CANADA – Projected Immigration Levels for 2016 Released
On March 8, 2016, the Canadian government announced its plan to allow a greater number of foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada in 2016. The goal of the government is to welcome between 280,000 – 305,000 new permanent residents with the target being 300,000. However, the main categories that will experience this 7.4% increase will be the family reunification and refugee groups. The projected levels for economic-based categories have actually decreased by approximately 11% in comparison to 2015.
| Immigration Class | 2015 Target Levels | 2016 Target Levels |
| Economic | 181,300 | 160,600 |
| Family | 68,000 | 80,000 |
| Refugee | 24,800 | 55,800 |
| Humanitarian | 5,100 | 3,600 |
| TOTAL | 279.200 | 300,000 |
The economic class has a total admissions target of 160,600 and consists of the following categories: Federal Economic High Skilled programs, Federal Economic Business programs, Quebec-selected Skilled Worker and Business programs, Provincial Nominee Program and the Caregiver Program. The projected admission levels for the Federal Economic High Skilled category has significantly decreased from the 2015 levels of 68,000 – 74,000 to just 58,400 in 2016.