Immigration Minister Sean Fraser boasted last week that Canada has hit the 300,000 mark earlier this year than any other year. Since Confederation in 1867, Canada has welcomed more than 300,000 immigrants in an entire year only six times: in the years of 1911 to 1913 and then in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
After pandemic-related travel restrictions caused a slump of newcomers in 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ramped up immigration in 2021, ending off the year with a record-breaking 405,330 newcomers. Even so, IRCC did not surpass the 300,000 mark until the fourth quarter that year.
Publicly available data on IRCC’s open data portal has so far reported the numbers of new immigrants up until June 2022. The results for July and August will be released in the upcoming months.
By the end of June, about 231,620 newcomers had immigrated to Canada. The difference between the figures from the end of June to August suggests Canada has welcomed some 68,000 permanent residents over the course of two months.
If this rate keeps up for the remaining four months of the year, Canada could meet or even exceed its target of 431,000 new immigrants in 2022. Should the immigration department reach this target, it would blow past the previous record set in 2021.
The available data show us which countries immigrants are emigrating from and the Canadian provinces and territories where they are landing.
IRCC rounds data to the nearest five as part of an effort to protect individual privacy, and prevent individuals from being identified. As a result, the sum of the data may not always equal the total.
Here are some key insights into Canadian immigration during the first half of 2022.
Top 10 source countries
India remains the top source country of new immigrants by a large margin. In the first half of the year, 68,280 Indians have received Canadian permanent residence, representing 29% of all immigrants to Canada. Indian citizens have consistently been the top source country of new immigrants to Canada since 2017.
There was a significant increase in permanent residents from Afghanistan following the Taliban take over. In 2021, Afghanistan was the ninth most popular source country of newcomers overall, after a surge of Afghan immigration to Canada followed in the second half of 2021 when the federal government promised to resettle 40,000 refugees fleeing the county. So far this year, Afghanistan is coming in at number four. As of August 31, 2022, about 18,075 refugees have arrived in Canada under new permanent residency programs for Afghans.
Country
# of new immigrants Jan – Jun, 2022
India
68,280
China
16,540
Philippines
12,630
Afghanistan
11,415
Nigeria
10,080
Iran
6,425
France
6,280
USA
6,025
Pakistan
5,505
Brazil
4,810
Provincial immigration
Ontario has by far been the most popular landing province of immigrants. A total of 101,155 newcomers have immigrated to Ontario in the first six months of the year, nearly triple that of the second place contender, British Columbia. The province of BC is now home to 36,700 new permanent residents as of the end of June.
Quebec welcomed the third most immigrants overall, starting the first half of the year with 31,880. Alberta came in fourth with 26,920 newcomers.
Ontario also welcomed the most in all of Canada’s immigration classes: economic, family, refugee, and other. BC welcomed the second most economic- and family-class immigrants, and came in third under the other category. Alberta accepted the second highest number of refugees and the third most family-class immigrants. Quebec had the third most economic- and refugee-class immigrants, and the second most welcomed under the other category.
Province/Territory
Total
Economic
Family
Refugee
Other
Not Stated
50
x
x
x
x
Prince Edward Island
1,510
1,370
80
55
5
Ontario
101,155
53,560
25,060
19,470
3,065
Quebec
31,880
19,855
6,555
3,785
1,685
British Columbia
36,700
23,735
9,110
3,450
405
Alberta
26,920
12,345
7,420
6,810
345
Manitoba
10,785
8,450
1,450
790
95
Nova Scotia
6,745
5,700
510
515
25
New Brunswick
4,545
3,965
245
320
20
Saskatchewan
9,550
7,630
1,145
755
15
Newfoundland and Labrador
1,305
940
90
265
10
Yukon
305
255
45
5
5
Northwest Territories
145
110
35
5
0
Nunavut
25
15
10
0
0
Grand total
231,620
137,930
51,745
36,225
5,675
Slightly more PNP immigrants admitted this year
According to the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is expecting to welcome more immigrants under its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) than its Express Entry-managed programs for this year and next year. This has not happened since Canada introduced the Express Entry system in 2015.
So far, Canada has welcomed 40,785 immigrants through Express Entry and 40,835 though the PNP. Most Express Entry immigrants have been admitted from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) immigrants make up a smaller portion of Express Entry immigrants this year, and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) make up the smallest share.
Province/territory
Express Entry
CEC
FSWP
FSTP
PNP
Newfoundland and Labrador
20
10
10
0
350
Prince Edward Island
95
85
10
0
940
Nova Scotia
480
375
105
5
2675
New Brunswick
305
210
95
0
2055
Quebec
x
x
x
x
x
Ontario
26,940
15,500
11,360
80
8170
Manitoba
515
205
310
0
6625
Saskatchewan
395
225
165
5
6620
Alberta
3,825
1,925
1,900
30
5770
British Columbia
8,125
5,600
2,335
190
7425
Yukon
50
45
5
0
155
Northwest Territories
25
20
5
0
50
Nunavut
10
5
5
0
x
Grand total
40,785
24,205
16,305
310
40,835
Canada continuing to push for more immigration
Canada relies heavily on immigration to fill gaps in the labour market. The latest data from Statistics Canada says that there are over one million job vacancies and an unemployment rate of only 4.9%, a historic low. As a result, the country is facing a labour shortage in several sectors. This is intensified as over nine million Canadians will reach retirement age by 2030 and the birth rate is one of the lowest of all G7 countries at 1.4 children per woman.
To combat the labour shortage, Canada can expect to continue increasing the number of immigrants to record breaking levels each year. For example, in 2024 Canada targets to invite more than 450,000 newcomers as part of the Immigration Levels Plan. Some provincial governments are calling for Canada to do more to attract immigrants with in-demand skills, and lobbying for more say over immigration.
Canada is also making renewed efforts to make the application process easier and more streamlined for applicants. IRCC has recently announced several measures to clear the current backlog of applications as well as improvements to the client experience. Starting September 23, immigration applications will go 100% digital and by spring of 2023 IRCC will launch application status trackers for seven additional permanent residence and temporary residence programs.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rookie Wyatt Langford homered, doubled twice and became the first Texas player this season to reach base five times, struggling Jonah Heim delivered a two-run single to break a sixth-inning tie and the Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 13-8 on Tuesday night.
Leody Taveras also had a homer among his three hits for the Rangers.
Langford, who also walked twice, has 12 homers and 25 doubles this season. He is hitting .345 in September.
“I think it’s really important to finish on a strong note,” Langford said. “I’m just going to keep trying to do that.”
Heim was 1-for-34 in September before he lined a single to right field off Tommy Nance (0-2) to score Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe, giving Texas a 9-7 lead. Heim went to the plate hitting .212 with 53 RBIs after being voted an All-Star starter last season with a career-best 95 RBIs. He added a double in the eighth ahead of Taveras’ homer during a three-run inning.
Texas had 13 hits and left 13 men on. It was the Rangers’ highest-scoring game since a 15-8 win at Oakland on May 7.
Matt Festa (5-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, giving him a 5-0 record in 13 appearances with the Rangers after being granted free agency by the New York Mets on July 7.
Nathan Eovaldi, a star of Texas’ 2023 run to the franchise’s first World Series championship, had his worst start of the year in what could have been his final home start with the Rangers. Eovaldi, who will be a free agent next season, allowed 11 hits (the most of his two seasons with Texas) and seven runs (tied for the most).
“I felt like early in the game they just had a few hits that found the holes, a few first-pitch base hits,” said Eovaldi, who is vested for a $20 million player option with Texas for 2025. “I think at the end of the day I just need to do a better job of executing my pitches.”
Eovaldi took a 7-3 lead into the fifth inning after the Rangers scored five unearned runs in the fourth. The Jays then scored four runs to knock out Eovaldi after 4 2/3 innings.
Six of the seven runs scored against Toronto starter Chris Bassitt in 3 2/3 innings were unearned. Bassitt had a throwing error during Texas’ two-run third inning.
“We didn’t help ourselves defensively, taking care of the ball to secure some outs,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
The Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a double and two singles, his most hits in a game since having four on Sept. 3. Guerrero is hitting .384 since the All-Star break.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf) was activated and played for the first time since July 19, going 2 for 5 with an RBI. … OF Daulton Varsho (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list and will have rotator cuff surgery … INF Will Wagner (knee inflammation) was placed on the 60-day list.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Chad Bradford (5-3, 3.97 ERA) will pitch Wednesday night’s game on extended five days’ rest after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and home runs (three) in 3 2/3 innings losing at Arizona on Sept. 14.
Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (8-4, 3.50) has had two no-hitters get away in the ninth inning this season, including in his previous start against the New York Mets on Sept. 11. Francis is the first major-leaguer to have that happen since Rangers Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in 1989.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Billie Jean King will become the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate.
Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King’s “lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace.”
The bill was introduced last September on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” still the most-watched tennis match of all-time. The medal, awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she has “broken barriers, led uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”
SURREY, B.C. – Premier David Eby says new account control measures for young Instagram users introduced Tuesday by social media giant Meta are the “minimum” expected of tech companies to keep kids safe online.
The parent company of Instagram says users in Canada and elsewhere under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default starting Tuesday, restricting who can send messages, among other parental controls and settings.
Speaking at an unrelated event Tuesday, Eby says the province began talks with social media companies after threatening legislation that would put big tech companies on the hook for “significant potential damages” if they were found negligent in failing to keep kids safe from online predators.
Eby says the case of Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old from Prince George, B.C., who took his own life last year after being targeted by a predator on Snapchat, was “horrific and totally preventable.”
He says social media apps are “nothing special,” and should be held to the same child safety standards as anyone who operates a place that invites young people, whether it’s an amusement park, a playground or an online platform.
In a progress report released Tuesday about the province’s engagement with big tech companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Spapchat and X, formerly known as Twitter, the provincial government says the companies are implementing changes, including a “trusted flagger” option to quickly remove intimate images.
— With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024
