Canada has welcomed 70,000 new permanent residents so far this year, according to official numbers provided to Reuters, proportionally well short of the government's 2021 goal of 401,000. The program announced Wednesday invites 20,000 health workers, 40,000 international students and 30,000 "essential" workers from other sectors to apply for permanent residency. "This has been an exceptionally challenging year," Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said in an interview. Last year Canada added only 184,370 new permanent residents, the fewest since 1998 and well short of its 341,000 target. The dozens of eligible occupations currently deemed "essential" range from plumbers and cleaners to farmworkers and meat-cutters.

Source: bd News24 April 14, 2021 18:22 UTC