Federal Immigration Minister John McCallum announced Canada’s immigration levels for 2016.  The planned intake released in the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, indicates levels ranging between 280,000 – 305,000 covering Family Class, Economic Class, Refugees and Humanitarian persons, represents the highest immigration levels in modern times.

The outlook represents a major shift in government policy from the previous government with plans to increase the numbers of refugees and protected persons and slightly decrease economic class immigrants from 2015 levels but the latter remain consistent with the range of numbers seen in recent years.

The planned 2016 levels:

Economic Class: 151,200 – 162,400

This includes immigrants selected under a number of programs including federal skilled workers, skilled trades and the Canadian experience class (applying under the express entry system), federal business programs, provincial nominees and Quebec.

Family Class: 75,000 – 82,000

This includes spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents.

Refugees: 51,000 – 57,000

This includes government and privately sponsored refugees.

Humanitarian: 2800 – 3600

Analysis

Within the Economic Class target of 160,600 admissions, a target of 58,400 of high skilled applicants is forecast.  However within this group, the breakdown of levels’ targets for federal skilled workers, skilled trades and the Canadian experience class have not been provided.  The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirms approximately half of admissions from this group in 2016 are expected to come from Express Entry, while the remainder of admissions will include applications on inventory who applied prior to the launch of Express Entry on January 1, 2015.

Additionally, a target of 22,000 caregivers under three streams (the Live-in Caregiver Program, the High Medical Needs pathway and the Caring for Children pathway) 800 business admissions primarily under three programs (Self-Employed Persons, Start-up Visa Program and Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Program), 47,800 provincial nominees, 26,200 Quebec skilled workers and 5,400 Quebec business applicants is planned for 2016.

In the family class, the department forecasts a total of 80,000 newcomers, including 60,000 spouses, partners and children and 20,000 parents and grandparents.

Refugees and protected persons has become a major priority at this early stage of the Liberal government’s mandate delivering on its election promises.  A target of55,800 resettled refugees including government-assisted, visa office referred and privately sponsored refugee admissions is forecast.

International students represent an important component of the economic class and Minister McCallum confirmed the department is currently working on reforms to the express entry system that will make it easier for foreign student graduates to qualify for permanent residence under express entry. The government also confirmed its commitment to reduce application processing times especially under family sponsorship which currently has a backlog of more than 12,000 pending applications.

Annual immigration levels for 2016 were originally scheduled to be tabled in Parliament last November 1st but was delayed by the October federal elections.  The new federal government is currently consulting with the provinces in advance of the 2017 immigration levels.

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