The Country Has Eased Some Restrictive Policies
If Canada takes in the same number of immigrants it did in 2019, the country will close the year with around 320,000 new permanent residents, a few thousand residents shy of the set target. There are still a few factors at play that may propel Canada towards a victorious year-end. In June of this year, Canada decided to ease some restrictive policies that prevented some Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) holders from eligibility.
The eased restrictions have brought on board over 23,000 newcomers. Any applicant approved for permanent residency can immediately move to Canada thanks to these changes. The IRCC has also introduced a residency stream that will ensure that students and essential workers remain in the country after their terms are over. The residency stream is set to add 90,000 newcomers to the tally.
The IRCC has a target of processing over 40,000 applications before the end of 2021. The third supporting factor is the country intends to improve the number of permanent residents by dipping into the domestic pool of permanent residence candidates. The department is prioritizing Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates giving them a chance at permanent residence. The primary tactic employed in the race for more significant numbers is larger draws and lower restriction or cut-off scores.
According to the IRCC department, the country will find it easier to transition residents living in the country into citizens than new residents who have no experience living in the country. This factor is made more relevant because these residents have been in the country through some of the most challenging pandemic times. To that end, the IRCC has already issued over 100,000 express entry invitations, which is close to double the number of invites it gave last year.
A large portion of the invited candidates is expected to have finished their permanent residence landing by the end of the year, boosting the final numbers. The minister’s office expressed great satisfaction with the 45,000 newcomers applications processed in June, stating that it is the highest number ever achieved. The IRCC has said a renewed dedication and drives towards achieving the 400,000 applications this year.
Emergence of a New Covid-19 Wave Might Slow the Migration Process
Certain risks could be stumbling blocks in the way of achieving the set goals. Despite indications that the pandemic is coming to a slow, some scientists predict the emergence of a new wave that may delay progress. In addition, Canada is still restricting flights to and from the country, making immigration hard to improve. The aviation restrictions mainly apply to India, which also happens to be the country’s largest source of immigrants. Further delays can be caused by the transport restrictions, which is why the IRCC is making arrangements to bring onboard thousands of expired COPR holders. Contacting each holder is a tedious task that the IRCC is determined to undertake as a means to achieving the set targets.
The time-consuming tasks bring the concern that the department may not reach the goals in time. With these critical factors in mind, it is safe to say that Canada is likely to hit immigration targets before the year ends.
