CIMM – Economic Immigration (Fédéral) – October 24, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

• We welcomed over 437,000 new permanent residents in 2022. Roughly 59% were economic immigrants, selected for skills that can help employers meet their hiring needs.
• Over 200,000 economic immigrants have been welcomed so far this year (January to August 2023).

Key Messages

• Immigration is essential to Canada’s long-term growth. Through economic immigration pathways, Canada attracts newcomers with the skills our economy needs, to help Canada stay competitive and tackle labour shortages.
• This spring, we launched category-based selection to invite Express Entry candidates who meet specified economic priorities and goals. In 2023, categories focus on selecting newcomers with work experience in priority sectors (healthcare; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions; trades; transport; and, agriculture and agri-food) and those with strong French language proficiency.

Supplementary information

• A number of economic immigration pathways are available across a range of skill levels.
  • Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for the Federal High Skilled Programs^{Footnote 1}.
  • The Agri-Food Pilot, a pathway for full-time, non-seasonal workers in specific agri-food industries and occupations, has been extended to May 2025 with several changes to be implemented by year-end.
  • The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots provide a clear and direct pathway to permanent residence for in-home foreign national caregivers and their families. As of April 30, 2023, the amount of in-Canada work experience required for these pilots was reduced from 24 months to 12 months.
  • Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program and Self-Employed Program are facing challenges, with long processing times undermining program objectives. A modernization initiative is underway to address these challenges.