Immigration to Canada by the numbers: what the official data reveals (2019-2024)

I remember the exact day I got the ITA, the Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry.

It was morning, and I was having coffee before heading out to work. The email arrived with the subject line I had read in hundreds of posts from other Brazilians in Facebook groups: “IRCC has assessed your Expression of Interest.” I opened it with my heart racing. I read the first lines. I read them again. I jumped to the end to make sure I wasn’t confusing it with a generic message.

It was real. It had worked.

That moment is different for each person. But there is something universal about it: the feeling that years of planning, of learning English or French, of accumulating points, of understanding the rules of the game, all of it converged in that email.

In this post, I’ll show you the numbers behind this system: how many people got that email before you, how the rules changed from 2019 until today, and what the government data reveals about Canadian immigration, the country’s biggest demographic bet.

Why does Canada depend on immigration?

Before getting into the numbers, it’s important to understand the context. Canada has one of the fastest-aging populations among developed countries. The fertility rate is well below the replacement level (2.1 children per woman). Without immigration, the country simply doesn’t grow, and at some point it starts to shrink.

This isn’t political theory. It’s demographic math.

That’s why the Canadian government sets annual permanent resident admission targets that have grown consistently over the past few decades. In 2019, the target was around 340,000 admissions. In 2023, the plan called for 465,000.

The question isn’t whether Canada wants immigrants. Of course it does; it needs them to function. The question is what kind, in what volume, and with what capacity for economic and housing absorption.

2019: the pre-pandemic year, everything working

In 2019, the Canadian immigration system was well oiled. Express Entry had completed four years of operation and had found its rhythm. The draws happened regularly, usually every two weeks.

The total number of permanent residents admitted in 2019 was approximately 341,180, within the target set by the government.

Express Entry in 2019 was dominated by the “all-programs” system, draws that took the candidates with the highest CRS scores regardless of category. The minimum scores fluctuated but stayed in the 460-480 range for most draws.

To get a sense of what that number represents: 341,000 people is more than the population of cities like Florianópolis or Maceió. That’s per year.

2020: the pandemic nearly stopped the system

COVID-19 closed borders, paralyzed consulates, and devastated the volume of admissions in 2020.

The number dropped from 341,000 in 2019 to just 184,000 in 2020, a fall of nearly 46%. It wasn’t a lack of approvals; it was a lack of capacity to process applications and a lack of people being physically able to cross borders and complete the landing procedures.

For candidates who had their approval in hand but couldn’t enter Canada, it was a period of enormous anxiety. People with approved ITAs waiting for borders to reopen. Paused processes. Uncertainty about the validity of documents.

The Bank of Canada and the federal government responded with unprecedented flexibility: deadline extensions, virtual landings (an emergency measure that allowed approved permanent residents to confirm their status remotely), and accelerated processing at the end of 2020 to catch up on the backlog.

2021: the largest intake of immigrants in Canadian history

What happened in 2021 was extraordinary: Canada admitted 405,300 permanent residents, the highest number in the country’s entire history.

It wasn’t just recovery of the volume lost in 2020. It was a deliberate acceleration. The Trudeau government had announced ambitious plans to increase immigration to offset the aging population and the labour market deficits created by the pandemic.

Express Entry draws multiplied. Larger-volume draws were held. Provincial categories (PNP) accelerated. The border reopened gradually.

For Brazilians, 2021 was a year of success stories in volume. Brazilian groups in Canada were flooded with posts from people arriving, getting ITAs, completing their landing. The energy was different; it was real possibility, not just hope.

2022: the second consecutive record

The growth continued in 2022: 431,600 admissions, the second consecutive record.

But 2022 also brought the start of a more serious debate about the limits of this acceleration. The housing market was in an affordability collapse. Hospitals and health services in several provinces were overloaded. Waitlists for mental health services, social welfare, and settlement services for immigrants.

The question that started being asked more loudly: does Canada have the capacity to absorb this many people?

2023: heading toward half a million immigrants

In 2023, admissions reached approximately 465,000, and the government’s plan called for even more: 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.

But political pressure was growing. The opposition Conservative Party became increasingly vocal about “too much immigration, too fast.” Opinion polls showed Canadians increasingly divided over the pace of immigration, not necessarily against it, but worried about whether the infrastructure could support it.

In 2024, the Trudeau government made a dramatic turn: it announced a reduction in immigration targets. The target dropped from 485,000 to approximately 395,000 per year starting in 2025.

It was the recognition, in public policy, that the pace had exceeded the capacity for absorption. A necessary correction, painful for anyone in the middle of the process.

How does Express Entry work in Canada?

Express Entry is the system that selects skilled immigrants through the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System), a scoring system that considers age, education, work experience, English/French proficiency, and other factors.

2019: regular draws, CRS in the 450-480 range

In 2019, Express Entry draws happened with predictable regularity, usually every two weeks, alternating between specific programs and “All-Programs.” CRS scores fluctuated between 438 and 480, with an average close to 460.

For a Brazilian with a university degree, solid English, and a few years of experience, reaching that CRS was demanding but doable with medium-term planning.

2020: the pause and the special draws

Express Entry stopped general draws between March and June 2020. When it returned, it ran special draws with extremely low scores (75 points), to use visas that had already been approved but whose holders were stuck abroad. Those draws weren’t a real opportunity for normal candidates.

2021-2022: the market has no All-Programs draws

One of the most frustrating changes of this period was the absence of “All-Programs” draws for the Federal Skilled Worker (the main stream of Express Entry) for nearly two years, from September 2021 to August 2023.

IRCC focused on specific draws for: Canadian Experience Class (CEC, for those who already had Canadian experience) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP, for those who had a provincial nomination). Anyone abroad without Canadian experience was effectively paused out of the system.

This created a cruel divide: if you were already in Canada on a work or study permit, your chances were excellent. If you were still in Brazil trying to get in, your options were limited to the PNP, which is more complex, dependent on the province, and has more variables.

2023: the revolution of category-based draws

In May 2023, IRCC introduced category-based draws, draws focused on specific sectors:

• Healthcare (health workers)
• STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)
• Trades (electricians, plumbers, welders)
• Transport (drivers, operators)
• Agriculture

And for francophones: exclusive draws with significantly lower CRS scores, sometimes 50 to 100 points below the All-Programs draws.

This created a new dynamic: your ideal CRS started depending less on the absolute score and more on which category you fit into.

The real table: numbers behind immigration

2024 is preliminary data, subject to revision. Source: IRCC Annual Reports and Express Entry rounds page.

What does this mean for Brazilians?

There are several angles for interpreting this data:

1. The system was designed to work, but it went through severe turbulence.

Between 2021 and 2023, Express Entry for candidates without Canadian experience was effectively locked. This frustrated (and still frustrates) thousands of Brazilians who did everything right but watched the system change the rules in the middle of the game.

This doesn’t mean the system is unfair; it means it’s dynamic. Understanding the phases of the system is as important as accumulating points.

2. Canadian experience changed everything.

One of the clearest trends in the 2021-2023 data is that the system strongly prioritized those who were already in Canada. International students who graduated from Canadian universities and were working locally had an almost guaranteed path.

This explains the boom of Brazilians coming as international students, not necessarily because they want the degree (although it’s valuable), but as an immigration strategy.

3. French became a real advantage.

The category-based draws for francophones have consistently lower minimum CRS, sometimes 450 for a draw where the general one would require 520. If you speak French or are willing to learn it (B1/B2 on the TCF or TEF), this is one of the best strategies available today.

That’s why MorarFora has a French course, not as a cultural curiosity, but as an immigration tool.

4. Will the target reduction last?

The reduction to 395,000 admissions per year is current public policy, but it can change with the government. Canada has a structural need for immigrants that won’t disappear. The long-term trend is high immigration volumes; the annual fluctuations are pace corrections, not a change in direction.

What is the LMIA and how does the closed work permit work?

There’s a path to Canada that comes up less often in conversation but is relevant for anyone who has a willing employer: the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and temporary work.

The LMIA is a document the employer obtains from the federal government, demonstrating that it tried to hire a Canadian or permanent resident for the position and couldn’t find a suitable candidate. With a positive LMIA, you can get a closed work permit (tied work permit) to work specifically for that employer.

Why this matters for immigration: Working in Canada on a temporary permit generates Canadian work experience, which counts for points in Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class) and can significantly speed up the path to permanent residence.

The process has downsides: a closed permit “ties” you to the employer; if you leave, you lose your work status. Changing jobs requires a new permit. And the LMIA is a bureaucratic process that costs the employer time and money.

But for anyone who has a concrete job offer in hand, especially in shortage areas like construction, healthcare, or specific technical professions, this path can be faster than waiting for an Express Entry draw.

The Open Work Permit: Unlike the closed one, an open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada. Spouses of study permit or closed work permit holders generally qualify for an open work permit, which means the couple can come at the same time with the same base application.

How do you include a spouse and children in the immigration process?

One of the least discussed parts of the immigration process is the family part, and it’s also the most emotionally complex.

Spouse or partner:

If you are married or have a recognized common-law union, your spouse can be included in the Express Entry application as a dependant. This has two effects: the spouse earns additional CRS points (if they have a complementary profile) and arrives as a permanent resident together with you.

Alternatively, if you have a work or study permit, your spouse can apply for an open work permit to work while the PR process is underway.

IRCC’s recognition of a “common-law union” requires evidence of cohabitation for at least 12 months; photos together are not enough. Joint documentation (a bank account, rental contracts, mail at the same address) is required.

Dependent children:

Children under 22 (and who are not married or in a common-law union) qualify as dependants on the PR application. The process includes a medical exam and background checks for children above a certain age.

For children born in Brazil who will enter Canada as permanent residents, there are implications for registration at the Brazilian consulate and possible acquisition of citizenship status in Canada once the process is complete. It’s worth consulting both Brazilian dual-citizenship law and IRCC.

Family Sponsorship:

Once you are a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, you can sponsor a spouse, children, and parents/grandparents for immigration. The Parents and Grandparents Program opens annually and has high demand; in some years there is a lottery for the spots.

Sponsorship of a spouse, children under 22, and adopted children has no lottery; it’s a guaranteed right for permanent residents and citizens, with expected processing of 12 months on average (although it can vary significantly).

The impact on the labour market

All this immigration doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Post 4 of the series analyzes how the labour market absorbed (and sometimes didn’t absorb) these immigrants. The combination of record immigration and an expanding service sector created a complex labour market where there is simultaneously a shortage in some areas (healthcare, construction, technology) and an oversupply in others (especially regulated professions like medicine, engineering, and law, whose recognition of foreign credentials is still slow and bureaucratic).

The impact on housing

The pressure of record immigration on the housing market is one of the most discussed topics in Canada right now. Post 1 of the series, on the housing crisis, details how the rise in demand for housing outpaced supply.

The correlation is real, but the reasoning is more complex than “immigrant = blame for the crisis.” Structural housing deficits, restrictive zoning, and construction costs are factors that predate the acceleration of immigration. But it’s undeniable that 465,000 people per year need to live somewhere, and the market wasn’t ready.

How do the Provincial Programs (PNP) work?

Express Entry is the program that comes up most in conversations about immigration, but it’s not the only path, and in many cases it’s not the fastest.

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are programs managed by Canada’s provinces and territories that allow each region to recruit immigrants with specific profiles for their local economic needs.

The basic mechanics: you receive a provincial nomination from a province, and that adds 600 points to your CRS in Express Entry, which practically guarantees an ITA in the next draw. Or, in some cases, you apply directly through the PNP without going through the Express Entry pool.

Each province has different programs:

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP): The largest PNP in Canada by volume. It has streams for in-demand occupations, specific employers (you have a job offer in Ontario), entrepreneurs, and foreign nationals with skills in priority sectors.

British Columbia PNP (BC PNP): The Skills Immigration stream is highly competitive. Minimum scores change frequently. It has specific streams for technology (Tech Pilot) that are faster processes for qualified IT professionals.

Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP): Alberta is in significant economic growth and has one of the most open immigration policies among the provinces. The cost of living is lower than in BC and Ontario.

Quebec: It’s an important exception. Quebec has almost complete control over its immigration. The Quebec system (PRTQ, Programme régulier des travailleurs qualifiés du Québec) uses a different scoring system, strongly prioritizes French, and processes independently of the federal government. Those who speak French fluently have a huge advantage in Quebec.

Rural Atlantic and Atlantic Immigration Program: The Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland) have programs focused on filling labour gaps in smaller economies. Lower cost of living, lower competitiveness, and often quicker processes, but smaller labour markets too.

The PNP strategy that works best: identify which province you want to live in considering the labour market, cost of living, and quality of life; understand which streams are open for your profile; and build your process toward a specific PNP, not just generic Express Entry.

The international student path: strategy or detour?

A phenomenon that grew enormously since 2020 is the number of Brazilians coming to Canada as international students with the declared (or implicit) goal of immigrating permanently.

There’s nothing wrong with this strategy, but it’s important to understand clearly what it involves.

What studying in Canada offers as an immigration path:

1. PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit): If you graduate from a DLI (Designated Learning Institution) program of at least 8 months, you are entitled to a PGWP of up to 3 years (for programs of 2 years or more). That period working in Canada generates Canadian experience, which opens the path to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) in Express Entry, with scores generally much lower than the Federal Skilled Worker.

2. Building a network. Studying at a Canadian university means spending years alongside future Canadian colleagues, which is an immense networking advantage.

3. English or French at an academic level. Completing an undergraduate or graduate program in English is proof of proficiency that goes beyond any IELTS score.

What this strategy costs:

• Canadian colleges and universities charge international tuition substantially higher than for residents. A year of a program can cost from CAD 15,000 to CAD 40,000 depending on the institution and field.
• The duration of the process: 2 to 3 years of study + 1 to 3 years of PGWP before permanent residence. It’s a 4-to-6-year bet.
• There’s no guarantee. The system changed in 2023 and 2024, including restrictions on students at lower-reputation colleges. The door exists, but it’s narrower.

For anyone who is clear that they want this trajectory and has the resources for the tuition, the strategy works. For anyone thinking of coming “to give it a try,” without a concrete plan beyond “an English course + I hope it works out,” the risk is considerable.

How much does it cost to immigrate legally to Canada?

This is a question few people ask before starting the process, and then they’re surprised by the answer.

As of May 2026, here is a realistic estimate of the costs of the Express Entry process for a couple without children:

Estimated total without a lawyer: CAD 3,600-4,450 (after the RPRF update in April 2026) Estimated total with a lawyer: CAD 5,100-8,450

For those going through the PNP, add the provincial fees (generally CAD 400-1,500 depending on the province).

These values are for the “main” process only, not counting long-running preparation costs like English courses, study materials for the IELTS, and so on.

And after approval: the moving costs. Airfare (CAD 1,500-3,000 per person), initial setup (first month of rent + deposit + basics for the apartment: CAD 5,000-10,000 depending on the city), a financial cushion for the first few months before the first job.

A practical rule: have at least CAD 15,000-20,000 in reserve when you arrive in Canada as a couple. Ideally more.

What are the most common Express Entry mistakes?

After talking with hundreds of Brazilians who went through the process, there is a set of mistakes that show up repeatedly:

1. Underestimating the IELTS. The IELTS is not a basic English test; it’s a test with a high academic level, especially Writing and Speaking. Many people arrive with reasonable conversational English and get a shock. The difference between IELTS 7.5 and 8.0 in CLB can represent dozens of CRS points. It’s worth studying seriously.

2. Getting an ECA from an unrecognized organization. The Educational Credential Assessment needs to be done by one of the organizations recognized by IRCC (WES, IQAS, etc.). Some organizations charge less but don’t have federal recognition. Always check the official list.

3. Not updating the Express Entry profile when the situation changes. If you received a provincial nomination, changed jobs, or completed a certification that adds points, you need to update the profile. Many people leave the profile out of date and lose points they could have had.

4. Waiting for the “perfect” draw. The Express Entry system is dynamic. Strategies of “waiting for a category draw that will work out for me” frequently lead to long waits with no result. Sometimes the All-Programs draw with a higher score comes out before any category draw you were waiting for.

5. Not considering the PNP from the start. Many Brazilians focus exclusively on federal Express Entry and discover too late that a provincial PNP could have been faster for their profile.

6. Immigrating without researching the city. Accepting a provincial nomination without understanding whether you really want to live in that province. A New Brunswick PNP requires you to have a genuine intention to settle in New Brunswick; if the intention is to get there and then move to Toronto, that can create problems.

The path to Canadian citizenship: how long does it take?

Permanent residence is not the final destination of the immigration process; it’s a stop along the way. For most people who come to Canada intending to stay, the ultimate goal is citizenship.

The basic requirements for naturalization:

To become a Canadian citizen, you need to:

1. Be a permanent resident
2. Have lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days (3 years) within the 5 years before the application
3. Have filed income taxes in Canada in the required years
4. Not have been convicted of certain crimes
5. Demonstrate proficiency in English or French (for applicants between 18 and 54)
6. Pass the citizenship exam, the Citizenship Test, on Canada’s history, values, and system of government

What counts as “days in Canada”:

Each day lived in Canada as a permanent resident counts as 1 day. Days lived before PR (as a student, temporary worker) count as half, up to a maximum of 365 days.

This means that, in practice, if you arrived as a permanent resident with no prior time in the country, you need to wait approximately 3 years and 3 months of PR to reach the required 1,095 days.

What changes with citizenship:

• A Canadian passport: one of the most powerful in the world, with visa-free access to more than 180 countries
• The right to vote in all elections: federal, provincial, municipal
• Access to public positions that require citizenship
• The end of the obligation to renew PR documents
• The ability to sponsor relatives more broadly
• Elimination of the risk (minimal, but real) of deportation if some legal issue arises

Dual citizenship:

Canada allows dual citizenship. So does Brazil; the Brazilian Constitution prohibits the voluntary renunciation of citizenship, and the Brazilian government recognizes this right. By naturalizing as a Canadian, you don’t lose your Brazilian citizenship. You’ll have two passports, two electorates, two legal identities.

For families with children born in Brazil: they are already Brazilian by right. If they become Canadian citizens, they will have both citizenships.

The processing time for the citizenship application varies but has been around 12 to 18 months. As the backlog created by the pandemic is cleared, the government has been improving that time.

Mental health and the immigration process: what the numbers don’t tell

The immigration data I’ve presented throughout this post talks about admissions, CRS scores, PNP volumes. It doesn’t talk about the human cost of the process.

I’ll talk about it.

Immigration is one of the most psychologically intense events a person can live through. Not because it’s bad; it can be transformative and wonderful. But because it involves multiple losses at the same time:

The loss of your support network. Your childhood friends, your extended family, your coworkers you’ve known for years; suddenly you’re eight hours away and the time zone makes even a spontaneous call difficult.

The loss of temporary competence. In Brazil you were an experienced professional, a fluent speaker of your language, well versed in social conventions. Here, at first, you feel like a child learning to talk. That’s humbling in a way that’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t lived it.

The dissonance between the plan and reality. You planned, dreamed, prepared. And you got here and the winter was colder than you imagined, the apartment smaller, the first job below expectations, the bureaucratic process slower. The gap between what you expected and what you found carries real psychological weight.

Mental health data among Canadian immigrants shows higher rates of anxiety and depression than in the general population, especially in the first two years. This isn’t weakness; it’s the normal human response to an extraordinary life transition.

What helps:

Community. Finding Brazilians, yes, but also Canadians, people from other backgrounds. Social isolation is the highest risk factor. Vancouver and Toronto have immigrant support groups, active Brazilian groups, and settlement organizations that offer social connection beyond bureaucratic help.

Realistic expectations. Hearing real experiences from those who went through the process, including the difficulties, is protective. That’s why I prefer to speak honestly on this blog instead of just showing the pretty pictures.

A mental health professional. Canada has psychologists, therapists, and counsellors, and many speak Portuguese. The public system covers some sessions depending on the province; corporate health plans often cover a portion; and there are accessible online services.

Immigrating is a long-term project. Most people who get through the difficult first two years speak of the following years as positively transformative. But it’s important to know that the initial difficulties are normal, and that there are resources to navigate them.

What changed in Canadian immigration in 2024-2025?

The Canadian immigration landscape in 2024 and 2025 was one of significant adjustments. It’s worth understanding what changed for anyone planning the process now.

The reduction in permanent residence targets:

The federal government announced a gradual reduction in admission targets:

• 2024: ~465,000 (slightly below previous records)
• 2025: ~395,000 (a more significant reduction)
• 2026: ~380,000 (continued moderation)

The stated goal: to give housing infrastructure and public services time to adjust to population growth. The political reality: public pressure over housing costs and pressure on the labour market.

The changes for international students:

In 2024, the federal government introduced caps on the number of study permits issued per province, with quotas per institution. Lower-reputation private colleges, many of which had been used as a gateway to immigration, were particularly affected.

This has a direct implication for anyone who was planning the student → PGWP → Express Entry route: the quality of the institution became even more important. Recognized public universities and colleges continue accepting international students normally; smaller and less established institutions ended up with more restricted quotas or were removed from the DLI list.

The category-based draws continue:

Despite the general restrictions, the system of category-based draws (Healthcare, STEM, Trades, French, etc.) continues and has been expanded. This allows Canada to be more selective about which profiles it is prioritizing, instead of simply a general cut-off.

What this means for Brazilians planning ahead:

The path exists. It got more selective; it didn’t close. Anyone with a solid profile (strong language, an approved ECA, documented experience, a high CRS score) continues to have good prospects. Express Entry with a score above 500 keeps resulting in an ITA; there are just fewer low-cut draws for those in the middle of the distribution.

The key word is preparation. The more complete and strong your profile is at the moment you enter the pool, the greater the chance of success. And the sooner you start building that profile, the more options you’ll have.

Follow the most recent draws

The historical data I’ve presented here covers 2019 to 2023/2024. To follow the most recent Express Entry draws (dates, sizes, and minimum scores), visit the Canada Data page, where you’ll find the data updated directly from federal government sources.

Conclusion: immigration is Canada’s bet

The numbers of Canadian immigration between 2019 and 2024 tell the story of a country that bet big on external human capital to solve its demographic challenges, and that, in the process, learned that volume without infrastructure creates its own problems.

For anyone in the process: the numbers show that the system works, that people arrive, that permanent residences are granted by the thousands. You’re not trying to do something impossible. You’re trying to do something hard, which many people do successfully every year.

The path may have been smoother in 2019 than in 2022, more complicated for those abroad than for those in Canada, more favourable for francophones than for anglophones. But the path exists.

You’ll find yours.

I got your back.

Sources

• IRCC, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Annual Reports on Immigration. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/annual-report-parliament-immigration.html.

• IRCC, Express Entry Rounds of Invitations (full history of draws). Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations.html.

• Government of Canada, Open Data, Permanent Residents admissions by year. Available at: https://data.canada.ca/en/dataset/f7e5498e-0ad8-4417-85c9-9b8aff9b9eda. Open Government Licence.

• Statistics Canada, Immigrants landing in Canada (complementary demographic data). Table 17-10-0012-01. Open Government Licence.