In November, Canada welcomed over 47,000 new permanent residents.

This is a record from the modern age (such data is only readily available dating back to 1980). It’s also the third month in a row that Canada has surpassed the previous high.

The statistics also show that in the first eleven months of this year, Canada has welcomed nearly 361,000 immigrants. Given that it has received more than 45,000 immigrants in each of the last three months, Canada appears to be on track to meet its 401,000 immigrant targets by the end of the year. The growth of the Omicron variation may make such efforts more difficult, but given IRCC’s focus on transferring individuals already in Canada to permanent residence, the department should be able to meet its objective.

When an individual’s legal status in Canada is officially converted to permanent residency, this is known as a landing. Prior to the epidemic, this normally happened when a foreign national moved to the United States permanently. During the pandemic, Canada’s attention has been on assisting those who have been temporarily residing in the nation to become permanent residents. The justification for this regulation is that COVID-related disruptions are less likely to occur throughout the process of attaining permanent residence in Canada (e.g., travel delays, delays in obtaining documents).

Per Month, New Permanent Residents Arrive

(Preliminary Estimates Provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)

Prior to the pandemic, around 30% of new economic class permanent residents lived in Canada at the time of arrival, with the remaining 70% coming from outside. In 2021, the situation was flipped, with 70% of passengers arriving from within Canada and 30% from abroad. This change was made to allow IRCC to meet its goal of landing 401,000 new permanent residents this year as part of its Immigration Levels Plan.

IRCC has made a number of changes, including focusing Express Entry draws on Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates and opening six streams in May to help up to 90,000 international students and temporary foreign workers in Canada transition to permanent residency.

Prior to COVID, Canada received between 25,000 and 35,000 immigrants per month, with numbers peaking in the spring and summer. This year, Canada got off to a poor start before picking up steam in June. Between June and November, Canada typically welcomed over 35,000 new permanent residents each month, including three consecutive monthly modern records since September.

Canada welcomed more than 340,000 immigrants in 2019 and was on track to meet that goal in 2020 when the pandemic intervened. It only received 184,000 immigrants last year, but this year it is doubling down on immigration by attempting to match the 1913 yearly record. The goal of pursuing at least 401,000 admissions per year starting in 2021 and continuing after that is to aid Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

In 2021, one of IRCC’s major tasks will be to meet the aim. Following the issuance of a new mandate letter yesterday, IRCC will extend its priorities now that they are getting closer to their target.