Immigration levels in Canada almost tripled in May

Prospective Canadian immigrants will be happy to hear that the country’s permanent resident intake rose significantly in the month of May after two consecutive months of decreasing immigration levels.

Increased immigration:

The immigration levels saw a boost in May 2020. Canada issued welcoming invitations to 11,000 immigrants in May as compared to just the 4,000 in April. The primary source countries of the immigrants were predictable. India topped the list, followed by China, the Philippines, the US, and Nigeria.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released new data that indicates a positive trend emerging in immigration. The coronavirus pandemic hindered the country’s immigration system, but the situation has begun to normalize.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) served as the leading source of permanent residents in May with 3,000 candidates arriving via this method. More than 2,000 of the new residents were spouses and partners of existing citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

Tracing the change in immigration levels in 2020:

Canadian immigration began the year on a positive note, but the pandemic curbed its progress. The travel restrictions and disruptions caused difficulties in operations for IRCC and other government sectors. As a result, the immigration levels dropped in March to nobody’s surprise. April saw the rates plummet further.

However, Canada was in more control of the situation by the time May rolled around as a result of which the immigration levels nearly tripled. This means that that the IRCC was able to process a higher number of applications in May as compared to the initial stages of the pandemic. This also indicates that many immigrants who are exempt from the travel restrictions in Canada finished their landing process in May. Canada’s existing travel rules state that only candidates with a confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) received before March 18 can enter Canada at the moment.