Immigration may help Canada lower interest rates Rising interest rates across Canada will burden Canadians looking to borrow money for housing and make many other loan-based purchases. Read more below to find out why immigration might be the solution. On October 26, the Bank of Canada (BoC) increased the policy interest rate by 50 basis points, up to 3.75%. By Vimal Sivakumar
Canada’s immigration backlog decreases slightly to 2.6 million IRCC's inventory has decreased for the first time since July 2021. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is reporting a decrease in its August 31 inventory. By Shelby Thevenot
Canada is on track to welcome a record 431,000 immigrants Analysis: IRCC data suggest Canada could meet or exceed this year's expectations. Most immigrants to Canada so far have come from India. Ontario continues to be the top province for new immigrants. As of August 22, Canada has welcomed about 300,000 new permanent residents. By Shelby Thevenot
Analysis: Factors that may affect Express Entry CRS scores An early analysis of the first all-program Express Entry draws in 2022. Canada has resumed all-program Express Entry draws as of July 6. Since then, the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in each draw has grown by 250 each week, causing the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirements to go down. By Shelby Thevenot
Analysis: Canada’s provinces are seeking a new deal on immigration Canada's immigration system is entering a new era where the provinces want to have even more control than the federal government. On July 28, 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan released a statement that it is seeking greater control over its immigration system. By Kareem El-Assal
How can Canada avoid major immigration backlogs in the future? OPINION: Here are 6 recommendations to get Canada's immigration operations back on track. Earlier this month the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) began a study on IRCC’s application processing times and backlogs. By Kareem El-Assal
How Canada can improve the Temporary Foreign Worker Program OPINION: The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is one of the strongest methods that Canada has to address the immediate shortage of labour—but there is room for improvement. A recent study from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business titled “Labour shortages are back with a vengeance” found that 54% of businesses could not find all the staff they need, with only 42% reporting being able to fully staff their operations. By Isaac Kinsella
Express Entry: IRCC aims to resume FSWP and CEC invitations this spring ANALYSIS: Minister's remarks on resuming skilled worker draws are in accord with backlog data and IRCC internal briefing notes. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in a recent interview that the immigration department was looking to resume Express Entry draws for skilled workers in the spring. By Shelby Thevenot
Canada’s decision to land over 400,000 immigrants in 2021 has come at a cost ANALYSIS: While the decision has helped many immigrants, it has also hurt many others. Here are some suggestions to get the immigration system back on track. The Canadian government entered 2021 with an ambitious immigration goal. By Kareem El-Assal
