Immigration Minister stated on the International Day of La Francophonie
On March 20, 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller celebrated the International Day of La Francophonie, emphasizing Canada’s commitment to linguistic duality and the importance of French-speaking newcomers. The vitality of the French language and support for Francophone communities remain priorities, highlighted by the new Francophone Immigration Policy and Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028. Admissions of French-speaking residents outside Quebec surpassed the target of 4.4%, reaching 4.7% in 2023, with plans for further increase. Miller called for community-wide efforts to strengthen Francophone communities and invited recognition of French-speaking immigrants’ contributions to Canadian communities.
The divorce rate among immigrant women in Canada is notably lower
Statistics Canada reveals that Canadian-born women are nearly twice as likely to divorce than immigrant women. In 2017, 43% of Canadian-born women separated from their first partners, compared to 24% of immigrant women. This commitment increases among immigrants, especially the younger generations, with a lower divorce rate. Statistics Canada reports that union dissolution was twice as common among Canadian-born individuals (40%) than immigrants (18%) for those born between 1965 and 1997. Consequently, immigrants are less likely to remarry or enter a second union. In 2017, 31% of Canadian-born and 13% of immigrants entered a second union. For the entire population, 36% of first unions ended in 2017, with the highest rate among the Baby Boom generation (40%).
The cap on study permit applications may exceed the initial 35% estimate
Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s cap on study permit applications will significantly drop international students coming to Canada this school year. Miller’s cap of 606,250 applications is expected to result in a 40% decrease in study permits from last year, higher than the estimated 35%. The actual number of new permits is expected to be around 292,000, significantly lower than the previous estimate of 360,000. This has led to dissatisfaction among some provinces, with Alberta receiving fewer applications than anticipated. Colleges and universities have criticized the cap as it could potentially deter international students and have serious unintended consequences.
Sudbury held six rounds of invitations in one day
On February 1, 2024, the City of Greater Sudbury held six rounds of invitations in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) Program. The city considered 238 candidates, including 219 via the Conventional Stream, 16 under the Limited stream, and three through the Francophone Stream. The minimum score for these draws varied between 145 and 290. In 2024, Sudbury invited a total of 284 applicants. Sudbury last accepted RNIP applications on February 1, 2024. Applications received after that date will not be considered. So far, the city has recommended around 900 individuals under the RNIP since the program’s launch.
