The Canadian government recently announced its 2016immigration reception plan, which will accept between 280,000 and 305,000 new immigrants this year. Among them, economic immigrants, including skilled workers, will number between 151,000 and 162,000, while family reunification immigrants will range from 75,000 to 82,000, setting a new high in recent years. This will facilitate family reunification, shorten processing times, and meet economic development needs.
John McCallum, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, announced that the number of this plan has significantly increased compared to the previous year, and it is the largest immigration reception plan announced by the Canadian government in decades.
In addition, Canada plans to accept between 51,000 and 57,000 refugees this year. As of the end of February this year, Canada has accepted 25,000 Syrian refugees, essentially meeting its target. McCallum acknowledged that there are many challenges in receiving Syrian refugees, particularly in terms of housing arrangements.
Official statistics from Canada show that in 2014, Canada accepted 260,000 immigrants, with the top three source countries being the Philippines, India, and China.