Immigration Levels Plan 2020 – 2022
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: SPPB/IRCC
Proposed Response:
- The Government of Canada is committed to an immigration system that strengthens economic growth and supports diversity by helping build vibrant, dynamic and inclusive communities, while also maintaining border security to protect the safety and security of Canadians.
- The 2020-2022 Multi-Year Levels Plan was recently tabled in Parliament on March 12, 2020. It was developed to welcome 341,000 permanent residents in 2020; 351,000 in 2021; and 361,000 in 2022.
- IRCC is monitoring closely the situation and assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on current plans to process permanent residents in a timely manner to support levels objectives as per 2020-2022 Multi-Year Levels Plan. We are working to put in place plans and contingencies so we are ready to resume processing at the appropriate time.
- While the current situation yields much short-term uncertainty, over the long term Canada will continue to grow immigration to bring real benefits to Canadians by addressing demographic pressures and helping to drive economic growth and innovation.
- The next levels plan will be tabled by November 1, 2020, and any necessary adjustments to the current plan can be made at that time.
Background:
Mandate Commitment:
Delivering the 2020-2022 immigration levels plan is a part of Minister Mendicino’s mandate commitment to “Ensure the effective implementation of Canada’s increased annual Immigration Levels Plan for 2020-2022, attracting more than a million new permanent residents to Canada over that time. This continues our modest and responsible increases to immigration, with a focus on welcoming highly skilled people who can help build a stronger Canada.”
Levels planning:
The immigration levels plan is a statutory requirement. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires that a projection of permanent resident admissions for the coming year be tabled in Parliament by November 1 of the preceding year, or if the House is not in session, within 30 sitting days once the House resumes. The next levels plan (2021-2023) will be tabled in fall 2020, following a Cabinet presentation.
By setting targets and planning ranges for each of the immigration categories, the Government of Canada establishes priorities among economic, social, and refugee objectives. Levels planning then enables the Department and its partners to allocate processing, security, and settlement resources accordingly.
Multi-year planning:
In fall 2017, Canada introduced its first multi-year immigration levels plan in over a decade. The current plan adds an additional year (2022), maintaining the three-year planning horizon set out in last year’s plan. Prior to the 2018-2020 Immigration Levels Plan, the most recent multi-year plan was in 2001-2002. Three- and five-year plans were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s.
A multi-year approach provides the means to set out a longer-term vision and make the decisions and investments needed to achieve it. It supports better planning by securing approvals and investments earlier, providing time for the Department and partners to increase capacity and to prepare to manage higher volumes of applications.
The levels plan is a statement of public policy and is a key tool to communicate the Government’s immigration priorities to partners (including provinces and territories), stakeholders, and the public.
Canada is recognized internationally (e.g., Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) for its approach to managed migration, including specifically its use of immigration levels plans for setting transparent priorities and targets. Canada is among very few countries, like Australia and New Zealand, which have also adopted this approach.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Nikki Carty, Senior Policy Analyst, 343.551.4744
Approved by: Natasha Kim, AADM SPP, 613.437.9683
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal High Skilled | 81,400 | 91,800 | 91,150 | 91,550 |
| Range | (76,000 – 86,000) | (88,500 - 100,000) | (89,300 - 100,000) | (88,800 – 100,600) |
| Federal Business | 700 | 750 | 750 | 750 |
| Range | (500 - 1,500) | (500 - 1,400) | (500 - 1,500) | (500 - 1,500) |
| Economic Pilots: Caregivers; Agri-Food; Rural and Northern | 16,000 | 5,200 | 7,150 | 9,500 |
| Range | (9,000 – 20,500) | (4,100 – 6,500) | (5,100 – 9,200) | (6,300 – 11,300) |
| Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program | 2,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Range | (1,000 - 5,000) | (3,000 - 5,500) | (3,500 - 6,000) | (4,000 - 6,500) |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 61,000 | 67,800 | 71,300 | 73,000 |
| Range | (57,000 – 68,000) | (65,500 - 74,000) | (67,200 – 74,800) | (70,000 - 76,000) |
| Quebec Skilled Workers and Business (outer years are notional) | 22,700 | 25,250 | TBD | TBD |
| Range | (21,100 – 23,500) | (24,900 - 25,600) | ||
| Total Economic | 191,600 | 195,800 | 203,050 | 212,050 |
| Range | (174,000 – 209,500) | (186,500 – 213,000) | (192,500 - 220,000) | (201,000 - 229,000) |
| Proportion of total admissions | 57.9% | 57.4% | 57.8% | 58.7% |
| Spouses, Partners, and Children | 68,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 |
| Range | (66,000 - 76,000) | (65,500 - 72,000) | (68,000 - 74,000) | (68,000 - 74,000) |
| Parents and Grandparents | 20,500 | 21,000 | 21,000 | 21,000 |
| Range | (17,000 - 22,000) | (19,000 - 24,000) | (19,000 - 24,000) | (19,000 - 24,000) |
| Total Family | 88,500 | 91,000 | 91,000 | 91,000 |
| Range | (83,000 - 98,000) | (84,500 - 96,000) | (87,000 - 98,000) | (87,000 - 98,000) |
| Proportion of total admissions | 26.8% | 26.7% | 25.9% | 25.2% |
| Protected Persons in Canada and Dependants Abroad | 16,500 | 18,000 | 20,000 | 20,500 |
| Range | (14,000 - 20,000) | (17,500 - 23,000) | (18,500 – 23,500) | (19,500 – 24,000) |
| Resettled Refugees | 29,950 | 31,700 | 31,950 | 32,450 |
| Range | (25,500 – 33,500) | (27,500 - 33,000) | (27,500 – 33,000) | (28,000 – 33,000) |
| Government Assisted | 9,300 | 10,700 | 10,950 | 11,450 |
| Range | (7,500 – 9,500) | (10,500 – 11,500) | (10,500 - 11,500) | (11,000 - 12,000) |
| Blended Visa Office Referred | 1,650 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Range | (1,000 - 3,000) | (300 – 1,000) | (300 – 1,000) | (300 – 1,000) |
| Privately Sponsored | 19,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Range | (17,000 - 21,000) | (16,700 – 20,500) | (16,700 – 20,500) | (16,700 – 20,500) |
| Total Refugees and Protected Persons | 46,450 | 49,700 | 51,950 | 52,950 |
| Range | (39,500 – 53,500) | (45,000 – 56,000) | (46,000 - 56,500) | (47,500 - 57,500) |
| Proportion of total admissions | 14.0% | 14.6% | 14.8% | 14.7% |
| Total Humanitarian and Other | 4,250 | 4,500 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Range | (3,500 – 5,000) | (4,000 - 5,000) | (4,500 - 5,500) | (4,500 - 5,500) |
| Proportion of total admissions | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Overall Admissions | 330,800 | 341,000 | 351,000 | 361,000 |
| Range | (310,000 - 350,000) | (320,000 - 370,000) | (330,000 - 380,000) | (340,000 - 390,000) |
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