Immigration to Canada

ANALYSIS: The early results have been pleasantly surprising.

IRCC is no longer accepting applications for the new PR pathways for international student graduates.

16 occupations will become eligible for Express Entry and three will become ineligible in November 2022.

Details of how the updated National Occupation Classification (NOC) system will affect Express Entry eligibility have been released.

Following the emergence of the Omicron variant, Canadian officials increased travel restrictions. Here is how you may be affected.

On February 15, 2024, Canada introduced a significant change to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program, enabling international students who graduate from master’s or Ph.D. programs to receive a three-year work permit, regardless of their program’s duration.

Essential workers and international graduates can apply to become permanent residents starting May 6, 2021 based on some conditions.

Canada's non-permanent resident population has reached 2.2 million, with a significant increase attributed to international migration. This marks a 46% year-over-year growth, primarily from work and study permits. Canada's total population now stands at nearly 40.1 million, making it a leader in G7 countries for population growth.

 IRCC has yet to release details on the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2022 but here is what we know so far.
According to the Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is looking to welcome some 23,500 immigrants under the PGP in 2022.

Between October 10 and October 23, 24,200 potential sponsors will be invited to apply. If you signed up in 2020 but didn't get an invitation in 2021 or 2022, keep an eye on your email, including your spam folder.

Alberta PNP invites candidates with CRS 318. BC holds a unique draw. PEI's monthly draw results are out.

This past week, three Canadian provinces held Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, inviting candidates to take the next step toward permanent residence.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (except for Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Provincial officials who manage these programs invite interested candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. While a provincial nomination is not the same as permanent residence, it can greatly increase one’s chances of obtaining permanent residency status.

For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations. In the Express Entry draw this week, Canada invited 924 PNP candidates to apply with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 754.

A look back at last month's Provincial Nominee Program updates and draw results from across the country.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued over 1,400 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in May.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which began modestly in 1998 with the admission of approximately 200 people to Canada, will now see the intake of over 80,000 new permanent residents every year. At least 3,744 immigration candidates received invitations through a provincial immigration program this past month.

Canada is increasing the number of economic immigrants it welcomes through provincial nominee programs.

113,700 new immigrants arrived in Canada in the first quarter of 2022.

As of April 1, 2022, Canada’s population was estimated to be nearly 39 million people. This is a population increase of nearly 128,000 people over three months from January 1.

Canada recorded an increase of just 2,767 people in Q3 of 2020, the slowest growth since 1946.

While many developed countries are expected to see some population decrease over the next 50 years, Canada’s population is projected to flourish as a result of immigration.

An immigrant-focused financial recovery plan should be at the forefront of Canada’s post-pandemic goals.

Immigration continued to drive population increases in Canada’s provinces between April and July of this year — a three month period that saw one of Canada’s largest quarterly population gains ever recorded.
Overall, Canada’s population grew by 181,057 during those three months and was estimated to be at 37,589,262 on July 1, 2019.
Statistics Canada said this number represents the second-highest quarterly increase, in absolute numbers, in 48 years.
International migration (immigrants, temporary residents and returning emigrants) “remained the main driver of Canada’s population growth, accounting for 85 per cent of the quarterly growth,” Statistics Canada reported.
A record 94,281 new immigrants to Canada arrived during the second quarter of 2019.
Prince Edward Island led provinces in growth
Net international migration was positive in all provinces and in the Yukon Territory between April and July.
Statistics Canada called it the “main growth driver, reaching levels rarely, if ever, seen during a second quarter” and attributed the growth mainly to “the high number of new immigrants.”
The province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) posted what Statistics Canada called the “most rapid population growth in Canada” in those three months.
PEI’s nation-leading population increase of 0.8 per cent during the quarter was driven primarily by net international migration, which accounted for 78.4 per cent of total population growth in the province.
Net international migration was also the main contributor to the Yukon Territory’s second-place finish in terms of population growth in that same period. The Yukon’s population grew by 0.6 per cent over the quarter, with net international migration accounting for 62 per cent of the increase.
Factors of population growth in Canada’s provinces and territories, April to July 2019

Net international migration was an even greater contributor to total growth in Quebec (87.1 per cent) and Ontario (85.5 per cent) between April and July.
It also played a leading role in population growth in British Columbia (78.2 per cent) and Alberta (61.1 per cent).
Statistics Canada said net international migration helped offset interprovincial migratory losses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan of -2,802 and -2,719 people, respectively, helping both provinces finish the quarter with positive growth rates.
International migration also helped offset negative natural increases (more deaths than births) in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, allowing both provinces to finish the quarter with population growth rates of 0.5 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively.
International migration was also up in Newfoundland and Labrador, though the province finished the quarter with negative population growth due to a high number of deaths compared to births and outmigration to other provinces.

Three new Express Entry-linked PNP streams were created in 2018 and others were improved