Immigration Level Plan 2024-2026
Canada announces Immigration Level Plan 2024-2026
Canada has released its Immigration Level Plan 2024-2026
Canada’s immigration level plan 2024-2026 will remain unchanged from its current target, In 2024, the country will target, as will as updates to the levels of immigrants that will be admitted under each class and program between 2024-2026
The target are the same as those announced under the Immigration Level Plan 2023-2025. The new information released today is the 2026 target, as well as updates to the levels of immigrants that will admitted under each class and program between 2024-2026
Breakdown of immigration targets by class
In 2024, Canada will look to welcome about 281,135 immigrants under the economics class, or 58% of the annual target by 2026, this will rise to 301,250 immigrants, or 60% of the annual target.
The family class target, in 2024, will be 114,000 immigrants, or 24% of all admission. This will rise to 118,000 immigrants by 2026, which will also be 24% of all admissions.
Humanitarian admission targets will be 89,865 immigrants in 2024, or about 19% of all admission. These totals include refugees, protected persons and those admitted for humanitarian, compassionate or other reasons, By 2026, the target will be 80,832 immigrants, or 16% admissions.
Note that figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Express Entry and PNP targets to rise
The Immigration Levels Plan 2014-2026, Express Entry target will be 110,700 permanent resident admissions in 2024, and this will rise to 117,500 immigrants in each of 2025 and 2026,
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) target will be 120,000 in 2026.
Spousal Partner, and Children Sponsorship has a target of 82,000 admissions in 2024, and this will rise to 84,000 in each of 2025 and 2026. Meanwhile, the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) Target will be 32,000 immigrants in 2024, followed by 34,000 immigrants in each of 2025 and 2026.
Canadian government looking to stabilize immigration levels
Addressing why it is keeping its targets unchanged, the Canadian government explains. “This plan is tailored to support economic growth while balancing with the pressure in areas like housing, healthcare and infrastructure. It charts a responsible course for sustainable and stable population growth, Starting in 2026, the government will stabilize permanent resident level at 500,000 allowing time for successful integration, while continuing to augment Canada’s labour market. The government also plans to take action over the next year to recalibrate the number of temporary resident admissions to ensure this aspect of our immigration system also remains sustainable.”
Under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), which is Canada’s main immigration law, the federal government must release its annual immigration plan by November 1 in non-election years.
The Immigration Levels Plan 2014-2026 act as admitted into Canada over the next three years under each of the three immigration classes economic, family and humanitarian.
The plan advances the mission of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to strengthen Canada’s economy, reunite families and make Canada a safe place for those fleeing oppression or other humanitarian crises.
In 2022, Canada broke the record for new immigrants of 437,000 admissions. The target for permanent resident admissions in 20233 is 465,000.
Canada pursuing new strategy to improve system
The immigration Level Plan 2024-2026 comes one day after Canada unveiled a new strategy to improve its immigration system. On October 31, Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledge shortcoming in the country’s immigration system as he outlined the pillars of a new approach to modernize the system.
The new strategy, entitled An immigration System for Canada’s Future, has three major goals:
- Create a more welcoming experience for newcomers
- Align immigration with labour market needs
- Develop a comprehensive and coordinated growth plan
IRCC is seeking to deliver a more pleasant and user-friendly experience to its clients.
In addition, IRCC would like to better align Canada’s immigration policies with its skills and labour strategy.
Third, IRCC would like to develop an integrated plan among all three of Canada’s levels of government to ensure the country can offer adequate housing, health care and infrastructure to its growing newcomer population.
Canada began to increase immigration levels in the late 1980s
Canada’s immigration strategy began to shift towards its current from in the late 1980’s. Before this, the government did not place as much emphasis on planning for future immigration and generally set immigration targets based on the economy of the day.
Canada welcomed fewer than 90,000 immigrants in 1984. As the 1990s approached, the federal government, run by the Conservative party at that time, realized there would soon be a shortage of labour and raised immigration targets to 250,000 new permanent residents over eight years.
The Liberal government was then elected in 1993 and continued to increase immigration targets. It also began to put more focus on admitting economic class immigrants and reducing Canada’s family and humanitarian class shares to help aid the economy in a recessions.
Stone 260,000 immigrants were then admitted annually until the current liberal government was elected in 2015, under the current federal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were raised to 300,000 and then to 340,000 shorty before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In 2021, despite pandemic restriction Canada broke its record for permanent resident admission by landing 405,000 new immigrants.
Canada is currently coping with an affordability crisis and housing shortage that immigration than in previous years.
However; IRCC continues to maintain high immigration target because of shortage of skilled labour in the face of low birth rate and the impending retirement of millions of Canadian workers as they reach 65. As it stands, Statistics Canada most recent population estimate shows that newcomers are responsible for 98% of Canada’s population growth.
The most recent job vacancy data shows that, as of July 2023, there was 701,300 jobs in Canada. While this is a decrease of 273,700 open positions in a year-over period, it is still significant enough of IRCC to make some change to prominent immigration programs and systems, such as Express Entry.
Earlier this year, to further target economic immigrants who are best suited to help Canada close the labour force gap, IRCC introduced category-based selection rounds of invitations for Express Entry candidates who have work experience in all-demand sector, or ability to promote the French language outside of Quebec.
Quebec also announced immigration plan today
Quebec also tabled its immigration levels plan for 2024 and 2025 today. Quebec is the only province in Canada with the ability to shape its annual permanent resident admission targets. This is due to their special status in Canada, Quebec has the authority to shape its immigration targets to help preserve its distinct francophone character. Today, the province announced it will look to welcome 50,000 new immigrants in 2024, and another 50,000 immigrants in 2025.
News Source :- CIC News
Canada’s Immigration Levels plan 2024-2026 addresses housing and healthcare
On November 1st Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the Immigration Level Plan 2024-2026.
The sets the target for the number of permanent resident admissions to Canada for the next three years.
Canada will admit 485,000 new permanent resident inn 2024 and 500,000 annually both each of 2024 and 2025.
Immigration Minister Mar Miller said that the plan would stabilize the number of newcomers arriving in Canada, which has been a matter of concern for many Canadians.
A recent report by Environics Institute found that Canadians are voicing less support for elevated levels of immigration than they have in previous years. The report found that those who had withdraw their support said they were worried about affordability in Canada, particularly housing.
Recognizing these concern, the Minister says that the new plan will be comprehensive and work to achieve a balance between Canada’s labour force need and ensuring Canada’s existing population is supported.
“We recognize that housing, infrastructure planning, and sustainable population growth need to be properly taken into account.” he said in an statement. “Through this plan, we are striking the appropriate balance to grow Canada’s economy, while maintaining our humanitarian tradition, supporting Francophone immigration, and developing a more collaborative approach to levels planning with our partners. Canada will continue to welcome newcomers and ensure that they are supported in their new lives.”
How will the levels plan help Canada’s force?
The immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 was tabled the day after IRCC released a Strategic Immigration Program, a new report that outlines the department’s updated approach to immigration.
One of the key pillars of the report is supporting Canada’s labour force growth. To that end, over 60% of newcomers over the next three years will be from economic class immigration pathways such as Express Entry managed programs, the Provincial Nominee Program or other regional economic immigration programs.
In 2024, Canada will welcome 281,135 economic immigrants and 301,250 in both 2025 and 2026.
IRCC’s new strategy also includes a “whole of government ” approach to immigration in which IRCC consults with stakeholders, government to better understand the skills that are needed and how many newcomers are necessary to close the gaps.
This approach will also help IRCC assess there is enough support for newcomers when they arrive.
Additionally, to help attract this high number of skilled newcomers, the Strategic Program says IRCC plans to work with partners to improve foreign credential recognition to enable more newcomers to apply their skills.
it also plan to promote awareness of programs that provide financial assistance, including loans, to help newcomers with the costs associated with the credential recognition process.
Healthcare and construction in Canada
When IRCC released the levels plan it also said that bringing in a high number of immigrants to fill labour market gaps will help Canada deliver on its National Housing Strategy. The housing strategy aims to invest more than $82 billion over the next ten years to build more housed in Canada, which will in turn lower costs. This will require more skilled workers in construction and trades.
People in Canada are also concerned about the state of healthcare in the country. Data from Statistics Canada shows that there were 136,000 in healthcare and social assistance as of August 2023.
Strains on the healthcare system became especially apparent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when many healthcare workers workers were frequently required to work overtime without a break. This led to burnout and some healthcare professional decided to switch occupations.
Further, up to nine million Canadians are expected to retire by 2030, and as Canada’s population ages pressure on the system will increase.
Census 2021 data shows that more than 468,000 immigrants work in health-related occupations, but is still not enough to fill all the job vacancies.
Category-based Express Entry
In May this year, IRCC aimed introduced category-based selection Express Entry rounds of invitations.
These new categories are aimed at targeting Express Entry candidates who have specific attributes that help IRCC fulfil its mandates. The categories are:
- Healthcare;
- STEM Professions;
- Trades;
- Transport;
- Agriculture and agri-food; and,
- French language proficiency;
Through these category-based rounds, IRCC selects those who are better placed to fill labour force gaps in sector with high job vacancy rate such as healthcare and construction. To date IRCC has invited 5,600 candidates in healthcare occupations will take place before December this year.
The level plan shows that in 2024, Canada will admit 110,770 Express Entry candidates and 117,500 in both 2025 & 2026.