In the year 2011, immigrant Canada population was about 20.6 percent and this year the number has risen to 21.9%. This information was provided by StatsCan, who keeps an eye on more than just the Canada population.

StatsCan gathered information through surveys in the past year’s census. By immigrants, it means people who are, have lived in Canada and went on to become permanent citizens of Canada through naturalization.

The last time when the immigrating Canada population was this high, it was the year 1921 marking up to 22.3 percent of the immigrated population.

Taking today’s Canada population facts, about 7.5 million immigrants are settled in the country. About half of this immigrant Canada population is settled in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Considering how the immigrant population is growing at a fast rate, the country shows a graph which estimates an immigrant population touching the mark of 30 percent by the year 2036.

Over the previous years, the main source country of the immigrants to Canada was from Europe and the United States and this source has now shifted to many Asian countries. The latest statistics reveal that 61.8 percent of recent immigrants to Canada were from Asian countries (Including Middle East).

Out of the top 10 source immigrant countries, the top seven consist of Asian countries including Philippines, India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Syria and South Korea.

Surprisingly, in the recent immigration report, it was found that Africa managed to rank ahead of Europe. A total share of 13.4 percent of the immigrant population in Canada is from Africa. The top African countries contributing to this share are Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Cameroon.

The census report also stated that more than 3-in-5 Canadian immigrants made use of the economic programs. Immigrants arriving through economic programs constitute 60.3 percent of the total immigrant population.

A further 26.8 percent of the remaining immigrant population arrived under the family class by either being sponsored by a spouse, close relative or a common-law partner, and 11.6 percent of the rest of the Canada population were refugees.

The Canadian government welcomes economic arrivals to Canada as these candidates prove that they could settle in the Canadian labor market. In January 2015, the Canadian economic immigration moved to the more economic and versatile immigration system called the Express Entry.

The Express Entry allows the government to invite eligible candidates to apply for permanent residence on a priority basis. Unlike economic immigration which works on a first-come, first serve basis, the Express Entry works on a priority basis of applications.

Interesting information is that this year has been marked as the most successful year in terms of Express Entry immigration. The Express Entry uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which grades the candidates for their work and education qualification. This means Canada can easily welcome plenty of qualified immigration prospects from within and outside of Canada.

Mostly, newcomers to Canada choose to settle in one of the three largest cities: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. In the year 2016, 46.1 percent of Toronto’s population was made up of immigrants, 23.4 percent of Montreal’s and 40.8 percent of Vancouver’s.

However, cities like Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are receiving a higher proportion of immigration. Other cities like Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton have also witnessed an incredible increase in choice for immigrants to settle in due to employment opportunities and high living standards.

The Atlantic Canada region including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island have also witnessed a striking increase of interest in newcomers.

Ontario remains the most popular province for recent migrants. In the year 2001, about 55.9 percent of immigrants were residing there. This number has gone down to 39 percent as of now. Newcomers are now wisely choosing their destination since a permanent residency allows the immigrant to settle anywhere in Canada which offers them employment and high living standards.

Despite the fact that immigrant percentage has decreased in Ontario, the province still has been witnessing a tremendous population growth. After Ontario, most immigrants aim for Quebec. After Quebec, British Columbia (BC) is the most sought-after destination for immigrants.

Immigrants in Canada have the opportunity to become the citizen of Canada. The new tweaks and changes to the Citizenship Act which makes it much quicker and easier for permanent residents to transition to citizenship.