Canada increase immigration target for next 3 years: What it means for Indians

Canada Immigration: Canada is hoping to double the intake of immigrants from 2014 levels to 4,31,000.

Canada needs more people, the country's immigration minister Sean Fraser said announcing a plan to boost immigration targets. Canada is hoping to allow a record number of immigrants into the country in order to address the labor shortage.

Canada Immigration: A Canada flag flies in Hamilton, Ontario.(Reuters)

"Canadians understand the need to continue to grow our population if we're going to meet the needs of the labor force," Sean Fraser said.

The immigration minister said that Canada is hoping to double the intake of immigrants from 2014 levels to 4,31,000. The country has also revised its future targets and aims to attract 4,65,000 immigrants in 2023, 4,85,000 immigrants in 2024 and 5,00,000 by 2025. This would mean that there will be a massive increase in immigrants settled in Canada.

Canada also aims to achieve more than 60% of the immigrants to be under the economic migrant category by 2025, the minister informed.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau welcomed the plan. In a LinkedIn post, Justin Trudeau wrote, "This plan outlines how we are going to increase our targets in the years ahead, and it cements our place among the world’s top destinations for talent".

“Immigration helps create economic growth, helps businesses find the workers they need, and helps us address workforce needs,” he further said.

Facing labour shortage alongside nearly one million job vacancies, Canada has increased its immigration shortage. Canada's birth rate continues to be one of the lowest in the world at 1.4 children per woman while the country has one of the world’s oldest populations. Almost nine million people, nearly a quarter of Canada’s population, will reach retirement age by 2030.