The Atlantic Provinces of Canada, namely New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island require economic immigration to maintain their labor market development.
With a rapidly aging population, lower birth rates and lower interprovincial migration, the Atlantic Provinces require foreign workers and international graduates to meet their economic growth targets.
Immigration is a key part of the East Coast region’s capability to meet the labor market shortages, demands and ensure economic growth.
Federal Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino stated that “Atlantic Canadians have proven themselves to be leaders regarding attracting and retaining high skilled workers who help the local businesses to grow and create more jobs at home”.
What are the Changes to Immigration Plans for the Atlantic Provinces?
The major boost to Atlantic immigration will come from the increased Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2020-2022.
Canada has dramatically increased its immigration targets due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Canada will welcome over 1.2 million new permanent residents between 2020-2022.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the immigration targets were significantly less with only 351,000 new immigrants in 2021 and 361,000 in 2022.
The new immigration targets aim to compensate for the decrease in immigration due to travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
