Canada welcomed 121,620 new permanent citizens in the first quarter of 2024, with 52,720 of them coming to Ontario and just 17,745 to British Columbia.
In the first quarter of 2023, this figure was 145,495; however, it is too early to draw any conclusions.
However, at least as of the start of 2024, we can claim that immigration to Canada has decreased as compared to last year.
These figures do, however, represent an increase over the first quarter of 2022, when 113,805 new permanent immigrants were welcomed into the nation.
In addition, from January to March, 135,291 authorizations and visas for permanent residents were granted.
In 2023, during these months, the number was 156,272.
Under the largest federal economic category of immigration, the Express Entry scheme, 36,635 new PRs have been allowed.
This represents a 6% increase over the 34,555 PR entries from the first quarter of 2023.
Province-Wise New PRs Admitted in Q1 2024
Ontario, the country’s most populous province, was the most popular destination for newcomers and landed 52,720 new permanent residents in the first three months of 2024.
This constitutes around 44% of the total number of new permanent residents who landed in the country.
Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan recorded the largest decline in admitting new PRs
Conversion of Short-Term to Long-Term Residents
In the first quarter of 2024, there were 7,180 temporary residents having a prior study permit holder status, down 2,370 (-24.82%) from the previous year.
In a similar vein, 21,190 temporary residents who had previously held a Post-graduate Work Permit (PGWP) Holder Status made the switch to permanent residency; this is a decrease of 17.90% (4,620) from 25,810 in the first quarter of 2023.
