Last Updated on November 18, 2021

Canada is in the process of welcoming more immigrants per month than ever before as it looks to hit its target of 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021.

After surpassing 45,000 newcomers in a month in September – the latest monthly figure available – Ottawa must reach that level for October, November and December to surpass what had looked an unlikely immigration intake.

At the end of the third quarter of this year, Canada had welcomed 267,385 new permanent residents, the vast majority of whom were already in the country on a temporary basis.

Between January and September, that represents an average of 29,700 new immigrants per month in 2021, already an extremely high total compared to recent years. 

But to hit 401,000, as Ottawa has continually said it will, an average of 44,500 new permanent residents per month must be registered in the final quarter of the year.

Read More

Canada Immigration Changes Cause Shift In Citizenship Of New Permanent Resident Arrivals
Top 10 Cities To Find A Job In Canada As COVID-19 Recovery Continues
Ontario Wants To Double Annual Intake Of Skilled Immigrants

Against the backdrop of COVID-19, if Canada manages to achieve what has looked an overly ambitious target all year, it would represent an incredible achievement.

How is Canada Welcoming So Many New Permanent Residents?

Canada is achieving such high monthly newcomer levels because of various factors during 2021.

Firstly, it conducted a mammoth Express Entry draw back in February, issuing an unprecedented 27,332 invitations to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. An estimated 90 percent of these candidates were already working in Canada.

Then came the TR to PR Pathway, in which a further 90,000 permanent resident applications were targeted from healthcare workers, other essential workers and international students. Again, these candidates were already in Canada on a temporary basis.

How Can We Help?

Am I an eligible candidate for Express Entry?

Find out whether you qualify to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry by completing our free online evaluation.

I am an employer looking for qualified workers

Kindly contact us to receive further information.

Next came the gradual easing of travel rules, in place since March 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

From an immigration point of view, the crucial step was to finally allow candidates holding Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) documents to travel to Canada. Previously, only those with a CoPR dated before March 2020 were allowed to travel and take up their permanent residence.

With restrictions now eased at the U.S. border and for other international travellers, Canada’s immigration system is beginning on the long road back to normality.

When Will Invitations For Overseas Candidates Resume?

The one major step missing from Canada’s resumption of normal immigration practices is an Express Entry draw for overseas candidates.

With draws focusing on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and CEC candidates since January, Ottawa has essentially ignored those candidates in the Express Entry pool applying from overseas.

This has created a two-step Canada immigration system in 2021, where candidates must arrive on a work permit first, before transitioning to permanent residence. However, with work permit processing facing massive backlogs, the system is facing a huge bottleneck.

Video

While the decisions taken by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have become increasingly difficult to predict during COVID-19, it seems safe to assume that the return of all-program or Federal Skilled Worker draws is imminent.

It should be noted that, if Ottawa achieves 401,000 newcomers in 2021, the task only gets more difficult in 2022, when the target is 411,000. In total, Canada plans to welcome 1.2 million new immigrants between 2021 and 2023.