CIMM - Economic Immigration

Key Messages

• This Government is committed to an immigration system that strengthens the Canadian middle class through economic growth and contributes to vibrant and dynamic communities.
• Immigrants contribute to the economy and create jobs. They also provide labour for Canadian employers, which is increasingly important as Canadians age and retire in greater numbers.
• Canada is widely recognized for its world-class immigration system, with a 2019 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development stating that Canada’s skilled labour immigration programs are the benchmark for other countries and that Canada’s ability to assess its programs and make quick policy changes to address evolving labour market needs sets us apart.
• In 2018, 58% of all permanent residents were admitted under the economic class.

Supplementary Messages

• Recently, immigration has accounted for almost 100% of all labour force growth in Canada, and approximately 75% of population growth.
• In 2018, the 82% of principal economic applicants aged 25 to 64 were employed, higher than that of non-immigrants (76%).
• Annual earnings of high-skilled economic immigrants surpass the Canadian average soon after landing and increase over time.

Supporting Facts and Figures

IRCC Programs to Support the Economy:

• IRCC is responding to labour market challenges with high levels of permanent immigration, options for hiring temporary workers and international students, and innovative initiatives and pilot programs that address specific needs in an industry or region.
• To spread the benefits of immigration to all parts of the country, recent years have seen a number of new and enhanced pathways to permanent residence, including at the low- and intermediate skill levels:
  • the continued growth of Provincial and Territorial Nominee programs;
  • the introduction of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which will be made into a permanent program;
  • the launch of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot in a number of communities;
  • the upcoming launch of the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot; and
  • a new Municipal Immigration Pilot that is currently being developed.
• The launch of the Global Skills Strategy in 2017 created a new Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, a 2-week application processing standard for highly-skilled workers and their families and dedicated client service for employers making job-creating investments in Canada.

Economic Programs:

• Annual immigration levels to Canada have increased markedly since 2015, with a target of 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020. 186,000 principal applicants and their dependants were admitted through economic immigration programs in 2018, representing close to 60% of all new permanent residents to Canada.
• 49% of economic immigrants in 2018 were admitted through the Express Entry application management system (92,000). Top occupations included fields such as information technology, engineering, business, and finance.
• Through Express Entry, we are able to invite the best and brightest from around the world. We select skilled workers who are most likely to succeed in the Canadian economy and society over the long-term (e.g., based on factors such as work experience, education, and official language proficiency). Candidates with the highest rankings are invited to apply, and the majority of complete permanent residence applications are processed within six months or less.
• The Government also works closely with provinces and territories, economic development partners, and industry to attract and retain economic immigrants, and ensure that all areas of the country benefit from immigration.
• The Provincial Nominee Program represents the second largest source of economic immigration. In 2018, 33% of economic immigrants, or 62,000 principal applicants and their dependants, were admitted through this program. This target is slated to increase to over 71,000 in 2021.
• 30% of economic immigrants settled outside Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec in 2018, compared to just 11% in 1998. The share of recent immigrants in the Prairie and Atlantic provinces more than doubled over the last 20 years.
• Most principal applicants admitted through the economic class are classified as high-skilled. In 2019, 85% of economic admissions were in the higher skilled occupations – 36% in the professional occupations (NOC A); 13% in managerial positions (NOC O); and 33% in skilled and technical skill level (NOC B). While there are fewer permanent resident admissions to the intermediate and lower-skilled classifications 8% in 2018). There are several programs now open to such skill levels:
  • Provincial Nominee Program allows streams at NOC C and D level and these allocations have been increased significantly in recent years.
  • Atlantic Immigration Pilot, launched in 2017, is open to NOC C.
  • Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is open to NOC C and NOC D.
  • Agri-Food Immigration Pilot opening March 30, 2020, is open to NOC C and D occupations.

Immigrant Outcomes:

• Skilled workers selected through Express Entry are doing very well, and establishing in Canada quickly: 95% are working in the year following their admission. Their employment and earnings exceed Canadian averages soon after landing, and continue to increase.
• In general, provincial nominee principal applicants intending to work in low-skilled occupations upon entry to Canada earn less than those intending to work in high-skilled occupations. Of those admitted from 2002 to 2014, NOC C workers averaged $40,000 in earnings, compared to $69,000 for NOC A, one year after admission.

Pathways to Permanent Residence:

• We work to retain talent by facilitating the transition to permanent residence for those who come to Canada temporarily, including at the intermediate-to-lower skill levels.
• In 2018, roughly 62% of the approximately 82,000 principal applicants (not including those in Quebec) who were admitted to Canada through economic permanent residence programs had previously held a temporary work permit.
• Having work experience in Canada is beneficial to a newcomer’s long-term integration into Canada. This is reflected in programs, such as the Canadian Experience Class, that provide a pathway for applicants with Canadian work experience.
• In addition, the government has introduced a number of programs and pilots where applicants working in Canada have a pathway to stay in Canada permanently. This includes pathways for: caregivers, workers in the agri-food sector, not to mention through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and the recently-launched Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.
• In 2019, the Department provided an additional 2,000 allocations under the Provincial Nominee Program, to support the transition to permanent residence for intermediate-skilled workers at the NOC C level who are filling immediate and long-term labour market needs.
• Canada issued work permits to approximately 340,000 temporary foreign workers in 2018, and study permits to over 356,000 international students. Nearly 36,941 work permit applications were received under the Global Skills Strategy from June 12, 2017 to November 30, 2019, with an approval rate of 93%.