The most important source countries for Canadian immigration were India, China, and the Philippines. Canada accepted more Indian immigrants than expected, unlike China and the Philippines.
Out of 401,000 new permanent residents (PR), 96,660 were from India which is almost one-fourth of the total. In addition, the other biggest sources of newcomers to Canada this year were from Nigeria, France, the United States, Brazil, Iran, Pakistan, and South Korea.
The most popular way for foreign candidates to immigrate to Canada was through economic immigration programs. Around 63 % of the 313,880 new permanent residents to Canada immigrate through these programs.
Another popular way for immigrants to immigrate to Canada was through family sponsorship programs. These programs helped 62,245 foreign candidates to become permanent residents which represent another 19.8% of all new PR to Canada in 2021.
Also during this year, Canada welcomed 44,150 refugees and protected persons, approximately 14.1% of all new permanent residents that came to the country.
Canada needs immigration to drive the economy, enrich the society and support the aging population. However, new Canadians contribute to communities across the country each day, and the government will continue to welcome more of them.