Immigration Levels Plan 2023 -2025: Canada to welcome up to 500,000 new immigrants
Today, November 1, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, released details on the Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025. According to the plan, Canada aims to welcome:
- 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023,
- 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, and
- 500,000 new permanent residents in 2025.
Canada has been targeting high levels of newcomers to support its population, labour force, and economic growth. According to the 2021 Census of Population, more than 8.3 million people or 23% of the population, were -or had ever been- landed immigrants or permanent residents in Canada. This is the largest immigrant share of Canada’s population since the Confederation (1867). If this trend continues, immigrants could represent from 29.1% to 34.0% of the population of Canada by 2041.
Table of contents
Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025
The Immigration Levels Plan acts as a guide for the number of immigrants Canada aims to welcome each year. Moreover, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister must table the levels plan in Parliament each year.
The new plan embraces immigration as a strategy to help businesses find workers and to attract the skills required in key sectors. It will also help to manage the social and economic challenges Canada will face in the decades ahead.
“Last year, we welcomed the most newcomers in a single year in our history. This year’s immigration levels plan will help businesses find the workers they need, set Canada on a path that will contribute to our long-term success, and allow us to make good on key commitments to vulnerable people fleeing violence, war and persecution.”
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Some of the highlights of the levels plan include:
- a long-term focus on economic growth, with just over 60% of admissions in the economic class by 2025;
- using new features in the Express Entry system to welcome newcomers with the required skills and qualifications in sectors facing acute labour shortages (health care, manufacturing, building trades and STEM);
- increases in regional programs to address targeted local labour market needs, through the: Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
- reuniting more families faster;
- ensuring that at least 4.4% of new permanent residents outside Quebec are Francophone;
- support for global crises by providing a safe haven to those facing persecution, including by expanding the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
Immigration is the driving force behind Canada’s labour force and population growth
- Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth. Temporary and permanent residents are able to meet specific labour market needs in Canada. In addition, they make up relatively high proportions of the work force in some industrial sectors.
- Immigration also accounts for approximately 75% of Canada’s population growth. By 2032, immigration it’s projected to account for 100% of Canada’s population growth.
- International students make a significant contribution to the Canadian economy. Canada estimates that international students contributed $23.5 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019.
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