WASHINGTON — Since the global onset of COVID-19, Canada has been gradually closing the gap with the United States when it comes to attracting and keeping an important economic prize: new permanent residents.
The annual number of permanent residents admitted to the U.S. was well below pre-pandemic levels in 2021, while Canada welcomed the most newcomers ever in a single year, analysis by the Association for Canadian Studies shows.
In Canada, "immigration is the single factor driving economic growth, and the market right now is calling for more immigration to meet labour market needs," said Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies.The U.S. is, of course, just as aware of the link between legal migration and economic growth. But the American conversation is invariably dominated by politically loaded concerns about those in the country, or seeking entry, without legal status.
At the same time, recent census data shows population growth in the U.S. has been flatlining, thanks to lower net migration levels, a decline in fertility and a spike in the mortality rate fuelled by an aging population as well as COVID-19. But obstacles to unlocking that potential — housing and a persistent disconnect in how Canada acknowledges foreign credentials chief among them — remain stubborn.
Jedwab's research found that in 2021, Toronto topped the list of North American destinations for new permanent residents, outranking the New York City area for the first time ever, with Vancouver a distant third.
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