Canada: Sean Fraser is the new Immigration Minister

Nova Scotia’s Sean Fraser becomes the new immigration minister of Canada. Mendicino is to be the new Minister of Public Safety. On October 26, 2021, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced the members of cabinet following this fall’s elections.

As per the official announcement, the newly-elected “diverse team will continue to find real solutions to the challenges that Canadians face, and deliver on a progressive agenda, as we finish the fight against COVID-19 and build a better future for everyone”.

  Sean Fraser becomes Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. The previous Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino, has been made the Minister of Public Safety. Mendicino had held the role since 2019.

The new Canadian Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and 38 ministers. There are an equal number of men and women in the Cabinet, in keeping with the precedent set in 2015.

  A 37-year old former lawyer from Nova Scotia, Sean Fraser has served as a Member of Parliament. Elected to the Parliament in 2015, Fraser was later re-elected in 2019 and 2021. Prior to entering politics, Fraser practised commercial litigation and international dispute resolution. Fraser holds a law degree from Dalhousie University, a Master’s degree in Public International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University. With the cabinet set, the Canadian Parliament is to reconvene on November 22, 2021. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RELATED Canada Skilled Immigration Points Calculator – Check your eligibility instantly! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to meet its top priorities, as laid down in an October 21 meeting with associations representing Canadian immigration lawyers and consultants. For the short run, the Top 3 priorities for IRCC remain –

• Achieving the 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021 target,
• Focusing on family reunification, and
• The re-settlement of Afghan refugees.

Immigration candidates will continue to be invited through Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and Quebec’s immigration programs. The processing of applications will also continue. With 110,377 Express Entry invitations to apply by IRCC so far in 2021, Canada looks all set to meet its immigration target for the year. By the same time in 2020, a total of 82,850 ITAs had been issued by IRCC. The Express Entry target for 2021 is that of 108,500 inductions.

As per an October 23, 2021 by Marco Mendicino, “With a little more than two months to go, Canada is comfortably on track to meet its goal of welcoming 401,000 new permanent residents this year, despite closed borders. That Canada is on the cusp of achieving such a goal in such times is remarkable.”

  Based on recent precedent, Canada’s new Immigration Planning Levels are expected to be unveiled by March 2022. Usually the Plan is released by November 1 each year, except in the case of elections being held. 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 … What is my NOC Code for Canada?