Immigration Canada 2023 : New features and dates to remember

Immigration continues to be a major issue in Canada, making a significant contribution to economic growth, cultural diversity and quality of life. As the Canadian government continues its efforts to modernize its immigration programs, some recent developments are worth keeping an eye on. Those interested in immigration to Canada can expect changes and updates to policies, processes and programs. By keeping abreast of the latest news and key dates, they'll be able to make the right decisions for their next steps.

Update : New Quebec Immigration Regulations: Un Virage Francophone 2023.

Visit our other articles on the subject for more information: Immigration Canada, Guide 2023 - How to find a job in Canada for foreigners - Studying and living in Quebec - All our articles on immigration to Canada

In this article, which we'll try to keep up to date, we'll be looking at the latest news and agenda relating to immigration to Canada in 2023.

Québec Days in 2023, dates to remember

2023 will be an important year for immigration to Quebec, marked by a number of key events. The Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Christine Fréchette, has announced the organization of 17 international recruitment missions covering several regions of the world, mainly Francophone and Francotropic. Key dates include

• Morocco - Marrakech (February 18 and 19, 2023)
• Colombia (April 1 and 2, 2023)
• Brazil (April 26 to May 1, 2023)
• Tunisia :
  Registration : March 13, 2023 to April 7, 2023
  Interviews: April 29 and April 30, 2023
• Sub-Saharan Africa (May 24 to 26 and May 30 and 31, 2023)
• Europe (June 12 to 16, 2023)

Quebec Days are recruitment events organized by the Quebec government and its partners, which enable qualified candidates to meet Quebec employers in search of talent. Participants can take part in a virtual or face-to-face interview, which may lead to a temporary job offer of six months to three years. After working in Quebec for a certain period of time, employees can apply for permanent selection and permanent residency. Candidates can check their eligibility by visiting the page of the edition they are interested in, and determining whether their employment sector is targeted. To apply, candidates must create a skills profile and apply during the registration period. Job offers and employers vary at each event. Visit this site for registration and more information: journeesquebec.gouv.qc.ca

Destination Canada 2023" calendar 

Destination Canada 2023 - Information and communication technologies

• Candidate registration: February 17 to March 5
• Interviews : February 20 to March 31
• Virtual information forum: March 14

Destination Canada 2023 - Tourism-Hospitality-Restoration

• Candidate registration: February 17 to March 5
• Interviews : February 20 to March 31
• Virtual information forum: March 20 and 21

Find out more in our dedicated article: Destination Canada 2023 

Other dates to remember for immigration to Quebec 2023

Date	Event	Details
January 9, 2023	Opening of the first round to apply for a building permit work with International Experience Canada (EIC)	More than 90,000 people will be able to come to Canada to work and travel thanks to the Working Holiday, Co-op and Young Professionals programs.
February 28, 2023	End of the measure allowing visitors to apply for a closed work permit without having to leave the country	This measure was introduced in August 2020.
Early 2023	Progressive introduction of work permits for spouses and children of temporary foreign workers	Details will be announced by ImmigrationRefugees and Citizenship Canada (RCC).
April 1, 2023	Online access to EIMT for Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) applicants	Applicants will be able to submit their applications online.
May 31 & June 1, 2023	Salon de l'immigration et de l'intégration au Québec organized by Immigrant Québec	This event will enable interested parties to find out more about immigration to Quebec.
June 1, 2023	Francisation Québec opens a one-stop shop to learn French	Those interested can start learning the French language.
August 31, 2023	End of the measure allowing foreign students to apply for a post-graduation permit	Foreign students will no longer be able to apply for this type of permit after this date.
September 1, 2023	Measure to support foreign students takes effect	Foreign students enrolled in certain regional programs will pay the same fees as their Quebec counterparts.
October 3, 2023	Quebec Immigration Summit organized by Immigrant Quebec	This event will enable interested parties to find out more about immigration to Quebec.
Autumn 2023	Consultations on raising immigration thresholds	Consultations will be held to decide on the three-year Immigration Plan 2024-2026.
December 31, 2023	End of the measure allowing certain full-time foreign students	End of the measure allowing certain full-time foreign students to work more than 20 hours a week, as well as three flexibility measures for temporary workers.

What to expect: Canada's immigration policies in 2023

Canada seeks à accelerate its immigration program to reach its target of 500,000 new arrivals per year by 2025. By 2023, it plans to welcome 465,000 new permanent residents, with an emphasis on economic immigration.

Visit our other articles on the subject for more information: Immigration Canada, Guide 2023 - How to find a job in Canada for foreigners - Studying and living in Quebec - All our articles on immigration to Canada

The Canadian Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025

The 2023-2025 immigration levels plan shows planned admissions of permanent residents in various immigration categories:

Planned global admissions of permanent residents: 465,000 in 2023, 485,000 in 2024, and 500,000 in 2025
Economic immigration 266,210 in 2023, rising to 301,250 in 2025.
Family 106,500 in 2023, rising to 118,000 in 2025.
Refugees and protected persons 76,305 in 2023, rising to 72,750 in 2025
Humanitarian and other 15,985 in 2023, rising to 8,000 in 2025.

		2023	2024	2025
	Planned global admissions of permanent residents	465,000	485,000	500,000
Economy	Federal High qualification	82,880	109,020	114,000
	Federal economic public policy	25,000	–	–
	Federal Affairs	3,500	5,000	6,000
	Economic pilots: caregivers; agri-food pilot project; rural and northern immigration pilot project; economic mobility pathways project.	8,500	12,125	14,750
	Atlantic Immigration Program	8,500	11,500	14,500
	Provincial candidate program	105,500	110,000	117,500
	Quebec's skilled workers and businesses	See Quebec's immigration plan	To be determined	To be determined
	Total economic	266,210	281,135	301,250
Family	Spouses, partners and children	78,000	80,000	82,000
	Parents and grandparents	28,500	34,000	36,000
	Total family	106,500	114,000	118,000
Refugees and protected persons	Protected persons in Canada and dependants abroad	25,000	27,000	29,000
	Resettled refugees - government-assisted	23,550	21,115	15,250
	Resettled refugees - private sponsorship	27,505	27,750	28,250
	Resettled refugees - mixed visa issued by the office	250	250	250
	Total refugees and protected persons	76,305	76,115	72,750
Humanitarian and other	Total Humanitarian & Compassionate and others	15,985	13,750	8,000

The Express Entry program

Express Entry is the main way to move to Canada in 2023. This flagship selection system is used to manage applications for the main federal programs: Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades. The Canada plans to welcome nearly 83,000 immigrants federal skilled workers in 2023, according to the latest immigration levels plan, rising to 109,000 in 2024 and 114,000 in 2025. Thanks to the launch of the new National Job Classification (NJC 2021), 16 new occupations can now qualify for Express Entry via the Federal Skilled Worker program. From truck drivers and nurses to teaching assistants and payroll administrators, a wide range of occupations are now eligible for Express Entry. new occupations can now qualify for the immigration stream in Canada. This year will also be introduced via Express Entry. Canada introduced changes to the law last year to allow specific economic labor shortages to be targeted. These draws are due to start immediately.

Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)

The combined provincial nominee program is the only economic component that is as important as Express Entry in 2023. Canada plans to welcome over 100,000 newcomers through nine provincial (and two territorial) immigration programs.

Note that Quebec has a special status, in that it has complete control over its economic immigration. The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, François Legault, believes that the French language is essential to the preservation of Quebec culture, and is committed to limiting the number of newcomers to the province to around 50,000 in total, of which 33,000 will be through economic programs. However, the Francophone requirement is becoming less important for candidates with a qualified job offer. It remains to be seen how Mr. Legault's policy of continuing to limit immigration will play out, given the province's chronic labor shortage.

In addition, Canada is implementing a number of employer-led pilot programs targeting specific sectors of the economy or regions suffering from chronic labour shortages. The Atlantic Immigration Program is at the forefront of these programs, and although it began as a pilot program, it is now permanent. It covers the four Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, and provides for the allocation of 8,500 places for skilled workers and international graduates by 2023. In addition, 8,500 newcomers will be welcomed under three other programs: the Agri-Food Pilot Program, the Northern Immigration and Rural Development Pilot Program and the Economic Mobility Pathways Project. All these programs are employer-driven, which means they cannot be applied directly. An employer identifies a need, finds an immigrant to fill that need - provincial programs have specific streams for the federally-run selection system. Provinces are prepared to select immigrants based on their economic needs. Applicants should consult the lists of target occupations and streams, as provincial and federal priorities differ. It is therefore important to understand the priorities of the various provinces before applying through the PNP.

Start-Up Canada Visa

Visit Start-Up visa in Canada is a preferred route for people with entrepreneurial aspirations. To qualify, candidates must present a viable business concept or an existing business that has received support from a designated investment group, venture capital fund or business incubator. Candidates must also have sufficient funds and meet language requirements.

Once the application has been approved, the applicant can enter Canada on a work permit while setting up his or her business, and may eventually obtain permanent residency. However, they must actively participate in the management of the business in Canada.

In 2023, Canada aims to welcome 3,500 new entrepreneurial immigrants through various programs, with a target of 6,000 by 2025. A substantial proportion of these people are expected to come through the Start-Up visa.

Family reunification in Canada

The family class in Canada includes spouses, partners and children in its immigration targets. The aim is to welcome 78,000 of these people by 2023, representing the bulk of the 106,000 quota for the family reunification category.

The spouse/partner stream welcomes applications from both inside and outside Canada. Eligibility criteria are the same for both partners, regardless of gender, as long as they meet the requirements.

While waiting for their application to be processed, spouses and partners can obtain a work permit. Sponsored children must be under 22 years of age and not have a spouse or partner. To be eligible, if they are over 22, they must be unable to support themselves due to a physical or mental condition, or have been financially dependent on their parents before the age of 22.

Visit Parents and grandparents program of Canada uses a lottery system, in which potential sponsors express their interest in the pool and are randomly selected to be invited to apply. The goal is to welcome 28,500 newcomers through this process by 2023. The program has been a source of controversy due to its high demand and the efforts of officials to find a fair way to select applicants. Since 2020, the PGP pool has not been opened to new sponsors. Three rounds of invitations for sponsors to apply have been made since then. It is possible that the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) will open a new window for the submission of sponsorship interest forms in 2023.

Temporary workers

Canada still has a large population of temporary workers, although their numbers have fallen relative to those of study permit holders. There are approximately 750,000 work permit holders in Canada. Temporary workers can enter Canada through various programs, such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program requires a labor market impact assessment, which confirms that a foreign worker is needed to fill the position and that no Canadian worker is available. The International Mobility Program, on the other hand, does not require a labor market impact assessment, and includes workers who are transferred within a company, those entering Canada under trade agreements, and those eligible for an open work permit.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program comprises four streams: Highly Skilled Workers, Low-Skilled Workers, Seasonal Agricultural Workers and Live-in Caregivers. In addition, the Global Talent Stream, which provides fast-track processing for technology occupations, also falls under the TFWP. Some provincial programs, such as the BC PNP Tech stream and Ontario Tech Draws, also focus on technology-related jobs.

Visit our other articles on the subject for more information: Immigration Canada, Guide 2023 - How to find a job in Canada for foreigners - Studying and living in Quebec - All our articles on immigration to Canada