Following Immigration Minister John McCallum's speech on
March 8, 2016 at the Brampton Multicultural Community Centre, many
were left wondering about the direction presented for this year.
While Minister McCallum was quoted saying that this is a
"significant shift" in policy, it remains to be seen when
these changes will be implemented, and of the efficacy of
government officials in implementing the same in order to achieve
the 2016 targets.
Speaking strictly from a numbers point of view, Canada will
overall accept the most immigrants it has since the 1910s, with a
target of 280,000 to 305,000 permanent residents by the end of
2016. While it may be the highest levels in over 100 years, it only
surpasses the 2015 targets by a mere 7.4%. However, within this
overall target, a clearer picture begins to emerge as to which
categories are gaining importance, which will likely dictate
changes in processing times as well as potentially application
mechanisms.
