Based on the 2018 multi-year Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will welcome 310,000 new permanent residents in 2018, 330,000 in 2019 and 340,000 in 2020.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has taken great strides towards improving its clients’ service experience.A reduction in backlogs and processing times is a cornerstone of that work. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, highlighted some of the substantial improvements that IRCC has made over the past year.IRCC has been able to reduce backlogs significantly and make family reunification a priority, thanks to a historic multi-year immigration levels plan. For example, the Live-In Caregiver...

The Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers aims to help highly skilled newcomers get their credentials recognized and obtain Canadian work experience more quickly so they can find jobs that suit their skills and experience.The Strategy has three components: pre-arrival services, a permanent loans program and a pilot to help highly skilled newcomers obtain their first Canadian professional work experience.The Foreign Credential Recognition Program aims to improve the integration of internationally- trained newcomers into the workforce. The Program provides funding to and works with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders – including regulatory bodies, post-secondary...

Canada’s identity has been largely shaped by the significant cultural and economic contributions of immigrants. Citizenship ceremonies are the end of a long process of immigration, settlement and integration for a newcomer to Canada. Ceremonies are a moving and emotional celebration. Taking the Oath of Citizenship is also a necessary legal step to citizenship. New Citizenship Judge Major Claude Villeneuve presided over his first citizenship ceremonies on July 1, officiating first at a ceremony in Fort Edmonton Park, where he welcomed 50 new citizens, and then at Heritage Park Pavilion, in Stony Plain, welcoming another 50 new Canadians.Across Canada, 1950 people became Canadians...

Ethnic retail clusters like the one on Spadina Avenue in Toronto act as a central gathering place for communities and contribute to city building, says researcher Zhixi Zhuang.Immigrant entrepreneurs and ethnic retailers are a vital part of Canadian society. According to researchers at Ryerson, supporting immigrant entrepreneurs can improve the economy, build immigrant success and knit communities together.School of Urban and Regional Planning professor Zhixi Zhuang examined over 110 suburban ethnic retail clusters in the Greater Toronto Area, in particular Chinese and South Asian retail areas in gateway communities such as Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham and Richmond...

Laura Albanese, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and Dipika Damerla, Ontario Minister of Seniors’ Affairs, at the announcement.Ontario is helping newcomers and their families by investing in services and programs to help them settle into their new lives.Laura Albanese, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, made the announcement at Mississauga’s Centre for Education and Training.The province is supporting 236 projects that will meet the diverse needs of newcomers by expanding services to help them settle into their communities, such as improvements to language classes and job training. These projects will provide:Settlement and integration support including...