Canada welcomed 11,000 immigrants in May against just 4,000 in April. India, China, the Philippines, the US and Nigeria were the top 5 source countries of such immigrants.
The recent Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data clearly shows that the immigration system in the country is starting to normalize in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Canada was off to a quick start in early 2020 before the coronavirus led to travel restrictions and delays to IRCC's and other government operations.
Some 25,000-35,000 people officially become permanent residents of Canada within a given month. Unsurprisingly, Canada's immigration rates fell in March and then proceeded to plummet the following month.
During May, however, immigration rates nearly tripled as compared to April. The higher rates of immigration in the month of May, inform us that IRCC will handle more applications relative to the start of the pandemic.
This also informs us that, in May, more immigrants exempted from travel restrictions in Canada completed their landing process. Under the new travel regulations in Canada, those with a Permanent Residence Confirmation (COPR) before March 18 are entitled to reach Canada.
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was the leading source with 3,000 arrivals of new permanent residents. More than 2,000 of May's new permanent residents were Canadian citizens' spouses and partners. They are also excluded from travel restrictions that apply to Canada.
IRCC data also indicates that 1,300 immigrants obtained permanent residency as professional workers, mainly through the FSWP. Another 2,000 gained permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Express Entry and PNP draws have regularly occurred since March.
IRCC has issued 35,100 invitations, primarily to CEC and PNP candidates, to apply for permanent residence. The assumption of this strategy was that most CEC and PNP members are actually residing in Canada, and they are less likely to suffer disruption of coronavirus relative to those outside.
Nevertheless, IRCC resumed inviting candidates for the FSWP under Express Entry on July 8. In fact, some FSWP candidates are also currently living in Canada, so completing the PR process should be just as simple for them as CEC and PNP candidates are currently in the country.
Furthermore, the return to all-program Express Entry draws indicates that IRCC is planning to admit many more overseas immigrants at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021.
