Economics
Immigration Drops Sharply in Another Virus Hit to Canada
- Country sees 30% decline in permanent residents in March
- Farmhands, students also staying put amid pandemic lockdown
A traveler wearing a protective suit and mask walks through Pearson airport in Toronto on April 8, 2020.
Photographer: Cole Burston/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Covid-19 has derailed the Canadian government’s plan to increase international migration levels this year.
In the first release of data that covers the pandemic’s spread into Canada, the number of permanent residents who came to the country in March dropped by 29% from the same period last year, falling to 19,115 during the month. Temporary foreign workers were down 35% to 5,635, while international student visas plunged 45% to 11,130, according to the immigration department.