Canada welcomed a record number of immigrants in 2021, breaking the previous mark that had stood for more than a century while highlighting the country’s commitment to bringing in more people from outside its own borders.
Last year, Canada accepted 401,000 permanent residents, topping the previous record of 400,000 immigrants granted the right to live in the country in 1913, 108 years ago. [1]
While other countries worldwide close their doors to immigrants, the Canadian government has been showing an increased recognition of the importance of attracting newcomers for economic and social reasons.
“Canada needs immigration to drive our economy, enrich our society, and support our aging population,” Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Frasier said in a statement. “Business, labor market experts, and economists all agree that immigration creates jobs, spurs innovation, and helps address labor shortages.” [2]
The impact that immigrants have in Canada is profound. Immigration accounts for nearly all of Canada’s labor force growth and, in the next 15 years, immigrants will make up 30 percent of the country’s population, according to Frasier.
Furthermore, immigrants own one in three Canadian businesses, and one in four healthcare workers are newcomers. Breaking down the industry further, immigrants compose 37 percent of pharmacists, 36 percent of doctors, 39 percent of dentists, 23 percent of registered nurses, and 35 percent of nursing aides and other health occupations. [2]
The recording-breaking number of immigrants to Canada came from all over the globe, including China, Nigeria, Iran, the United States, and others. These diverse backgrounds contrasted with the previous record when most of the country’s newcomers came from the United Kingdom and Europe during World War I.
According to Fraser, the majority of the newcomers were already in Canada on temporary status before being approved as permanent residents. In Canada, permanent residents can apply for social benefits but cannot vote in federal elections. [1]
By welcoming the most immigrants into the country in its 154-year history, at a time when other nations are turning their backs on these very same people, Canada serves as a model country recognizing the numerous benefits immigration brings.
Providing opportunities such as the Start-Up Visa Program and other incentives allows Canada to attract immigrants who, in turn, bring jobs, innovations, culture, and much more to the country. These newcomers provide vital economic and social growth in a land facing an aging population and a labor shortage.
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Mr. Scanu received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from the University of Florida and an MBA in Management from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. Mr. Scanu was also a Visiting Scholar at Michigan State University under the prestigious H. Humphrey Fellowship (Fulbright program) with a focus on Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, and high-growth enterprises.
At present, Mr. Scanu is the managing partner and CEO at Visa Business Plans, a Miami-based boutique consulting firm providing attorneys and investors with business planning services in the areas of U.S. and Canadian immigration, SBA loans, and others.
[2]https://www.dailysabah.com/world/americas/canada-accepts-highest-number-of-migrants-in-its-history
