A new report shows how pandemic impacted immigration to Canada

Conference Board of Canada introduced a report studying the impact of COVID-19 on immigrant admissions. According to the report, permanent resident (PR) admissions were down 56 percent compared to 2019. Refugee and family class admissions were most hard-hit with a 72 and 63 percent decrease, respectively. At the beginning of the pandemic, Canada considered only the candidates of Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in Express Entry invitation rounds. However, from the second half of 2020, Canada began considering all candidates, including those from the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But since the start of 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is again prioritizing those already in Canada and focusing on CEC and PNP candidates.

#Covid_19, #IRCC, #FST, #FSW, #CEC, #PNP, #Express_Entry, #family_class, #economic_class, #refugees