Canada to Maintain Record Immigration Levels

The Canadian government recently announced that it intends to maintain record high immigration levels to Canada during 2013 in order to help facilitate economic growth in the country.  Thus, if you have been thinking about applying for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada, now may be the perfect time! 

A major reason for this attempt to recruit qualified foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada is that the country is experiencing a severe labor shortage (due in large part to Canadians retiring).  This labor shortage is expected to last for many years in Canada, so in order to maintain its thriving economy, Canada needs to attract foreign workers with high-demand skills to fill various job vacancies.

As Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, declared on October 31, 2012, “Our Government’s number one priority remains economic and job growth…Newcomers bring their skills and talents, contribute to our economy and help renew our workforce so that Canada remains competitive on the world stage.”

Consequently, the Canadian government is planning on issuing a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada for some 240,000-265,000 foreign nationals in 2013.  This would be the seventh year in a row that the Canadian government has sought such high numbers of immigrants to move to Canada!  This is because, as Minister Kenney recently stated, “Immigration plays a vital role” in the “long-term prosperity” of Canada. 

Thus, in its attempt to boost immigration to Canada, the Canadian government has expanded various Canadian immigration programs for a range of foreign nationals from various backgrounds. 

For example, in order to meet the country’s growing labor needs, the Canadian government plans to increase the number of foreign temporary workers or international students already living in Canada who will be granted a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada through its “Canadian Experience Class” (CEC) program.  The goal of the Canadian government for 2013 is to issue a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada for 10,000 foreign nationals just through its CEC program alone!  As Minister Kenney stated, “Our 2013 Immigration Plan will build on our economic success by bringing in more of the world’s top talent who already have a successful track record in Canada.”  Therefore, if someone has a job in Canada as a temporary worker or is an international student with education and experience sought after in Canada, they may be able to remain long-term in Canada through the CEC program!

Furthermore, to more efficiently meet the changing labor requirements of the various provinces in Canada, the Canadian government decided in November 2012 to develop a new program in which people seeking a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada would submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Canadian government with information about their education, skills, experience, and other criteria and then the provinces could search this database for foreign workers to invite to fill the specific labor needs of their particular province.  This new program for Canadian immigration should be in place by the end of 2014.

The bottom line is that Canada is a great place to live, study and work; the country needs foreign workers to fill job vacancies in a number of career fields; and has established various routes for foreign nationals to be issued a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada.

written by: 

Canada Visa Expert