Is it easy to migrate to Canada in 2022?

Canada needs immigrants. 401,000 in 2021. Another 411,000 are to be welcomed by Canada in 2022 as permanent residents. With 411,000 newcomers projected to be welcomed in 2022 alone, it is indeed easy to migrate to Canada in 2022. Dealing with an aging workforce on one hand and a low birth rate on the other, Canada looks upon immigration as holding the solution to fixing the gap in the Canadian labour force. The importance that Canada lays upon immigration can probably best be gauged from the fact that despite COVID-19, Canada continued with holding both federal as well as provincial draws. The main difference between a permanent resident and a citizen is that a permanent resident of a country is the citizen of another country. Generally, while a PR of a country might be able to live, work and study anywhere in the country, a permanent resident usually cannot cast their vote in that country.

Canadian permanent residence
What permanent residents can do	What permanent residents can’t do
·         Avail most of the social benefits, including health care coverage, that the citizens of Canada are entitled to	·         Vote or run for political office
·         Live, work or study anywhere throughout Canada	·         Hold certain jobs that require a higher security clearance.
·         Protected under the Candian law	-
·         Apply for Canadian citizenship	-

  An individual might apply for the citizenship of the country after having spent a stipulated time period living as a permanent resident in that country. A permanent resident of Canada becomes eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship if they had been physically present within Canada for a minimum of 1,095 days during the previous 5 years before applying. Provided, however, that they fulfill all other conditions for the same. With a streamlined immigration system and among the most-accepting countries for a migrant, Canada is the leading country for migrate overseas. Canada also finds its place among the Top 3 countries for immigration post COVID-19. As per a Report, 92% of newcomers in Canada agreed that their community was welcoming. Initially, on March 12, 2020, Canada had announced their immigration targets for 2019-2022. For 2022, the federal government of Canada had laid down for itself a target of 390,000 newcomers. Nevertheless, March 18, 2020 changed all that. With the imposition of international travel restrictions and service disruptions and limitations worldwide, Canada registered a shortfall in the number of newcomers finding their way into the country. Consequently, this shortfall was addressed and adjusted by the federal government of Canada in the 2021-2023 immigration targets announced ater.

2021-2023 CANADA IMMIGRATION LEVELS PLAN
	Immigrant Category	Target for 2021	Target for 2022	Target for 2023
Overall planned permanent resident admissions		401,000	411,000	421,000
Economic	Federal High Skilled [includes the FSWP, FSTP, CEC]	108,500	110,500	113,750
	Federal Business [Start-up Visa Program and the Self-employed Persons Program]	1,000	1,000	1,000
	AFP, RNIP, caregivers	8,500	10,000	10,250
	AIP	6,000	6,250	6,500
	PNP	80,800	81,500	83,000
	Quebec Skilled Workers and Business	Between 26,500 to 31,200 CSQs to be issued	To be determined	To be determined
Total Economic		232,500	241,500	249,500
Family	Spouses, Partners and Children	80,000	80,000	81,000
	Parents and Grandparents	23,500	23,500	23,500
Total family		103,500	103,500	104,500
Total Refugees and Protected Persons		59,500	60,500	61,000
Total Humanitarian and Other		5,500	5,500	6,000

  Note. – FSWP: Federal Skilled Worker Program, FSTP: Federal Skilled Trades Program, CEC: Canadian Experience Class, AFP: Agri-Food Pilot, RNIP: Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, AIP: Atlantic Immigration Pilot, CSQ: Certificat de sélection du Québec. The federal Express Entry system – managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC] – has a standard processing time of within 6 months, from the date of the submission of the application for permanent residence. Generally, 67-points will have to be scored on the Canada eligibility calculation to be eligible for the Express Entry system of IRCC. How to acquire permanent residence in Canada? IRCC facilitates the entry of permanent residents into Canada in a way that maximizes their contribution [economic, cultural, and social] to Canada. Permanent residence in Canada can be gained through any of the programs available, as per the specific eligibility of the individual. Among the most sought-after Canada economic immigration pathways are –

Economic Immigration

·         Agri-Food Immigration Pilot [AFP]

·         Atlantic Immigration Pilot [AIP]

·         Express Entry

·         Nomination through Canadian PNP

·         Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot [RNIP]

·         Quebec skilled workers

·         TR to PR pathways

·         Investors

·         Entrepreneurs

·         Start-up business

  IRCC Express Entry manages 3 of the main economic immigration programs of the federal government of Canada. These are – the Federal Skilled Worker Program [FSWP]. The Federal Skilled Trades Program [FSTP], and the Canadian Experience Class [CEC]. Here, by Canadian PNP is implied the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP] of Canada. Almost 80 immigration pathways or ‘streams’ come under Canadian PNP, many of these are linked with IRCC Express Entry system. A PNP nomination – through any of the IRCC Express Entry linked streams – guarantees an invitation to apply by IRCC. An individual cannot apply for permanent residence in Canada via IRCC Express Entry unless invited to do so. Federal draws are held by IRCC from time to time. Unlike the draw schedule of Prince Edward Island, there is no pre-determined draw schedule for IRCC draws. Non-economic immigration pathways for Canada include family-related classes – such as those gaining Canada PR through the Parents and Grandparents Program [PGP] – for which applicants are selected based on family reunification etc. If you are looking to Work, Study, Invest, Visit, or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company. If you found this blog engaging, you may also like … Canada’s tech sector holds the key to economic recovery