Canada’s Finance Minister unveiled the government’s first budget since last September’s federal election.
Canada unveils Budget 2022
Proposals in budget show Canada’s commitment and focus on immigration
In early April, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Finance Minister, unveiled the government’s first budget since last September’s federal election.
The goal of the budget is to outline the government revenue and how it plans to spend tax payer’s money. This is by far one of the single most important announcements that governing body makes every year.
The budget outlines the country’s economic and fiscal health and provides guidelines on which department will receive what funds. It’s usually a strong indicator on what the government’s priorities and focus for the coming year will be on.
Budget 2022 – Immigration
Trudeau and the Liberals have reiterated numerous times that immigration is an important priority for them. The budget reflects this.
Here are some takeaways from the 2022 budget and what it means for Canadian immigration:
Express Entry
A proposal was made by the federal government to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The amendment would allow the immigration minister to use Ministerial instructions and help select immigration candidates they feel would most suited to Canada’s labor needs. No additional details have been released on this proposal yet.
Immigration Levels Plan
The budget detailed Canada’s intention to commit $2.1 billion over the next five years in order to meet its immigration targets and help settle over 400,000 newcomers into the country every year. Canada is also committing to provide ongoing funding of $317.6 million.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
Over the next three years, the government will be investing $29.3 million to simplify the TFWP process by creating a Trusted Employer Model. Access to the Model will be given to repeat employers in high-demand fields, who pay fair wages and good working conditions and meet the working and living conditions outlined by the government. Additional details on this project will be announced in the coming months.
Canada plans on streamlining TFWP for employers in the agricultural and fishing industries. The government is committing to invest $48.2 million into this process.
Furthermore, an additional $64.6 million will be invested over the next three years to improve the service standards for processing employer applications. More resources will be made available, and more staff will be hired to increase the processing capacity.
Immigrants and Visitors to Canada
The government will be investing $187.3 million in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) over five years with an additional $37.2 million in ongoing funding. This will help the department invest in modern technology and additional tools to provide better support and assistance to its client. It will also allow for the hiring of new staff to improve its ability to respond to immigration inquiries in a timely manner.
Canadian Citizenship
The Citizenship Act will be amended to handle a higher number of citizenship applications. Automated and machine-assisted processing will be enabled so that biometrics can be collected in a safe and secure manner.
Previous budgets
The budget is also very significant because sometimes it includes major announcements. For example, the launch of the Express Entry system in 2015 was announced in the budget for 2014 when millions of dollars was set aside for the project.
Two years ago, in 2021, the immigration system was modernized with the help of a $485 million investment. In addition the 2021 budget also outlined several significant immigration pledges which were realized. These include the funding for the Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) pathway and replacing the application which processes immigration applications – the Global Case Management System (GCMS). More funding was also announced for the Temporary Foreign Worker Stream.
Major immigration announcements – 2022
In recent months, Canada announced several major immigration news. They include:
- Labor Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will now be valid of 18 months, instead of 9 months.
- The duration of employment for Global Talent Stream and High-Wage workers will be increased from two years to three.
- Employers were previously capped at 10% for foreign staff in a team. That number has been increased to 20% to 30% depending on the industry.
- Measures to support Ukrainians escaping the war have also been introduced. The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET), a temporary visa is allowing Ukrainians to come to Canada and live in the country for three years.
Next steps
Once the budget is tabled, a vote will be held in Parliament by elected officials. If the majority agree with the budget, it will be passed. If they don’t, it may lead to a new election. However, the chances of this happening are slim as the Liberals have a pact with opposition party NDP and have already received their support.
With the Liberals in power for the next few years, immigration will be booming.