Canada exceeded its planned target for the introduction of permanent residents in 2023: welcoming 471,550 new permanent residents in 2023. This is an increase of 33,950 from 437,600 in 2022.
This figure exceeds the 2023 target of the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, which is planned to welcome 465,000 permanent residents.
IRCC also publishes its approved figures for temporary residency applications. Note that these figures represent the number of final decisions made on candidates' applications, some of which were denied.
Work permits: 1,646,300 applications were processed, including extensions, an increase of 503,330 compared to 2022. These include applications through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program.
Study permits: 1,089,600 study permits were approved, including extensions. In 2022, the IRCC processed 917,900 final decisions on study permits, an increase of 171,700 compared to last year.
Finally, IRCC data shows that 293,000 newcomers became Canadian citizens between April 1 and December 31, 2023, an increase of 13,900 from the same period in 2022 (279,100).
Future Plans: Over the next two years, 2025 and 2026, IRCC plans to welcome 500,000 new permanent residents.
Each year, the IRCC publishes a plan for immigration levels for the next three years. The program sets targets for the entry of permanent residents into Canada. It does not set targets for temporary residents such as work or study permits.
However, on January 22, the IRCC announced that it would set a cap on the number of study permits issued in 2024. The department said only 360,000 new study permits would be issued, although there would be no cap on license renewals or new permits for graduate-level students.
In addition, on February 1, the ministry issued a ministerial directive stating that the number of study permit applications that would be restricted from processing to 606,250.