Immigration’s benefits for Canada

March 2nd 2021 – The 2020 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration summarizes the country’s immigration performance for the year 2019.  It also highlights the enormous benefits immigration presents to Canada’s prosperity.

Newcomers bring their heritage and culture, but also their talent, ideas and global perspectives. Immigration shaped modern Canada:  a diverse society with strong economic and social foundations that offers potential for further growth and prosperity.

In 2019, Canada welcomed more than 1 million newcomers:

  • 341,000 permanent residents
  • 402,000 study permits
  • 404,000 temporary work permits

Other statistics worth showcasing:

  • 58% of permanent residents were admitted under the economic category
  • 26% of Canadian workers are immigrants
  • 74,586 individuals transitioned from temporary to permanent residents
  • Between 2017 and 2018, net immigration accounted for 80% of the country’s population increase with the remaining 20% resulted from births
  • As of 2016, there were 600,000 self-employed immigrants employing over 260,000 Canadians
  • In 2016, over 1/3 of nurses, orderlies and patient service associates in Canada were immigrants
  • Many of those that immigrate as children, or the children of immigrants, on average, contribute to Canada’s labor force and go on to earn as much as the Canadian-born