Canada Election 2021: An overview on immigration system and impact of elections on immigrants

Anyone who is above 18 or over and holds Canadian citizenship can contest polls or vote for the House of Commons on September 20.

Canada-Election-2021 Canadian-citizenship Canada

Canada has built a reputation and has been welcoming immigrants from all over the world, who have helped the country counter aging demographics and fuel economic growth. 

In recent years, Canada has become an even more attractive destination for immigrants because it has curtailed many of its immigration programs, including those for refugees, asylum seekers, and temporary workers.

As of 2019, Canada has the eighth largest immigrant population in the world, while foreign-born people make up about one-fifth (21% in 2019) of Canada’s population—one of the highest ratios for industrialized Western countries. 

This year, Canadians would vote in a new government on September 20. Immigrants who have resided in the country for 1,095 days within the five years before applying for citizenship would be eligible for Canadian citizenship. 

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The election result is the most important event in Canada’s immigration system since the federal government is largely responsible for the policies that impact the system for the next four years.


IRCC and Federal Election 2021:

The recruitment and settling of newcomers across the country is overviewed by the Immigrations, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), it too has the greatest control over the nation’s immigration policies. The IRCC follows the directions given by the government formed after every federal election. Hence, the party that leads the country after September 20 will leave a lasting impression on the immigration system. Between now and the result of the federal election 2021, IRCC and the provinces and territories will continue to undertake their existing immigration responsibilities. 

During the period of federal election implementation of new policies and programs does not take place, the organization waits for the new government to take power and provide it with policy guidance. The new government takes some time, usually 1-2 months. Around this time, the Prime Minister would provide each cabinet minister a “mandate letter,” this letter is the most important document for Canada’s immigration department. 


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Canada and Immigration: 

Canada aims to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023. 

Under Canadian nationality law, an immigrant can apply for citizenship after living in Canada for 1095 days (3 years) in any five years provided that they lived in Canada as a permanent resident for at least two of those years. In 2020, 1,84,370 immigrants were admitted as Permanent Residents in the country.


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