Immigrants are now 23% of Canadians, breaking the previous record set 100 years ago.
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As we get closer to 2023, the Canadian government is committed to immigration and welcoming new people.
The government hopes a booming immigration rate will benefit the country economically, socially, and humanitarian by reuniting families and assisting vulnerable people.
Looking at Canadian immigration over the next year, here’s an overview of what it might look like.
Client Experience: IRCC Application Backlog Should Continue to Shrink
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have steadily reduced its backlog of applications in recent years. Data indicate that the backlog at IRCC has decreased by 400,000.
IRCC has also received $85 million in additional funding to “reduce application inventories” and added 2,521 people to its “front-line operations staff” between March 2019 and November 2022.
As for the application backlog and service standards, the hope is that these factors will continue to impact in 2023 positively.
Planned Immigration Levels for 2023
Canadian Immigration has set a record-high immigration goal for 2023, which means the IRCC thinks it can resolve the backlog and welcome many new immigrants simultaneously.
The Immigration Levels Plan says the target number of immigrants (465,000) will change in 2023.
- The number of Express Entry applicants is 82,880
- The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has 105,500 beneficiaries.
- The number of parents and grandparents is 28,500
- The number of spouses/partners and children is 78,000
4 Key Pathways to Canadian Immigration
The Provincial Nominee Program in 2023
PNP will replace Express Entry as Canada’s top immigration route at the end of this year. The critical function of PNPs in Canada is to help meet the needs of the labor market, which are becoming increasingly prevalent across the country. Canada will welcome fewer than 23,000 more immigrants through the PNP than through Express Entry in 2023.
The Express Entry Program Will Be in 2023
The IRCC’s ‘targeted’ Express Entry draws in 2023 will reinforce Canada’s intention to address specific labor market needs. The draws will use specific occupational experience, language skills, and educational background to target candidates instead of sending out Invitations to Apply (ITAs) based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Parent-Grandparent Program in 2023
Canadians are committed to reuniting their families by 2023, and the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) is a great example. According to the Immigration Levels Plan, PGP, along with other immigration pathways like Super Visas, will welcome over 28,000 newcomers.
Note – There have yet to be any official details on how IRCC will select the PGP in 2023.
International Students in 2023
An amendment to the off-campus work hours policy for international students studying in Canada was announced by IRCC in October.
The plan is to let international students with off-campus work authorization on their study permits work more than 20 hours per week during classes from November 15, 2022, through 2023.
By the end of next year, more than half a million international students will be able to work more hours while attending classes, helping to reduce labor shortages in Canada. Despite “historic labor shortages and a low unemployment rate by historical standards,” it is experiencing a labor shortage.
What Will Be the Impact of These Developments on Canada in 2023?
The impact of immigration on the Canadian labor force and population will only increase in the future.
New immigrants to Canada could relieve more pressure on the labor market through PNPs and targeted Express Entry draws. As more skilled immigrants enter the country, especially those working high-demand jobs, the natural cycle of spending will benefit Canada.
Furthermore, removing the off-campus work hours restriction will make Canada more attractive to international students in the future. As more international students stay in Canada after graduation, this work hours policy change will result in more international students contributing to the Canadian economy and labor market (like Express Entry and PNP immigrants).
In light of this, all Canadians should be more optimistic about a prosperous and prosperous economy in 2023 as a result of immigration.