Page 14 - Best Magazine Winter 2017

ECONOMY AND FINANCE
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR IMMIGRATION PLAN
On November 1, 2017, Ahmed These levels will bring our country’s throughout the next three years and we
Hussen, Canada’s Minister of
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the levels of immigration for the years 2018 to 2020. As per Canada’s first multi-year plan, the country will admit almost 1 million new immigrants by the year 2020. This plan was described by the Minister as one with “the most ambitious immigration levels in recent history".
The number of people who will acquire permanent residency through the country’s economic, humanitarian and family reunification programs will be as follows:
• 310,000 in 2018 • 330,000 in 2019 • 340,000 in 2020
To compare, the number of immigrants who acquired permanent residency in 2017 was 300,000.
immigration rate closer to 1% of the Canadian population, a target which has been advocated for a number of years. That being said, the numbers announced by the government in November are not necessarily unprecedented or out of proportion when compared to past levels or those of other developed countries.
With increased immigration, Canada hopes to lessen the burden caused to the economy by an aging population. Amongst the biggest winners from the increased levels are the provinces and their provincial immigration programs. This is great news given that the federal immigration programs for skilled immigrants have become very competitive. As a result, people are turning to provincials programs, including some of the smaller provinces, for immigration alternatives.
Quotas for immigration through family sponsorship appear to remain stable
see a decline in the number of refugees that the government anticipates will come to Canada in the near future.
While it is true that the influx of refugees from the Syrian conflict has diminished, it is unclear whether the government has considered the impact that immigration policies in the United States will have on future refugee claims and accounted for that in its immigration plan.
Finally, the path to permanent residence for caregivers seems to become more restrictive over the years. The announced levels show a dramatic decrease from 2019 to 2020. This would suggest that the government does not intend to process many cases under this program once it clears the current backlog of applications.
Andrew Carvajal is a Toronto lawyer and partner at Desloges Law Group specializing in immigration law, administrative law and Small Claims Court litigation.
14 THE BEST MAGAZINE WINTER 2017 - 2018
ECONOMÍA Y FINANZAS
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