Immigration Levels Plan 2022 to 2024 revealed

by Michael Scott

The new Immigration Levels Plan 2022 to 2024 was announced in mid-February, and we can look forward to an increase in new immigrant landings. The department is planning on landing 432,000 new immigrants in the present year instead of its initial plan to land 411,000. The actual numbers set for the next three years are set forth below. The announcement of the levels plan is mandated by the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA) and was due in November 2021 but was delayed by the federal election held in September. The plan guides the actions of the immigration department and shows the population the direction the country will follow for the next three operational years, 2022 to 2024.

In 2022 IRCC will land 431,645 permanent residents, followed by 447,055 in 2023 and 451,000 in 2024. Minister Fraser was quick to explain, “This levels plan is a balance of needs for our country and our international obligations. It focuses on attracting skilled workers who will contribute to Canada’s economy and tackle the labour shortage, while recognizing the importance of family reunifications, and helping the world’s most vulnerable populations through refugee resettlement. Our focus remains on supporting economic, labour, and demographic challenges. I’m proud of what Canada has achieved thus far, and I want to see how newcomers will continue to make Canada a top destination of choice.”

The target numbers for 2022 by IRCC will be comprised of 56 per cent under economic classes including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee programs, and the Temporary to Permanent Residence (TR2PR) available since 2021. IRCC is looking to PNP for 85,000 of the expected landings in the year and to return Express Entry to normal admission levels by 2024 when it is expected that 115,000 of that year’s arrival will come through Express Entry.

Family class arrivals for 2022 are expected to comprise 24 per cent of total arrivals, with 80,000 expected to land under spouse, partner and children sponsorships, and 25,000 under parent and grandparent sponsorships. IRCC has increased PGP targets up slightly by 1,500 additional spots.

The remaining 20 per cent for 2022 will arrive under refugee and humanitarian programs. This represents an increase of roughly five per cent and we should note that the levels plan was announced before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resultant refugee crisis as families are fleeing the country ahead of the advancing Russian army. Things are getting worse in the world, and we are only at the end of the second month of 2022.

Arrivals under Canada’s immigration levels plan

The numbers in the chart show the priority given to the country’s economic wellbeing and fiscal standing. It is important for Canada to recover from the COVID pandemic and continue to be a welcoming destination for newcomers. The country needs immigration of all categories to maintain our place as one of the choice destinations for immigrants in the world, those making a conscious choice, and those forced to relocate in the face of political upheavals and war.

The Immigration Levels Plan 2022 is a clear indication of the direction of our current government over the next three years and now we shall wait and see how Minister Fraser and his department respond to the processing challenges of lessening the backlog of 1.8 million applications and achieving the ambitious plan of landing over 1,329,700 newcomers in the next three years. The plan is ambitious and forward looking and, yes, we need these newcomers to maintain our quality of life inside the country and as preferred destination for resettlement.

Michael Scott is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC, R525678) who has 30 years of experience with Immigration Canada and the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. He currently works as a licensed consultant with Immigration Connexion International Ltd. Contact him at 204-691-1166 or 204-227-0292. E-mail: mscott.ici@gmail.com.

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