Immigration to Canada increased by 9.3% in May, totaling 46,550 new permanent residents. 2024 might surpass expectations with 530,556 estimated newcomers, breaking records.

According to the most recent data available from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), an increasing number of immigrants became new permanent residents of Canada in May, maintaining the rising trend in monthly immigration to the nation that began the previous month.

Following a dull March, monthly immigration increased by 22% in April and then by 9.3% in May, when 46,550 new permanent residents entered the nation, bringing the total for the first five months of the year to 210,865.

pattern in First Five Months Could See Canada Welcome 530,556 New Permanent Residents This Year

If that pattern holds true for the remainder of 2024, the total number of new permanent residents to Canada this year could reach 530,556.In comparison to the 471,815 new permanent residents that Canada welcomed in 2023—a record-breaking year for immigration—that represents 12.5% more newcomers this year.

Additionally, under Canada’s 2024–2026 Immigration Levels Plan, the country has said it will accept 485,000 new permanent residents, a figure that would be substantially exceeded by the predicted level of immigration.

The country’s desired annual immigration level would be 9.4% greater than the anticipated number of new permanent residents this year.

It would even surpass the immigration goal of 500,000 new permanent residents for 2026 and the following year.

Monthly Patterns of Immigration and Their Regional Dispersal

Nonetheless, there is a significant amount of typical variation in monthly immigration amounts.

The number of new permanent residents to Canada in the first five months of this year, at 221,065, is still 4.6% lower than the total number for the same period last year, which had a stronger start. However, monthly immigration is now trending back up after a slow start to the year.

With 88,250 new permanent residents opting to settle there in the first five months of this year, Ontario, the largest province in Canada in terms of population, was the most sought-after location for immigrants.

This indicates that during the first five months of this year, almost 41.8% of all immigrants to Canada chose to settle in the central Canadian province.

Approximately 53.5% of all new permanent residents to Ontario during the first five months of this year came through economic programs, such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), Agri-Food Immigration Pilot (AFIP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Caregiver programs, Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), Federal Skilled Trades (FST) and Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) programs, Start-Up Visa (SUV) and Self-Employed Persons (SEP) programs, and the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway.

The largest percentage increase in immigration to Alberta occurred in May, and at that time, those programs assisted 47,195 new permanent residents in coming to Ontario.

Between January and the end of May, 16,225 new permanent residents entered Ontario through Canada’s refugee and protected person programs, while another 21,245 came through family sponsorships.

During those five months, the following number of new permanent residents were drawn to each of the other provinces and territories.

• Newfoundland and Labrador – 2,455
• Prince Edward Island – 2,195
• Nova Scotia – 7,135
• New Brunswick – 7,310
• Quebec – 24,270
• Manitoba – 10,800
• Saskatchewan – 10,565
• Alberta – 27,800
• British Columbia – 29,410
• Yukon – 455
• Northwest Territories – 180
• Nunavut – 25

With a 17.8% increase in new permanent resident arrivals, Alberta recorded the most percentage increase in immigration in May among all provinces in the nation.Only the Yukon, out of the three territories in the nation, experienced a gain in immigration each month; in May, it increased by 13.3% over the previous month.

In May, there was a 50% decrease in immigration to Nunavut and a 28.6% decrease in immigration to the Northwest Territories.

The Immigration System in Canada

Canada has a two-tier immigration system that enables foreign nationals to obtain permanent residency through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) of the ten Canadian provinces as well as the federal Express Entry system’s FSW, FST, and CEC programs.

According to a government official, temporary immigration to Canada, which increased dramatically during the epidemic, is anticipated to be included in an immigration levels plan in September.