As per the new report of Statistics Canada immigration continues to be the main source of the increase in population. Additionally, the total increase of new immigrants was 321,065 in 2018.
Promising figures
At the start of 2019, Canada had a population of 37,314,442. This was the result of an increase among the new immigrants during the fourth quarter of 2018. In 2018, the increase in population was 528,421. Moreover, the share of International migration was 80.5 percent, which represents a total of 425,245 temporary residents and new immigrants in the country.
Temporary residents of the country are persons who get the legal right to live on a temporary basis. They arrive on a visit, or for work, or a student permit apart from other temporary status. The IRCC grants this status. These immigration numbers have surpassed the numbers in natural growth after calculating births minus the deaths during the year. This was 103,176.
The report also indicates that the growth is unusual for the fourth quarter because generally, population growth is slow owing to the seasonal patterns.
The case study
The population growth is the result of the initiatives introduced by the Government of Canada in recent years. The aim here is to improve the immigration system.
In 2015, the Government had introduced the Express Entry system. Through it, the federal government selects such candidates who fulfill the labor market needs of the country. It also invites them to submit an application seeking the Canadian permanent residence. The system facilitates the processing of applications. The main immigration programs involved are:
• Federal Skilled Worker Class,
• Federal Skilled Trades Class and finally
• Canadian Experience Class
Canada issued 89,800 ITAs in 2018 for PR, to the candidates by using the Express Entry system.
In the fourth quarter of 2018, IRCC showcased a three-year immigration plan for 2019 -2021.
Targets and approach
Economic immigration has a target of admitting 330,800 new PRs for 2019. This number will grow to 350,000 in 2021. This will also represent one percent of the Canadian population. Furthermore, an increase in the immigration rate will help in attracting and retaining foreign talent to address the labor market shortages.
An important feature of this Immigration Levels Plan is the Provincial Nominee Program, which has impressive targets. It will be 61,000 in 2019 and 71,300 in 2021. These were introduced in 1998. Furthermore, the PNP permits participating provinces and territories in nominating a specific number of candidates to seek permanent residence in Canada each year. This plan was developed after consulting the provinces and territories and allows them to attract more people by using the Provincial Nominee Programs. The Government has also addressed regional needs and has implemented the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
The approach
It also supports immigration in francophone communities outside Quebec. The data illustrates that international migration was the reason for population growth in 9 out of 10 provinces.
