Immigration to Canada surged in March this year, pushing the number of new permanent residents during the quarter to a level that – if maintained – could see the country bust through the record-breaking target set by Ottawa.

The country welcomed 40,785 new permanent residents in March, up more than 9.2 per cent from the 37,335 the previous month and almost 15.2 per cent higher than the 35,415 in January.

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Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has already announced Canada hopes to welcome 431,645 immigrants in 2022. 

Current Pace Of Immigration Would See Canada Welcome 454,410 Newcomers

In the first three months of the year, though, the country has already gained 113,535 new permanent residents, according to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

That record-setting pace of immigration for the first quarter of the year puts Canada on track to welcome 454,140 new permanent residents this year, or 5.2 per cent more than Ottawa’s already-ambitious immigration goal for 2022.

That level of immigration, if the current trend continues throughout the rest of the year, would see Canada welcome 48,140 more new permanent residents this year than the 406,000 who arrived in 2021, itself a record-breaking year for immigration.

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Two things are the primary drivers of this surge in immigration this year. 

The one-time, temporary-to-permanent resident (TR-to-PR) program which took applications last year is still seeing new arrivals and this is pushing up the number of new permanent residents under the economic programs. 

Under Ottawa’s latest immigration levels plan, Canada is to welcome 32,000 new permanent residents under that pathway this year.

Another major driver of immigration to Canada this year is Ottawa’s commitment to refugees, most notably Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. 

In the first quarter of this year, the country welcomed 16,465 refugees and protected persons to Canada, almost 34 per cent more than the 12,290 in the same three-month period last year, and roughly double the 8,385 in that quarter in 2020. 

The number of refugees coming to Canada during the first quarter of this year was even 70 per cent higher than the 9,685 who came under those programs during the comparable period in 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Afghans and Ukrainians Fuelling Canadian Population Growth 

Ottawa’s commitment to providing a safe haven for Afghan refugees is part of the reason for that bump up in the refugee numbers.

“Canada has now welcomed 13,050 Afghan refugees, with more arriving every week,” tweeted Fraser on Friday. 

“Just this morning, another flight landed in Toronto from Pakistan, with over 300 Afghan newcomers who supported Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.”

The other big refugee pathway that’s opening doors for refugees is the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) which had, as of May 4, already received more than 204,000 applications. Canadian immigration officials had by then approved 91,500 of those applications. 

Canada is committed to accepting an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees under the CUAET.

“Canada is doing everything it can to support Ukrainians before and after they arrive in Canada,” Fraser has said.

Under the levels plan presented this year, Canada plans to welcome 447,055 new permanent residents next year and 451,000 in 2024.

The ever-growing levels of immigration are touted by Ottawa as being the key to resolving labour shortages and building the Canadian economy, everything from agriculture and the fisheries to business management and the tech sector. 

“Canada is among the world’s top destinations for talent, and immigration is a driving force behind the boom in our tech sector,” tweeted Fraser earlier this year.

“Bringing skilled workers to Canada helps businesses grow, and creates good jobs across the country.”