How Canada Immigration Succeeded in 2020 & What To Expect This Year?

2020 was a historic year in Canadian immigration. Not only did Canada surprise with its ambitious immigration plans, but also made a significant impact on Canada’s overall immigration system by repeatedly breaking its own records throughout the year. 

Having welcomed over 341,000 immigrants in 2019, Canada’s immigration plan was well on track in the early beginning of 2020. But with the rise of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Canada, like the rest of the world, saw an unprecedented halt in immigration. 

However, Canada was quick to ‘adapt and impress’ with a brand new plan in action. It was the first country to bounce back with post-crisis economic recovery plans on immediate effect. 

In this article, we are going to cover everything you need to know about:

• The Canadian Immigration Pattern in 2020
• Express Entry Draws 
• PNP Intakes, and 
• Canada’s Future Immigration Plans

An Overview on Canadian Immigration in 2020

Canada as a country has a highly-progressive and competitive economy. The World Economic League Table ranks Canada as the world's 10th-largest economy based on its GDP in 2019, with immigration being a key contributor to the nation’s GDP. 

In 2020, not only did Canada accept 195,800 new immigrants but also introduced the ‘highest immigration intake plan’ in its history.

In early March, 2020, Canada announced its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan aiming to welcome 401,000 immigrants in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023. 

About 60 percent of immigrants were to be welcomed through the Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program. 

Now, let's take a look at how Canada managed to accomplish its record-breaking strides in immigration with its Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs in 2020. 

Canada Express Entry - What is it?

The Express Entry Canada, as the name suggests, is one of the fastest immigration routes for skilled foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada. This program can offer candidates with a PR in less than 8-12 months.

Canada’s Express Entry is a doorway to 3 Canada’s three Federal High-Skilled immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) - For experienced foreign nationals,
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) - For traders and businessmen,
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC) - For those with Canadian work experience, and some of its Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

How does Express Entry work?

• You must first score a minimum of 67 points to apply for Express Entry
• You then create an Express Entry Profile 
• Submit your ECA Report, language test results and other documents
• If you have a high CRS score that is same or above as the cut-off for the latest Express Draw, you receive an ITA
• An ITA is an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence issued by the Canadian Government to candidates with a good CRS score
• You adhere to the invite and submit your PR application within 60 days

Note: You can also apply for one of the PNP programs and receive an additional 600 points on your CRS score if the province nominates you. This is a guaranteed way of receiving an ITA.

Canada Express Entry Draw Highlights in 2020

Key highlights of a record-breaking year in the Express Entry Program

• The year 2020 began with Express Entry draw sizes consistently increasing
• The 19 February first quarter draw saw IRCC issue invitations to 4,500 candidates
• In 2020, Canada held 37 invitation rounds, issuing 107,350 ITAs to Express Entry applicants 

• 72% of applicants with scores between 415 - 478 were eligible for at least one of the Express Entry programs in 2020
• Express Entry broke all records in both the biggest and smallest draws. The smallest draw was a provincial nomination draw held on 15 April 2020 that invited 118 candidates
• 2020 saw a CRS cutoff score of above 470 for most of the program draws (with few exceptions).
• The November 25, 2020 draw issued the highest ITAs of 5,000 with a low CRS cut-off score at 469
• 2020’s last Express Entry draw on December 23 was the fourth draw in a row to issue 5,000 invitations i.e 20,000 invitations well within a one month — breaking all previous records for Express Entry!

Express Entry Result 2020 - Lowest to Highest CRS scores

• The lowest CRS cut-off score for 2020 was 415 for the FSTP program
• The CRS cut-off was 468 on December 23 for an all-program draw, which is the lowest all-program cut-off in Canada’s recent history
• The smallest draw was a PNP only draw on April 15, where just 118 invitations were issued
• Only 250 skilled trades workers were invited this year on 6 August 2020 through the Federal Skilled Trades draw
  
  

  Program Type	Month	No. of Invitations	CRS
  Federal Skilled Worker	20-Dec	5000	468
  	20-Dec	5000	469
  	20-Nov	5000	472
  	20-Nov	5000	469
  	20-Nov	4500	478
  	20-Oct	4500	471
  	20-Feb	4500	470
  	20-Sep	4200	475
  	20-Sep	4200	472
  	20-Sep	4200	471
  	20-Aug	3900	476
  	20-Jul	3900	478
  	20-Mar	3900	471
  Canadian Experience Class	20-Apr	3782	455
  	20-Jun	3559	437
  	20-May	3515	440
  	20-Jun	3508	431
  Federal Skilled Worker	20-Feb	3500	472
  	20-Jan	3400	473
  	20-Jan	3400	471
  Canadian Experience Class	20-May	3371	447
  	20-Jul	3343	445
  	20-Apr	3311	452
  	20-Aug	3300	454
  	20-Apr	3294	464
  	20-Mar	3232	467
  Provincial Nominee Program	20-Mar	668	720
  Provincial Nominee Program	20-Apr	606	698
  EE-Provincial Nominee Class	20-Aug	600	771
  	20-Apr	589	692
  	20-Jul	557	687
  	20-May	529	718
  	20-Jun	392	696
  	20-May	385	757
  	20-Jun	341	743
  Federal Skilled Trade	20-Aug	250	415
  Provincial Nominee Program	20-Apr	118	808
  Total ITAs		107350

   

What to expect in Express Entry 2021?

Canada is hoping to allocate 108,500 candidates to come through Express Entry out of a total of 401,000 new immigrants next year. This target is expected to go up to 113,750 in the year 2023.

Canada will have to approve about 8,946 candidates per month to reach the target of 401,000 immigrants in 2021. For this, they will need to conduct two draws each month.

IRCC will have to issue more than 4,500 invitations per draw in 2021 to account for candidates who may no longer want to migrate to Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Unlike the Express Entry which is applicable across Canada, Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs) are specific to provinces that are in need of skilled workers who want to settle and contribute to a specific province or territory in Canada.

Most provinces and territories have at least one PNP stream under the Federal Express Entry system, which is Canada’s main immigration pathway.

PNP streams tied with Express Entry (known as ‘Enhanced’ PNPs), let provinces choose Express Entry candidates and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination. The candidates get 600 additional CRS points upon a PNP nomination.

PNP streams not tied with Express Entry (known as ‘Base’ PNPs), also nominate candidates for permanent residence.

How do Provincial Nominations work?

Canadian provinces and territories nominate individuals and families based on criteria set by them that meet their labour market needs and economic development goals. 

To be nominated you must meet the specific requirements of the provinces and territories while also showing a genuine interest in settling there. Here’s how to apply for a PNP program:

• Choose a province and determine your eligibility
• Submit your application  
• Wait for your Provincial Nomination certificate 
• Submit paper-based PR application to the government

If you were nominated through an Express Entry PNP, you can continue applying online via Express Entry. 

Draws & Invitations by Canada's Provincial Nomination Programs in 2020 

2020 PNP Highlights

• Highest invites in PNP: The Ontario PNP under the Human Capital Priorities Stream (Express Entry) in July, conducted a Tech Draw inviting 1288 candidates, the highest invitations for a single draw in 2020
• Lowest score invited: The December Draw of  the Nova Scotia PNP under the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream invited 2 candidates with the lowest CRS score of only 42!
• PNP that held the highest draws in 2020: British Columbia PNP conducted 59 draws issuing a total of 9958 invitations in 2020
• PNPs that added new immigration streams in 2020: 
  • Alberta PNP: The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream and the Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream
  • Newfoundland and Labrador PNP: Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador 
  • Yukon PNP: The Yukon Community Pilot 

2020 PNP Highlights (By Stream)

Alberta

2020 immigration intake by Alberta PNP: 1697 invitations

The Alberta Express Entry Stream conducted 59 draws inviting candidates with CRS scores as low as 300.

Alberta also introduced two new immigration streams for international graduates: 

• The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream and 
• The Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream

British Columbia

2020 immigration intake by British Columbia PNP: 9958 invitations

The province conducted 59 draws via its popular streams: Express Entry British Columbia, Skills Immigration, Entrepreneur stream and Tech Pilot having invited candidates with CRS scores as low as 75.

The province of British Columbia invited over 9,000 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in 2020.

Saskatchewan

2020 immigration intake by Saskatchewan PNP: 2272 invitations

The province conducted 18 draws via its 2 streams: Saskatchewan Express Entry stream and the Saskatchewan Occupation In-Demand stream having invited candidates with CRS scores as low as 109.

The province issued some 8,000 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination through both streams.

Manitoba

2020 immigration intake by Manitoba PNP: 4682 invitations

The province conducted 23 draws via its 2 streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas and International Education Stream.

Nova Scotia

2020 immigration intake by Nova Scotia PNP: 69 invitations

The province conducted 3 draws having invited candidates with CRS scores as low as 42.

Nova Scotia also processed applications through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

By the end of 2020, Nova Scotia had approved 3,517 candidates (skilled in essential services or healthcare workers residing in Canada), thus exceeding the annual target planned for the year.

Of the record number of  3,517 applications for newcomers in 2020, 1,617 are from the Atlantic Immigration Program and 1,900 from the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program.

Ontario

2020 immigration intake by Ontario PNP: 9213 invitations

The province conducted 23 draws under the Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream, Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream, Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Entrepreneur Stream. 

The lowest CRS score invited by Ontario in 2020 was 300

Quebec

Quebec issued invitations through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program following the Quebec Expression of Interest system, known as Arrima.

Quebec introduced new immigration pilot programs between 2020 and January, 2021:

• Permanent immigration pilot program for orderlies - for professions like nurse aide, orderly and patient service associates listed in the code 3413 of the NOC
• Quebec immigration pilot program for workers in artificial intelligence, information technology, and visual effects
• Quebec immigration pilot program for food processing workers
• Quebec Immigrant Investor Program - for Canada’s businesses immigrants with a high net worth, 1900 applications a year
• Quebec Entrepreneur Program - for experienced businessmen who want to start a new business in Quebec, or buy out an existing business

What to expect in Provincial Nominee Program 2021?

One of the fastest-growing immigration pathways of Canada, the PNP program is ever-expanding with regular improvisations and relaxations in their eligibility criteria along with additions of new streams and significantly increasing their intakes every year.

Between 2020 and 2022, more than 2 Lakh immigrants are expected to receive Permanent Residence through Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program.

Canada plans to welcome more than 80,000 new permanent residents through PNPs in 2021 with Quebec alone aiming to welcome up to 47,500 newcomers.

New Immigration Programs Launched in 2020

1. Two streams under the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Alberta has introduced two new immigration pathways focused towards international graduates who want to begin businesses in Alberta thus creating more jobs and adding to the province’s economy.

• The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream - for recent international student graduates from Alberta post-secondaries, effective October 26, 2020
• Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream - for international student graduates from top U.S. universities and colleges, effective January, 2021

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream will follow an Expression of Interest system, which is now open to submissions. More information on the Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream will be available later this year.

2. Priority Skills Newfoundland and Labrador

 It is a new immigration program for skilled workers which in effect from January 2, 2021.

It will be applicable for

• skilled workers with at least a year’s experience in an in-demand occupation
• post graduates of Memorial University with a Masters or Doctorate degree in either Technology, Health Care, Aquaculture, and Agriculture 

The program follows an Expression of Interest (EOI) system that follows an invitation to apply.

Eligibility criteria

• Candidates must have a high ranking Expression of Interest (EOI)
• Interest from local employers
• Language capabilities of CLB 5 or above
• Must be aged 21 or older
• Must be interested to permanently settle in the province

What to expect?

The Program aims to admit 2,500 new permanent residents annually by 2022.

3. The Yukon Community Pilot (YCP)

The Yukon Community Pilot (YCP) is a 3-year Pilot program launched in July 2020.

The YCP gives you a 2-year location-restricted work permit for those awaiting for a Permanent Residence Status through the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP).

How does it help?

There is a wait time of around 8-12 months between getting your PR through the YNP after you are nominated by the province. The YCP helps you get a work permit which you can use to live and work in Yukon during the waiting period.

The 2 year ‘open’ work permit lets you work for upto 3 different employers in Yukon within the 6 participating communities. 

The six participating communities are:

• Whitehorse
• Watson Lake
• Dawson City
• Haines Junction
• Carmacks
• Carcross

You don't need an LMIA to work in Yukon.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nomination letter from the Yukon Government 
• Signed letter of support from the government of Yukon
• Must have 2-3 job offers from the same participating community in Yukon
• Job must add up to at least 30 work per week
• Job must be a non-seasonal job (paid employment throughout the year)
• The wage must not exceed or meet minimum wage
• Previous experience in the job offered 
• Meet the general requirements for a work permit
• English Language requirements
• Must intend to permanently stay in Yukon

Limitations

• Only 50 job openings a year
• Must have 2-3 job offers from the ‘same’ community which are not from different communities of the 6 in Yukon, which is quite difficult

4. New Agri Food Immigration Pilot Program

It is a Pilot program for Permanent Residence (PR) program for those experienced in food and agriculture. The program will run under May 2023

Eligibility Criteria

• Canadian work experience of at least 1 year in the agri-food industry
• Non-seasonal agricultural work experience in last 3 years
• have an eligible job offer
• Settlement funds
• Language proficiency 
• Canadian High School Diploma or equivalent education
• Canadian temporary resident status (if applying from Canada)

Note: The program will only accept 2750 applications every year (until May 2023)

5. Municipal Nominee Program (MNP)

Launched in the 5 provinces of Canada, the Municipal Nominee Program (MNP) is a regional economic immigration program for permanent residency. The provinces include:

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario

A minimum of 5,000 vacancies will be available within this program, annually.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants with a job offer would be prioritized. However, those without a job offer will also be accepted under the MNP program as long as they demonstrate ‘ties to the community’

• Post secondary education in the participating municipality
• Post graduate work experience in the municipality

A community-driven program focused to get skilled workers into the northern and rural parts of Canada to settle there permanently.

The 11 communities under the RNIP program are:

• North Bay, ON
• Sudbury, ON
• Timmins, ON
• Sault Ste. Marie, ON
• Thunder Bay, ON
• Brandon, MB
• Altona/Rhineland, MB
• Moose Jaw, SK
• Claresholm, AB
• Vernon, BC
• West Kootenay (Trail, Castlegar, Rossland, Nelson), BC

Eligibility Criteria

You must

• meet both the IRCC eligibility requirements and the requirements of the community 
• have an job with an employer from a participating community
• have a community recommendation
• a post secondary education or post graduate work experience of a year (1500 hours) from a participating community
• intend to settle permanently in the community 
• have a proof of Settlement funds

7. Quebec’s permanent immigration pilot program

For workers in the artificial intelligence, information technologies, and visual effects

This pilot program is expected to launch in January, 2021.  The two main Streams under the PR pilot program are

1. The Artificial Intelligence Stream 
2. The Information Technologies & Visual Effects Stream

The program is expected to have French speaking and non French speaking streams having an annual intake quota of 550, not including accompanying family members.

Who is it for?

Those seeking to become permanent residents and are skilled in

• artificial intelligence, 
• information technology, and 
• visual effects 

They must have

• a job or a job offer from a Quebec employer
• French-speaking abilities for French stream applicants
• Valid education and work experience relevant to the field

8. Quebec’s Permanent Immigration Pilot Program

For workers in the Food Processing Sector

To be launched in January, 2021, this permanent residence immigration pilot program is focused at workers currently working in Quebec. 

They must

• Be employed in Quebec in the food processing sector
• Basic linguistic abilities in French language 
• Have a Quebec equivalent education level
• Have at least 24 months of work experience relevant to the food sector

The program will have an annual intake quota of 550, not including accompanying family members.

What to expect in Canada Immigration in 2021?

Canada’s 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plans are the biggest plans ever made in its history. The following are the number of immigrants it's aiming to accommodate over the next three years:

• 2021: 401,000 immigrants
• 2022: 411,000 immigrants
• 2023: 421,000 immigrants

The federal government of Canada also announced the plan to welcome over one million new permanent residents from 2020 to 2022.

While Canada's ambitious immigration targets sound great to aspiring candidates around the world, it is important to note how the pandemic has contributed to a significant amount of disruptions to the immigrant plan. 

Due to travel restrictions put in force to curb the spread of the virus, the physical movement of people was put to halt and the target for 2020 could not be achieved. 

However, the emergence of vaccinations in Canada means that there will be changes made to travel restrictions. Canada began the largest vaccination campaign in its history in December and aims to vaccinate all those who want COVID-19 inoculation by September 2021.

Also, the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) lottery for the 2020 intake will occur in early 2021, intaking 10,000 applicants for 2020, and 30,000 applicants for 2021.

The four consecutive invites of 5000 each in 2020 also shows Canada’s strong willingness to reach their immigrant targets despite the pandemic. We can expect similar moves from Canada in 2021 as well. 

Let's consider this scenario for instance. If Canada is to invite 401,000 immigrants in 2021, Canada will invite at least 2000 invites per draw, conducting 2 to 3 draws every month - something to really look forward to!

We can also expect new immigration programs to be introduced as it was done in 2020! This means more pathways to immigrate to Canada and larger intakes. 

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