The government of Canada has already unveiled their 2019-2021 Immigration Level Plan with various important developments and updates. According to the latest Canada immigration plan, around 67,800 newcomers are expected to arrive in Canada through provincial nominee programs, raising the immigration bar by 11% as compared to 2019. The figure will not only consider primary applicants, but also their spouses and dependents. The plan will also see an increase in the immigration intake from some 290,000 to 340,000 by 2020.
Looking at the above figures, it won’t be a mistake to say that Canada’s immigration plan for 2020 and beyond is the right step taken towards tackling the impacts of aging population, low birth rates, and economic negativity. The new plan shows that immigration will become a crucial factor in Canada’s economic growth. In 2020, it’s the PNPs that will gain the maximum attention of the Canadian government.
It comes as a no surprise that Canada provincial nominee program has grown exponentially ever since it was introduced in the 1998. Jointly managed by the federal government and the provincial, the PNP Canada lets the provincial government identify the economic, social, and demographic needs of their jurisdictions by allowing them to set targets and selection criteria related to skilled and business migration.
Looking at over the next few years, both Canadian provinces as well as territories will seek as many as skilled immigrants via provincial nominee programs alone. The provincial government is also trying to direct the majority of migrants out of their largest cities to regional areas. At present, at least 80% of the immigrants with Canada PR Visa are settled in larger cities, which somehow hinders the economic development of most of the rural areas or smaller cities. To address this concern, regional PNPs have been introduced by several provinces and territories. The perfect example of the same is Ontario, which recently selected its three communities to have their own say in new Regional Immigration Pilot Program.
The federal government is constantly seeking ways to make the PNPs more innovative and dynamic to align growing needs of the provinces. The government strives to spread economic migration benefits across Canada, and this can only be achieved by “regionalization” policy.
In 2017, the government of Canada launched an Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program to give permanent residency to skilled worker overseas and international graduates who want to live and work in any of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces. These provinces are Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia PNP and New Brunswick. Till date, the program has welcomed more than 4,000 immigrants to Canada. Going by Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program is going to become a permanent program soon.
In addition to this, the year 2020 will also witness significant gains in Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program, which was introduced in 2019. Till date, five out of 11 communities have registered their participation in the program, and have started accepting applications on January 1, 2020.
The minister’s mandate also indicates the launch of a new municipal candidate program. The details of the program are yet to be released. Though, it is anticipated that the program will operate in a same manner as RNIP, whereby designated municipalities will invite skilled workers who are capable of meeting the job market needs. The mandate also suggests the launch of some additional pilot programs to encourage rural migration in Canada.
To summarize the above, it is easy to understand that the federal government is serious about provincial and territorial growth in 2020. The government will ensure to evenly distribute economic benefits of migration throughout Canada by countering labor market shortages caused by growing retirement rates and declining rate of birth.
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