Applications to immigrate to Canada dropped by 12% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows a decrease from 83,691 to only 73,358 applications. Even more striking is the 39.3% drop in monthly average applications from 40,312 in the last quarter of 2022 to only 24,453 in the first three months of this year. This drop in applications is due to fewer foreign nationals applying for permanent residency from some countries, which are important sources of new residents in Canada.
