Canada has been consistently welcoming high levels of immigration. Earlier this year, the country announced their plan to welcome at least one million new permanent residents in 2020-2022, and in spite of border closures due to the coronavirus, Canada was able to welcome over 74,000 new immigrants from various countries by the end of April.
Despite the interruptions Canada’s immigration has faced due to COVID-19 measures, the country continues to process immigration applications to the best of their ability. New data provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers a glimpse into where Canada’s newest immigrants hail from.
Below are the top 10 source countries of the 74,000 migrants that were able to achieve permanent residency in the first four months of 2020:
- India
- China
- Philippines
- USA
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Syria
- France
- Iran
- Brazil
According to the data released by IRCC, the Philippines remain among the top 3 source countries of migrants to Canada. From 8 percent in 2019 to a slight drop of 7 percent in 2020, Filipino immigration to Canada has remained consistent. It remains to be seen how the COVID-19 pandemic will further affect the flow of immigration to Canada for the rest of the year.
As borders remain closed and countries continue to implement quarantine measures, it has been difficult for new permanent residents to enter Canada, which may affect the distribution of immigrant source countries throughout the rest of the year.
However, applicants from these countries who remain in Canada have also continued to achieve PR since Canada closed their borders on March 18. Those who remain in their home countries will eventually be able to travel to Canada as restrictions are slowly eased.
Canada encourages interested candidates who wish to submit their immigration applications and Express Entry profiles to continue to do so if it is within their realm of possibility. Those who submit a profile or application have the chance to receive an invitation to apply or even approval for permanent residency, allowing them the chance to enter Canada as soon as they are able to do so.
Understanding the difficulties some applicants may encounter, the IRCC has eased requirements, allowing candidates to submit incomplete applications and extending the time period for submission, in order to help them achieve their Canadian immigration goals.
