2024 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration

From: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Introduction

The Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration provides the opportunity to inform Parliament and Canadians of key highlights and related information on immigration to Canada. This Report on immigration and its tabling in Parliament is a requirement of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), and serves to offer key details on the successes and challenges that have occurred in welcoming immigrants^{Footnote 1} to Canada in the past year.

This Report sets out information and statistical details regarding permanent resident admissions, temporary resident volumes, and the immigration levels plan for the upcoming year. In addition, this Report contextualizes the efforts undertaken with provinces and territories in our shared responsibility for immigration, highlights efforts made on Francophone immigration and ends with an analysis of gender and diversity considerations in Canada’s approach to immigration.

About the data in this Report

Admissions data can be found in annexes 1 and 2, as well as on the Government of Canada’s Open Government Portal.

Data in this Report that was derived from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) operational systems is subject to change.

Balancing the Benefits and the Pressures of Immigration

Immigration has shaped Canada’s economic, political, social, and cultural fabric and has been instrumental in post-pandemic recovery. Except for Indigenous Peoples, who have inhabited these lands since time immemorial, every resident of Canada immigrated here. First generation immigrants comprised 23% of the population in 2021.^{Footnote 2}

Canada’s approach to immigration focuses on ensuring the country’s long term economic well-being and prosperity, as well as leadership in refugee resettlement. As more Canadians want to move into retirement, immigration brings in new workers, attracts new investments, and supports Canada’s economic growth. At the same time, our immigration framework supports family reunification and offers protection to refugees, while providing flexibility for other humanitarian responses. Temporary residents including visitors, international students, and temporary workers provide contributions to Canada’s social, cultural, and economic landscape.

Challenges Associated with Immigration: Pressures on Housing and Services

Despite the significant contributions of immigration, successful immigration requires that housing, education, healthcare, childcare services and other key services keep pace with projected population growth. Since 2019, annual targets for new permanent resident admissions have increased by nearly 41% and there has also been an increase in non-permanent resident work permits and study permits.^{Footnote 17} There was a 125% increase in asylum claimants between 2019 and 2023.^{Footnote 18}

Pressures on Housing

Canada is in the midst of a housing crisis – highlighted by the insufficient supply of rental units and family homes. In this context, any population growth, which generally necessitates a corresponding increase in housing supply, puts additional strain on the overall supply and affordability of housing.^{Footnote 19} Canada has experienced a decline in its vacancy rate in recent years, indicating a shortage of available apartments and houses for rent.^{Footnote 20} The construction of new housing has also not been able to match the pace of population growth. In 2023, with a significant peak in immigrant arrivals, the vacancy rate reached a historic low of 1.5%,^{Footnote 21} especially in big cities like Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver where newcomers tend to settle.^{Footnote 22} The Government of Canada announced a number of new measures to incentivize construction of new rental housings in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement.

Through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), the federal government has provided just over $1 billion to provinces and municipalities to address extraordinary interim housing pressures related to the increased volumes of asylum claimants since 2017. Budget 2024 proposed to provide $1.1 billion over three years, starting in 2024–25, to extend IHAP with a focus on permanent, sustainable approaches. The federal government is working with all orders of government to find long-term solutions to prevent asylum seekers from experiencing homelessness.

Based on the Canadian Occupational Projection System’s (COPS) extensive labour market information (LMI) data^{Footnote 26}, the Department expects a shortage of 22,700 workers in the trades category until 2031. This is beyond the number of job seekers coming from school leavers, immigration, and others labour supply needs. In 2023, the Department introduced a trades-specific occupational category for selection in the Express Entry system, as part of category-based selection process. The average annual selection of workers required to meet labour demand needs until year 2031, is approximately 2,520. The two rounds conducted in year 2023 selected 2,500 candidates in total. These rounds, if conducted on an annual basis, could meet the COPS-forecasted labour market demand until 2031.

IRCC continues to welcome Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) to communities across the country and to shift the relative balance of GAR arrivals from large cities where housing pressures are more significant to small and medium-sized communities experiencing less pressure. In 2023, 12,468 GARs (53%) were destined to small and medium size communities with less than one million residents.

Pressures on Education and Healthcare Fields

Immigrants make contributions to the healthcare sector, representing 1 out of every 4 healthcare workers in this country.^{Footnote 27} These individuals play critical roles in supporting healthcare for Canadians of all ages and relieving pressure on Canada’s healthcare system.

At the same time, newcomers to Canada need access to education and healthcare services. As more people arrive in the country, the need for more health and education services rises. If these services do not keep pace, then the increase in immigration can worsen existing pressure on health and education systems in some regions.

IRCC is working to reduce pressures on the healthcare system. In 2023, the Department invited 10,185 workers with work experience in the healthcare field to apply under Express Entry, one of several key sectors of Canada’s labour force that is facing unprecedented shortages.

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot provide pathways to permanent residence for homecare workers, with program elements to reduce vulnerabilities and family separation.

In 2023, the amount of work experience in Canada required for a caregiver to qualify for permanent residency was reduced from 24 months to 12 months. The Department has also implemented measures to improve the opportunity for caregivers and their family members in Canada to transition to permanent residence by eliminating the numerical caps for each eligible occupation and by reserving application spaces for caregivers in Canada who have Canadian work experience and for clients with accommodation needs that are unable to apply online.

As of April 30, 2024, nearly 5,700 caregivers and their family members have become permanent residents since the launch of the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot in 2019.

Furthermore, as of April 2023, physicians who work in a fee-for-service model within the public healthcare system, became exempted from certain requirements of the Federal High Skilled Programs, to facilitate access to permanent residence and help address labour shortages in the healthcare sector.

Provinces and territories have primary authority over regulated occupations. Several provinces and territories have taken steps to enhance supports and streamline foreign credential recognition (FCR) processes for internationally educated professionals. The Government of Canada’s role is to coordinate and facilitate stakeholder interaction and supports (loans, funding, federal policies/legislation, etc.) to make it easier for newcomers to obtain credential recognition. As the lead federal department for FCR, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) invested $86 million in 15 projects for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program to help provide internationally-educated professionals with the support and experience they need to pursue opportunities in Canada’s healthcare sector. IRCC’s priority is to promote information on FCR to enable potential immigrants and newcomers to make informed choices and start the FCR process as soon as possible. Through the 2022 Federal Economic Statement funding for FCR, IRCC has made investments in the Settlement Program to support those newcomers in health occupations related to language training and employment services. Through the 2024 Settlement Program Call for Proposals, when new funding agreements are in place beginning on April 1, 2025, funding will be allocated to organizations that work with several occupations requiring more supports by the sector, including healthcare professions.

The Challenge of Foreign Credential Recognition

Census data from 2021 shows that some immigrants’ talents are underutilized, as over one-quarter of all immigrants with foreign degrees were working in jobs that require, at most, a high school diploma. This is double the overqualification rate seen among Canadian-born or Canadian-educated degree holders.^{Footnote 28}

IRCC works closely with provincial and territorial partners, which lead on licensing and credentialing in their areas through their regulatory bodies, to coordinate foreign credential recognition, including in the health sector, and selection processes for immigrants through regional programs and pilots.

IRCC uses language testing and Education Credential Assessments (ECA), both essential elements in the FCR process, as evidence of minimum program requirements and for obtaining points in Express Entry. This process differs from FCR processes that regulatory bodies use to authorize practice in regulated occupations. IRCC is looking at ways to align federal economic immigration requirements with licensure processes where possible by advancing the designation, for immigration purposes, of certain domain-specific language tests used by regulators in key sectors, starting with specialized languages tests used for nurses and physicians. The Department is also continuing to actively seek proposals to expand the number of designated professional ECA organizations.

Since, in the Express Entry system, more points are given to candidates based on Canadian work experience, Canadian education, and Canadian job offers, this may increase the likelihood of selection of practice-ready professionals. The Department has launched a social media campaign aimed at building awareness of FCR processes for regulated professions in Canada. This builds on informational resources the Department has been providing to prospective permanent residents, including through a letter to Express Entry applicants and a new Fact Sheet on FCR.

In June 2023, the Department implemented a temporary public policy granting a select cohort of temporary foreign workers the ability to study without a study permit for a limited time. Foreign nationals coming to Canada to work on a temporary basis cannot currently enroll in a program of study that lasts for more than six months unless they apply for and receive a study permit. This has been a barrier for those who wish to improve their education and get more training, including those needing to up-skill or take programs to validate their foreign credentials in programs that last longer than six months. This is a pilot measure that evaluated the feasibility of allowing temporary foreign workers to study to support expanding their future job prospects and increasing their opportunities to transition to permanent residence. Individuals who held a valid work permit and if the application associated with that work permit was received on or before June 7, 2023, or who have applied for a work permit extension as of that date are eligible to study without a study permit until their work permit renewal application is refused, the expiry of their work permit, or the expiry of the public policy, whichever comes first.

Temporary Resident Programs and Volumes

Canada recognizes the importance of temporary immigration, namely the significant social, cultural, and economic benefits that temporary residents can bring to the fabric of our communities. However, limiting the volumes will better serve the country as well as the temporary residents throughout their stay.

International students

IRCC facilitates the entry of students who wish to study at a designated Canadian educational institution. Students approved to study in Canada are issued a study permit.

In 2023, 682,889 permit holders entered Canada. From this number, 319,991 were females and 362,824 were males. More study permit holders are now making the transition to permanent residency. In fact, in 2023 25,605 study permit holders were granted permanent residency, a 30% increase from 2022.

Canada values the significant social, cultural, and economic benefits that international students bring to Canada.

International Students – Study Permit Holders

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Study permit holders	402,427	256,740	445,776	550,187	682,889

Over the course of 2023, IRCC conducted a review of the International Student Program to help modernize and strength the integrity of the Program. As a result of the review and to reign in unsustainable growth, various policy changes were announced to help ensure students arriving in Canada are set up for success, to better ensure the temporary to permanent residence pathways, and to alleviate pressures on services in Canada. This includes:

• As of December 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLIs) are required to verify the authenticity of letters of acceptance (LOAs) in a secure portal for IRCC to better detect cases of fraud.
• Announcing that as of January 1st, 2024, study permit applicants would need to meet an updated financial requirement that better reflects the current cost of living and to ensure that they are financially prepared for life in Canada.
• IRCC implemented a cap on international student permit applications to ensure sustainable growth in the International Student Program over a two-year period. In 2024, the cap was based on a net-zero growth model and is projected to lead to approximately 360,000 approved study permits, marking a 35% reduction from the figures recorded in 2023.

Temporary Foreign Workers

IRCC facilitates the responsible entry of foreign nationals who seek temporary work in Canada.

Through its management of the International Mobility Program (IMP) and its joint-administration of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) with ESDC, IRCC supports the effective and responsible entry of temporary foreign workers into the Canadian market. The IMP lets employers hire a temporary worker without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), while the TFW requires a LMIA in order to hire a temporary worker. Exemptions from the LMIA process are based on the broader economic, cultural or other competitive advantages for Canada and the reciprocal benefits enjoyed by Canadians and permanent residents. The IMP also allows for certain foreign nationals to work without a permit when authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

In 2023, 184,008 individuals (35,356 females, 148,648 males, one another gender and three unspecified) were issued work permits through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and 765,262 individuals (356, 567 females, 408,619 males, 33 another gender and 43 unspecified) were issued a work permit primarily for work purposes under the International Mobility Program.^{Footnote 29} This represents an increase of 341,877 new permits from 2022.

Temporary work permit holders continue to transition to permanent residency in recognition of their skills and the contribution they have made to the Canadian economy. The Department has continued to focus on increasing transition opportunities to permanent residence and strengthen Canada’s ability to meet a range of labour needs. In 2023, the Department granted permanent residency to 156,580 temporary work permit holders, a 49% increase from the previous year. Of these work permits issued, 70,767 were female and 85,813 were male. This increase in permanent residencies trends with the overall growth of temporary work permit holders.

Temporary Foreign Workers – Work Permit Holders

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
IMP	305,807	242,130	313,294	470,033	765,262
TFW	98,062	84,609	103,552	135,818	184,008

Permanent Immigration to Canada

In 2023, Canada welcomed 471,808 immigrants, which is 7.8% higher than in 2022. From this number, 237,031 were females, 234,758 were males, 17 were from another gender and two had gender unspecified.

Economic Immigration

Canada has various immigration programs to attract talented people and to spread benefits to communities across the country. Programs are based on economic growth, family reunification and humanitarian responses. In 2023, processing time for the economic immigration category was five months compared to four months in 2022. ^{Footnote 30}

Some of these programs include:

Express Entry is Canada’s application management system for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class) and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. Express Entry helps to manage the intake of applications for permanent residence under key economic immigration programs, while facilitating the selection of individuals who are most likely to succeed economically. In summer 2023, an enhancement to Express Entry, known as category-based selection, was launched to supplement general and program invitation rounds by inviting applicants whose selection can support economic priorities. Following a public consultation process, the Minister set up six categories designed to support economic growth and help address long-term labour market shortages in communities across Canada, including in Francophone minority communities. Candidates with work experience in occupations eligible under the following categories were invited to apply for permanent residence through category-based selection in 2023: healthcare occupations; science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); trade occupations; transport occupations; agriculture and agri-food occupations. The first use of category-based selection took place in June 2023. In total, there were 17 category-based selection rounds in 2023.

Last year, Canada admitted 120,822 principal applicants and their accompanying family members (56,888 females and 63,934 males) as permanent residents through Express Entry.

Economic Immigration – Principal applicants and their spouses and/or dependants

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Economic Immigration – Principal applicants and their spouses and/or dependants	196,658	106,422	252,971	255,660	272,744

Family Reunification

Family reunification is a pillar of Canada’s immigration system. Canada is still committed to helping Canadian citizens and permanent residents sponsor certain relatives^{Footnote 31} to come to Canada as permanent residents, bringing many economic, social, and cultural benefits to the communities across the country. Sponsors accept economic responsibility for the individual for a defined period. In 2023, 109,730 individuals (65,609 females, 44,115 males, four another gender and two unspecified) were admitted under this category, representing a 12.7% increase from 2022.

In 2023, Canada announced new measures to strengthen family reunification, including faster temporary resident visa(TRV) processing for some spousal applicants, new and dedicated processing tools for some spousal TRV applicants, a new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants and open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023.

Family Reunification

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Family Reunification	91,311	49,290	81,423	97,338	109,730

Sponsored Spouses, Partners, and Dependent Children

In 2023, 81,417 spouses, partners and children became permanent residents in comparison to 70,076 in 2022. From this number, 48,702 were females, 32,709 were males, four were another gender and two unspecified. In 2023, processing times for spousal permanent resident applications (excluding Quebec) were 15 months compared to 18 months for the same period in 2022.

Spouses, Partners and Children

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Admissions	69,298	38,831	69,685	70,076	81,417
Inventories	68,473	64,173	67,826	72,671	77,729
Processing time – number of months	13	16	19	18	15

Sponsored Parents and Grandparents

IRCC continued to receive applications for parent and grandparent sponsorship. In 2023, 28,313 individuals (16,907 females and 11,406 males) were admitted under the parent and grandparent category, representing a 4% increase from 2022.

Parents and Grandparents

Year	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Admissions	22,011	10,459	11,738	27,262	28,313
Inventories	43,666	30,905	38,074	52,960	40,391
Processing time – number of months	19	24	31	37	24

Parents or grandparents may also apply for the super visa, which is a multi-entry temporary resident visa that allows parents and grandparents to reunite with their host families in Canada for extended periods. In 2023, the Department approved 73,113 super visas applications for parents and grandparents, 39% of them were males and 61% were females. In 2023, processing time was 24 months compared to 36 months in 2022.

Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations

Permanent residency may be granted based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis, or through public policy considerations under exceptional circumstances. In 2023, 14,355 permanent residents were admitted through these discretionary streams.^{Footnote 32} From this number, 7,556 were females and 6,799 were males. In 2022, a total of 10,199 people were admitted to Canada for humanitarian and compassionate or public policy considerations. It represents an increase of 41% from 2022 to 2023. The processing time for this category was 16 months, compared to 11 months in 2022.

Refugees and Protected Persons

In 2023, a total of 74,979 refugees and protected persons were admitted as permanent residents. From this number, 35,905 were females, 39,601 were males and 13 were another gender. In 2022, a total of 74,342 refugees and protected persons were admitted as permanent residents. It represents an increase of 1% from 2022 to 2023.

Resettled Refugees

Each year, IRCC facilitates the admission of a targeted number of permanent residents under the refugee resettlement category. The Department offers protection to Convention Refugees, who are outside of their home country and are unable to return based on a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

In 2023, Canada continued its tradition of being a world leader in refugee resettlement, welcoming a total of 51,081 resettled refugees (24,037 females, 27,035 males and nine from another gender) including:

• 23,311 Government-Assisted Refugees
• 27,660 Privately Sponsored Refugees
• 110 refugees under the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR)^{Footnote 33} program, which enables sponsorship groups and government to jointly support resettled refugees identified by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

In 2023, Canada doubled the number of dedicated resettlement spaces for human rights defenders and is now resettling up to 500 defenders and their family members each year in partnership with the UNHCR, ProtectDefenders.eu and Frontline Defenders. Canada also announced a new partnership with Rainbow Railroad to protect and welcome more at-risk LGBTQI+ individuals and their families to Canada and worked with the organization throughout 2023 to provide the training and guidance necessary for Rainbow Railroad to undertake its new role as a referral partner in the Government Assisted Refugee program in 2024. In December 2023, in recognition of the challenges that Yazidis and other survivors of Daesh resettled to Canada have faced and to support their continued integration and settlement, Canada launched a new temporary public policy to reunite family members overseas with those in Canada.

In 2023, Canada welcomed 46,528 resettled refugees. It represented an increase of 10% from 2022 to 2023.

Protected Persons in-Canada

Protected persons in Canada (PPIC) may apply for permanent residence in Canada and include in the application their dependents who are in Canada and abroad. PPIC include Convention refugees, persons in need of protection determined by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), people with positive pre-removal risk assessments, and protected temporary residents. In 2023, 23,898 obtained permanent residence under the protected persons in Canada and dependents abroad category. From this number, 11,868 were females, 12,026 were males and four were another gender. In 2022, 27,814 obtained permanent residence under the protected persons in Canada and dependents abroad category. It represents a decrease of 14% from 2022 to 2023. In 2023, processing time for the dependents abroad of protected persons was 46 months compared to 42 months in 2022. For the protected persons landed in Canada, the processing time was 25 months compared to 22 months in 2022.

Asylum Claims

The In-Canada Asylum System is responsible for receiving and registering claims made within Canada, determining eligibility for referral to the IRB, conducting security screenings, providing protection—to persons deemed in need of protection—at or inside Canada’s borders, and removing individuals who are determined not in need of protection. Canada received 143,370 in-Canada asylum claimants in 2023 in different ports of entry and inland offices. This number was 91,710 in 2022. It represents an increase of 56% from 2022 to 2023. During the eight-week period ending in December 2023, 80% of eligibility decisions have been finalized in 77 days or less.

As a result of the volume of non-genuine asylum claims originating from Mexico, work began towards a partial reimposition of the visa on Mexican nationals. Since the expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement in March 2023, the number of irregular arrivals has decreased significantly.

Successful Settlement and Resettlement Services

It is critical to ensure successful, responsive, and locally informed settlement and resettlement services to support integration for newcomers. Through contribution agreements, IRCC funds service provider organizations across Canada (outside Quebec^{Footnote 34} ), including immigrant-serving agencies and social service organizations to offer a diverse array of settlement services, including but not limited to: aiding newcomers in acquiring knowledge about life and employment in Canada, enhancing their proficiency in official languages, preparing for entry into the job market, fostering meaningful community connections, and building welcoming and inclusive communities. In November 2023, IRCC launched a call for proposals to fund settlement and resettlement service providers over the five-year period from 2025 to 2030. This year’s call highlights key areas, including investments to support truth and reconciliation objectives, broadening the Francophone integration pathway for French speaking newcomers outside Quebec, and enhancing programming to serve racialized communities, 2SLGBTQI+ and other underrepresented people. It will also build on recent advancements by leveraging technology and partnerships to deliver services more efficiently while maintaining high quality support for clients.

In 2023, IRCC published its Settlement Outcomes Report, summarizing achievements and results from across the settlement sector over the preceding two years, as well as outcomes of newcomers who were eligible for settlement supports (clients and non-clients). Key indicators of success included that most clients (85%) were able to access the Settlement Program with no barriers, and the majority of clients reported that the program was helpful to them on their settlement journey. Generally, clients who accessed settlement services reported greater improvements to their skills than non-clients, for example in the areas of English skills, knowledge of employment-related topics, and knowledge about life in Canada.

Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec

The modernization of the Official Languages Act (OLA) in 2023 makes Francophone immigration a key and permanent priority for IRCC. The OLA requires that the Department adopt a Policy on Francophone Immigration to enhance the vitality of Francophone minority communities. In 2023, IRCC developed the Policy and, as part of this process, the Department held consultations to understand the perspectives, priorities and challenges faced by Francophone community stakeholders, provinces, and territories, as well as counterparts from key federal departments.

Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028

Led by Canadian Heritage, the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–28: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration was released in April 2023. The Action Plan includes an investment of $137.2 M over five years to support seven specific measures across the Francophone immigration continuum and enables IRCC to support the government’s commitment to restoring and increasing the demographic weight of Francophone minority communities.

Admissions Targets for French-Speaking Permanent Resident Admissions Outside Quebec

In 2023, 19,636 French-speaking permanent residents were admitted to Canada outside of Quebec, representing 4.7% of all permanent residents admitted in Canada outside of Quebec – surpassing the 4.4% target. Building on this achievement, in 2023, IRCC adopted a new approach to develop its target for French-speaking permanent resident, with annual and progressively increasing target for French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec integrated into the Multi-Year Levels Plan. The admissions target for 2024 is 6% increasing to 8% by 2026.

Leveraging Francophone Immigration to Support Labour-Market Needs

In 2023, IRCC implemented adjustments to make Canada’s Express Entry system tailored to provide a streamlined and efficient pathway for qualified French-speaking or bilingual immigrants.

Also in 2023, the Francophone Mobility Program was expanded (on a temporary basis for two years) to allow Canadian employers to extend job offers to eligible candidates with a moderate proficiency in French, excluding positions in primary agriculture. In 2023, 1,324 work permit applications were approved under the Francophone Mobility Program, up from 876 in 2022.

Francophone Settlement and Resettlement Services

In 2023–24, uptake of Francophone settlement and resettlement services continued to increase with 64% of French-speaking newcomer clients accessing at least one service provided by a Francophone Service Provider Organization, compared to 51% in 2019–20.

Also, the Department supported the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program in 2023–24 to increase its capacity to support Francophone sponsors in refugee sponsorship.

As the pilot phase of the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative was set to end in March 2024, IRCC consulted Francophone stakeholders in 2023 to evaluate the initiative’s successes and challenges. Overall, the consultations have been positively received, and the 14 participating communities have expressed their willingness to continue the initiative. These consultations also informed the Department’s decision to renew and expand the initiative in 2024 onwards.

International Engagement

Canada’s International Leadership on Migration and Refugee Protection

Responding to humanitarian crises is a top priority for Canada, exemplifying its leadership in offering protection to the world’s most vulnerable populations. Canada not only offers resettlement opportunities but also supports host countries and provides additional pathways for those in need. Furthermore, Canada recognizes and values the contribution that persons who arrive fleeing conflict or other difficult situations make to the country.

In March 2023, Canada committed to welcoming 15,000 persons from the Western Hemisphere to continue expanding safe, regular pathways as an alternative to irregular migration. To support delivery of this commitment, on November 17, 2023, IRCC launched a special immigration measure to facilitate the issuance of permanent resident visas to certain Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan nationals with family in Canada. The initiative provides a humanitarian pathway to permanent residence for individuals located in Central or South America or the Caribbean who have extended family connections in Canada. The public policy closed in February 2024 when IRCC received enough applications to meet the Department’s commitment. Admissions under this measure began in 2024.

Furthermore, in October 2023, IRCC announced a new investment of $75 million over six years to support origin, transit and destination countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region to better respond to and manage increased irregular migration and forced displacement, and support Canada’s commitment to address the regional challenges posed by the mixed migration movements.

In October 2023, Canada announced that it had met its commitment to welcome at least 40,000 vulnerable Afghans since August 2021. Canada’s commitment came from a deep sense of obligation stemming from nearly 20 years of armed combat and development work in Afghanistan. Today, over 54,000 Afghans have arrived in Canada through the Government of Canada’s Afghan Resettlement Initiative.

In response to the conflicts in Sudan, and in Israel and Gaza, the Department supported Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in assisted departure efforts. In April 2023, IRCC supported 462 Canadian citizens and permanent residents in returning to Canada from Sudan via assisted departure. Since October 2023, IRCC has supported GAC in the assisted departure of over 2,500 Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible family members out of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza (via Rafah).

In 2023, Canada continued to support the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration as a Champion country, by promoting regular migration pathways; gender-responsive and inclusive migration practices; best practices for integration and social cohesion; balanced and evidence-based public narratives on migrants and refugees to counter discrimination and xenophobia; advocating for more equitable and predictable responsibility-sharing for the world’s refugees; and by including refugee advisors in Canadian delegations to ensure the views of those with lived experience of forces displacement are incorporated.

Canada's commitments at the Global Refugee Forum show its ongoing leadership in resettlement and complementary pathways.

At the Forum, Canada committed to resettle over 136,000 refugees over 3 years with a focus on the most vulnerable, including women in precarious situations, ethnic and religious minorities, members of LGBTQI+ communities, Rohingya refugees and human rights defenders. Canada co-sponsored the Securing Sustainable Futures mega-pledge, aimed at ensuring all refugee children have access to quality education, including within well-supported national education systems.

Recognizing the growing impact of climate change on human mobility, Canada announced, funding for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the efforts of Mexico in addressing the connections between migration, disasters, climate change and environmental degradation.

Canada’s Response to International Crises

As global displacement intensifies and becomes more complex, IRCC is increasingly being called upon to respond to a range of unique humanitarian situations by implementing a migration response, including facilitative measures or the creation of new programs. In 2023, IRCC continued to work to improve pathways for the people from Hong Kong to stay and work in Canada; created a family-based pathway to permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals; created a new family-based humanitarian pathway for Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals who resided in Sudan when the conflict broke out in April 2023, so they can reunite on a permanent basis with their family in Canada; and announced temporary immigration measures to support family members of Canadians and permanent residents from Gaza, as well as Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada.

IRCC also announced facilitative immigration measures in response to affected populations from the earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye, Syria, and Morocco. Special measures were introduced to support Moroccan, Syrian and Turkish nationals who were in Canada on a temporary basis and wished to extend their stay. These measures also provided fee waivers for Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents who were affected by the earthquakes and in need of replacement travel or citizenship documents to return to Canada.

Informed by lessons learned from recent responses, IRCC is developing a Crisis Response Framework that will enable the Department and its partners to better anticipate, respond to, and manage emerging humanitarian crises and other international situations while protecting its ability to deliver on existing refugee commitments and other departmental priorities. The development of a Crisis Response Framework is a key commitment of An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.

International bilateral and regional engagement

Canada advanced its migration and refugee protection priorities through active collaboration with regional and bilateral partners and the delivery of capacity building assistance.

Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Migration Five partners

Engagement with countries from these regions occurred through:

• Bilateral consultations.
• Collaboration with the UNHCR and IOM.
• Relaunching the Joint Consultations on Migration and Asylum with the European Commission.
• Continued discussions with the European Union on efforts to support persons fleeing the war in Ukraine and Afghan refugees.
• Advancing Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy through bilateral engagement with key partners in the region, including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
• Continued work within the Regional Conference on Migration to address irregular migration in the Americas.
• Collaboration with Five Country Ministerial counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Promoting international protection and managed migration abroad

Canada showed its commitment to the human and labour rights of migrant workers, providing funding to the IOM to support the adoption of fair and ethical recruitment standards in the Philippines and contributing to a $2.4 million grant with the IOM to support the development of an ethical recruitment corridor between Mexico and Canada.

Gender and Diversity Considerations in Immigration

In 2022, IRCC’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 (2021–2024) was adopted as part of the Department’s commitment to solidify work towards building an equitable and inclusive organization. Anti-Racism and GBA Plus continues to be critical components of IRCC’s work. They ensure that the impacts of our policies and programs factor gender, diversity, and many other considerations into our work:

Annex 1: Admissions Data

Table 1: Temporary Resident Permits and Extensions Issued in 2023 by Provision of Inadmissibility

Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Consolidated Business Reporting as of May 31, 2024.

Table 2: Permanent Residents Admitted in 2023 by Destination and Immigration Category

Source: IRCC, Research and Data Branch (RDB), Permanent Residents, March 31, 2024, Data.

Table 3: Permanent Residents Admitted in 2023

Source: IRCC, RDB, Permanent Residents, March 31, 2024, Data.

Table 4: Permanent Residents by Official Language Spoken, 2023^{Footnote 53}

Source: IRCC, RDB, Permanent Residents, March 31, 2024, Data.

Annex 2: Temporary Migration Reporting

Temporary Resident Permits

Under subsection 24(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), an officer may issue a temporary resident permit (TRP) to a foreign national who is inadmissible or who does not otherwise meet the requirements of the Act, to allow that individual to enter or remain in Canada when it is justified under the circumstances. TRPs are issued for a limited period and are subject to cancellation at any time.

Table 1 in Annex 1 illustrates the number of TRPs issued in 2023, categorized according to grounds of inadmissibility under IRPA. In 2023, a total of 7,049 such permits were issued.

Temporary resident permits for victims of human trafficking

TRPs can be issued to out-of-status foreign national victims of human trafficking in Canada as a protection measure. The TRP provides them with temporary resident status in Canada and allows them to obtain a work permit. They also have access to healthcare through the Interim Federal Health Program. In 2023, IRCC issued 125 TRPs to victims of human trafficking and their dependants. This number is included in the overall number of TRPs issued in 2023 (as per Table 1 in Annex 1).

Temporary resident permits for victims of family violence

Since 2019, newcomers experiencing family violence have been able to apply for a fee exempt TRP that gives them legal immigration status in Canada and includes a work permit and healthcare coverage. In 2023, 154 TRPs were approved for victims of family violence.

Public Policy Exemptions for a Temporary Purpose

In 2023, a total of 154 applications for temporary residence were facilitated for foreign nationals to come to Canada as visitors, students and workers, under the public policy to exempt certain foreign nationals from the Inadmissibility Provisions for a Temporary Purpose. This public policy has been in place since September 2010 to advance Canada’s national interests while continuing to ensure to help the safety of Canadians.

Use of the Negative Discretion Authority

In 2023, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship used once the negative discretion authority under subsection 22.1(1) of IRPA. This authority allows the Minister to make a declaration that, based on public policy considerations, a foreign national may not become a temporary resident for a period of up to three years.

Annex 3: Ministerial Instructions

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) provides the legislative authority for Canada’s immigration programs and contains various provisions that allow the Minister to issue instructions to immigration officers to enable the Government of Canada to best achieve its immigration goals. These instructions are typically issued for limited periods of time and can touch on a diverse range of issues.

As required by section 94(2) of IRPA, the following table provides a description of the instructions given by the Minister in 2023 and the date of their publication.

Other Ministerial instructions are available on IRCC’s website.

Annex 4: Canada’s Next Temporary and Permanent Resident Immigration Levels Plan

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the Minister of IRC must table Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan (Levels Plan) in Parliament each year on or before November 1. Since 2017, a rolling three-year Levels Plan has been presented, which projects permanent residents (PR) admissions to Canada. Starting in the fall of 2024, IRCC is expanding the Levels Plan to include targets for both PR admissions and new temporary resident (TR) arrivals. This approach aims to ensure a well-managed migration system by looking at the totality of newcomers, and that supports the economy, while taking into account impacts on housing, health care and other essential services.

With a commitment to build a whole-of-society approach to immigration planning, IRCC develops the Levels Plan taking into consideration extensive consultations with federal partners, provinces and territories, municipalities, stakeholder organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and the public, including through regional townhall meetings.

PRs are categorized under three overarching groups: Economic immigration; Family reunification; and, Refugees, Protected Persons, Humanitarian and Compassionate, and Other. In recent years, an increasing number of workers and students in Canada have transitioned to PR status, which has shown significant improvement in the labour market and economic outcomes of immigrants, particularly those in high-skilled occupations^{Footnote 54}.

The TR targets introduced for the first time ever in the Levels Plan include new arrivals for international students as well as temporary workers to be admitted under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW Program) – jointly delivered with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

The 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan

Immigration continues to be a vital source of Canada’s economic sustainability and now contributes to nearly 100% of the labour force growth, including for occupations that face persistent structural shortages - such as health care and trades - and for emerging industries which are key to advancing Canada’s goal of a growing and resilient economy. Despite its importance, a recent surge in immigration volumes has resulted in increases in population which has exacerbated existing pressures on services and infrastructure across the country, from housing and health care to education and social supports. Canada’s economy and labour market have also softened, showing higher rates of unemployment for youth and newcomers. The 2025-2027 Levels Plan responds to these pressures and will help ensure that Canadians and newcomers continue to prosper.

Temporary Residents (TRs)

In recognition of recent, rapid population growth and the shifts in Canada’s economic landscape, the Minister of IRC announced in March 2024 the goal to reduce TRs to 5% of the total population by the end of 2026, and a commitment to include TRs in the Levels Plan. In order to achieve this objective and stabilize population growth, while also improving the integrity of Canada’s TR programs, a series of measures across student and temporary worker programs have been introduced throughout the past year.

Building on these measures, and taking into consideration those TRs that will transition to permanent residents or leave Canada, the arrival targets for TRs in the 2025-27 Levels Plan are set at 673,650 in 2025, 516,600 in 2026 and 543,600 in 2027. TR targets will capture new arrivals only, which will provide the number of new workers and students entering Canada each year. In 2025, the target for international students (305,900) decreases by 10% from the 2024 target^{Footnote 55} before stabilizing in 2026, while workers, which include arrivals under the IMP and TFW Program, are prioritized accounting for 55% of new TR arrivals in 2025. Targets for the TFW Program prioritize primary agriculture workers in order to protect Canada’s food security and food supply chain. The targets do not include seasonal workers, many of whom also contribute to Canada’s food security, who enter and leave Canada within the same year (e.g., some occupations in Canada for less than 270 days) and are, therefore, not counted in year end population estimates. These worker volumes will be in addition to the number included in the targets.

Permanent Residents (PRs)

To further support the alignment of immigration with labour market needs and to help alleviate the existing pressures on Canada’s domestic systems, the 2025-2027 Levels Plan reduces the overall PR projections set in the 2024-2026 Levels Plan to 395,000 admissions in 2025 and 380,000 for 2026, and sets the target at 365,000 in 2027.

The Levels Plan prioritizes the selection of TRs with in-demand work/study experience that want to become PRs, including under the “In-Canada Focus”. It is anticipated that over 40% of overall PR admissions will be TRs already in Canada. This will reduce TR volumes, including the number of new PRs arriving from outside Canada, which will further alleviate the pressure on communities’ capacity to welcome newcomers.

Supporting the Canadian economy continues to be a key priority of this Levels Plan as the economic class represents the largest proportion of admissions each year, reaching nearly 62% by 2027. A greater share of economic admissions are allocated to skilled workers with a focus on critical sectors, such as health care and the skilled trades.

Although admission targets within the family class are also set to decrease, their share is maintained at a relatively similar to the 2024-26 Levels Plan with a projected 22% of overall PR admissions in order to support family reunification.

Canada continues to fulfill its humanitarian commitments to resettle refugees and others in need of protection, with an allocation of 15% of overall PR admissions under this class, in addition to a target of 21,200 admissions over three years in support of commitments based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and/or as part of public policies by the Minister of IRC (e.g., Sudan, Ukraine, and Hong Kong).

In line with the Government’s long-term commitment to leverage immigration to enhance the vitality of Francophone minority communities, and IRCC’s Policy on Francophone Immigration launched in 2024, the Levels Plan includes gradually increasing targets of French-speaking PR admissions outside of Quebec to 8.5% of overall PR admissions in 2025, 9.5% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. This, in turn, will support continued progress towards the demographic growth Francophone minority communities in the context of a changing migration landscape.

Note: For a detailed breakdown of targets per temporary and permanent immigration programs, please see the 2025–2027 Supplementary Tables on the Department’s website.

Notes:

• Projections are based on available data and proposed policies but may change as new data and external factors emerge. Projections in the above table show the total number of people admitted to Canada from 2025-27, which includes net new arrivals for NPRs, and total number of PRs admitted as per the Levels Plan. The table does not explicitly show net new arrivals for PRs, as the total number of PRs admitted includes individuals who transition from TR to PR status while already in Canada.
• "Non-permanent residents" (NPR) include asylum claimants, protected persons, temporary foreign workers, international students, and their dependents. Statistics Canada reports on this group, while IRCC’s Levels Plan sets targets for worker and student arrivals, contributing to the NPR population.
• "NPR Outflow" refers to NPRs leaving Canada, such as through permit expiration or transition to permanent residency. "NPR Inflow" is the net arrival of new NPRs, including workers and students. "Inflows subject to targets set for students and workers" is the target allocation for the net arrival of new study and work permit holders. "Inflows for contingency reserve" serves as a reserve for the residual category including but not limited to asylum claimants. "Net Change in NPRs" is the difference between inflows and outflows. It is the change in total NPR population for each year. "New Permanent Residents" refers to those admitted as PRs, including former NPRs who transitioned to permanent residency. "New PR and NPR in Canada" refers to the total number of new permanent and non-permanent residents admitted to Canada.

Footnotes