Thread: Highest immigration numbers to Canada in 50 years

Preliminary figures released this week show that Canada welcomed the highest number of legal immigrants in 50 years

According to the data, last year Canada admitted 280,636 permanent residents, about six percent more than the government’s planned range of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for 2010. This was in line with Minister Kenney’s announcement in June of last year that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would adjust its 2010 immigration plan to meet the need for economic immigration. The 280,636 number is about 60,000 higher than the average annual intake of permanent residents the Government of Canada admitted in the 1990s.

“It’s important to understand that the ranges are for planning purposes only. The key number is how many immigrants Canada actually admits. For 2010, that number is 280,636, with the growth coming mostly from skilled economic immigrants,” said Parliamentary Secretary Wong.

“While other Western countries cut back on immigration during the recession, our government kept legal immigration levels high. Canada’s post-recession economy demands a high level of economic immigration to keep our economy strong,” said Minister Kenney. "In 2010, we welcomed the highest number of permanent residents in the past 50 years to support Canada’s economic recovery while taking action to maintain the integrity of Canada’s immigration system with the introduction of the Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act.”

The high number of economic immigrants in 2010 has helped Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) decrease application backlogs in the federal skilled worker category, reduce wait times under the Action Plan for Faster Immigration, and better meet labour market needs. Before the Action Plan for Faster Immigration, which Minister Kenney announced within one month of becoming Immigration Minister in November 2008, Canada was obliged to process every immigration application it received, even if it meant creating large application backlogs in popular immigration categories. For example, in 2008 Canada had a backlog of over 640,000 people in the federal skilled worker category waiting as long as six years to be processed.

“Last year, the backlog of people who applied before the Action Plan was drawn down to 335,000 applicants, which represents close to half the number of people who were awaiting a decision in 2008,” said Minister Kenney. “I’m very pleased that a higher number of admissions in 2010 means that more people are now out of the lineup and well on their way to beginning a new life in Canada.”

A recent evaluation confirmed that immigrants selected under the federal skilled worker program are faring well in Canada and filling gaps in the work force. It found that skilled workers who already had a job offer when they applied for permanent residence fared best of all, earning on average $79,200 three years after arriving in Canada. About two thirds of those admitted in 2010 in the permanent resident category were economic immigrants and their dependants.

It doesnt suprise me, it is a great country, had some fantastic trips there.