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A quarter of Canada’s immigrants arrived from India in 2019

posted on February 13, 2020

By CIC News|

The top five source countries of new immigrants to Canada were India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and the United States of America. Immigration from India and Nigeria is booming.

India was by far the main source country of new immigrants to Canada in 2019.

China was the second leading source country, followed by the Philippines, Nigeria, the United States, Pakistan, Syria, Eritrea, South Korea, and Iran.

India is number one

India accounted for 25 per cent of the 341,000 immigrants welcomed by Canada. The Indian share of Canada’s newcomers has increased significantly in recent years. Back in 2015, India made up 14 per cent of Canada’s newcomers.

India is easily Canada’s leading immigrant source country for the following reasons. It is the second-largest country in the world in terms of population, which means it has a huge pool of potential immigrants. It also has a significant middle-class population with high levels of English language proficiency and education, who also have professional backgrounds that meet Canada’s immigrant selection criteria. Indian nationals comprise the majority of applicants under the H1-B Temporary Skilled Worker Program in the United States. Approval rates for the H1-B  visa program have declined under the administration of President Donald Trump. This has resulted in Indian nationals living in the U.S. choosing to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

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