Canada announced a 10% increase in immigration levels for 2017

Between 2011 to 2015 the Canadian immigration average was 260,000 immigrants per year.

Then, in 2016 this number jumped to 300,000, largely as a consecutive of the government special action on Syrian refugees.

On October 31, 2016, Mr. John McCallum (Minister of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship) outlined the government’s targets for 2017. Canada will receive 300,000 immigrants in 2017 which is the same level in 2016, but about 10% increase from the previous years. The government will take this number of 300,000 as permanent level for the following years and it will become the foundation of futur growth in immigration.

However, this number falls far from the previous expectations to increase the level to 450,000 immigrants per year.

What will change in fact is the relative weight of different categories of immigrants, with more emphasis on economic immigrants which will have the priority. There will be also an increase in family classes, and a reduction in refugees number.

Here is a table of immigration levels for 2016 and 2017 (source CIC):

Finally, the question of integration of immigrants is a very important issue said the Minister and that Canada has the capacity to integrate them. However, this issue falls within the provinces jurisdiction. 

Mouna Haddad

Regulared Canadian Immigration Consultant

Bureauinternational.ca@gmail.com