Canada may expand 90,000 immigrant limit under new programs
In one of the threads, the application limit was exhausted one day after the launch.
On May 6, Canada launched new immigration streams for in-demand professionals and graduates of Canadian universities:
- in-demand professionals in healthcare and other fields;
- Canadian graduates.
Recruitment is open until November 5, 2021, but for each stream, Immigration Canada has set an application limit, upon reaching which recruitment closes:
- healthcare professionals — 20,000 applications;
- specialists in other fields — 30,000 applications;
- graduates of Canadian universities — 40,000 applications.
Separately, applications from French-speaking candidates, for whom there are no restrictions: such applicants will be recruited until November 5, regardless of their number.
As early as the next day, May 7, the limit of 40,000 applications per stream for English-speaking graduates from Canadian universities was exhausted. As of May 18, applications from healthcare and other professionals are still being accepted, but that could change at any time.
In response to the popularity of the new program, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said the flow application limit could be increased.
"I'm open to discussing whether the current limits should be reviewed," he said in a recent interview for Globe and Mail.
On May 13, he said that a total of 50,000 applications were submitted by streams. This means that only 10,000 applications have been submitted by in-demand specialists. According to Mendicino, when all the limits are exhausted, it will become clear to what extent they need to be expanded.
The launch of the new streams is part of Canada's ambitious plan to invite 401,000 new immigrants over 2021.
