The minister stated that COVID-19 also impacted international students who travel to Canada for further studies. As such, these students are expected to miss enrollment into this year’s higher learning programs. In the Canadian economy, it is estimated that about $21.6 billion will be lost. However, the government introduced new policies to help these students continue with their studies. One important strategy is allowing for enrollment for online education programs.
Growing Immigration Levels in Canada
Canada has substantial growth in immigrants annually, with the peak expected to be between 2020 and 2022. The target for permanent residents is set at 341,000 in 2020, while 351,000 in 2021 and up to 390,000 in 2022. However, these figures could be revised in November during the announcement of new immigration targets.
The minister said that the government is working towards developing policies and ways to improve application processes to maximize immigration targets. For example, one method requires foreign workers to work for different employers before approvals are provided for the specified employer. The application processes will also be significantly shortened from ten weeks to ten days to allow for quicker handling of entries.
According to Marco Mendicino, there will be continuous immigration to Canada as it is essential in promoting the Canadian economy. As seen during the covid-19 pandemic, foreign workers are playing a significant role in Canada. Despite critics and analysts discouraging the increase in immigrants in the area, the federal government vows to promote immigration into Canada.
