1 in 4 who got Canada PR tag in 2019 an Indian

One in 4 foreigners granted permanent resident (PR) status in Canada last year was an Indian.

Of the 3.41 lakh such individuals admitted in 2019—exceeding Canada’s immigration target by some 10,000—85,585 (25.1%) were from India. In fact, it was the second consecutive year that Canada has granted permanent residency to more than 3 lakh foreigners.

PR is akin to a US green card, with the family acquiring the right to live, work or study anywhere in Canada. Later, on completion of five years as a PR, they can apply for Canadian citizenship.

The overall 2019 figures show a rise of 6.2% over the 3.21 lakh admitted in 2018. When compared with the 2.86 lakh figure of 2017, it denotes a rise of just over 19%.

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The trend is expected to continue; the admission target for all immigration categories set by the Canadian government for the current calendar year is 3.41 lakh and 3.5 lakh for next year.

Indians continued to top the chart of source countries (based on citizenship) opting for PR, showing a rise of 22.3% over the previous year and 66% when compared to 2017.

The PR-seekers include not only those migrating directly from India, but also H-1B visa holders in US, who owing to challenges relating to renewals and decades-long wait for a green card move to Canada. TOI had spotted and reported this trend in its edition of June 15, 2018.

China, with just 30,260 being admitted as permanent residents, was a distant second, accounting for nearly 9% of the total number. Immigrants from China grew by just 1.85% over the previous year. If compared with 2017 statistics the rise is a minuscule 0.03%. Philippines, Nigeria and US rounded up the top five source countries of new permanent residents.

Past trends show that a significant portion (80% plus) of eligible immigrants go on to obtain Canadian citizenship. A person who is in Canada temporarily, like a foreign student or an employee who will only work for a few years, is not a permanent resident.

Of the 3.41 lakh individuals granted permanent residence during 2019, 58% (1.96 lakh) were admitted under the economic class; 27% arrived through family sponsorship; and the remaining 15% were refugees granted permanent residency.

“Canada continues to welcome higher levels of immigration from all corners of the globe to support its economic growth. Indian nationals are comprising a larger share of Canada’s immigrants since majority of them are eligible for more than 80 economic class pathways operated by Canada,” David Cohen, senior partner at Campbell Cohen, a Canadian immigration law firm, told TOI.