The number of immigrants to Canada has increased by 40 per cent in the first two months of the year, showing a strong interest in immigration to the country.
According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), in January and February, a total of 100,430 new permanent residents came to Canada, marking a new record, VisaGuide.World reports.
The number of permanent residents in the country rose significantly compared to 2022 levels when in the first two months of the year 72,518 permanent residents were settled.
The authorities explain that if these levels of migration continue throughout 2023, it would result in 602,580 new permanent residents, exceeding Ottawa’s target of 465,000 new permanent residents in a year.
Ottawa’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2023-2025 has predicted about 482,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and another half a million in 2025.
The increase in permanent residents and immigration to Canada dropped by 2.6 percent in February, accounting for 49,550 new permanent residents for the month, compared to 50,885 new arrivals in the previous month, which was a record-setting month (January).
The smallest provinces in Canada experienced the biggest percentage growth in immigration such as Newfoundland and Labrador, where immigration is up by 307.7 per cent in the first two months alone. Moreover, Prince Edward Island has witnessed immigration spikes of 116.8 percent, New Brunswick of 79.4 percent, and Nova Scotia has welcomed 41.4 percent more new permanent residents so far this year.
Immigration growth is also considerably higher in Manitoba, where it rose by 89.1 percent this year, while Saskatchewan experienced a decrease of 93.2 percent in new permanent residents this year. As per larger cities, Alberta witnessed a 50.3 per cent increase in the first two months of 2023.
British Columbia experienced an increase of 27.7 per cent, while Ontario, which is the most populous province in the country, was up by 22.7 per cent.
Half of the Ontario’s immigrants reached the country through economic programs such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Caregiver program, rural programs, as well as Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) programs.
The city’s immigration rates are related to the strong year of immigration it experienced in 2022. Ontario was the most popular destination for newcomers last year and welcomed 184,725 new permanent residents that year – up by 42.3 percent compared to the total number of permanent residents coming to Canada in 2022.
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