Maple News reports that the Government of Quebec has confirmed its immigration targets for 2021, aiming to welcome between 44,500 and 47,500 new permanent residents. These figures were outlined in the official 2021 Quebec Immigration Plan released on October 29, marking a slight increase from the previous year’s target of 43,000 to 44,500 immigrants.
Despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global mobility, Quebec is determined to restore immigration levels and address the shortfall in 2020 admissions. The province acknowledges that it is unlikely to reach its original 2020 goal of up to 44,500 new immigrants, as border closures and processing delays brought admissions down to an estimated 30,500.
To mitigate this drop, Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration has introduced a rebalancing initiative. This strategy includes adding approximately 7,000 deferred admissions from 2020 to the 2021 intake, helping to replenish the province’s economic and demographic goals over the next two years.
Economic-class immigrants remain at the heart of Quebec’s immigration strategy. In 2021, around 62% of all new arrivals are expected to come through economic immigration programs. The province has allocated between 27,500 and 29,300 spots for economic immigrants, including up to 24,200 skilled workers.
Quebec is also investing in its business immigration streams, targeting a maximum of 4,300 new immigrants through programs for entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, and investors. An additional 800 admissions have been reserved for other economic categories, including caregiver programs.
The province’s immigration planning is unfolding in parallel with Canada’s federal multi-year immigration strategy, which guides national intake quotas from 2021 to 2023. While the federal plan is yet to be detailed, Quebec’s continued autonomy in immigration planning underlines its unique role within Canada’s broader immigration system.
By maintaining solid targets despite recent setbacks, Quebec is signaling confidence in its ability to recover from the pandemic’s disruption and support sustainable population and labor market growth.