Look at this part of the yesterday's consultations related media release: The whole content seems to be deriving at a need to reduce wait times, increase intakes although it does'nt say that directly,,, and in favor of the results producned after changes being made from 2008 onwards...
my personal opinion is this that hints are all over the place that they just may increase intake for 2012...if that happens this forum will be saying praises for along time.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
What is the appropriate level of immigration for Canada?
Canada has long been a destination of choice for immigrants. Much of Canada’s success with and public support for immigration is based on the positive outcomes of immigrants and their contribution to our economy and society.
For the past 25 years, Canada has maintained immigration levels averaging between 225,000 and 250,000 immigrants per year. In 2010, Canada admitted close to 281,000 permanent residents, the highest level since 1957.
As natural population growth in Canada slows, with fertility rates below replacement levels, immigration will be an increasingly important source of population and labour force growth. In 2009-2010, for example, the number of births exceeded the number of deaths in Canada by about 134,000, while net international migration (including inflows and outflows of permanent and temporary migration and of Canadian-born individuals) added about 255,000 individuals to the population, accounting for about two thirds of population growth. That being said, research underscores that immigration is not a viable remedy for population aging. A 2009 study by the C.D. Howe Institute concludes that improbably huge increases in immigration (i.e. from the current 0.8% to nearly 4% of the population) in the short term would be required to stabilize Canada’s current old-age dependency ratio.
With an aging population, the number of retirements from the labour force is increasing, currently reflecting the “bulge” of aging baby boomers. Very soon, the number of new entrants from Canadian schools and universities will equal (or fall short of) the number of retirees, leaving immigration responsible for all labour force growth. The number of school leavers is expected to be in the order of 400,000 per year[Note 1] -- while the number of immigrants entering the labour force directly on arrival each year is in the range of about 130,000[Note 2]. Without immigration, labour force growth would slow, making overall economic growth more difficult to achieve. So while immigration will help to alleviate labour shortages and contribute to regional needs, it is not the “silver bullet” for the aging of the population.
Cracks have also begun to emerge over the past two decades. There is much research to show that certain groups of immigrants have been living with very low incomes, potentially risking prospects for themselves and their children[Note 3]. This has been evident mainly in major urban centres in Canada. And outcomes for those in the flagship Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category faltered in the 1990s and at the beginning of the 2000s. However, a recent evaluation has shown that changes made in 2002 to the FSW selection criteria have had a significant impact on improving outcomes. In particular, the evaluation shows that a strong knowledge of English or French and having pre-arranged employment have been very important in increasing the earnings of principal applicants in this category. These two factors – capacity in one of Canada’s official language and having a job – are also necessary (but perhaps not sufficient) for the economic success of all immigrants to Canada.
If this is the case, then one question which is often asked is “What is the right level of immigration?” There is no correct answer to the question of the “right level”. Much depends on who is selected (the “mix”) and where they go (are they going to areas with available jobs, where there is supporting infrastructure like housing, schools, hospitals, etc. or to areas where immigrants are highly concentrated and where existing support may be stretched to meet needs). Immigrants tend to go first to where they have family and friends[Note 4], and only to smaller centres if there is a job available for them. Many of the provinces that are having difficulty retaining their own population have challenges retaining immigrants – for the same reasons.
Canada is a vast country, with widely varying geography and industrial mix. One part of the country may be in recession, while another region is experiencing strong growth. The “right” level will depend on a careful balancing of competing pressures – of commitments to family reunification, refugee resettlement and selecting immigrants to support economic growth; ensuring infrastructure and settlement support is in place; and that jobs are available. At the end of the day, success of the program depends on positive outcomes.
