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 government proposing new affordability measures
Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, has tabled a new bill with the House of Commons to improve affordability in Canada.
Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, has two main components. The first is to change the Excise Tax Act to add an enhancement to the GST New Residential Rental Property Rebate.
Canada ranked as 2nd best country in the world
According to the 2023 Best Countries ranking by U.S. News, Canada is the second-best in the world overall this year, behind Switzerland.
Sweden, Australia, and the United States rounded out the top five overall countries.
The move up to second is an improvement from 2022, when Canada was ranked third overall by U.S. News.
To formulate these rankings, U.S. News looked at 10 different sub-categories (where they ranked the top 20 countries in each) and then ranked 87 countries in their overall rankings.
The top Canadian immigration developments to expect for the rest of 2023
Fall and the lead-up to the Christmas holiday period are typically busy seasons for developments from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada’s immigration system in general.
While there are a lot of moving parts to Canada’s immigration system, there are several key developments to watch for as the year comes to a close.
These include potential changes in Canada’s immigration policy priorities and permanent residence levels, and updates to the parents and grandparents, international student, and work permit programs.
Pivoting North: A Guide for U.S. Residents Looking to Move to Canada
To attract more global tech talent to Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently opened a new three-year Open Work Permit stream for H-1B holders living in the United States (U.S.).
After opening the stream for applications on July 16, the federal government announced that it was closing the program after reaching the intended cap of 10,000 applicants just two days later.
