is home to an aging population and low birthrate, so more workers are needed to pay taxes and support its elderly residents.

Though its labor market remains competitive, some occupations require immediate fill-in.

Immigration accounts for almost all of Canada’s labor force growth and is key in meeting labor shortages.

More than half of immigrants arrive through one of the federal government’s high-skilled programs – most commonly software engineers/designers, financial auditors/accountants, advertising, marketing, and public relations professionals are invited.

Most immigrants who come to Canada through these programs originate in Asia, with India accounting for the bulk of these immigrants.

Many come with prior work or study experience that helps them find work more quickly, contributing to recent improvements in labor force outcomes.

Some individuals enter Canada as asylum seekers and are granted permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

They can claim asylum at any of Canada’s border crossings or airports or provincial offices; most asylum claims in Canada are legitimate; however, there may be instances when someone enters without authorization to try and avoid deportation.

Overall, about eighty percent of permanent residents in Canada are born outside its borders; most are first-generation immigrants while two-thirds have at least one foreign-born parent.