By Jasminee Sahoye

An immigration strategy that will take Ontario in a new direction has been launched.

The aim is for the province to select, welcome and assist immigrants to Ontario and leverage the global connections of the diverse communities in an effort make the province more viable.

It emphasizes the critical role skilled immigrants play in Ontario’s economic development, as workers and job creators, in addressing labour market gaps due to the province’s aging population and low birth rate.

The strategy also highlights how to better support immigrants and their families so they can succeed and contribute fully to Ontario’s prosperity.

Ontario Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Charles Sousa says the province is the top destination in Canada for immigrants adding that “there is increasing global competition for the world’s best and brightest.”

He further states “our strategy outlines how to attract and retain more skilled workers and their families and how we can better support and welcome them to our vibrant communities all across Ontario. We will report annually to Ontarians on our progress.”
The immigration strategy was developed in consultation with an expert roundtable on immigration. The roundtable engaged various public stakeholders to make sure that the province’s immigration strategy works for everyone.

“This is a bold new direction for immigration in Ontario. It sets a path so we can attract the highly skilled immigrants and investors that we need to fuel economic growth and help build stronger communities,” De Sousa says.

According to the Ontario ministry of citizenship and immigration, the federal government makes key decisions about immigration that impact Ontario. Federal decisions over the last 10 years have reduced the proportion of economic immigrants coming to Ontario to 52 per cent, while the average for other provinces is 70 per cent. Newcomers make up 30 per cent of Ontario’s labour force.