Every year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) engages with a broad range of stakeholders from across the country to help us shape a national vision for immigration. From May to September 2022, IRCC conducted a multifaceted outreach and consultation initiative to inform its 2023 Immigration Levels Plan. Themes included the balance among different categories and programs, how immigration can be better positioned to support Canada’s economic recovery and future growth, the vitality of communities in all parts of the country, Francophone immigration, and Canada’s response to humanitarian crises.
As part of engagement activities, an online consultation survey was conducted with stakeholders in May 2022. These stakeholders were then invited to join the conversation on “Let’s Talk Immigration,” an online engagement platform that allowed them to share their thoughts and comments about immigration with participants from coast to coast to coast. These activities were supplemented by regional virtual town hall conversations hosted by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and by Parliamentary Secretary Marie-France Lalonde, from August to September 2022. Additionally, IRCC engaged with provinces and territories about immigration levels planning as well as regional programs.
This annual consultation, which involves federal, provincial and territorial levels of governments as well as other key stakeholders (business representatives, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, multicultural or ethno-cultural associations, municipalities and regional administrations, settlement or resettlement organizations, etc.), is a requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and guided by a jointly developed (federal-provincial/territorial) consultation framework. Immigration levels planning also takes into account public opinion research, labour market information, and immigrant outcomes Footnote 1 .
The findings summarized in this report reflect the views of only those who participated in the consultations. Results should not be projected as representative of the entire Canadian population, or of all IRCC stakeholders. Furthermore, percentages have been rounded to whole numbers, and as a result, totals may not add up to 100.
The IRPA requires the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to table a projection of permanent resident admissions (the Levels Plan) in Parliament every year. The Immigration Levels Plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs.
A number of considerations are taken into account when developing the immigration levels plan, including:
The Immigration Levels Plan is designed to deliver long-term benefits to Canada, support economic growth and address labour market needs, and ensure a well-managed system that maintains public confidence.
From May 20 to June 27, 2022, a total of 2867 stakeholder organizations were invited by email to read background information and participate in an online survey (see Annex A). The surveys were conducted in the respondents’ official language of choice. Respondents had the opportunity to provide answers to questions on immigration levels and other themes related to immigration. IRCC received a total of 448 completed surveys. Responses were received from a wide range of organizations, including input from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), settlement/resettlement organizations, educational institutions, economic development organizations, industry/sector councils, regional or municipal government and academia. See Annex C for the list of all participating stakeholders to this year’s consultations on immigration levels.
| Province/Territory | Response % |
|---|---|
| National organization Footnote 2 | 10.3% |
| Alberta | 10.3% |
| Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador) | 14.3% |
| British Columbia | 20.3% |
| Manitoba | 6.9% |
| Ontario | 32.6% |
| Saskatchewan | 8% |
| Northern Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut) | 2.2% |
| Primary focus of stakeholder organization Footnote 3 | Response % |
|---|---|
| Academia, research foundation/institution or think tank | 6.7% |
| Business | 10.0% |
| Chamber of commerce or board of trade | 2.9% |
| Economic development organizations | 7.8% |
| Educational institution or school board | 14.1% |
| Employment services | 6.7% |
| Faith-based organization | 1.6% |
| First Nations/Inuit/Métis organization | 0.0% |
| Francophone or official language minority community | 7.4% |
| Government – Federal | 0.2% |
| Government – Municipal or regional administration | 4.5% |
| Government – Provincial or territorial | 1.8% |
| Government – Arm’s-length agency/Crown corporation | 1.1% |
| Healthcare organization or other care service | 4.0% |
| Immigration consultant or lawyer | 2.9% |
| Industry or sector council | 4.2% |
| 2SLGBTQI+ organization | 0.4% |
| Member of a Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) or Réseau en immigration francophone (RIF) | 5.1% |
| Multicultural or ethno-cultural association | 1.8% |
| Non-profit organization/Non-governmental organization | 35.0% |
| Settlement or resettlement organization | 20.3% |
| Other | 5.1% |
| Does not represent an organization | 0.4% |
Purpose of immigration
When asked to rank the most important reasons for Canada to have a robust immigration system from 1 to 3 (with 1 being the most important), stakeholder organizations across the country see helping address economic and labour force needs and bringing new skills as the most important reason. Supporting Canada’s economic recovery and humanitarian commitments were also seen as important reasons.
Immigration levels and mix
When asked about the current notional target of 447,055 newcomers for 2023, 45% of respondents indicated that it was “too few” immigrants, and 42% felt the number was “about right.”
A slightly larger proportion of participating stakeholders in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador indicated that the current notional target for 2023 included “too few” immigrants (50% or more).
When asked about the current level of immigrants per class, stakeholders were split between considering Canada’s current immigration targets as “about right” or including “too few” immigrants (around four in ten for each), with no higher than 8% saying they felt the current levels would be “too many” immigrants for any individual class. Around one in ten indicated that they “did not know” how they felt about the target. Stakeholders were slightly more likely to say there were “too few” economic class immigrants than considering the number “about right.”
Question: Canada’s current Immigration Levels Plan sets notional targets for new permanent residents in each immigration class for 2023 per the following table. For each of the following immigration classes and the overall total, do you feel that this would be too many, too few or about the right number of new permanent residents?
| Response % | |
|---|---|
| Overall total (447,055) | |
| Too many | 4% |
| Too few | 45% |
| About right | 42% |
| Don’t know | 9% |
| Economic (253,000) | |
| Too many | 4% |
| Too few | 45% |
| About right | 43% |
| Don’t know | 8% |
| Family (109,500) | |
| Too many | 4% |
| Too few | 42% |
| About right | 41% |
| Don’t know | 13% |
| Refugees, protected persons, and humanitarian (84,555) | |
| Too many | 8% |
| Too few | 40% |
| About right | 40% |
| Don’t know | 12% |
When asked about immigration levels beyond 2024, the majority of respondents (55%) said they would like to see levels increase, whereas close to a third of participants (30%) indicated levels should stabilize at 451,000 immigrants per year.
If immigration levels were to increase, 62% of respondents indicated that economic immigration should be prioritized over the family class and the refugee and protected persons class.
Question: If immigration levels were to increase, in which immigration class would you prioritize growth?
| Response % | |
|---|---|
| Economic | 62% |
| Family | 15% |
| Refugees and protected persons | 21% |
| Don’t know | 2% |
However, if immigration levels were to decrease, over half of respondents (54%) did not know which of the classes should be reduced.
Question: If immigration levels were to decrease, in which immigration class would you recommend a decrease?
| Response % | |
|---|---|
| Economic | 18% |
| Family | 10% |
| Refugees and protected persons | 18% |
| Don’t know | 54% |
In July 2022, IRCC invited all stakeholders to continue the conversation on immigration levels through an online engagement platform called “Let’s Talk immigration.” This shared space allowed stakeholders to share their thoughts and comments with other participants from all sectors, including business representatives, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, multicultural or ethno-cultural associations, municipalities and regional administrations, and settlement or resettlement organizations, among others.
“Let’s Talk Immigration” included background material to inform stakeholder participation in the 2022 annual consultations on immigration levels, including additional information on five key themes related to immigration, based on previous results from the online consultation survey. The five themes were:
For each theme, new topics and discussion questions were posted periodically, encouraging stakeholders to check in multiple times over the course of the consultation process. Additional content, including a summary of findings from the town hall conversations, as well as questions submitted by stakeholders and answers developed by IRCC, was also posted online.
From July to September 2022, “Let’s Talk Immigration” received a total of 791 visits. Stakeholders provided insights on the realities and challenges faced by their communities, and shared suggestions for improvement of Canada’s current immigration programs. Some of the comments posted by participants are shared below as examples, edited for length and clarity.
“The Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA) represents the approximately 6,000 companies Canada-wide that engage in machining and tooling activities. Our industry’s cornerstone is our skilled workers. (…) This group has been recognized by the federal government as being in short supply and eligible for the Express Entry system. With approximately 2.5 million immigration applicants in the backlog, the current system needs to be streamlined as the current Express Entry system is ineffective in meeting the needs of our members. (…) The skill level required in our industry requires workforce stability. (…) We propose the following: [to] eliminate the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for [National Occupational Classification] categories where the federal government has recognized there is a shortage of labour; [to] further prioritize and reduce the processing time of temporary foreign workers; [to] ease the process for skilled temporary foreign workers to transition to permanent residency, [and to conduct] active advertising/recruitment by the federal and Ontario governments in key countries to attract candidates for prospective employers.”
Raymond Buxton,
Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA), Ontario
“Discussions around family reunification frequently focus on family sponsorship for permanent residence. But it is also an important issue for temporary streams. [For example], many international students experience separation when a spouse and/or children are denied work/study or visitor visas to join them. If the family is eventually successful in obtaining a temporary visa, it often comes after a long wait. (…) This exacerbates the problem of family separation.”
Natasha Clark, Arif Abu and Danai Bélanger,
Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador
“Our city has support organizations for newcomers, established communities from different cultures around the world, as well as jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. Mid-sized cities seem well-equipped to welcome newcomers, yet the focus outside major centres of Canada are rural areas. It is unfortunate that mid-sized cities are not included in pilot to encourage newcomers to settle outside cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. I would suggest creating a pilot for mid-sized cities!”
Nicole Bruce,
Venture Kamloops, British Columbia
“English language education is essential to the success of newcomers in entering the Canadian workforce. It is therefore imperative that we build strong supports for educators, to empower them to effectively teach employment readiness to their learners. Current labour market information suggests there is an immediate need for entry-level workers in such service industries as retail, hospitality, restaurant, healthcare, and manufacturing. Currently, immigrants and newcomers fill many of these entry-level positions and their workforce contributions are vital in helping to maintain Canada’s economy. (…) Specific training for ESL [English as a Second Language] teachers could enhance and improve newcomer success in employment, as well as ensure consistency in employment readiness information across Canada. TESL [Teachers of English as a Second language] Ontario proposes a two-fold strategy to address these needs and improve newcomer settlement and employment success rates: [developing] a targeted, micro-credential training program for ESL teachers that will increase their skills and ability to effectively teach Canadian workplace culture and communication, workplace legislation, and labour market orientation; [and developing] a Newcomer Employment Education video series that will provide teachers with 30-minute lessons and activities for students to view. The video series would be supplemented by lesson planning teaching resources, as well as activities for students. Such a video series would provide a much-needed flexible learning platform, as well as support their successful integration into the Canadian labour market. A coordinated strategy will demonstrate various pathways to skills appropriate for employment, assist newcomers with development of short- and long-term employment goals, provide key employment skills, and ultimately support and strengthen their successful employment integration into Canada’s workforce.”
Allison Keown,
TESL Ontario, Ontario
My observation is that individuals, organizations and other parties who approach rural immigration issues are predominantly based in the larger metropolis, and do not truly understand the rural community. Many ‘subject matter experts’ have most likely never lived in a rural community, and as such, approach this from an outsider, with perhaps biased, pre-assumed views. (…) If anyone has valuable experience and input into rural immigration, it is the rural communities who have been supporting immigrants, temporary foreign workers and other newcomers for decades. It is crucial to establish relationships and co-create ways to recruit and retain newcomers in rural communities. They must be visited; not just a flying visit, but for a significant period of time, to get around and speak to employers, community organizations, recent and established newcomers. They must be listened to, and their challenges truly understood.”
John Lafferty,
Lethbridge Family Services, Alberta
A total of six virtual regional town hall conversations were conducted with stakeholders from the following provinces and territories: the Atlantic region (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island), Ontario, Manitoba, Northern Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Alberta and Saskatchewan, as well as British Columbia. The town halls included stakeholders and representatives from each of the respective provinces and territories, except Quebec, where the Quebec government is solely responsible for immigration planning in its own jurisdiction.
The town halls took place virtually via Zoom from August 2, 2022 to September 1, 2022, with the first two hosted by Minister Fraser and the last four hosted by Parliamentary Secretary Lalonde. The town halls featured presentations on Canada’s labour market from Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist, and Iain Reeves, Associate Director of Immigration Research, both from the Conference Board of Canada. The town halls were 60 to 90 minutes in length, and simultaneous translation was available to encourage stakeholders to participate in either official language.
IRCC commissioned illustrations to summarize and visually represent the content of the discussion for each session. See below for an overview of what was discussed by stakeholders in each region across Canada.
The hand-drawn illustrations represent key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town halls to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A virtual town hall conversation in the Atlantic region on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island highlighted states that the “economy is recovering” and that “young people are moving here.”
A magnifying glass illustrates the need to focus on the retention of newcomers, bringing healthcare workers, and fostering a sense of community. In the case of healthcare workers, a small drawing shows someone driving a taxi, expressing the goal of giving nurses and doctors the opportunity to practice in their new home. The following elements are highlighted as key aspects of fostering a strong sense of community: schools, jobs, community involvement and family. For family, a dotted line leads to a question: “Can we expand the definition of ‘family’?” which itself leads to another question: “Can we support more people that fast?”
A computer and a map pin icon illustrate the fact that remote companies struggle to onboard newcomers without an address.
A graduate holds a work permit, with the words “extend permit for international students” appearing underneath. Above, two dotted arrows lead to two questions: “How do we determine who wants to stay?” and “How do we determine who wants to stay and study?”
Two buildings illustrate housing as the number one priority in terms of funding required to support newcomers. Arrows point down to a quote: “Finding housing is a better problem than schools and hospitals closing!”
A speech bubble reads, “labour markets are tight,” with dotted lines pointing in three different directions to express how these factors are contributing to the situation. A virus particle represents how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a halt to immigration; a construction worker and a nurse with an upward arrow illustrate how employment has recovered significantly; and a banner with the words “year of the retirement” points to the fact that a large number of “boomers” will be exiting the workforce in the next five years.
A small graph shows two clocks. The clock on the left is small, and includes the caption: “3 to 5 months” to indicate average processing times for permanent residency “then,” prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The clock on the right is big, and includes the caption: “30 months” to indicate that average processing times for permanent residency “now” are much longer than they used to be.
An arrow gradually points upward, highlighting the fact that international students and temporary workers are more likely to become residents (illustrated by a student graduation cap and a temporary worker carrying a suitcase), and that IRCC will be back to service standards in terms of wait times by the end of the year, with a 90% increase in processed cases compared to last year. This fact is illustrated by three pieces of paper with green checkmarks on them.
A virtual town hall conversation in Ontario on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with the province of Ontario highlighted states that there is a national labour shortage. A short blurb indicates that in the 1970s, there were seven workers for every retiree, whereas we could see only two workers for every retiree in the future if nothing is done to address the current situation. An arrow pointing upwards also expresses the need to increase the number of Francophone immigrants.
A plane includes a speech bubble that reads: “How can we fast-track healthcare workers?” A banner next to it suggests that funding is available for Express Entry, and a dotted line indicates that employer-led targeted draws by region would help, but there is the question of who to select for the most impact.
A graph with an arrow pointing upward shows that employment is on the rise, leading to growth. Downward-pointing arrows also express the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the supply of workers and immigration.
Two people are standing side-by-side, with a more senior employee telling the other one: “You’ll do great!” It is suggested that job mentorship and advice can prove beneficial to new Canadians.
A person sitting at a desk is shown with a laptop and words that read: “International remote workers?”
A calendar is shown alongside a quote that reads: “Applications should take days, not months.”
A computer sits on a desk, and several hands are extending application forms to illustrate the fact that many applications have been submitted for processing. It is indicated that standard wait times should be back to normal in the next few months.
A man with a suitcase stands in front of a dotted line with seven steps highlighted. Besides, it reads: “PR status: How can we support students in the first year, not in the seventh?”
Five people are sitting at a table with a sign that reads: “Happy retirement!” The illustration shows that many people will be retiring in the next five years.
A truck representing the Ontario trucking industry is moving towards a sign that blocks the road, with the word “regulations” written on it.
The word “applicants” points to a large stack of application forms, while the words “those we can process” point to a much smaller stack of application forms, indicating that there are more applicants than spaces available.
Two people stand on platforms, one higher than the other, in order to show that privately sponsored refugees tend to do better than government-assisted refugees in terms of socioeconomic outcomes after arriving in Canada – but both are important.
An arrow points to the fact that rural areas lack proper supports, which is illustrated by several houses spread apart on different hills.
A hand-drawn heart and house illustrate two main concerns: homelessness and mental health.
A quote reads: “We can make small communities a great place to live.”
A virtual town hall conversation in Manitoba on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with Manitoba highlighted states that the province has a “great history of immigration.” Above, a short blurb indicates that the highest proportion of people employed in the workforce are those who are in their early 60s. In 13 years, however, the highest proportion of workers will be those between the ages of 20 and 32.
A sign that reads “hiring” is attached to a speech bubble that includes the words “immigration is our most powerful tool,” followed by an upward arrow highlighting the need to increase immigration levels.
An international student is shown with a thought bubble that reads: “Work here while they study?” To their right, a person is washing dishes, along with the caption: “We need all the help we can get!” Underneath, it is suggested that extensions are available for international students with expiring permits.
A speech bubble suggests that language training is limited to certain workers, highlighting that distinction for refugees versus temporary workers.
An upward arrow indicates the need for increased intercultural competence, and a map is shown alongside the words: “How can we match specific journeys?”
An upward arrow indicates that the number of people employed in Manitoba has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, despite the fact that COVID-19 prevented newcomers from coming to Canada. A trophy indicates that Manitoba has the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Traffic lights express the notion that a status portal for applicants is coming.
A document illustrates foreign credential recognition, with a dotted line leading to a blurb that suggests the points system should reflect sectors that are in high demand. Below, agricultural workers are seen in a field, suggesting that paths to permanent residency for temporary workers are needed. A dotted line also highlights the importance of skilled workers and retaining immigrants.
The words “language” and “Canadian experience” are separated by dotted lines and the word “gap,” and the words “need to work together” emphasize the need to bridge this gap.
A stack of papers is shown next to the words: “Why so many applicants?” Two arrows provide further context, indicating that there are long wait times and that the number of people who are actually coming in is rather small.
A doctor wearing a mask next to a taxi stand represents the need to allow foreign doctors to practice. The words “international students are key and have immense value” appear alongside.
Various visual elements, including a dollar sign and a person, represent the need for further investment and increased availability of services for Francophone immigration. A short blurb also asks: “Can it be its own stream?”
A virtual town hall conversation in Northern Canada on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut highlighted includes a sign that emphasizes the need to bring bilingual workers across Northern Canada and build a healthy, balanced population. An arrow points to the question: “How can we recruit and retain here?”
An icon representing a task force for the region indicates that the goal is to retain people after they obtain permanent resident status, and arrows point to key elements that are crucial in this endeavour: affordable and accessible homes (including tiny homes), and other incentives that can be used elsewhere. Branching off the illustrated houses, two small houses identify housing as the “#1 concern.”
A row of three people, with the last person appearing using dotted lines, illustrates the question: “Can we change the cap on temporary workers?” Underneath, a snowflake emphasizes the relevance of this question in the seasonal/tourism sectors.
An anthropomorphic virus particle is shown saying “no” to a number of people waiting in line, illustrating the fact that COVID-19 has delayed immigration and led to a rise in job vacancies.
Alongside a banner that reads, “happy retirement!” a senior citizen says: “Wait… Never mind!” A blurb indicates that “boomers” delayed retirement during the pandemic, but that the “year of the retiree” is coming.
Two houses are shown: the first one has been built, while only the outlines of the second one are visible. This represents the need for skilled trades, in addition to needs in other sectors such as healthcare and retail. It is suggested that the points system may help to address the issue. The second house refers to the cancellation of housing projects, and a small blurb underneath reads: “No builds, no housing, no population.”
A document illustrates the challenge associated with the lack of recognition of foreign credentials, whether internationally, or provincially and territorially. Nurses and engineers are cited as examples.
The words “employers,” “services” and “government” are all linked together, suggesting that “collaboration” is needed to retain newcomers.
A large green checkmark states the importance of providing feedback to improve systems.
A virtual town hall conversation in Alberta and Saskatchewan on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan highlighted includes an upward arrow that illustrates the high demand for workers in all occupations, including in trades, healthcare, as well as the sales and service industry. A virus particle and a no symbol also express the notion that the halt to immigration and a lower population growth rate can be partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A magnifying glass next to the words “identifying gaps” is shown next to two hands raised up in the air, suggesting that there is a need to learn difficulties and find out how to provide better support. Dotted lines point to examples of such difficulties: a speech bubble refers to English as Second Language speakers and asks whether they are experiencing discrimination or possess skills that are under-used; healthcare for refugees is highlighted, and it is suggested that a review of support available is necessary; and an open padlock with a question mark emphasizes access to settlement services, asking whether it is working or not.
A document illustrates the difficulty of recognizing foreign credentials, even at provincial level. This is further exemplified by a dotted line that becomes a territorial divide between Alberta and Saskatchewan, with two persons unable to work across the two provinces.
Tall buildings represent large cities, and a downward arrow points to small communities, indicating the need to encourage newcomers to go from major urban areas to rural areas, and having municipalities on board with this approach. The words “employment first, everything else can fall into place” are shown alongside. It is suggested that more housing might be necessary in small communities, perhaps using funds from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The need for settlement services is also emphasized.
A document titled “points system,” meant to represent Express Entry, shows the need to draw certain skilled candidates to help specific industries, such as welders. A house being built is also shown, with a person on a ladder expressing the need to address the shortage in skilled trades to get more houses built faster.
Immigration is represented as a scale with the word “balance” in the middle. The left arm includes the “needs of Canada,” while the right arm holds “international obligations.” Underneath, it is indicated that 2022 will see “record levels of employment.”
An inverted pyramid shows that retirement-aged workers (over 65 years) will soon be exiting the workforce, leaving a greater proportion of workers aged between 29 and 40.
A person holding a lightbulb illustrates the need to consider innovative self-employers, and suggests that rural areas could use them.
A graduation cap illustrates the fact that “international students are important to us all!”
A virtual town hall conversation in British Columbia on immigration levels
A hand-drawn illustration represents key terms that were used by participants during the virtual town hall conversation to describe various aspects of immigration that were important to them.
A map of Canada with the province of British Columbia highlighted shows that employment has recovered, and that we are currently experiencing recovery, after a decline from 2019 to 2020. An upward arrow also indicates that inter-provincial migration is on the rise.
Three job postings and small houses represent the “giant mismatch” between minimum wage jobs available, and limited, unaffordable housing.
On top of a building, a sign reads “skills over credentials,” and another sign underneath suggests that employers are gatekeepers. An arrow points to a document meant to represent the Express Entry system, along with a blurb that suggests it can help certain sectors. Branching off this section, a dotted line points to the need to “keep our ‘Canadian promise’” and suggests that foreign credential recognition is also tied to keeping this promise.
A speech bubble includes the following text: “Canadians love to help!” Underneath, a blurb asks how the private sponsorship of refugees can be strengthened.
Several houses are lined up on a hill, representing rural areas in British Columbia, and arrows point to three key aspects to related to immigration in these regions: employers need coaching; communities need help to welcome newcomers; and more overall support is required.
The drawing of a family includes an upward arrow, representing the benefits to letting large families in, while a small blurb emphasizes the fact that children adapt better to their new homes, and that “we can do more” to support families.
An upward arrow shows a high rate of job vacancies, and with the last of the “boomers” retiring in five years, it is suggested that we are “in dire need of workers.”
A ribbon points to the words “skills test” and indicates that tangible skills might be useful in sectors such as roofing, flooring, and carpentry. An arrow also points to a question on the usefulness of “learning on the job” in the context of work.
A person looking at a bulletin board filled with job applications suggests that better matching between applicants and available jobs might be necessary.
Annex A: Online consultation survey: 2022 Questions on Immigration Levels and Responsive Economic Immigration
| Too many | Too few | About right | Don’t know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic (for example: workers, or business immigrants) 2023 Target: 253,000 | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ |
| Family (for example: spouses, partners, children, or parents of people already in Canada) 2023 Target: 109,500 | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ |
| Refugees, Protected Persons, and Humanitarian (for example: resettled refugees, or asylum seekers) 2023 Target: 84,555 | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ |
| All Categories 2023 Target: 447,055 (approximately 1.14 percent of Canada’s population) | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ | ⚬ |
Every year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) engages with a wide range of stakeholders from across the country to help us shape a national vision for immigration and contribute to Canada’s next Immigration Levels Plan, which will be announced in the fall of 2022.
A few weeks ago, we invited you to complete an online consultation survey to ask your feedback on immigration levels planning. We are now inviting you to join the conversation here, on “Let’s Talk Immigration,” an online engagement platform that allows you to share your thoughts and comments with participants from coast to coast to coast.
Based on your survey responses, we developed dedicated sections on “Let’s Talk Immigration” around five key themes related to immigration. For each theme, you will find additional background information to help you dig deeper into the topic. Every week, we will be posting new material and discussion questions, and we will invite you to respond directly via the platform. We will also want to hear your personal experiences and seek your ideas on each topic.
If you have not registered yet, the first step is to register and create your profile – you will be asked to provide your name, your organization’s name, the type of organization where you work, as well as your postal code. Make sure you have checked the boxes related to the themes that interest you.
Every week, we will be posting new discussion questions – general questions about immigration levels planning that you will find below, and specific questions related to each of the five topics highlighted above. Click on each link to find a dedicated page for each theme. You will be notified when a new question has been posted, and you can respond directly via “Let’s Talk Immigration” after logging in.
For each theme, you can share your personal experiences and submit ideas for consideration. We also encourage you to share your perspective and/or the perspective of the organization you are representing when participating in this forum.
If you have any questions for us or wish to provide feedback on this online engagement platform, use the “Ask us anything” section below, or send us an email at: IRCC.COMMConsultations-ConsultationsCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.
IRCC conducts consultations on immigration in Canada every year.
We are interested in hearing your thoughts on immigration in the current context, as well as considerations for the longer term. As such, we are seeking your views on Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan – including the balance among different categories and programs, and how immigration can be better positioned to support Canada, from the perspectives of economic recovery and future growth, the vitality of communities in all parts of the country, and Canada’s response to humanitarian crises.
Through your experiences with immigration, your views and advice will help to shape a collective national vision for planning immigration levels in the coming years.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to table a projection of permanent resident admissions (the Immigration Levels Plan) in Parliament every year. The Immigration Levels Plan details how many immigrants Canada will welcome as permanent residents under the economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian programs.
The 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan renews the three-year time frame for the multi-year plan and proposes to increase the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes annually to 431,645 in 2022, 447,055 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024. While targets and ranges are firm in the first year, the outer years are notional – which are subject to review to allow reflections of any developments or changes in reality. We are seeking your feedback as there is an opportunity to adjust outer year admissions targets (currently 2023 and 2024) and to help inform targets for 2025. See the full 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan.
A number of considerations are taken into account when developing the Immigration Levels Plan, including:
The plan is designed to contribute to an immigration system that fosters economic growth, supports diversity, and helps build vibrant, dynamic, and inclusive communities, while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians.
The current plan outlines a steady increase in admissions that trends towards just over 1 percent of Canada’s population by 2024.
Closely linked with the question of how many people to welcome, is the question of the appropriate mix (or distribution) of permanent residents across the main immigration classes. In the current plan, for 2024, the economic class accounts for 59 percent of total admissions. The family reunification class represents 25 percent, and the refugee and humanitarian classes account for 16 percent.
For reference, you will find below the full list of immigration classes and categories.
Economic immigration
Family
Refugees and protected persons
Humanitarian and others
IRCC’s engagement activities with provinces and territories, as well as analysis of public opinion research, labour market information and immigrant outcomes are not part of this report.
Stakeholders who identified as a national organization also identified the province(s) or territory(ies) in which they operate. Similarly, some participating stakeholders operate in more than one province or territory and could select multiple jurisdictions when completing the survey. As such, totals do not add up to 100%.
The stakeholder organization categories provided as options in the survey are not universally defined. Some organizations may self-identify in a different category than another organization with a similar mandate.
