Canada welcomed 15,000 new permanent residence immigrants to its shores in October 2020, according to new data by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The new permanent residence arrivals remained at the same level as September 2020, with 15,000 new permanent migration visa holders also moving to Canada in September.
The 15,000 new arrivals make October the second-strongest month for permanent residents moving to Canada in 2020, behind the 19,100 arrivals in June.
In the first ten months of 2020, Canada welcomed around 158,600 new immigrants to the country, with the outbreak of the coronavirus and ensuing border closures and travel restrictions significantly hindering immigration momentum.
Last year, more than 341,000 new immigrants travelled to Canada, but stricter health and safety guidelines across international borders mean the number of immigrants to Canada is set to fall below 200,000 for the first time since 1999.
To compensate for the low immigration numbers in 2020, the Canadian government announced the 2021-23 Immigration Levels Plan, which will welcome 1.2 million new immigrants to Canada with permanent residence.
More than 400,000 new immigrants will be granted permanent residency in Canada every year for the next three years, which will be the highest immigration target in Canada’s history.
