Ottawa: Canada set an immigration record last year by granting more than 437,000 foreigners permanent residency, the government said.
The government had set a target to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022, and the immigration ministry said Canada has reached that target to make it the largest annual intake of people in Canadian history.
The tally for last year is about 9 per cent higher than 2021, when Canada surpassed the previous record set in 1913, and comes as Canada seeks to bring in 1.45 million new permanent residents by 2025-end.
Immigration is a key part of the solution as Canada focuses on addressing acute labour market shortages, the ministry said. People with permanent residency permits can typically apply for citizenship after five years.
Immigration accounts for almost 100 per cent of Canada’s labour force growth and by 2036 immigrants will represent up to 30 per cent of Canada’s population, up from 20.7 per cent in 2011, the statement said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has relied on immigration to boost the Canadian economy and support an ageing population since coming to power in 2015.
