Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) plan calls for up to 277,250 economic-class arrivals in 2023; 305,000 in 2024; and 326,000 in 2025. (The Logic)

Talking point: Ottawa has raised its targets 5.8 per cent over the first two years of the plan compared to those set in October 2021. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser cited low unemployment and unfilled jobs as motivating factors for the revised levels. IRCC intends to fill 56.9 per cent of its planned permanent-resident slots between 2023 and 2025 via economic programs, in line with last year’s plan. The Business Council of Canada—a lobby group representing the CEOs of some of the country’s biggest companies—had called for the split to be set at 65 per cent. Ottawa is playing catch-up, after travel freezes reduced arrivals and applicants faced ballooning processing times that the government also blamed on the pandemic. IRCC’s annual report also shows international-student and foreign-worker numbers recovering last year following a drop in 2020.