The latest reports by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) show more than 355,000 international students in Canada gained their permanent resident status in 2021 to 2023.
This is part of a larger set of figures. Blacklock’s Reporter talked about the Immigration Department’s communication with the House of Commons public accounts committee, in which it said that in the past three years, more than 627,000 former temporary residents gained their Canada permanent residence (PR).
IRCC further said that it is stepping up processing the PR claims of foreigners in Canada after there was a fall in immigration during the pandemic lockdowns.
In 2020, less than half the current number of immigrants were allowed into Canada, at 184,370.
Last year, Canada’s record Immigration Levels Plan set quotas at 485,000 for 2024 and 500,000 for 2025, despite some Canadians calling those numbers too high, said Postmedia News.
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The main issue taken up by locals was the feasibility of housing half-million immigrants ever year in the midst of the well-documented housing crisis that the country is currently suffering from.
“We’re in this housing crisis,” said one respondent to Postmedia News.
Another said that “people are living on the street because there’s no housing.”
“We need to get our own house in order before we welcome anybody else in,” said a third.
The research was done by Quorus Consulting Group on 18 nationwide focus groups, resultant of a $119,723 payment made by the Department.
Understanding a Canada Permanent Resident Status
Canada PRs are those who have been granted PR status by immigrating to Canada, but are not Canadian citizens. They are usually citizens of other countries, while some are stateless persons.
When refugees resettle in Canada from abroad, they become PRs through the Government-Assisted Refugee Program or the Private Sponsorship of Refugee Program.
IRCC, however, must first approve someone’s refugee claim before they can make PR. They can then apply for and obtain PR status.
Those in Canada for only a short time, such as students or foreign workers, are not PRs.
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The Permanent Resident (PR) Card
The PR card proves that someone has PR status in Canada. If they travel outside Canada and return on a commercial vehicle (bus, train, boat, etc.), they must show
- Their PR card and
- Their passport or refugee travel document
If they are travelling outside Canada without a valid PR card with them, they must apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) before returning to Canada by commercial vehicle.
For those with a lost/stolen/damaged PR card, a replacement PR card needs to be applied for.