Blue Bird Blog

Canada’s non-permanent resident population is 2.2 million people

Statistics Canada has just released a major report that changes how it counts Canada’s non-permanent residents (NPRs).
According to the latest population estimate, NPRs account for 2,198,679 people in Canada. A difference of over one million from Census 2021.
The report is significant because Statistics Canada acknowledges that it previously undercounted the country’s NPR population. The revised methodology has significant implications for Canadian public policy in a variety of areas, including immigration, economic and labour market planning and housing, among other important areas.

Canada's population now stands at nearly 40.1 million people

The latest data shows a 46% year-over-year increase in NPRs in Canada. The majority of growth comes from an increase in work and study permits. It is the highest growth in NPRs since records began being kept in 1971/72.

The country's population was estimated at 40,097,761 on July 1, 2023, an increase of 1,158,705 people (+2.9%) from July 1, 2022 and nearly 100,000 more than the milestone of 40,000,000 reached in June 2023.

This means Canada continues to lead G7 countries for population growth and is among the top 20 countries for population growth globally. The latest number shows the highest population growth rate recorded for a 12-month period since 1957 (+3.3%). Statistics Canada estimates that if the rate of population growth seen this past year remains constant in the future, it would lead to the Canadian population doubling in 25 years.

The report notes that close to 98% of the growth in the Canadian population from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, came from net international migration, with 2% coming from the difference between births and deaths.

The large growth from international migration is due to nearly 470,000 new permanent resident landings, and an increase in the number of NPRs by almost 700,000 people.

The number of NPRs holding a work permit was estimated at over 1.4 million people in July 2023, up 64% compared to the nearly 870,000 people in July 2022. Statistics Canada notes that much of this growth can be attributed to the arrival of Ukrainians following the invasion of their country by Russia.

Fertility rates in Canada reached record-low levels in 2022, with 1.33 children per woman, compared with 1.44 in 2021. Another recent report by Statistics Canada found that between 2018 and 2022, Canadian women had 20,000 fewer babies.

Statistics Canada’s revised approach to counting non-permanent residents

Statistics Canada constantly revises its demographic estimates to provide the most accurate numbers as possible. It now includes family members living with temporary permit holders in Canada. In addition, it has adjusted its methodology to better count those still in Canada after their temporary permit expires, but who are waiting for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to review their extension application.

The Statistics Canada update comes following recent reports by CIBC Economics and the C.D. Howe Institute that found both the Statistics Canada annual census and the quarterly estimate of population growth were significantly undercounting NPRs such as students, temporary foreign workers, and temporary residents (TR).

CIBC estimated there could be as many as one million NPRs not accounted for in Canada’s population. It also noted that data from the 2021 census suggests that there were just under 925,000 NPRs in Canada, while the quarterly estimate suggested the count was 1.17 million.

Alberta grew the most

Alberta experienced the fasted demographic growth among all of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, increasing by 4%. This growth is largely thanks to international migration and the increase in people from other parts of Canada moving to the province. Alberta led Canada with over 56,000 more people moving to the province than leaving it between July 2022 and July 2023.

Statistics Canada notes that seven provinces also experienced record population growth: Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Prince Edward Island (3.9%), Nova Scotia (3.2%), and New Brunswick (3.1%) all enjoyed strong population growth, while Newfoundland and Labrador (1.3%) had the lowest growth among all the provinces.

Ontario and British Columbia grew by 3% each, while Manitoba (2.9%) and Saskatchewan (2.6%) came close behind.

Quebec also experienced a record-high population growth of 2.3%.

Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026

Under Canadian law, the federal government is required to announce its immigration plan by November 1st during non-election years. As such, we will learn about Canada's new permanent residence targets by early November. Under the current Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025, Canada is looking to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents annually by 2025. The federal immigration minister Marc Miller recently said he expects Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 targets to either remain in line with the current plan, or be revised higher.

Source: cicnews.com

How long will it take to become a permanent resident of Canada in 2024?

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada often look for the fastest pathway to achieving their goal and starting a new life in this country.
On a basic level, Canada has four primary immigration classes: economic immigration, family-class sponsorship, humanitarian/compassionate immigration and immigration for refugees/protected persons.
However, within those four general classifications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides foreign nationals with more than 100 ways to immigrate to Canada.

Canada implements policies to increase affordability of housing and groceries

A new Leger poll conducted for OMNI news, illustrated the effect of an increasing cost of living on newcomers in Canada. According to the study, 83% of the 1522 newcomers surveyed felt that affordability issues were making settling in Canada more difficult.

Simultaneously, a recent study by Statistics Canada found that more than a third of newcomers who recently arrived in the country were in renting situations where they needed to spend more than a third of their pre-tax income on rent.

On February 6th the federal government announced new policies to help increase affordability for Canadians, and those living in Canada. Similar affordability policies were instituted by the government last year.

5 challenges newcomers face in Canada and how to deal with them

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 aims to welcome over 460,000 new immigrants each year, which is the highest level in Canadian history.
Upon arrival, newcomers must settle into their new homes and may experience some challenges adjusting to Canada and their new lives in the country.

Finding a job in Ontario

Recently the Ontario provincial government chose to make it illegal for employers to require Canadian work experience in their job advertisements, in addition to making it mandatory for all job postings to feature salaries.
Both steps represent victories, not just for the Ontario labour force (who will now be able to see how the potential salary of a job compares to provincial and national averages); but especially for newcomers to Ontario—who are often held back from roles and professions they are qualified for, based on their lack of Canadian experience.
Considering these two changes, CIC News has compiled the following guide for newcomers looking for a job in Ontario.

IRCC announces cap on admissions for international students

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that is implanting a temporary cap on the number of international students who are issued study visas. A release from IRCC shows that for 2024, the cap is "expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023."
Further, IRCC is introducing caps for each province and territory. The department says the caps will be weighted by population, and will result in significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth.