Canada Immigration Policies And COVID-19 In 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted the Canada immigration system since restrictions were first introduced in March 2020.

Canada's federal government reacted by restricting international travel and closing the Canada-U.S. border, with most of the measures taken still in place eight months later and likely to remain into 2021.

COVID-19 policies have severely limited Canada's ability to welcome new permanent residents, work permit holders and study permit holders.

Ottawa had a plan to welcome in the region of 341,000 new immigrants in 2020, a target that will not be met given the likelihood that travel and border restrictions will remain in place into 2021.

The federal government plans to significantly increase immigration levels from 2021 to 2023 to make up for the 2020 shortfall and fuel Canada's economic recovery. The recent immigration levels plan presented by Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino allows for more than 400,000 new permanent