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Indian Immigration To Canada Has Never Been Higher

Indian Immigration To Canada Has Never Been HigherIn 2019, almost half of all invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence sent through Express Entry were to candidates who indicated India as their country of citizenship.

Per the annual Express Entry report, for the last three years, Indian nationals have received the vast majority of invitations to apply (ITAs). In 2019, candidates who listed India as their country of citizenship received 47.2% of all ITAs sent out through the Express Entry program. 

Indian immigration to Canada: the numbers

It is important to note that Canada has a fair and democratic immigration system. Citizens of any country are welcome to apply for Express Entry. Indian citizens do not receive preferential treatment compared to citizens of other countries. These numbers represent trends and not a selection bias based on an applicants country of origin or citizenship.

Country of residence201720182019
India36,30841,67840,275
Nigeria5,1286,0255,886
China7,4676,2475,668
Pakistan3,3373,1082,509
United Kingdom2,6602,5492,128
Brazil1,6861,8471,801
United States2,0471,8031,561
Iran1,3791,2991,475
France1,2481,3711,455
South Korea1,2511,2541,225
Other23,51122,61921,317
Total86,02289,80085,300

*Source: Express Entry Year-End Report 2019

Why Indian immigration to Canada is so high

It’s difficult to assess why the lion’s share of Express Entry immigrants to Canada are Indian nationals. Some potential reasons are Canada has a diverse population with many Indo-Canadian communities. Canada also has a high quality of life and a robust immigration system that allows applicants to bring their families with them. 

Given the fact that Indian nationals are the most invited candidates in Express Entry, a skilled immigration program, the reason Indian immigration to Canada is high is likely a mix between the quality of life Canada offers and employment prospects.  

India has a booming tech sector. The Canadian economy needs highly skilled and talented IT workers. This is exemplified in the report since the top three occupations that received the most invitations to apply were in IT:

  • 2173: Software engineers and designers
  • 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants
  • 2174: Computer programmers and interactive media developers

The future of Indian immigration to Canada

If the trend continues, Indian nationals will comprise well over half of all Express Entry candidates in the future. It should also be mentioned that while Indian citizens are the most common nationality of all Express Entry candidates, the most common country of residence is Canada.

Country of residence201720182019
Canada42,23339,93640,550
India14,91017,63614,926
United States5,8299,98110,185
Nigeria2,9103,7243,819
United Arab Emirates2,4362,0291,708
Pakistan1,3311,3651,180
Morocco255585860
Australia673831791
China985871768
United Kingdom1,5601,186699
Other12,90011,6569,814
Total86,02289,80085,300

*Source: Express Entry Year-End Report 2019

What this means is that many Indian nationals who successfully immigrate to Canada through Express Entry were already residing in Canada. Most likely these candidates were either working and/or studying in Canada prior to their application through Express Entry. With the recent U.S. ban on most temporary work visas, more and more Indian nationals will look to Canada as a better option for a North American lifestyle. If the U.S. continues the ban on temporary work visas like the H-1B, we could see the percentage of Indian nationals immigrating to Canada increase even faster.

Adam Pinsky

Adam Pinsky has a keen interest in all things immigration and has been working in the industry for 11 years.

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