Canada aims to open doors to 265,000 immigrants in 2014,mostly Chinese

bY DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS, NATIONAL BUREAU

FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013

OTTAWA — The feds have set a goal of bringing in up to 265,000 immigrants to Canada next year.

The new goal is in the immigration department's 2013 annual report that Immigration Minister Chris Alexander tabled in the Commons on Monday.

That's a level surpassed only once since 1988 — in 2010, when the country opened its doors to more than 280,000 newcomers.

"We're very proud to be continuing the strongest sustained levels of immigration, particularly economic immigration, in Canadian history," Alexander said.

Since the Conservatives took office in 2006, almost 1.8 million newcomers have become permanent Canadian residents - most on their way to eventual citizenship.

The new annual report shows China was the top source country of immigrants to Canada in 2012, followed closely by the Philippines and India.

The United States and France were the top non-Asian source countries.

Alexander says that's likely a reflection of Asia's huge population.

"We don't target any one region or any group of countries," said Alexander. "We target the best and the brightest."

Slightly more than one-third of the 2014 immigration target will be for family reunification or providing a new home for refugees.

The rest, says Alexander, are economic immigrants.

"The 63 % economic immigration for 2014 is slightly higher than we've had before," he said. "We want to get higher still."

The minister also says things are "getting back to normal" in processing of immigration and visa applications after delays caused earlier this year by foreign service officers' rolling walk-outs