FMRI (Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration) met at New Brunswick’s Saint John on July 28 to address a set of significant issues associated with immigration policies.
The primary topics included a faster immigration system, Canadian Immigration Levels Plan, regional immigration, refugees’ settlement, and settlement.
The major news is that the immigration ministers of Canada aim to develop a multi-year allocation plan based on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Currently, Canada plans its targets for permanent residency in three years, but its allocations are based annually.
On further discussion, they couldn’t help but agree to design a multi-year-based PNP plan by March 31, 2023.
The FMRI comprises all the provincial, federal and territorial immigration ministers for discussions over immigration issues that have national significance. It is also a body of members making substantial decisions about Canadian immigration with a more flexible, effective, and timely system.
In the press conference conducted after the meeting, Sean Fraser declared the uncertainty of the exact number of PNP allocations that will apply to each province or territory.
He even suggested the need for the federal government to keep up with provinces and territories to know about their capacity to welcome more immigrants. The reasons that led to the re-introduction of the Immigration Levels Plan in 2017 are the same as the need to introduce the multi-year level plan.
The objective of the Immigration Levels Plan 2018-2020 has been to provide the opportunity to the stakeholders, settlement sector, government, and employers for making advanced plans to acquire higher levels of immigration. Currently, Canada is following the path of the Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024. However, Mr. Fraser will plan the same for 2023-2025by November 1, 2022.
Presently, Canada’s target plan of three years is based on the immigration Levels Plan. The PNP allocation for all provinces and territories will be based annually. Canadian immigration minister usually sends letters to provinces and territories, informing them about their allocations as per the Calendar year’s first quarter.
By March 2023, the federal minister start informing provinces and territories regarding their PNP allocations over three years.
This initiative will help the provinces and territories make advanced plans for making the best use of each allocation to fulfill their economic development objectives and also help them recognize the steps for proper processing of the PNP applications. When a province or territory attains more PNP allocation, they are required to have adequate staff and the technology to process an increased number of PNPs within the standard processing time.
The introduction of PNP in 1998 has only gained prominence over time. It was initially introduced to widen the distribution of immigration in Canada. Before it was introduced, most of the newcomers chose to settle in Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. As a result, Atlantic and Prairie provinces found it harder to balance their economy and develop it through immigration. The first arrival in 1999 through PNP had only 400 newcomers, but currently, the figure of welcoming newcomers through PNP totals 80,000 in 2022. Over 90,000 will be coming by 2024. PNP has proven to be one of the two significant immigration pathways, the federal Express Entry system being the other one. The two pathways are set to welcome immigrants in Canada under the economic class.
The Press Release that took place after the meeting of the ministers also talked about Afghan refugees, providing help to Ukrainians, improvement in the processing time of applications, and possible steps to strengthen the public support system for Canadian immigration.
