2021 consultations on immigration levels and responsive economic immigration – final report

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Contents

• Overview and context
  • Immigration levels
  • Responsive economic immigration: Evolving Express Entry to better meet Canada’s needs
• Consultation methods
  • Online stakeholder survey
  • Virtual regional townhall sessions with the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary
• Annexes
  • Annex A: Online Consultation Survey
  • Annex B: Online survey – IRCC Consultation on Immigration Levels and Responsive Economic Immigration: Background Document
  • Annex C: Online survey – participating stakeholders

Overview and context

In summer 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a multifaceted outreach and consultation initiative to inform the 2022 immigration levels plan. While IRCC conducts an engagement and consultation exercise annually, this year’s consultations incorporated discussions around immigration to aid economic recovery and growth, and support for successful integration. Engagement included themes around levels trajectory and mix, responsiveness of economic immigration, impact on communities and community preparedness for increased immigration, and fostering welcoming communities.

As part of engagement activities, an online stakeholder survey was conducted, and supplemented by regional virtual townhall conversations hosted by the former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, and the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Peter Schiefke. In addition to these activities, IRCC engaged with provinces and territories about immigration levels planning as well as regional programs. Federal-provincial-territorial consultation on levels planning is a requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and guided by a jointly developed consultation framework. As well, levels planning takes into account public opinion research, labour market information, and immigrant outcomes. ^{Footnote 1}

The findings summarized in this report reflect the views of only those who participated in the consultations. Results should not be projected as representative of the entire Canadian population, or of all IRCC stakeholders. Furthermore, percentages have been rounded to whole numbers, and as a result, totals may not add up to 100.

Immigration levels

The IRPA requires the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to table a projection of permanent resident admissions (the levels plan) in Parliament every year. The immigration levels plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs.

A number of considerations are taken into account when developing the immigration levels plan, including:

• Government priorities and objectives for immigration, as set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• Economic needs across Canada, including at this time, considerations of economic needs of various sectors in the context of economic recovery due to COVID-19;
• International obligations with respect to refugees and offering protection to those in need;
• Ability of IRCC and its partner departments to screen and process applications in a timely manner; and
• Capacity to settle, integrate and retain newcomers (e.g., settlement services, housing availability, public infrastructure, etc.).

The plan is designed to deliver long-term benefits to Canada; support economic growth and address labour market needs; and ensure a well-managed system that maintains public confidence.

For ease of reference, see the full 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan.

Responsive economic immigration: Evolving Express Entry to better meet Canada’s needs

Canada’s immigration system is critical to supporting economic recovery and building a stronger Canada for all. With this in mind, IRCC is considering ways in which it could adjust the Express Entry intake management system, building on the human capital foundation of economic immigration that has been a hallmark of Canada’s success.

This year’s levels consultations provided an opportunity for stakeholders to share their perspectives on evolving Canada’s economic immigration system, including Express Entry, to better meet Canada’s needs and on improving equitable access to opportunities for permanent residence through economic immigration. The input the Department received will inform early thinking with our partners and help IRCC plan future engagement on these topics with interested individuals, organizations, and groups.

Consultation methods

1. Online stakeholder survey

From June 28 to July 16, 2021, a total of 2,564 stakeholder organizations were invited by email to read background information and participate in an online survey (see Annex A). The surveys were conducted in the respondents’ official language of choice. Respondents had the opportunity to provide answers to questions on immigration levels and/or responsive economic immigration. IRCC received a total of 243 completed surveys. Responses were received from a wide range of organizations, including input from NGOs, settlement/resettlement organizations, educational institutions, economic development organizations, industry/sector councils, regional or municipal government and academia. See Annex C for the list of participating stakeholders.

Survey response distribution

1.1 Key findings on immigration levels

Purpose of immigration

When asked to rank from 1 to 3 (with 1 being the most important), stakeholder organizations see filling labour market gaps and supporting Canada's economic recovery as the two most important reasons for having a robust immigration system in Canada. Reuniting families, contributing to Canada's diversity and supporting humanitarian commitments were all seen as important second-tier reasons. The western and central provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario) specified filling labour market gaps and supporting Canada’s economic recovery as the main goals to drive Canada’s immigration system. The remaining provinces and territories (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories) presented more variation in their responses regarding the purpose of immigration, by indicating their support for economic recovery, filling labour market gaps, reuniting families and supporting community development.

Immigration levels and mix

Respondents were asked about the current notional target for 2022 (i.e., 411,000 newcomers), 43% of respondents indicated the target was too few, and 43% felt it was about right.

A slightly larger proportion of participating stakeholders in the Atlantic Provinces (44%) indicated that the current notional target for 2022 was for too few immigrants.

When asked about the current level of immigrants per class, the stakeholders are split between feeling that Canada's current immigration targets are 'about right' or are 'too few' with less than 5% saying they feel the current levels would be too many for any individual class and around 10% saying they don't know.

When asked about notional 2022 levels for the economic class, 47% of respondents indicated they believed those levels were about right. Similarly, 43% said levels in the family class and 45% said levels in the refugees, protected persons, and humanitarian categories were about right.

Question: Canada’s current Immigration Levels Plan sets notional targets for new permanent residents in each immigration class for 2022 per the following table. For each of the following immigration classes and the overall total, do you feel that this would be too many, too few or about the right number of new permanent residents?

When asked about immigration levels beyond 2023, the majority of respondents (63%) said they would like to see levels increase, whereas just under a quarter of respondents (24%) indicated levels should stabilize at 421,000 immigrants per year.

If immigration levels were to increase, 61% of respondents indicated that economic immigration should be prioritized over the family class and the refugee and protected persons class.

Question: If immigration levels were to increase, in which immigration class would you prioritize growth?

However, if immigration levels were to decrease, over half of respondents (53%) did not know which of the classes should be reduced.

Question: If immigration levels were to decrease, in which immigration class would you recommend a decrease?

1.2. Key findings on Responsive Economic Immigration

The online survey invited stakeholders across the country to share their views on evolving Canada’s economic immigration system to better meet Canada’s needs. When asked an open ended question about what the federal government should consider in looking to simplify the economic immigration system and enhance its ability to respond to a range of economic and labour market needs, 181 stakeholders provided responses. Some key themes emerged from the responses.

Suggestions included simplifying and streamlining application processes for all programs (including those managed through Express Entry), as well as Labour Market Impact Assessment and work permit processes; speeding up processing; and addressing application backlogs. Some suggested movement towards more digital processes, tools, and services, and others highlighted the importance of improving foreign credential recognition.

One theme was the need to more closely tie economic immigration to labour market needs, with some stating that Canada needs more high-skilled workers (especially in the STEM, medical, and research fields) and others suggesting that Canada needs to diversify who can apply through Express Entry by opening it up to lower skilled workers. Some participants suggested that the economic immigration system should include better ways of assessing skills rather than continuing to use academic credentials as a main indicator, and others thought that economic immigration should more clearly align with overarching goals (e.g., related to national climate, the environment, and the care economy).

Another theme emerging from the responses was that it should be faster and easier for those already living, studying, and/or working in Canada to get permanent residence, with some suggesting open work permits for temporary foreign workers and a more direct path to citizenship for international students. Suggestions also included increasing integration supports for newcomers, such as mentorship, internships and practicums, as well as workplace training programs; job matching and employment services; and language training. Others suggested doing more to attract Francophone immigrants, build Francophone communities and inform more newcomers about them, as well as support Francophone community organizations.

Other participants recommended more involvement of local agents (including municipalities, rural and remote communities, employers, and economic development agencies) in the selection and recruitment of economic immigrants, and some promoted more movement towards experimenting with innovative regional programs and community-identified needs.

Better communication was also a theme, with suggestions including using plainer language in IRCC’s policies, procedures, and application/program eligibility guidance; more IRCC staff to have genuine discussions with newcomers, assist with applications, and handle client inquiries; and, more open conversation between all levels of government to align needs.

Question: How important are the following features in enhancing the responsiveness of our economic immigration system? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means "not at all important" and 10 means "extremely important”.

1.3. Key findings on Equitable Access to Opportunities for Permanent Residence through Economic Immigration

When asked an open-ended question about where they saw potential to improve equitable access to opportunities for permanent residence through economic immigration, 132 stakeholders gave a range of suggestions. Suggestions included expanding permanent economic immigration to all skill levels; increasing pathways to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers, but also ensuring that employers do not over rely on these workers; as well as increasing protections and removing components of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that make migrant workers vulnerable (e.g., single-employer work permits). While some recommended doing more to attract and select newcomers from more diverse countries of origin (including Francophone African countries), others cautioned against moving away from selecting solely based on skills, competencies, and labour market need and using immigration as the primary way of addressing systemic challenges.

Some participants recommended reducing language requirements depending on occupation, and making language testing and training more accessible (both in smaller Canadian communities and in other countries). Others discussed improvements to foreign credential recognition. Suggestions also included making improvements in IRCC’s hiring and training to ensure that staff understand equity issues, and that IRCC provide guidance to employers and service provider organizations on how to identify and address systemic barriers. Better disaggregated data was also suggested.

With the move to more digital services, some recommended that IRCC should ensure that paper-based applications are still available for those who need them. Others suggested reducing fees at various points in the immigration process, and simplifying the language in applications and online resources.

2. Virtual regional townhall sessions with the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary

A total of 13 virtual regional townhall sessions, including one for Northern Ontario, had been planned to be held with representatives from each provinces and territories, except Quebec, where the Quebec government is solely responsible for immigration planning in its own jurisdiction.

From July 20 to August 4, 2021, the Minister of IRCC and the Parliamentary Secretary hosted four townhall sessions with stakeholders from British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. On August 15, 2021, a federal election was called – enacting the suspension of public opinion research and consultation activities. As a result, the 2021 ministerial consultations on immigration levels were closed, and the remaining scheduled townhall sessions were cancelled.

See below for summaries of the four sessions that took place:

Text version: IRCC Virtual Townhalls on Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 - New Brunswick

A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual townhalls to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.

Two persons in front of a coffee shop are shaking hands, expressing the “enthusiasm of newcomers” who come to New Brunswick. A quote is also shown next to two persons with their hands raised above their heads, with the words: “New Brunswick has been so welcoming.”

A graph with two vertical columns, a tall one for the year 2020, and a smaller one for the year 2021, illustrates the need to decrease processing times for immigration applications. Two observations are also attached to this graph: the COVID-19 pandemic was a barrier, and immigration systems should be modernized.

A family of two adults and two children are shown holding hands, surrounded by words that represent important aspects of the settlement process: community, schools, healthcare, jobs/careers, access to resources, and help from programs.

Several houses are lined up on a hill, with the words “Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program” placed underneath. The word “pilot” is struck out, and the words “for 2022!” are added, indicating that the Atlantic Immigration Program will become permanent in 2022.

A group of persons is shown with a text bubble with the words: “Join us!” Branches are pointing to other people, emphasizing the importance of family class immigration. Right below, a bus and a paper guide suggest that tours for newcomers and guides for residents can facilitate the process of integration into a new community.

A sign indicates that 120,000 jobs will need to be filled in New Brunswick in the next 10 years. Arrows point to a banknote that represents economic growth, as well as to a number of persons illustrating the need for immigration due to declining and aging population, and because of a shortage of healthcare workers. Next to a representation of the province of New Brunswick, various elements indicate how to maximize the possibilities for growth: tailored programs, settlement services, welcoming communities, and the ability to retain newcomers.

A hill lined with trees and houses represents less urban areas of the province, and an arrow pointing upwards suggests the need to increase the number of French-speaking immigrants.

A plane is shown along with words describing the need to attract and retain international students. An arrow is pointing to job postings to show the process of reviewing the skills required for them to join the workforce, including the following key sectors: healthcare, skilled trades and agriculture. A plus sign along with the words “soft skills” are shown underneath to stress the importance of soft skills in that process. All these various elements are grouped together with a curly bracket, pointing to a balance with the words “flexibility and balance in the workforce” underneath it.

Text version: IRCC Virtual Townhalls on Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 - British Columbia

A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual townhalls to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.

An arrow with the words “recent move” connects the words “immigration” with “municipal affairs,” indicating that municipalities have a role to play in the process of integrating immigrants when they settle into their new communities.

Various visual elements, including a laptop and three people holding hands along with text bubbles, represent the need for accessible settlement services, and in particular, tailored programs for immigrants. Three aspects related to diverse newcomers are also highlighted: the importance of family, the economy, and harnessing their skills.

Two persons standing across a bridge with their arms raised point to various aspects related to public education: pathways to permanent residence, anti-racism, the importance of immigration, healthcare, and labour. Under the bridge, the word “retention” is in text.

Apartment buildings are shown, with an arrow pointing to houses and trees, emphasizing the need to welcome newcomers to rural areas, in part by attracting them through community colleges.

A chart with equal horizontal lines on both sides of an axis emphasize the need for a balance. A ribbon with the words “tie together” leads to a bow with the words “supply” and “demand,” along with a medical cross and a tree underneath it. This suggests the need to balance supply and demand in two key sectors that benefit from immigration: healthcare and agriculture. 

A group of persons with their hands raised is seen, along with the words: “Welcoming is a whole community approach.” Three branches pointing to governments, community groups and employers express the importance of these key actors as members of the community.

In a wheat field with crops, two persons expressing surprise, with exclamation marks above their heads, are shown next to a barn. The words “hear migrant worker voices” lead to a fist raised in the air, with various aspects connected to the importance of hearing migrant worker voices highlighted in separate text bubbles: rights, supports, access, value, and language. Virus particles also illustrate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two text bubbles of different colours, with barriers shown in each of them, accompany the words “break barriers,” with a small upward bracket including the word “language” to emphasize language barriers. 

A diploma is accompanied by the words “recognize credentials,” emphasizing the need to recognize foreign credentials.

Text Version: IRCC Virtual Townhalls on Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 - Manitoba

A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual townhalls to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.

A representation of the province of Manitoba contains an arrow pointing to the word “growth,” indicating that regional data is important in adapting economic, social and cultural needs to lead to growth.

A chart with equal horizontal lines on both sides of an axis emphasize the need to balance population.

A circle points to four key areas related to Francophone immigration: public education, health care, pathways to permanent residence, and parent and grandparent program.

Various visual elements related to targets and statistics are accompanied by an arrow pointing to a house, suitcase, medical cross and bus, suggesting that targets and statistics are determined by many factors in relation to housing, health care, education and access to services.

Various visual elements, including paper forms, a laptop showing speech balloons, people holding hands, as well as a house and trees, illustrate four important aspects of immigration: tailored programs for immigrants, accessible settlement services, welcoming communities, and the need for retention.

Two circles are grouped together with branches pointing in two different directions, suggesting that the importance of matching needs and skills applies to an increasing number of international students as well as essential workers.

A person kicking a hurdle along with a diploma show that a potential way to break down barriers to employment is through foreign credential recognition.

A family holding hands along with the words “focus on integration” is followed by a question: “Increase refugee sponsorship counts?”

A person with a loudspeaker is seen emphasizing the importance of amplifying the success of immigration.

The importance of municipal and rural pilots is represented by city buildings and hills covered with houses and trees, in addition to the words: “Communities hold wisdom.”

Text Version: IRCC Virtual Townhalls on Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 - Prince Edward Island

A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town halls to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.

An illustration of a beach with a lobster includes a text bubble with the words: “Population is growing.” An arrow is pointing upwards to the current population level, at 160,000, and another points downward, suggesting that the population would decline without immigration in the future.

Branching off this section, a hospital has three arrows pointing to important aspects of Prince Edward Island’s population trends: investing in healthcare, aging population, and leaving workforce. This suggests that immigrants could bring new and innovative ideas, talent, and a younger workforce to help invest in the healthcare system and offset the effect of an aging population leaving the workforce.

Various visual elements, including a group of diverse persons, a woman holding a baby, a suitcase, construction helmet and clipboard, a series of houses, and two banknotes, illustrate aspects of immigration to Prince Edward Island: greater diversity, the need to increase the population, labour market solutions, the importance of building communities, and the economy.

A text bubble emphasizes the importance of reporting on best practices to attract and retain newcomers.

A person holds a Permanent Residency Card. It branches off into six boxes that illustrate various aspects that would facilitate access to permanent residency for immigrants: the recognition of foreign credentials, an easy process for employers to hire immigrants and provide them with stable jobs, a streamlined application process, settlement services available for all immigrants regardless of status, and faster processing times. The sixth aspect is illustrated by a graduating student and includes two sub-elements that are more specific to international students. It is suggested that co-operatives and faster processing to obtain Canadian degrees will help retain them.

Annexes

Annex A: Online Consultation Survey

Annex A: IRCC Online Consultation Survey: 2021 Questions on Immigration Levels and Responsive Economic Immigration

• 1. Please provide your organization's name:
  • Organization’s name:
  • Your name (optional):
• 2. What is the primary focus of your organization?
  • Academia, research foundation/institution, or think tank
  • Business or employment services
  • Chamber of commerce or board of trade
  • Economic development organization
  • Educational institution or school board
  • Faith-based organization
  • First Nations / Inuit / Métis organization
  • Francophone or official language minority community
  • Government – Federal
  • Government – Municipal or regional administration
  • Government – Provincial
  • Government – Arm’s-length agency / Crown corporation
  • Immigration consultant or lawyer
  • Industry or sector council
  • LGBTQ2+ organization
  • LIP/RIF
  • Multicultural or ethno-cultural association
  • Non-profit organization / NGO
  • Settlement or resettlement organization
  • Other, please specify: ______________________
  • I do not represent an organization
• 3. In which province or territory do you operate? Please select all that apply.
  • National organization
  • British Columbia
  • Alberta
  • Saskatchewan
  • Manitoba
  • Ontario
  • Quebec
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Yukon Territory
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nunavut
• 3a. [Ask if only Quebec Selected at Q3] Does your organization have a national mandate, or is your mandate limited to the province of Quebec?
  • National mandate
  • Quebec mandate [End the survey: “Thank you for your interest in this survey. Due to the Canada-Québec Accord, IRCC only engages organizations that operate in Quebec with a national mandate, as Quebec is responsible for its own immigrant selection.]
• 4. Which of the following would you say are the most important reasons for Canada to have a robust immigration system? Please rank up to three factors by typing 1, 2 and 3 into the text boxes, with 1 as the most important. [Randomize list order]
  • Fill labour market gaps and bring new skills
  • Reunite families
  • Support humanitarian commitments
  • Increase Canada’s population
  • Support community development
  • Contribute to Canada’s diversity
  • Support Canada’s economic recovery
  • Support the development of minority official languages communities

• 5. Canada’s current Immigration Levels Plan sets notional targets for new permanent residents in each immigration class for 2022 per the following table.

  For each of the following immigration classes and the overall total, do you feel that this would be too many, too few or about the right number of new permanent residents?

  For easy reference, the full 2021-2023 immigration levels plan can be found here.

  	2022 Target	Too Many	Too Few	About Right	Don’t Know
  Economic (for example: workers, or business immigrants)	241,500
  Family (for example: spouses, partners, children, or parents of people already in Canada)	103,500
  Refugees, Protected Persons, and Humanitarian (for example: resettled refugees, or asylum seekers)	60,500
  All Categories (approximately 1.08 percent of Canada’s population)	411,000

• 6. The current plan sets a notional target for 2023 to welcome 421,000 newcomers (or just over 1 percent of Canada’s population).

  In your opinion, do you feel that this would be too many, too few or about the right number of immigrants coming to Canada?

  • Too many
  • Too few
  • About right
  • Don’t know
• 7. Beyond 2023, would you like to see immigration levels increase each year, stabilize at 421,000 immigrants per year, or decrease?
  • Increase
  • Stabilize at 421,000 immigrants per year
  • Decrease
  • Don’t know
• 8. If immigration levels were to increase, in which immigration class would you prioritize growth?
  • Economic
  • Family
  • Refugees and Protected Persons
  • Don’t know
• 9. If immigration levels were to decrease, in which immigration class would you recommend a decrease?
  • Economic
  • Family
  • Refugees and Protected Persons
  • Don’t know
• 10. As Canada’s population grows as a result of immigration, how important will investment in each of the following be in supporting an increased population in your region? Please use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means "not at all important" and 10 means "extremely important".
  • Public transportation
  • Housing
  • Internet access
  • Schools
  • Healthcare services

• 10a. Is there anything else that will require investment to support an increased population in your region?

  • Nothing else

• 11. In thinking about Canada’s economic recovery and future growth, the federal government is looking at ways to make our economic immigration system simpler and more responsive to economic and labour market needs, including by using Express Entry.

  What should the federal government consider in looking to simplify the economic immigration system and enhance its ability to respond to a range of economic and labour market needs? In thinking about this, what might be some of the implications for your organization?

• 12. How important are the following features in enhancing the responsiveness of our economic immigration system? (Rate each on a scale of 1-5)
  • Simple and streamlined process to apply
  • Broader pool of candidates with a range of skills or experience that could be invited to apply through Express Entry
  • Ability for the government to adjust who can be invited, to meet established economic immigration priorities
  • Expanded ability for partners to identify or recruit candidates in the Express Entry pool

• 12a. If there are any other features that you think would be important for enhancing the responsiveness of our economic immigration system, or if you have further comments, please provide below.

  • No other feedback

• 13. Economic immigration also plays an important role in supporting diversity, and IRCC is committed to addressing systemic racism, sexism, ableism and other barriers that currently exist. IRCC has made a commitment to review our policies for bias and better understand their impact on our clients.

  Where do you see potential to improve equitable access to opportunities for permanent residence through economic immigration?

• 14. Finally, is there any other feedback you would like to provide about immigration levels or classes?
  • No other feedback

Annex B: Online survey – IRCC Consultation on Immigration Levels and Responsive Economic Immigration: Background Document

Introduction

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducts consultations on immigration in Canada every year. Given the rapidly evolving COVID-19 recovery situation – with varying impacts by region and sector – this year’s consultations will be especially informative.

We recognize that there have been significant challenges presented in the pandemic context, which drove a need to innovate and adapt. We are interested in hearing your thoughts on immigration in the current context, as well as considerations in the longer term. As such, we are seeking your views on Canada’s immigration levels plan – including the balance among different categories and programs, and how immigration can be better positioned to support Canada, from the perspectives of economic recovery and future growth, and the vitality of communities in all parts of Canada.

Through your experiences with immigration, your views and advice will help to shape a collective national vision for planning immigration levels in the coming years, and to help inform future direction of an immigration system that will be more responsive to economic needs while equally supporting diversity and ensuring inclusivity.

We thank you for your participation.

Immigration Levels Planning

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to table a projection of permanent resident admissions (the levels plan) in Parliament every year. The immigration levels plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs.

The 2021-2023 immigration levels plan renews the three-year time frame for the multi-year plan and proposes to increase the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes annually to 401,000 in 2021; 411,000 in 2022; and 421,000 in 2023. While targets and ranges are firm in the first year, the outer years are notional – which are subject to review to allow reflections of any developments or changes in reality. We are seeking your feedback as there is an opportunity to adjust outer year admissions targets (i.e., currently 2022 and 2023) and to help inform targets for 2024. The full 2021-2023 levels plan can be found here.

A number of considerations are taken into account when developing the immigration levels plan, including:

• Government priorities and objectives for immigration, as set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• Economic and regional needs across Canada, including at this time, considerations of economic needs of various sectors in the context of economic recovery due to COVID-19;
• International obligations with respect to refugees and offering protection to those in need;
• Ability of IRCC and its partner departments to screen and process applications in a timely manner; and
• Capacity to settle, integrate and retain newcomers (e.g., settlement services, housing availability, public infrastructure, etc.).

The plan is designed to contribute to an immigration system that fosters economic growth; supports diversity; and helps build vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive communities; while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians.

The current plan outlines a steady increase in admissions that trends towards 1 percent of Canada’s population by 2023.

Closely linked with the question of how many people to welcome, is the question of the appropriate mix (or distribution) of permanent residents across the main immigration classes. In the current plan for 2022, the economic class would account for 59 percent of total admissions. The family class would represent 25 percent, and the refugee and humanitarian classes would account for 16 percent. Please see below for the full list of categories and programs (Annex 1).

Responsive economic immigration: evolving Express Entry to better meet Canada’s needs

Canada’s immigration system is critical to supporting our economic recovery and building a stronger Canada for all. In thinking about Canada’s economic recovery and future growth, the federal government is looking at ways to simplify our immigration system and make it more responsive to economic and labour market needs, including using Express Entry.

Express Entry has been an important innovation in managing application intake to Canada’s federal high skilled programs and has a track record of bringing in highly skilled immigrants who succeed in Canada’s economy and contribute to Canadian society. These newcomers fill needs in our economy that are critical for our growth and create shared prosperity for all.

Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, in 2020 IRCC issued a highest-ever 107,350 invitations to apply for permanent residence to Express Entry candidates, to support achievement of 2020 and 2021 immigration levels targets. Express Entry will continue to be an important tool in meeting economic immigration objectives, helping Canada reach its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan.

Budget 2021 announced the Government of Canada’s intention to propose amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. These amendments would increase the flexibility of the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to use Express Entry Ministerial Instructions to better select candidates who can meet a range of economic, labour market and skills needs. The Government also made investments through Budget 2021 to deliver a secure, stable and flexible enterprise-wide digital platform to improve application processing and help Canada remain a destination of choice.

These initiatives will support an immigration system that is more client-focused, streamlined and better able to respond to evolving economic needs across Canada. With this in mind, IRCC is considering ways in which it could adjust the Express Entry system, building on the human capital foundation of economic immigration that has been a hallmark of Canada’s success.

As IRCC develops these ideas, this year’s levels consultations are an opportunity to provide your perspectives on evolving Canada’s economic immigration system to better meet our needs. Your input will help shape early thinking with our partners and help us plan future engagement on this topic with interested individuals, organizations and groups.

Sources:

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2020), Notice – Supplementary Information for the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, /content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/supplementary-immigration-levels-2021-2023.html
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2020), Evaluation of Express Entry: Early impacts on economic outcomes and system management, /content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/reports-statistics/evaluations/eval-express-entry-economic-outcomes-system-management.html
• Government of Canada (2021), Budget 2021 – A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience, https://www.budget.canada.ca/2021/home-accueil-en.html
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2021), 2020 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, /content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2020.html
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (2020), 2019 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, /content/canadasite/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration-2019.html.
• Prime Minister of Canada (2021), Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Mandate Letter, https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters/2021/01/15/minister-immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-supplementary-mandate

Annex 1 – Immigration Classes and Categories

Annex C: Online survey – participating stakeholders

Organization name

• A & O Support Services for Older Adults - Senior Immigrant Settlement Services
• Action Chinese Canadians Together Foundation (ACCT)
• Achev
• African Community Association of Calgary (ACAC)
• Association des Francophones de la Région de York (AFRY)
• AG Employ & Immigration
• Alberta Construction Association
• Alberta Rural Development Network
• Algonquin College
• Alberta Network of Immigrant Women (ANIW)
• AOT Technologies
• Arab Community Centre of Toronto
• Aspen Holdings Ltd. (A&W)
• Aspin Kemp & Associates Inc.
• Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario
• ASSIST Community Services Centre
• Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne
• Association Francophone de Brooks (AFB)
• Association Francophone de la Région de York
• Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick
• Association franco-yukonnaise
• Association of Municipalities of Ontario
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• AXYS Technologies
• Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre Inc.
• BC Care Providers Association
• BC Economic Development Association (BCEDA)
• BC Trucking Association (BCTA)
• BC Council for International Education (BCCIE)
• Black CAP – Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention
• Brampton Multicultural Community Centre (BMC)
• Brock University
• Bruce County
• Business Council of Manitoba
• Butterfly
• Camrose & District Chamber of Commerce
• Canada's Digital Technology Supercluster
• Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
• Canadian Labour Congress
• Canadian Vietnamese Association in Prince Edward Island
• Centre d'accueil Nouv Arrivants francophones (CANAF)
• Cape Breton Partnership
• Cape Breton University
• CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses
• Carleton University
• Catholic Community Services of York Region
• Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba (CDEM)
• Central Alberta Refugee Effort (C.A.R.E.)
• Centre communautaire francophone Windsor Essex Kent
• Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara
• Centre d'Integration pour Immigrants Africains
• Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship
• Centretown Community Health Centre
• Century Initiative
• Charlotte Coastal Region Tourism Association
• Chinese Association of Mississauga
• City of Morden - Immigration
• City of Powell River
• City of Terrace
• Clearwater Seafoods LP
• Coast Mountain College
• CodeCore College
• College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
• Collège La Cité
• Collège Mathieu
• Commission nationale des parents francophones
• Community Centre Alliance Newfoundland and Labrador
• Community Family Services of Ontario
• Community Futures Alberni Clayoquot
• Community Futures Development Corporation Of Central Kootenay
• COMPASS Refugee Centre
• Conseil scolaire Viamonde
• Cooper Institute
• Cosmos
• County of Simcoe
• Creative BC
• Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC)
• Crimson Lane Farms Inc.
• CSC Vanier – Centre des services communautaires de Vanier
• Dawson Creek Literacy Society / Lake View Learning Centre
• Dignidad Migrante Society (DIGNIDAD)
• District of Squamish
• District of Tumbler Ridge
• Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB)
• Economic Development Lethbridge
• Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• Edmonton Immigrant Services Association
• EduNova Co-operative Ltd.
• Emily Carr University Of Art + Design
• Enterprise Temiskaming
• Expansion Dieppe Inc.
• Federation des aInes et des retraites francophones de l'Ontario (FARFO)
• Fernie Chamber of Commerce
• Flexibility Learning Systems
• Fonemed North America
• Fort Nelson Community Literacy Society
• La Francophonie Albertaine Plurielle (FRAP)
• Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
• Georgian College
• Grande Prairie Centre for Newcomers
• Grande Prairie Council for Lifelong Learning
• Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council
• Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre
• Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB)
• Hospitality Saskatchewan
• Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
• Immigrants Working Centre (Hamilton)
• Immigration francophone de la Nouvelle-Écosse
• Immigration Francophone de la Nouvelle-Écosse/FANE
• Institute for Christian Studies
• Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
• Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority
• International College of Manitoba
• Invest Ottawa
• Jangles Productions Limited
• Jupia Consultants Inc.
• Kingston Literacy & Skills
• Kitimat Community Services Society
• La Cité des Rocheuses
• Lakehead University
• Launch Academy
• Le Cercle des Canadiens Français de Prince George
• Learn English Nova Scotia Testing and Counselling Centre
• Links for Greener Learning
• Local Immigration Partnership - Lanark & Renfrew
• London Cross Cultural Learner Centre
• London Economic Development Corporation
• London Newcomer Strategy Advisory Board
• Making Changes Employment Association of Alberta
• Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO)
• Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology
• Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. - Welcome Place
• Manitoba Start – Employment Solutions for Immigrants Inc.
• Manitoba Tourism Education Council
• Medicine Hat College
• Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Mennonite Community Services of Southern Ontario
• Metropolis
• Miramichi Regional Multicultural Association
• MNP LLP
• Moyo Health & Community Services
• Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area
• Multicultural Centre of the Yukon
• National Cattle Feeders' Association (NCFA)
• Neepawa and Area Immigrant Settlement Services Inc.
• New Circles Community Services
• Newcomer Kitchen
• NorQuest College
• Northern Policy Institute
• Nova Scotia Boat Building Association
• Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI)
• Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council
• Nova Scotia Road Builders Association
• Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA)
• Ontario Truck Training Academy
• Ottawa Catholic School Board
• Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
• Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
• Ottawa Community Loan Fund
• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Punjabi Community Health Services
• Peel Career Assessment Services Inc.
• Peel Multicultural Council
• PEERS Alliance
• Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services
• Portage Learning and Literacy Centre
• Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS)
• Project Abraham
• Provincial Health Services Authority
• Public Legal Information Association of NL
• Pembina Valley LIP (PVLIP)
• Quinte United Immigrant Services
• RDÉE Canada - Reseau de developpement economique et d'employabilite
• Reception House Waterloo Region
• Red River College
• Redeemer University
• Regional Municipality of York (LIP)
• RIF Manitoba - Reseau en Immigration Francophone du Manitoba
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
• Saint John Local Immigration Partnership
• Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre
• SDECB - Societe de developpement economique de la Colombie-britannique
• SEED Winnnipeg Inc.
• Seneca College
• ShamRose for Syrian Culture
• Shannex
• Shannex Inc.
• Saskatoon Immigration & Employment Consulting Services Inc. (SIECSI)
• Siemens Software
• SNOLAB
• Social Enterprise for canada
• Société Nationale de l'Acadie
• South Island Prosperity Partnership
• Spark Centre
• St. Lawrence - Rideau Immigration Partnership
• SUCCESS
• Sunterra Farms Ltd.
• Supply Chain Canada
• Sutco Contracting Ltd
• SXNM SuccessionMatching Ltd
• Syria-Antigonish Families Embrace (SAFE) Society
• The City of Brantford
• The Neighbourhood Group Community Services
• The Wickaninnish Inn
• Thunder Bay Multicultural Association
• Timmins Economic Development Corporation
• The Neighbourhood Organization (TNO) - Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office
• Toronto Catholic District School Board
• Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council
• Toronto South Local Immigration Partnership
• University of Alberta
• UHC Hub of Opportunities – Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor Inc.
• Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick
• University of Manitoba
• University of Ottawa
• University of Prince Edward Island
• University of Regina
• University of Winnipeg
• Vietnamese Association, Toronto
• Welcome Centre Immigrant Services
• Wesley Urban Ministry
• Winkler & District Chamber of Commerce
• WoodGreen Community Services
• Workers' Resource Centre – Calgary Workers’ Resource Centre
• World Education Services (WES)
• World Skills
• World Skills Employment Centre
• Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Niagara
• Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Southwestern Ontario
• Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Owen Sound Grey Bruce
• Young Men’s Christian Association - Young Women’s Christian Association (YMCA-YWCA) of Winnipeg
• YWCA Settlement Services – YWCA Prince Albert Inc.
• Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Toronto