September 28th, 2023 at 04:57 am
Projected Canadian Immigration Trends for the Second Half of 2023
The fall and Christmas holiday seasons are traditionally hectic times for IRCC and Canada’s immigration system in general.
We should keep an eye out for any changes in Canada’s immigration laws and permanent resident quotas during this time. In addition, there will be modifications to programs such as those for parents and grandparents, overseas students, and work permits.
Is a new Ministerial Mandate Letter on the way?
In the next months, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may publish a new Ministerial Mandate letter.
These mandate letters serve as directions from the Prime Minister to ministries, defining the government’s objectives for their tenure.
Simply expressed, the letter written to Canada’s Immigration Minister determines the country’s immigration policy and will be critical in influencing the IRCC’s future actions.
The Prime Minister may issue new mandate letters following a cabinet reshuffle, such as the one that occurred last summer when Marc Miller was appointed as Canada’s new immigration minister. However, he is under no responsibility to provide such a letter. As a result, he may choose to continue the work begun by the previous minister.
The minister was given the duty of continuing to welcome newcomers under the Immigration Levels Plan in order to reunite families and boost Canada’s economic growth and recovery following the pandemic.
Report on the Processing of Immigration Applications by the Office of the Auditor General
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) examines the internal operations of the Canadian government, identifying areas for improvement and rewarding accomplishments.
The OAG is expected to issue an audit by the end of the year to assess whether the IRCC has processed permanent resident applications efficiently and promptly, ensuring that the department is aligned with its goals of supporting Canada’s economy, facilitating family reunification, and assisting humanitarian class applicants.
This audit does not cover the processing of non-permanent resident applications.
Plan for Immigration Levels in 2024-2026
In years when there are no elections, the IRCC is required by law to release its Immigration Levels Plan by November 1st.
This plan lays forth the goals for permanent resident admissions, categorizing them by immigration class and specialized programs. For example, the 2023-2025 plan states that Canada intends to accept 500,000 new permanent residents per year by the end of 2025, with 301,250 falling into the economic class. 114,000 of them will be Express Entry hopefuls.
As we wait for the IRCC’s 2024-2026 levels plan to be released this year, it is unclear whether the IRCC will cut, raise, or retain these targets. According to Immigration Minister Marc Miller, the scores are unlikely to fall.
“I don’t see a scenario in which we reduce immigration targets; the need is too great.” “Whether we consider revising them upward or downward is something I need to investigate, but I don’t anticipate lowering them,” Miller said.
International Students
Minister Miller, Canada is on track to welcome 900,000 overseas students this year. IRCC and Global Affairs Canada are examining Canada’s international student program (ISP) to improve support for international students.
We can expect more information regarding the Trusted Institutions Framework, which provides a two-tier mechanism for study permit issuance to improve the integrity of the ISP, as the year progresses.
According to ICEF reports, Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) that meet the IRCC’s Trusted Institution standards may benefit from faster study permit processing for admitted international students.
More framework specifics and information about other IRCC measures to improve the integrity of the International Student program are expected to be revealed in the autumn.
Furthermore, the IRCC policy allowing certain students to work full-time (with no constraints on the number of hours) is slated to expire on December 31. The IRCC has announced that it will study the policy and make decisions on next steps.
Changes to Express Entry
This year, there have been significant changes to Express Entry. IRCC added six additional selection categories for category-based draws in May. In these draws, a specific candidate attribute comes before a high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. One of these categories is reserved for people with strong French language skills, while the other five are for people with professional experience in the following industries:
- Healthcare
- Transport
- Agriculture and agribusiness
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers
- Carpenters, plumbers, and contractors are examples of tradespeople.
According to a recent Globe and Mail story, IRCC intends to prioritize individuals with STEM employment experience. According to the survey, persons with experience in STEM occupations, such as software developers and data scientists, may receive between 28 and 31 percent of Express Entry invites this year.
However, all-program draws have continued to dominate the bulk of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) throughout the summer, with no signs of change.
Tech Talent Strategy
IRCC presented a new Tech Talent Strategy on June 27 in order to recruit more immigrants to tech-related professions.
IRCC has announced plans to launch an Innovation Stream within the International Mobility Program later this year. This project will allow Canadian firms to hire overseas workers without having to complete a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Individuals having job offers from organizations selected by the government as contributing to Canada’s economic objectives will be granted employer-specific work permits valid for up to five years under the Innovation Stream. Notably, persons in selected high-demand occupations will be issued open work permits under this program.
Furthermore, IRCC is dedicated to making Canada more desirable to digital nomads and foreign nationals working remotely for businesses outside of Canada. More information regarding a dedicated pathway for these workers will be made available. Digital nomads do not need a work permit because they can enter Canada on a Temporary Resident (visitor) visa and stay for up to six months. More information about how digital nomads who find work in Canada might transfer to a Canadian work visa may become available.
Parents and Grandparents Program.
The Parents and Grandparents Program, or PGP, is an annual IRCC effort that invites Canadian citizens and permanent residents’ parents and grandparents to apply for family class sponsorship. IRCC usually announces the Parents and Grandparents Program specifics in the autumn.
The lottery system chose sponsors to apply in 2022. Sponsors who filed their applications between October 13, 2020, and November 3, 2020, were examined by IRCC. This method addressed a large backlog of applications that had accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, IRCC invited 23,100 people to participate in the PGP. The current Immigration Levels Plan has a target of 28,500 new permanent residence admissions under the PGP for 2023, growing to 36,000 by the end of 2025.
The particular process that IRCC will follow for the PGP in 2023 has not yet been published.
Are you considering making Canada your new home? Fill out our free assessment form today to examine your possibilities of immigration to Canada.
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