Canada Announces Plan to Welcome One Million Immigrants in Three Years

Canada has announced plans to welcome more than one million immigrants between 2020 and 2022.

This was revealed last week by Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino.

Mendicino made his first major speech since he was appointed last November at Toronto’s Canadian Club last Friday, where he outlined his immigration plan over the next three years.

He began his speech by acknowledging that the future of Canada largely depends on immigration. He indicated that immigration was key to growing the country’s economy and tackling the labor shortage and aging population.

“As the population ages and more people retire, the country is relying on a smaller labor force to maintain government expenditure,” Mendicino said.

Currently, immigration accounts for 80 percent of Canada’s population growth, and the latest announcement could further increase that proportion. Canada has laid out a policy to attract young, well-educated and skilled foreigners to bridge the gap in its labor force.

The announcement by Mendicino that the country would admit over one million immigrants in three years is likely to push the annual uptake beyond the 350,000 barrier.

Canada will continue with the Express Entry system as the main way of welcoming skilled immigrants through the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades programs. Other immigrants will also be welcomed through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and the Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot 

Mendicino is expected to formally table Canada’s 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan to parliament this month.