By Adiba Hasan

The latest data in the ICC’s Immigration Dashboard indicates a steady admission of permanent residents (PRs) in 2024, reaching 43% of the targeted levels for the year.

Invitation to Apply Progress

When PR candidates submit their application through the Express Entry system (one of the common immigration pathways), IRCC issues them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) notifying them that they have proceeded to the next step in the PR selection process. The chart below shows the ITAs issued in 2024 compared to 2023. Overall, 2024 experienced an approximately 10% decrease in the number of ITAs issued, (62,615), compared to 2023 (69,148).

While the overall trend is down, there are some notable monthly variations. There was a sharp increase in February 2024 with 16,110 ITAs issued, representing a 229% rise from February 2023. Similarly, July 2024 saw more than a 100% increase in ITAs issued compared to July 2023.

Immigration Pathway in Focus: Family-class

Current Trend

The ICC Immigration Dashboard calculates that between January and May 2023, 53,040 PRs were admitted through the family-class stream. In the same period in 2024 (Jan-May), 42,080 PRs have been admitted via the family-class pathway, marking a decrease of 20% from the previous year.

The chart below illustrates the yearly PR admissions for the family-class category, showing that it has reached 37% of the immigration target (42,080 of a total of 114,000) for 2024. Despite the operational decrease in the short term, growth in the family-class category has been gradual — in contrast to some of the major spikes in applications under other categories such as Express Entry. According to the immigration backlog tracker, the family-class category has been the most manageable, with backlog applications steadily declining from 34% in 2022 to 14% in 2024.

In terms of naturalization, a new report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship highlights potential causes for the decline in citizenship uptakes, noting that “family-class immigrants have the lowest naturalization rates among all immigration categories”. The study further reveals that immigrants admitted through the family-class stream have experienced a steeper decline in naturalization and take longer to apply for citizenship (6.3 years compared to 5.3 years for economic migrants and 5.1 years for refugees).

What are your thoughts?

Your insights and opinions on these critical matters are valuable. Share your thoughts and join the conversation on the future of immigration policies in Canada.

• What factors might contribute to the decrease in citizenship uptake among immigrants admitted through the family-class category?
• What measures can be implemented to support family-class immigrants in their journey towards citizenship?

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