2020 could be a big year for PNP and regional programs of Canada

Millions of newcomers will arrive in Canada in 2020 through several immigration pathways. Numerous policy changes are expected, which may significantly impact immigration.

Here are some notable developments that we can expect in 2020.

2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan to be announced by March

Marco Mendicino, the new Immigration Minister of Canada, should be able to present the 2019 Annual Immigration Report by March. The report which should have been released by November was delayed due to the Canadian elections in October. It is a significant report since it provides a look into the immigration priorities of Canada.

The Canadian Govt. has announced the immigration intake target for 2020 at 341,000 and  2021 at 350,000. A slight increase in the 2022 target is expected, which could be somewhere around 360,000.

Parents and Grandparents Program changes to be announced by April

The intake process plans for the PGP Program may be announced latest by April this year. Canada plans to welcome 21,000 immigrants through the PGP Program. However, the intake process has always been a challenge for Canada as the number of available places is much lesser than the demand. Canada will most likely introduce a new intake process by April.

Ottawa committed to regionalization

Canada aims to welcome 67,800 immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Programs under the 2019-2021 Immigration Levels Plan.

Canadian provinces and territories plan to bring in more immigrants through the PNPs, but they are also trying to distribute the incoming population away from the major cities. 80% of all newcomers in Canada tend to settle in the major cities. To counter this, many provinces in Canada have introduced regional PNP categories. For example, Ontario has recently chosen three communities to participate in the Rural Immigration Pilot.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot, launched in 2017, has brought in more than 4,000 newcomers. The AIP may soon become a permanent program in Canada.

Canada has also launched the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot in 2019. Eleven communities in Canada would be participating in the pilot.

Will Canada waive off the citizenship fee in 2020?

The current citizenship fee is CAD 630 per person, which is quite high for low-income families. It is not yet clear if Canada will waive off the citizenship fee. However, a decline in the citizenship update rate is expected as many families may choose to wait for this policy to be implemented. If it does come into effect, it is expected that the citizenship rate may increase by 40% by 2024.

Y-Axis offers a wide range of Visa and Immigration products as well as services for aspiring overseas students including Study Visa for Canada, Work Visa for Canada, Canada Evaluation, Visit Visa for   Canada and Business Visa for Canada. We work with Regulated Immigration Consultants in Canada.

If you are looking to Study, Work in Canada, Visit, Invest 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…

How did the Express Entry Program of Canada perform in 2019?