This rationale explains why the country’s population remains low as the immigration levels remain high. Statistics collected in September placed Canada’s population growth at a mere 0.5 percent since last year. This population growth rate is the lowest population growth recorded since the First World War. To give you a better perspective on how low this population growth is, Canada’s population growth for the better part of the last two decades has been a steady one percent annually. In Canada, population growth is influenced by the constant flow of permanent residents arriving each year.
IRCC has recorded a total of 267,000 immigrants this year. To reach the set target for the year, the IRCC has to land 134,000 more immigrants before the end of 2021. These numbers translate to 45,000 new permanent residents every month. Despite this being a tall order, the IRCC is determined to achieve this goal by 2022. The Canadian government has taken several measures to ensure the IRCC reaches this year’s target number, including holding the most significant express entry draw ever in February. In total, 27,332 invites were issued to candidates to apply for permanent residency.
The IRCC takes a few months to receive and process the applications from the invitees. Considering this factor, we expect that these invitees will receive their permanent residence status by the end of the year. In addition, the government launched six temporary streams that make it possible for about 90,000 residents to apply for PR status.
The department stated that it aims to process at least half of these applications by the end of the year. In June, Canadian officials made the decision to reduced travel restrictions that previously curtailed inflow of new workers. If we factor in Canada’s now reduced travel restrictions, the chances are high that the country will meet its ambitious annual target. Reduced travel restrictions allow residents to fill out their applications faster from within the country.
