Canada is preparing for a substantial increase of people around the world applying for immigration to the country during the second half of 2021 and extending at least through 2022.

There has been an upward trend in the number of immigrants moving to Canada each year, rising from 271,847 in 2015 to 341,180 during 2019. 

This increase in Canadian immigration is partly due to the attractiveness of Canada as a good place for immigrants to live and work abroad, but also a result of policies enacted by the government to attract more foreign workers to help fill thousands of Canadian job openings. 

Canada is also a compassionate country that opens its doors to help more refugees than any other country on Earth, including tens of thousands of refugees who fled the conflict in Syria.

The travel restrictions imposed in 2020 by governments around the world to combat the spread of Covid-19 had a major impact on international immigration and Canada was no exception, with only 184,370 new immigrants admitted to the country last year.  

Nonetheless, according to Canadian Visa Expert’s team, skilled immigrants are needed to help replace millions of Canadian workers who will retire this decade, as well as to fill new jobs in Canada that will be created by its growing economy.

The Positive Forecast

The Conference Board of Canada forecasts strong 5.8% GDP growth for the Canadian economy during 2021 (the highest rate in 14 years) and a healthy 4% GDP increase for 2022.

It is predicted that Canadian consumers, who saw their wealth increase by an average of 12 percent in 2020, will drive Canada’s economic expansion over the next two years with pent up demand and strong spending.  

“The key to opening up both the Canadian economy and the country’s borders is the success of Canada’s vaccination program,” noted a researcher at Canadian Visa Expert. “We’re forecasting a spike in Canadian immigration starting during the latter half of 2021, once enough people living in Canada have been vaccinated against the coronavirus to allow the economy to really take off and the borders to re-open,” he stated. 

On April 10, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared in a speech at the national convention of the Liberal Party that, “every Canadian who wants to will be fully vaccinated by the end of the summer.”

“The immigration level set by the Canadian government for this year is a record 401,000 new permanent residents and there is strong worldwide interest by foreign workers to relocate to Canada, so we’re anticipating a very busy third and fourth quarter,” explained Kristen R. Carr, Canadian Visa Expert’s public relations manager. “In fact, many people are already contacting us to get a head start on the process that generally takes about 8-12 months,” Carr said.

Most people who immigrate to Canada (about 60 percent) are skilled foreign workers and their family members, with the majority applying for permanent residency through the Express Entry Canadian immigration system.

“Over the years, the majority of our clients who have been granted permanent residency in Canada have been approved for the points-based Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) through the Express Entry system,” added Carr from Canadian Visa Expert. 

Canada was ranked the best country overall and the #1 place to live for quality of life in a worldwide poll of more than 17,000 people published by US News & World Report in April 2021. The country’s welcoming attitude toward newcomers and many opportunities available to immigrants help to make Canada a popular destination for expat workers and their families.