Canada will introduce an immigration program to allow communities to pick based on labor needs, and in a separate plan will bring in 1 million newcomers over three years, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced Thursday.
But the government also said this week that an immigration plan that allowed Canadians to sponsor parents and grandparents has been suspended.
LOW BIRTH RATE
The new program is designed to “make it easier for communities to welcome the workers they need most,” according to a statement on the Liberal government’s website.
In all, 10,000 immigrants can be brought to Canada through the program. A target date for implementing the plan was not given but it is likely to be in place this year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also instructed Mendicino to draw up a plan that would bring 1 million newcomers to Canada over three years. Immigrants are needed to fill the vacancies created by an aging population and low birth rate.
The Conference Board of Canada predicted that by 2030 more than 9 million Canadians will reach retirement age in a country with a population of 38 million.