Maple News reports that Canada welcomed only 17,100 new permanent residents in May 2021, marking the fourth consecutive month of declining immigration numbers. These figures were released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and underscore the ongoing challenges facing Canada’s ambitious immigration goals.
Canada began 2021 with strong momentum, admitting 24,680 immigrants in January, but experienced a steady monthly decline through May. In total, just over 108,000 newcomers were admitted during the first five months of the year. This puts the country behind pace to meet its record-setting target of 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021—a key pillar of Canada’s post-pandemic economic recovery strategy.
Before the pandemic, immigration levels typically ranged from 25,000 to 35,000 newcomers monthly, especially during spring and summer when the climate and academic calendar made it a favorable time for relocation. In contrast, pandemic restrictions in 2020 saw monthly arrivals plummet, with just 4,100 new immigrants entering in April 2020, and monthly totals remaining below 20,000 for the rest of that year.
These lower-than-expected numbers mirror the fallout experienced in 2020, when Canada aimed for 341,000 newcomers but admitted only 184,000 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures. Now, despite improvements, numbers have yet to fully rebound.
However, there are signs of a possible uptick. As of June 21, 2021, the Canadian government eased travel restrictions, allowing all holders of Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) to enter the country. IRCC estimates around 23,000 COPR holders were affected by previous restrictions, and are now eligible to finalize their immigration process.
Additionally, IRCC is working to process more applications abroad, opening doors for new approvals that could enter Canada later in the year. If this momentum builds, immigration numbers could begin to recover in the second half of 2021.
While Canada’s immigration goals remain ambitious, officials appear confident that the reopened borders and accelerated processing will help get the country back on track to welcome hundreds of thousands of newcomers—essential for addressing labor shortages and supporting long-term economic growth.
Maple News will continue to monitor Canada’s immigration trends as the landscape shifts post-pandemic and the country works to reach its historical immigration targets.