Canada's Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025

On November 1, 2022, the Government of Canada released its Immigration Levels Plan for the next three years, from 2023 to 2025. The country has raised the bar again and increased its immigrant admission goals. So if you have not yet moved to Canada, you have a chance to do so in the coming years!

Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025

Under the previous plan, for 2022-2024, the goal for 2023 was over 447,000 immigrants and for 2024 it was 451,000. In the new plan, the numbers have been adjusted:

• 2023 — 465,000 immigrants;
• 2024 — 485,000 immigrants;
• 2025 — 500,000 immigrants.

Thus, Canada expects to welcome 1.45 million newcomers over the next three years. But since the immigration plan changes upward every year, there will likely be even more immigrants.

Economic immigration

Canada is most willing to grant permanent residency to economic immigrants. These are able-bodied people who move through federal and provincial immigration programs. The peculiarity of these programs is that there are certain requirements for age, education, work experience, language skills, and so on. As of 2022, there are over 120 economic immigration programs in Canada. You need to find a program that suits you and apply to get permanent residency.

If you don't know how Canada's immigration system works, read our article on the subject.

In total, Canada will seek to admit 266,210 people in 2023 under the following economic immigration programs:

• Federal Immigration Programs — 82,880;
• Immigration Public Policies (temporary programs for those who work and study in Canada) — 25,000 people;
• Business Immigration Programs — 3,500 people:
  • Start-up Visa;
  • Self-Employed Persons Program;
• Immigration Pilots — 8,500 people:
  • Agri-Food Immigration Pilot;
  • Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot;
  • Caregivers Pilots;
  • Economic Mobility Pathways.
• Atlantic Immigration Program — 8,500 people;
• Provincial Immigration Programs — 105,500 people.

Interestingly, Canada is ready to accept more people through provincial immigration programs than through federal programs in 2023. The federal programs allow you to immigrate faster, but they suit fewer people because of the high requirements. Provincial programs often have lower eligibility requirements.

Family immigration

Canada has Family Reunification Programs, or Family Sponsorship Programs. They allow Canadians with citizenship or permanent resident status to sponsor the relocation of their relatives: spouses, partners, children, parents, and grandparents.

For 2023, Canada has allocated 106,500 places for sponsored immigrants:

• spouses, partners, and children — 78,000;
• parents and grandparents — 28,500.

If you have already moved to Canada, you can also help your relatives immigrate. But the sponsor is obligated to financially support those they have invited to Canada.

Refugees and humanitarian immigration

High quotas in 2023 are allocated to those who seek asylum in Canada and those whom Canada accepts on compassionate grounds:

• Refugee Programs — 76,305 people;
• Humanitarian Immigration Program — 15,985 people.

Immigration to Quebec

The province of Quebec sets its own immigration levels targets, which are updated annually. In 2023, Quebec will aim to welcome 52,500 people:

• 33,900 people under economic immigration programs;
• 4,500 business immigrants;
• 18,500 people on refugee programs, family reunification programs, and so on.

Features of the 2023 Immigration Plan

In the 2023 plan, Canada significantly increased the number of immigrants through federal programs. In 2022, the plan was only 55,900 people; now it is 82,880. This is because there were no federal program draws in the first half of 2022, and they only resumed in July. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, more places are available for provincial program candidates.

Canada is also targeting entrepreneurs. In 2022, the plan for admitting business immigrants was only 1,000, but the 2023 plan raised the target to 3,500.

However, compared to 2022, the quota for immigrants under temporary programs for those who work and study in the country has decreased significantly. Previously it was 40,000 people. Canada is probably not planning to launch new pilot programs in 2023, at least not in the large numbers that were typical of 2022. This is most likely due to the resumption of federal draws since Canada already has programs for workers and graduates at both the federal and provincial levels.

In addition, 2023 will again see a large number of refugees moving in. First, the number of people to be admitted under the Humanitarian Immigration Program — on compassionate grounds — has risen sharply. In 2022, the target was nearly half that number. Second, the target for admitting asylum seekers remains high.

But there will actually be even more refugees than stated in the plan, because in 2022 Canada began issuing simplified entry permits to Ukrainians who fled the war, and Ukrainian citizens will probably continue to come to Canada in 2023. Because they get a simplified visa, not refugee status, they are not counted in the Immigration Plan.

Moving to Canada in 2023

The surest ways to immigrate are still to find a job in Canada and to enter a Canadian college or university.

The provincial programs already mentioned have 105,500 places, the highest number in the economic category. Many of these programs require a job offer or graduation from a provincial institution. Another 17,000 spots are allocated to the Atlantic Program and Immigration Pilots, all of which also require a job offer.

Graduates benefit from additional specialized immigration programs that are open to them, and after studying, they receive a work permit in Canada and can apply for programs requiring a job offer or Canadian work experience. In addition, students significantly improve their language skills and score higher points on this factor.

Immigration assistance

We are a Canadian immigration company and provide legal immigration services. How we can help:

• assess your chances of immigrating;
• choose a suitable program;
• develop an immigration strategy;
• prepare a Canadian-format CV for your job search;
• choose a Canadian university or college and study program based on your education, work experience, and budget;
• register you with a Canadian language school to study English online or in person in Toronto and Vancouver;
• apply for a visa or permanent residence permit.

Book a consultation with our specialist to make the first step toward Canada.