Canada migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes

How many people move to Canada, where they come from and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore Canada on the interactive migration map.

Inbound corridors · Canada

Canada - who is arriving

Canada is one of the world's premier managed-migration destinations: 8.36M foreign-born (23% of the population, the highest share in over 150 years) and a record ~484k new permanent residents admitted in 2024, layered on ~1M study-permit holders. A points-based Express Entry + Provincial Nominee system channels a skilled, English/French-speaking, fee-ready inbound flow - the highest-value paid-visa market on the planet, even after the 2025 levels cut.

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8.36M

foreign-born residents

23% of population, 2021

484k

new PRs in 2024

record annual admissions

998k

study-permit holders

valid, Dec 2024

58%

PRs via economic class

Express Entry + PNP, 2024

#1 India

127k PRs in 2024

top source country

380k

PR target 2026-28

reduced Levels Plan

Where they come from

Foreign-born stock by origin (latest official)

India

898k

Philippines

744k

China

715k

United Kingdom

499k

United States

269k

Italy

237k

Pakistan

215k

Iran

155k

Who arrives each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

India

127k

Philippines

32.3k

China

30.0k

Cameroon

21.2k

Nigeria

20.4k

Eritrea

16.6k

Afghanistan

12.3k

Pakistan

11.9k

The trend

Total PR admissions

PR admissions (000s)

Source: IRCC

Corridor facts

STUDENT CAP BITESStudy permits capped from Jan 2024 (~360k target); valid holders fell from 1M+ to ~998k by Dec '24, heading to ~725k by Sept '25.

LEVELS PLAN CUTPR targets reduced to 395k (2025) then stabilized at 380k for 2026-2028, down from the prior 500k/yr plan.

ECONOMIC ENGINE58% of 2024 PRs were economic class; Express Entry issued 98,903 invitations across 52 rounds in 2024.

INDIA DOMINATESIndia alone was 127k of 483k PRs (26%) in 2024, plus the largest study-permit intake and foreign-born stock (898k).

3M TEMPORARY RESIDENTS~3M non-permanent residents (7.3% of population) by mid-2024 - a vast onshore PR pipeline feeding Express Entry.

What visa categories they use

Share of the annual flow, by destination

India

Philippines

China

Nigeria

Pakistan

Afghanistan

Skilled / workFamily / partnerStudyHumanitarian / other

Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time

Corridor	Volume	Primary / secondary categories	Govt cost	Time	Apply
India	~127k/yr	Express Entry + PNP PR ~75k Study permits ~35k; Family ~17k	CAD 1,525 gov + consultant 3-6k	6-14 months	Apply ›
China	~30k/yr	Study permit + Economic ~18k Family ~8k; investor/PNP	CAD 1,525 gov + consultant 3-8k	6-14 months	Apply ›
Philippines	~32k/yr	Economic PNP/caregiver ~18k Family ~10k; Study ~2.5k	CAD 1,525 gov + consultant 3-6k	8-16 months	Apply ›
Nigeria	~20k/yr	Express Entry PR ~12k Study permits ~4.5k; Family	CAD 1,525 gov + consultant 3-6k	6-14 months	Apply ›
Pakistan	~12k/yr	Express Entry PR ~7k Family ~3k; Study	CAD 1,525 gov + consultant 3-6k	6-14 months	Apply ›
Afghanistan	~12k/yr	Refugee + humanitarian resettlement Family reunification	Government-assisted; low applicant fee	12-36 months	Apply ›

Key insightCanada is the world's highest-value paid-visa destination: roughly half a million skilled PRs a year plus a million students, each paying CAD 1,525+ in government fees and CAD 3-6k in consultant fees, in English/French, card-in-hand - a multi-billion-dollar inbound advisory market even after the 2025 levels cut.

Sources: StatCan 2021 Census · IRCC 2025 Annual Report to Parliament · IRCC Immigration Levels Plan 2025-27 / 2026-28 · IRCC Express Entry Year-End Report 2024 · IRCC 2024 admissions data · UN DESA. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Outbound corridors · Canada

Canada - where they emigrate

Canada's outbound flow is modest and overwhelmingly US-bound: ~828k Canadian-born live in the United States, with far smaller communities in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. Emigration is dominated by professionals moving south for higher pay (TN/H-1B), not a mass exodus.

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828k

Canadian-born in US

2023

2.7M

Canadian diaspora in US

incl. ancestry, 2023

81k

Canadian-born in UK

2021 Census

~300k

Canadians in Hong Kong

citizens, estimate

Where they live

Diaspora stock by country (latest census / official)

United States

828k

Hong Kong

300k

United Kingdom

81k

Australia

40k

Where they go each year

Estimated annual long-term moves (people / yr)

Data not available.

Corridor facts

US ABSORBS THE FLOW~828k Canadian-born live in the US - under 2% of all US immigrants, but high-earning (median household income ~$104k).

SKILLED, SOUTHBOUNDEmigration is led by professionals on TN, H-1B and L-1 routes chasing US salaries; return migration is common.

Key insightOutbound is a fraction of inbound in fee terms: Canada takes in 30-40x more migrants than it sends, and the outflow that exists is largely visa-free or employer-sponsored into the US.

Sources: MPI / US ACS 2023 · UK ONS 2021 Census · UN DESA · ABS. Figures are indicative planning estimates compiled from public aggregates; confirm current rules with the relevant authority. Editorial & data policy.

Frequently asked

How many immigrants live in Canada?

8.36M - foreign-born residents. Source: StatCan 2021 Census.

Where do most people migrate to Canada?

The largest origin countries are India, Philippines, China.

What visas do Canada migrants use for the India corridor?

Express Entry + PNP PR ~75k.

Key Canada migration corridors

Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.

India → Canada~787k/yr France → Canada~578k/yr China → Canada~522k/yr Philippines → Canada~356k/yr Nigeria → Canada~176k/yr Pakistan → Canada~126k/yr Iran → Canada~104k/yr

See it on the map

Compare Canada against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.

Open the interactive migration map

Figures on this page are indicative planning estimates for 2025-26, compiled from public aggregates (UN DESA, OECD and destination-country statistical releases); they are not official counts. General information only, not immigration advice.