The COVID-19 outbreak dominated the year 2020 and shook the world, but still, there are a lot of things that keep hope alive.
Since the outbreak’s beginning, the world’s greatest minds are working on vaccine development, and finally, many of them are quite successful. There are multiple vaccination campaigns running throughout Canada as well as the rest of the world.
The beginning of the year was quite usual for the Canadian immigration system. The government had declared a new mandate. Also, Canada elected a new immigration minister after the election in 2019. The official statements and mandate did not suggest significant changes. To sustain its economy and build a strong society, the government would invite maximum numbers of immigrants, skilled foreign workers, and students.
Then the outbreak happened.
The below-mentioned could be 5 of the top immigration stories of Canada in 2020.
1. Canada closed its borders.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on 16th March 2020 that the country would close its borders by 18th March. The announcement was delivered in front of the minister’s home on the morning of 16th March.
The announcement took everyone by surprise. The Canadian government has always emphasized the country’s openness to global talent. Trudeau and his colleagues have worked on various activities to greet refugees from countries like Syria and from the rest of the globe, since 2015. They also worked to bring families together by inviting skilled workers, students, and immigrants.
As a matter of fact, 4 days prior to the announcement, Mendicino had launched the 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan of the country.
The dramatic announcement hit Canadian immigration stakeholders and people aspiring to immigrate to Canada critically. Trudeau’s speech also indicated the fluidity of this outbreak. The government was not proactive in the approach, but the health officials made them realize the gravity of the matter. The border closure hit the 2020-2022 plan negatively.
The travel restriction did not only impact 2020 but will continue to impact some more years as the IRCC will need time to clear the backlog created during the outbreak. The IRCC will also have to modernize the application process so that the time would be reduced to process applications.
Though the pandemic’s impact will not leave the Canadian immigration system soon, the country stands with its immigration policy’s rationale. As shown in stories 2-5, Canada stands strong on its commitment to welcome global talent and build a strong economy as well as society.
2. Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023.
The announcement of the Immigration Levels Plan is quite important for the IRCC in 2020. The announcement outlines the number of new immigrants Canada is planning to welcome and targets various sections. In the past few years, the announcement has not been quite satisfying as the government has been planning to board 300,000 newcomers every year.
The overall immigration system of Canada was operational throughout the pandemic. This led many to believe that the Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023 could be anticlimactic.
However, Minister Marco Mendicino stated on 30th October that the country would go on board with the most aggressive immigration goal to date.
By 2021, Canada is all set with a target to welcome 400,000 permanent residents every year. The country had only achieved this significant number once in 1913.
The number has been decided to compensate for 2020’s low immigration count due to COVID-19. The government also thinks that more immigrants’ arrival will help in the economy-recovery post the outbreak.
However, communication will be talked about in history lessons and in policy perspectives. This is not just for the pandemic; it will be for decades. The announcement added a new chapter in Canadian immigration history, which will have a significant impact on the social and economic status of Canada.
Suppose Canada meets the immigration target every year, so it will reach 2100 with a population of around 100 million people. That could make it one of the most populated and influential countries globally. Canada stands at 39th position with 38 million people. With 100 million in 2100, the country would be in the top 20 list.
3. Express Entry records are shattered.
The majority of the skilled workers’ applications are managed under Express Entry. The skilled workers are the largest share of the newcomers’ pool to Canada.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian immigration was conducting Express Entry draws around every two weeks. In each draw, around 3000-4000 applicants were receiving the immigration invites.
On 16th March 2020, when the government announced the travel restriction, it created uncertainty for the Express Entry system. Nobody knew what was going to happen if the people living overseas would be considered, or will there be any drawing. Though the draw was conducted on 18th March, only Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates got the chance in that draw. Another rare scenario happened where the IRCC conducted a draw five days later than the first one. This time only Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates got the invites.
Candidates from Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) get the maximum share during the draws, but over the months, they were unattended while the IRCC continued to take in CEC and PNP candidates.
After months of waiting, on 8th July, IRCC conducted a draw, and this time, FSWP candidates were considered. Going further, from 2nd September the IRCC started “all-program draws.”
The significant draw sizes could be the biggest Express Entry story of 2020. To make up for the low immigration count in 2020, the IRCC is conducting the largest draws since the program’s inception in 2015. The IRCC is sending around 5000 invites per draw, and it has led to the number of invitations to over 100,000 in 2020, which is the highest of all time.
This could be good news for the individuals planning to immigrate to Canada as skilled workers in the future.
4. Accommodation for international students.
The exemption further accommodated more international students. Though, the government had been rolling out significant accommodation drives for international students throughout the outbreak.
Until 2nd October, only students having a study permit prior to travel restriction were allowed to enter Canada. After the announcement, more students with study permits for colleges with COVID-19 readiness plans got permission to enter Canada.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on 14th May that international students could continue their education while staying abroad until 31st December 2020, without affecting their eligibility for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This could be one of the biggest accommodations of the year for Canadian immigrants.
IRCC announced a relaxation in PGWP this year, but that was earlier and for a very short period. They extended the relaxation up to the end of the year. IRCC wanted to encourage students to continue their studies with this relaxation. Before the changes were made, the online study was not counted in the PGWP eligibility requirements.
The emphasis on PGWP was necessary because it allows the majority of the students to apply for permanent residency. Quite often, students are required to get work experience after completing their education to become eligible for permanent residency. PGWP is a cornerstone for such matters and, at present, the most chosen work permit option in Canada. With PGWP, students can obtain the work experience required for permanent residency eligibility and furthermore for citizenship in Canada.
If the IRCC had not accommodated PGWP, the majority of the international students may have given up/ delayed their education. That would have been a significant disadvantage for the Canadian economy. But the IRCC allowed students to continue their education online and still collect points from PGWP so that they can apply for permanent residency.
Furthermore, the IRCC extended the eligibility period to 30th April 2021.
5. Canada provided exceptions in travel restrictions to extended family.
Until 2nd October, just immediate families of permanent residents and people with citizenship were exempted from the restrictions. The immediate family members include the spouse/common-law partner, dependent children/grandchildren, parents/step-parents, and guardian/tutor.
The exemption made the entry possible for people with long-term relationships and dependable/non-dependable children, siblings, half-and step-siblings, and grandparents.
The announcement brought a smile to the people who have not seen their close ones since the outbreak began.
