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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has relied on immigration to boost the Canadian economy and support an aging population since coming to power in 2015.
Immigration is a vital part of the solution as Canada focuses on addressing acute labor market shortages, the ministry said. People with permanent residency permits can typically apply for citizenship after five years.
Canada set an immigration record last year by granting more than 437,000 foreigners permanent residency, the government said on Tuesday, as it ramps up immigration to fight a tight labor market.
The government had targeted to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022. The immigration ministry said Canada had reached that target to make it the most significant annual intake of people in Canadian history.
The tally for last year is about 9% higher than 2021, when Canada surpassed the previous record set in 1913, and comes as Canada seeks to bring in 1.45 million new permanent residents by 2025-end.
Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labor force growth, and by 2036, immigrants will represent up to 30% of Canada’s population, up from 20.7% in 2011, the statement said.
The shortage of skilled workers in industries like healthcare is acute; The most recent official data shows 871,300 job vacancies in October, down from a record high of over a million open roles in Canada in May.
But many immigrants still struggle to find work in their chosen field, and some advocates say support has not grown with the number of new permanent residents.
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