Canada to invite nearly 15 lakh immigrants in next three years, but can India retain the top spot? Explained

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Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, Marc Miller, Immigration Minister, cited it is ‘tailored to support economic growth while balancing with the pressures in areas like housing, healthcare and infrastructure.’ As per the plan, Canada will invite 485,000 new immigrants in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025 and 2026 each year. Canada is currently facing an aging population and labour shortages in key sectors and hence, it is seeking to spur growth with the help of new qualified professionals from countries like India. In 2022, India provided 118,095 new permanent residents to Canada, more than a quarter of the total 437,120 new permanent residents for 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said.

Amid the heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries, there are speculations that the immigration process slow down. However, experts are of the opinion that ‘Canada don't have a choice’ apart from welcoming immigrants. Rajiv S.

Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com, the Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC, said, “Despite the tension, immigration wise, they don't have a choice." Explaining further, he said, Canadians need immigrants because their population growth could soon be close to 0% without having immigration to sustain them by 2030. As per the official figures presented by the Canadian government, by 2035 million Canadians will retire and the ratio will be then down to only three workers for every retiree means 25% of their population would have retired.