CIC says that there will be no fall in immigration level and numbers for 2011. The level of immigrants permissible to go to Canada fell by a quarter for the period of the opening quarter of this year, as compared to the parallel period last year.
Along the lines of data released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) – the federal department in charge of immigration subject – immigration fell in all main categories, together with skilled worker class, Canadian Experience Class and family-sponsorships.
As it stands, just more than 63,200 people were settled visas during the primary quarter of this, down from the just over 84,000 visas granted for the duration of the similar period last year.
But officials from the CIC indicated that 2010 was an extraordinary year for immigration, as that year 281,000 foreigners were settled permanent resident permits, which is a 50 year record. And by itself, the first quarter of last year witnessed a maximum numeral of visas issues.
This year, Canada will permit between 250,000-265,000 immigrants, and CIC officials say the first quarter numbers reproduce that in general quota. Within the general quota, though, the government has been making changes. For instance, the CIC recently cut by half – from 20,000 to 10,000 – the figure of people who will be allowed below the federal Skilled Worker Class. For that reason, the amount of people permissible under each of the 29 main concern occupations under this class was also halved, to 500.
Government officials say they want to bring the application long jam and backlog down as much as possible. In addition, the government is also assessing what kind of immigrants Canada desires, and how to hit a balance between extremely skilled immigrants such as managers and engineers on one side, and skilled trades-people for instance plumbers and electricians on the other.