The Canada Immigration Levels Plan
Following in the footsteps of the 2023 Immigration Levels Plan with its ambitious 465,000 Planned Permanent Resident Admissions, the 2024 Plan has stepped up its targets for planned permanent residents to 485,000. Of these, 110,770 new permanent residents are set to be admitted through the popular Express Entry route for skilled workers and 110,000 through the Provincial Nominee Program.
The plan for 2024 is a prioritization of economic growth- by supplementing Canada's labour force, supporting family reunification, responding to humanitarian crises and increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec.
How Immigration is faring so far
Express Entry
Express Entry is a system used by the IRCC to manage immigration applications for skilled workers. There are three programs managed through this system, namely:
- The Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
Eligible candidates through this program are placed in a pool and scored through a points-based system known as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which takes into account details like a candidate's age, academic accomplishments and prior work experience.
As of March 2024, there have been a total of 9 draws with the number of invitations and minimum prescribed CRS scores as shown below:
| Date | Draw category | Invitations issued | Minimum CRS |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 29th | French language proficiency | 2,500 | 336 |
| February 28th | General | 1,470 | 534 |
| February 16th | Agriculture and agri-food occupations | 150 | 437 |
| February 14th | Healthcare occupations | 3,500 | 422 |
| February 13th | General | 1,490 | 535 |
| February 1st | French language proficiency | 7,000 | 365 |
| January 31st | General | 730 | 541 |
| January 23rd | General | 1,040 | 543 |
| January 10th | General | 1,510 | 546 |
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The Provincial Nominee Program is an immigration program tailored towards Canadian provinces, allowing them to share in the benefits of Immigration. The program lets provinces nominate candidates for permanent residency in a specific province, provided they have the skills, education or work experience required in the territory and are committed to living there upon receiving permanent residency. Targets include students, business persons, skilled workers and semi-skilled workers.
As of March 2024, five provinces and territories have held draws under the PNP.
| Dates | Provinces that held draws |
|---|---|
| February 26th- March 1st , 2024 | British Columbia, Quebec |
| February 19th- February 23rd , 2024 | British Columbia |
| February 12th- February 16th , 2024 | British Columbia, Alberta, Prince Edward Island |
| February 5th- February 9th , 2024 | British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec |
| January 29th- February 2nd , 2024 | British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island |
International Students and Student permits
Canada's academic institutions came under scrutiny after the recent discovery of fraudulent admission letters and news of institutions increasing their international student intakes to drive revenue. The inflated intake numbers have led to unnecessary pressures on housing and healthcare, impacting the student's academic pursuits.
The Canadian government has decided to address this issue by scaling back the cap on international student permit applications for two years, with 2024's cap being 360,000, a 35% decrease from 2023.
The IRCC also updated their cost-of-living requirements from January 1st onwards to better reflect and prepare students for the rising living costs in the country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Canadian Immigration in 2024 reflects the ongoing commitment of the Canadian government to welcome newcomers and contribute to the country's cultural diversity and economic growth, albeit with certain limitations- pertaining to Study permits.
Canada's various immigration pathways and policies continue to attract individuals with diverse skills, talents, and backgrounds, enriching its social fabric and strengthening its workforce. However, challenges such as processing delays, integration issues, and the need for ongoing policy adjustments persist in the system and will make for an interesting second quarter 2024.
