Canada Immigration - Recent Trends in Numbers and Policy

Many countries nowadays are taking fewer immigrants due to the receding economy but for Canada, immigration has remained steady. The projected figures for 2009 are between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents. This is about the highest the country has seen in the past 15 years. Canada remains committed to its immigration program that balances the types of immigrants between economic, humanitarian, and family reunification. Most immigrants come in the economic category at a projection of 156,000 for 2009, whilst the family category is expected at 71,000, and 37,400 in the humanitarian category.

2008 also had a high number of Canada immigrants, at 247,202 permanent residents. This was 70,000 more than a decade ago. Many more immigrants came in the form of students or temporary workers, bringing the total to 519,722. With the labour market having a high demand for temporary foreign workers, this number met the employers' needs. However, many believe that Canada should reduce such figures. Those in the Ministry say that they will not follow that advice. They are maintaining previous goals and believe that by limiting Canada immigration, this would decrease supply in the labour market and limit multiculturalism.

However, Canada has somewhat tightened its immigration policy due to the recession. These restrictions are to try to increase immigrants in certain industries, but with only so many available positions, this limits those who do not meet the requirements. The Action Plan for Faster Immigration outlines 38 high demand occupations such as health, skilled trades, and finance. If an immigrant doesn't fall into that category, have an offer arranged with an employer, or is not already living in Canada, immigration will be limited. The list of 38 was developed from consultations with province and territory officials as well as with business owners. These new regulations bring Canada closer to its main competition for skilled labour; New Zealand and Australia, who have both recently managed to eliminate backlogs of unqualified immigrants.

The creation of a new Experience Class of immigrants also opened up to workers and students who wish for Canada immigration. This is a new way for temporary foreign workers and graduates with advanced degrees to enter the country, or remain there after completing their education or duration of work, for permanent residence. It allows an applicant's time in Canada to be a key deciding factor in their immigration application process. The hope is to remain competitive in attracting and retaining skilled individuals.

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