Ottawa: Canada has experienced one of the fastest recoveries from the pandemic, thanks in large part to our approach to immigration. Newcomers enrich our communities, and contribute to our economy by working, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.
Recognizing their value, the Government of Canada planned to welcome 431,645 new permanent residents in 2022.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, in a statement said that Canada has reached that target, surpassing our previous record from 2021. This represents the largest number of people ever welcomed in a year, in Canadian history. Prior to setting a new record for admissions in 2021, the last time Canada welcomed such a large numbers of newcomers was in 1913.
He said that incredible achievement would not have been possible without the employees of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), who continue to set the bar higher for processing.
In 2022, IRCC processed approximately 5.2 million applications for permanent residence, temporary residence and citizenship. That’s double the number of applications processed in 2021.