An Immigration System for Canada’s Future
- Context
Immigration is a defining feature of Canada. It has contributed, and continues to contribute, to Canada’s economy and society in long-standing, meaningful ways. With the exception of Indigenous Peoples, who have called these lands home since time immemorial, everyone who lives in Canada is an immigrant or the descendant of an immigrant.
In the same way that immigration has created the Canada we all enjoy today, immigration is central to our future.
It’s important that we attract the people we need to grow Canada’s economy, support our diversity and strengthen our communities. We must serve those looking to come to our country in a way that is modern, efficient, fair and transparent while also maintaining the integrity of Canada’s borders. The combination of immigrant skills and talent, along with the great source of skills and talent already in our country, will help fill labour market needs now and into the future, foster innovation and fuel investment in our economy.
This is why Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.” In close collaboration with other government departments, we undertook extensive engagement to explore how Canada’s immigration policies and programs can support a shared vision for our country’s future.
“An Immigration System for Canada’s Future” is exploring how Canada’s immigration policies and programs can support a shared vision for Canada’s future.
Immigration cannot be considered in isolation. Welcoming newcomers is intrinsically linked to housing, health care, education and infrastructure in our communities. These important issues require continued and enhanced collaboration among all levels of government recognizing that, in particular, the challenge of finding affordable housing is acute for many Canadians and newcomers. Immigration can be part of the solution to challenges in these areas by bringing in people and innovative ideas to help address these challenges, and by reversing demographic trends, especially in small and rural communities that depend on immigration to drive population and economic growth. At the same time, we must continue to have a well-managed immigration system, one that has historically resulted in public support for immigration in Canada.
Canada’s immigration system is considered world class. However, population trends, migration patterns and international challenges are evolving. To maintain our country’s cultural vibrancy, resiliency and innovative and economic capacity, we must adapt to address the pressures.
Our current immigration system
The immigration system has been under strain. The COVID-19 pandemic caused shutdowns and operational delays around the world, and led to significant backlogs and processing delays. There has been significant progress, but there is still more work to do. IRCC has been exploring and implementing new digital solutions, adding processing resources and streamlining the way individuals apply for our services.
As a result, processing times for key categories of applications are decreasing.
Processing timesFootnote * (in months) of select permanent residence lines of business and citizenship grants, October 2021 to July 2023
Source: IRCC
Text version: Processing times (in months) of select permanent residence lines of business and citizenship grants, October 2021 to July 2023
Select permanent residence lines of business and citizenship grants | Oct 2021 | Apr 2022 | Oct 2022 | May 2023 | July 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quebec-selected skilled workers | 26 | 31 | 22 | 20 | 17 |
Provincial Nominee Program | 18 | 27 | 14 | 18 | 17 |
Provincial Nominee Program – Express Entry | 6 | 22 | 15 | 10 | 9 |
Canadian Experience Class | 6 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 5 |
Spouses, partners and children (except for Quebec) | 18 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 |
Citizenship grants | 26 | 27 | 24 | 19 | 18 |
Processing timesFootnote * (in days) of study permits and work permits, October 2021 to July 2023
Source: IRCC
Text version: Processing times (in days) of study permits and work permits, October 2021 to July 2023
Permit type | Oct 2021 | Apr 2022 | Oct 2022 | May 2023 | July 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Study permits | 106 | 81 | 90 | 46 | 48 |
Work permits | 107 | 45 | 122 | 57 | 65 |
In addition, Canada continues to be a destination of choice for people all over the world. The number of people wanting to settle permanently in Canada, or wishing to study, visit or work here temporarily, is steadily increasing. The world has also faced unprecedented humanitarian crises due to world events, including the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Syria, human rights violations in Iran, and conflict in Sudan. An increase in natural disasters, and events linked to a changing climate, like the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, will continue to create displacement and demand Canada’s immigration response.
As Canada is a country with people from all over the world, there are few global events that do not, in some way, impact Canadians.
There is an increasing need for the immigration system to be nimble and respond quickly. The main legislation that enables our immigration system, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, is over 20 years old, and the world has changed drastically. Our application processing system is also showing its age and limitations.
Informed by our partners and by those who have used the immigration system, we want to make sure Canada’s proud history of immigration is matched by a modern system that supports our economic recovery, improves the immigration experience, and strengthens our communities. Work to this end is already under way. For example, we’ve digitized many types of applications and we’ve introduced several application status trackers. These tools empower people with timely and accessible information on their files.
There is much to be accomplished, but we are well on our way to modernizing Canada’s immigration system.
Population
23%
of people in Canada are immigrants
According to the 2021 census, almost one in four people in Canada (23%) are immigrants—the largest percentage in Canada in 150 years and the highest among G7 countries.
Number and % of immigrants in Canada, 1871 to 2041
Text version: Number and % of immigrants in Canada, 1871 to 2041
Year | Number of immigrants | % of immigrants |
---|---|---|
1871 | 594,207 | 16.1% |
1881 | 602,984 | 13.9% |
1891 | 643,871 | 13.3% |
1901 | 699,500 | 13.0% |
1911 | 1,586,961 | 22.0% |
1921 | 1,955,736 | 22.3% |
1931 | 2,307,525 | 22.2% |
1941 | 2,018,847 | 17.5% |
1951 | 2,059,911 | 14.7% |
1961 | 2,844,263 | 15.6% |
1971 | 3,295,530 | 15.3% |
1981 | 3,843,335 | 16.0% |
1986 | 3,908,150 | 15.6% |
1991 | 4,342,890 | 16.1% |
1996 | 4,971,070 | 17.4% |
2001 | 5,448,480 | 18.4% |
2006 | 6,186,950 | 19.8% |
2011 | 6,775,770 | 20.6% |
2016 | 7,540,830 | 21.9% |
2021 | 8,361,505 | 23.0% |
2026 | 10,712,000 | 26.0% |
2031 (Projected) | 12,408,000 | 28.4% |
2036 (Projected) | 13,891,000 | 30.3% |
2041 (Projected) | 15,155,000 | 31.8% |
Source: Census of Population, 1871 to 2006, 2016 and 2021 (3901); National Household Survey, 2011 (5178); Population projections on immigration and diversity for Canada and its regions, 2016 to 2041 (5126); the presented data are based on the reference scenario.
Immigration will drive 100% of population growth by 2032, while Canadian society continues to age.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0058-01 Components of projected population growth, by projection scenario (x 1,000).
#ImmigrationMatters
The strength of Canada’s economy is measured in part by the number of people working (known as the labour force) and paying taxes to fund our public services, such as health care.
Thanks to immigration, Canada’s labour force continues to grow every year. While funds for public services are vital, welcoming immigrants is also important in helping employers find qualified workers to fill jobs. Canadians are living longer and having fewer children, more people are retiring, and there are fewer students in schools. As a result, the pool of Canadian-born existing and potential workers is limited.
Source: #ImmigrationMatters, IRCC
Increasingly, it is becoming important to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities. Immigration can support provinces and territories in attracting the skilled newcomers they need to address labour shortages and demographic challenges in their regions. This includes supporting the vitality of Francophone communities outside of Quebec, which is not only a requirement in annual immigration levels planning, but remains an overarching goal of the Government of Canada.
Distribution (%) of recent immigrants in Canada, by census metropolitan area (CMA) and census year
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 98-10-0302-01 Immigrant status and period of immigration by place of birth and citizenship: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts.
Text version: Distribution (%) of recent immigrants in Canada, by census metropolitan area (CMA) and census year
Census metropolitan area (CMA) | 2016 Census | 2021 Census | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | |
Toronto | 356,930 | 29.4 | 391,680 | 29.5 |
Montréal | 179,275 | 14.8 | 162,260 | 12.2 |
Vancouver | 142,530 | 11.8 | 154,815 | 11.7 |
Calgary | 93,260 | 7.7 | 85,615 | 6.4 |
Edmonton | 78,520 | 6.5 | 74,700 | 5.6 |
Ottawa-Gatineau | 38,015 | 3.1 | 58,295 | 4.4 |
Winnipeg | 52,505 | 4.3 | 46,495 | 3.5 |
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 13,975 | 1.2 | 27,785 | 2.1 |
Hamilton | 17,420 | 1.4 | 26,545 | 2 |
London | 11,955 | 1 | 20,490 | 1.5 |
Other CMA | 227,690 | 18.8 | 279,560 | 21.0 |
Non-CMA | 92,645 | 7.6 | 101,275 | 7.6 |
Immigration trends update: Greater Moncton
According to a 2022 report on immigration in Greater Moncton, immigration is, by far, the top source of population growth in Greater Moncton. In 2020 and 2021, net interprovincial migration also increased and some of those migrants were immigrants who initially settled in Toronto and other parts of Canada.
This matters because in the new reality of aging populations and tightening labour markets, the jurisdictions that can show an ability to attract and retain talent from around the world will be the best poised to attract investment and grow.
Source: Immigration Trends Update: Greater Moncton (2022) (PDF, 550 KB)
Labour market context
Aging populations are not unique to Canada. In fact, much of the world is experiencing the same phenomenon. It means that our share of the working-age population is shrinking.
While 50 years ago, the worker-to-retiree ratio in Canada was 7 to 1, by 2027, it will be only 3 to 1.
Worker-to-retiree ratio in 5 scenarios
Source: Statistics Canada. Labour Force Survey, 1976 to 2017; Demosim microsimulation model, 2017 (2036).
Text version: Worker-to-retiree ratio in 5 scenarios
Year | Observed | Projection scenarios | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reference | Low growth | High growth | Constant participation rates | Slow growth after 50 years | ||
Worker to retiree ratio | ||||||
1976 | 6.17 | |||||
1977 | 6.1 | |||||
1978 | 6.11 | |||||
1979 | 6.11 | |||||
1980 | 6.07 | |||||
1981 | 6.06 | |||||
1982 | 5.93 | |||||
1983 | 5.87 | |||||
1984 | 5.82 | |||||
1985 | 5.75 | |||||
1986 | 5.64 | |||||
1987 | 5.54 | |||||
1988 | 5.46 | |||||
1989 | 5.4 | |||||
1990 | 5.3 | |||||
1991 | 5.16 | |||||
1992 | 5.03 | |||||
1993 | 4.93 | |||||
1994 | 4.9 | |||||
1995 | 4.81 | |||||
1996 | 4.77 | |||||
1997 | 4.75 | |||||
1998 | 4.74 | |||||
1999 | 4.73 | |||||
2000 | 4.72 | |||||
2001 | 4.73 | |||||
2002 | 4.81 | |||||
2003 | 4.87 | |||||
2004 | 4.84 | |||||
2005 | 4.8 | |||||
2006 | 4.74 | |||||
2007 | 4.75 | |||||
2008 | 4.74 | |||||
2009 | 4.65 | |||||
2010 | 4.61 | |||||
2011 | 4.51 | |||||
2012 | 4.4 | |||||
2013 | 4.29 | |||||
2014 | 4.17 | |||||
2015 | 4.05 | 3.97 | 3.97 | 3.96 | 3.97 | 3.97 |
2016 | 3.95 | 3.87 | 3.88 | 3.87 | 3.87 | 3.87 |
2017 | 3.88 | 3.82 | 3.82 | 3.81 | 3.82 | 3.82 |
2018 | N/A | 3.74 | 3.73 | 3.73 | 3.7 | 3.72 |
2019 | N/A | 3.68 | 3.67 | 3.67 | 3.62 | 3.65 |
2020 | N/A | 3.61 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.54 | 3.58 |
2021 | N/A | 3.55 | 3.54 | 3.54 | 3.46 | 3.51 |
2022 | N/A | 3.48 | 3.46 | 3.47 | 3.37 | 3.42 |
2023 | N/A | 3.4 | 3.38 | 3.39 | 3.28 | 3.34 |
2024 | N/A | 3.33 | 3.3 | 3.32 | 3.2 | 3.26 |
2025 | N/A | 3.26 | 3.22 | 3.26 | 3.12 | 3.19 |
2026 | N/A | 3.19 | 3.15 | 3.19 | 3.04 | 3.11 |
2027 | N/A | 3.13 | 3.08 | 3.13 | 2.96 | 3.04 |
2028 | N/A | 3.06 | 3.01 | 3.06 | 2.89 | 2.97 |
2029 | N/A | 3.01 | 2.94 | 3.01 | 2.83 | 2.91 |
2030 | N/A | 2.96 | 2.88 | 2.96 | 2.77 | 2.85 |
2031 | N/A | 2.91 | 2.84 | 2.91 | 2.72 | 2.81 |
2032 | N/A | 2.88 | 2.8 | 2.88 | 2.68 | 2.77 |
2033 | N/A | 2.86 | 2.76 | 2.86 | 2.65 | 2.75 |
2034 | N/A | 2.83 | 2.73 | 2.84 | 2.62 | 2.72 |
2035 | N/A | 2.81 | 2.7 | 2.82 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
2036 | N/A | 2.79 | 2.68 | 2.8 | 2.58 | 2.67 |
Age and sex distribution of the population, 2021, Canada
Source: Statistics Canada. Age Pyramids.
Canada is facing both short-term and long-term labour market pressures, including labour shortages and demographic shifts due to an aging population. Immigration can help mitigate some of these pressures, along with investing in productivity and increasing the labour market participation of under-represented groups, including women, people with disabilities, racialized Canadians and Indigenous People.
#ImmigrationMatters
Immigrants deliver and improve our health and social services.
Because many immigrants are young and economically active, they contribute more than they receive in benefits over their lifetime.
According to the 2021 Census, more than 468,000 immigrants work in health-related occupations.
Source: #ImmigrationMatters, IRCC
To ensure Canada is not only filling in-demand jobs today but also attracting the skills and business talent to create the jobs of tomorrow, the Government of Canada is embracing its emerging role as a leader in global tech talent recruitment and attraction.
Canada as a destination for start-up talent
According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s (OECD’s) Indicators of Talent Attractiveness, Canada is ranked as the most attractive country for immigrant start-up founders and entrepreneurs, compared to all other OECD countries.
Source: OECD Indicators of Talent Attractiveness 2023 (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Immigration levels
437,000
permanent resident welcomed in 2022
In 2022, Canada set a historical record, welcoming over 437,000 permanent residents—the most newcomers to be welcomed in one year in Canadian history. Many of the newcomers we welcomed as permanent residents last year, 35%, were already living, studying and working here as temporary residents, contributing to the country in sectors such as health care, skilled trades, manufacturing and technology.
Number of permanent residents by immigration category, 2017 to 2023
Source: IRCC
Text version: Number of permanent residents by immigration category, 2017 to 2023
Immigration category | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Grand total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Economic | 159,317 | 186,368 | 196,656 | 106,352 | 252,991 | 255,686 | 104,440 | 1,261,810 |
Sponsored family | 82,469 | 85,167 | 91,307 | 49,296 | 81,440 | 97,357 | 41,372 | 528,408 |
Resettled refugee and protected person in Canada | 41,120 | 45,493 | 48,531 | 25,493 | 60,237 | 74,348 | 22,973 | 318,195 |
All other immigration | 3,631 | 4,026 | 4,681 | 3,453 | 11,377 | 10,200 | 5,960 | 43,328 |
Grand total | 286,537 | 321,054 | 341,175 | 184,594 | 406,045 | 437,591 | 174,745 | 2,151,741 |
The number of temporary residents (including temporary workers, students and visitors) keeps increasing and adds to the pressure the system is facing overall. Temporary residents also contribute to Canada’s economic, social, and cultural development.
Number of temporary residents by permit type, 2017 to 2022
Source: IRCC
Text version: Number of temporary residents by permit type, 2017 to 2022
Permit type | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Temporary foreign workers with LMIA | 78,468 | 84,002 | 98,027 | 84,102 | 103,176 | 135,762 |
International Mobility Program participants | 222,717 | 253,367 | 303,490 | 229,434 | 308,981 | 465,352 |
Total unique work permit holders | 300,460 | 336,877 | 400,781 | 312,917 | 411,161 | 599,645 |
Study permit holders | 314,991 | 354,283 | 400,627 | 255,638 | 444,046 | 550,046 |
Total unique permit holders | 606,084 | 680,422 | 787,634 | 549,467 | 840,374 | 1,129,624 |
The Government has a multi-year plan for the number of immigrants who will come to Canada as permanent residents.
Permanent resident landings, 1865 to 2023
Source: IRCC
Text version: Permanent resident landings, 1865 to 2023
Year | Admissions |
---|---|
1860 | 6,276 |
1861 | 13,589 |
1862 | 18,294 |
1863 | 21,000 |
1864 | 24,779 |
1865 | 18,958 |
1866 | 11,427 |
1867 | 10,666 |
1868 | 12,765 |
1869 | 18,630 |
1870 | 24,706 |
1871 | 27,773 |
1872 | 36,578 |
1873 | 50,050 |
1874 | 39,373 |
1875 | 27,382 |
1876 | 25,633 |
1877 | 27,082 |
1878 | 29,807 |
1879 | 40,492 |
1880 | 38,505 |
1881 | 47,991 |
1882 | 112,458 |
1883 | 133,624 |
1884 | 103,824 |
1885 | 76,169 |
1886 | 69,152 |
1887 | 84,526 |
1888 | 88,766 |
1889 | 91,600 |
1890 | 75,067 |
1891 | 82,165 |
1892 | 30,996 |
1893 | 29,633 |
1894 | 20,829 |
1895 | 18,790 |
1896 | 16,835 |
1897 | 21,716 |
1898 | 31,900 |
1899 | 44,543 |
1900 | 41,681 |
1901 | 55,747 |
1902 | 89,102 |
1903 | 138,660 |
1904 | 131,252 |
1905 | 141,465 |
1906 | 211,653 |
1907 | 272,409 |
1908 | 143,326 |
1909 | 173,694 |
1910 | 286,839 |
1911 | 331,288 |
1912 | 375,756 |
1913 | 400,870 |
1914 | 150,484 |
1915 | 33,665 |
1916 | 55,914 |
1917 | 72,910 |
1918 | 41,845 |
1919 | 107,698 |
1920 | 138,824 |
1921 | 91,728 |
1922 | 64,224 |
1923 | 133,729 |
1924 | 124,164 |
1925 | 84,907 |
1926 | 135,982 |
1927 | 158,886 |
1928 | 166,783 |
1929 | 164,993 |
1930 | 104,806 |
1931 | 27,530 |
1932 | 20,591 |
1933 | 14,382 |
1934 | 12,476 |
1935 | 11,277 |
1936 | 11,643 |
1937 | 15,101 |
1938 | 17,244 |
1939 | 16,994 |
1940 | 11,324 |
1941 | 9,329 |
1942 | 7,576 |
1943 | 8,504 |
1944 | 12,801 |
1945 | 22,722 |
1946 | 71,719 |
1947 | 64,127 |
1948 | 125,414 |
1949 | 95,217 |
1950 | 73,912 |
1951 | 194,391 |
1952 | 164,498 |
1953 | 168,868 |
1954 | 154,227 |
1955 | 109,946 |
1956 | 164,857 |
1957 | 282,164 |
1958 | 124,851 |
1959 | 106,928 |
1960 | 104,111 |
1961 | 71,698 |
1962 | 74,856 |
1963 | 93,151 |
1964 | 112,606 |
1965 | 146,758 |
1966 | 194,743 |
1967 | 222,876 |
1968 | 183,974 |
1969 | 164,531 |
1970 | 147,713 |
1971 | 121,900 |
1972 | 122,006 |
1973 | 184,200 |
1974 | 218,465 |
1975 | 187,881 |
1976 | 149,429 |
1977 | 114,914 |
1978 | 86,313 |
1979 | 112,093 |
1980 | 143,137 |
1981 | 128,641 |
1982 | 121,175 |
1983 | 89,186 |
1984 | 88,272 |
1985 | 84,347 |
1986 | 99,355 |
1987 | 152,079 |
1988 | 161,588 |
1989 | 191,555 |
1990 | 216,452 |
1991 | 232,806 |
1992 | 254,790 |
1993 | 256,641 |
1994 | 224,385 |
1995 | 212,865 |
1996 | 226,071 |
1997 | 216,035 |
1998 | 174,195 |
1999 | 189,951 |
2000 | 227,456 |
2001 | 250,637 |
2002 | 229,048 |
2003 | 221,349 |
2004 | 235,823 |
2005 | 262,242 |
2006 | 251,640 |
2007 | 236,753 |
2008 | 247,247 |
2009 | 252,172 |
2010 | 280,689 |
2011 | 248,748 |
2012 | 257,887 |
2013 | 258,953 |
2014 | 260,288 |
2015 | 271,821 |
2016 | 296,378 |
2017 | 286,489 |
2018 | 321,035 |
2019 | 341,181 |
2020 | 184,372 |
2021 | 405,332 |
2022 | 437,122 |
2023 (Projected) | 465,000 |
Client service and service standards
The Government of Canada is committed to improving its services.
At IRCC, this includes ongoing work to reduce application backlogs and to improve adherence to service standards.
- A service standard is a commitment to process an application in a certain amount of time under normal circumstances. Not all programs have service standards.
- Processing times tell an applicant how long they can expect it will take IRCC to process an application under normal circumstances.
To keep Canadians up to date on progress toward reducing backlogs, IRCC publishes monthly data on its website.
Migration
100 million people worldwide forcibly displaced
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of conflict, persecution, human rights violations and violence.
Source: United Nations Refugee Agency
With an unprecedented number of displaced people worldwide, Canada is being called on to respond to more complex humanitarian crises and to do so faster than ever before.
Canada’s changing role in responding to humanitarian crises has demanded new approaches for managed migration—from the response to the Syrian refugee crisis and human rights violations in Iran, to those fleeing Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine, among others.
Canada’s response to the situation in Afghanistan
We’ve resettled over 40,000 refugees and some of the most vulnerable Afghans in Canada through several special measures and programs.
Operation Syrian Refugees
Operation Syrian Refugees was Canada’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Over the span of 100 days, beginning in November 2015, we worked with Canadian private sponsors, non-governmental organizations and provincial, territorial, municipal governments and international partners to welcome more than 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February 2016.
Immigration measures and support for Ukrainians
Canada is committed to supporting those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We’re helping Ukrainian families get visitor visas as quickly as possible so that they can find a safe, temporary home in Canada. We’re also actively working with provinces, territories and settlement organizations across the country to expand the services available to Ukrainians and their family members while in Canada.
Source: Immigration measures and support for Ukrainians and their families
Additional immigration responses
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