Understanding Canadian Immigration Goals For 2018

Canada to welcome more immigrants

Just over two years ago, the Canadian federal government’s economic advisory council released a series of recommendations that presented possible solutions to the shrinking labor force. One solution was to boost Canadian immigration levels by 50% (from 300,000 to 450,000 people annually) over the next five years.   

Canadian Immigration Minister, Ahmed Hussen, recently said that 300,000 arrivals per year would become “the new normal” for Canada, which struggles with an aging workforce and low birth rate.

The number of working-age Canadians for every senior citizen is expected to drop from 4.2 in 2015 to 2.7 in 2030, according to the Department of Finance.

For this reason, the Canadian Federal Government is aiming to bring a total of 310,000 newcomers to Canada in 2018. This will increase each year up to the year 2020.

The plan reflects a new multi-year approach to immigration planning that experts say will allow for better preparation and integration.

Everyone has been of the opinion we need more workers, we need more skilled workers, we need more people to power our economy, address our real skills shortages, address our real labor market shortages, and also address the regional nature of some of these requirements,” Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen was quoted as saying.

Who Are Canada’s Main Immigrants?

Most of the new Canadian immigrants are caregivers, skilled laborers, and professionals. It is expected that they will continue to make up the biggest chunk, followed by the family class (parents, grandparents, children), then refugees, and other humanitarian cases.

In 2017, the goal was to bring 300,000 new permanent residents to Canada, with nearly 58 percent from the economic class.

The Family Class made up about 28% of the overall target this year, while refugees and humanitarian cases accounted for another 14%.

The 2018 immigration plan is expected to help fulfill the significant labor gaps in the country. It is expected that the government will make policies that bring in a more diverse range of immigrants into the country.

Ideally, the Canadian immigration system should be a real solution to the labor shortage in Canada. With the low birth rate and aging population in Canada, there is a need to tackle the labor shortages by boosting the country’s population.

Rather than just paying attention to the education and technical abilities of applicants, Canada should be flexible enough to admit immigrants who have the intelligence and drive to be trained for different, lower-skilled jobs.

Every year thousands of people around the world want to move to Canada, but are waiting for the “right time.” There are many reasons to move to Canada a strong economy, excellent public health care, education, and a strong sense of community – one that values family.

2018 is the right time to move to Canada. Immigrants help build a stronger Canada.