Ontario Immigration Statistics

Ontario Immigration Key Facts and Trends

In 2010, Canada admitted a record 280,636 permanent resident immigrants. Of these, Ontario received 118,116 permanent resident immigrants, who accounted for 42.1% of the total admissions to Canada in 2010.

You can read about other key facts and trends based on Citizenship and Immigration Canada 2010 preliminary data in this PDF document.

Temporary Residents

Download a PDF copy of the data for Temporary Residents.

• In 2008, the number of temporary residents in Ontario was 240,264, 40.8% of all temporary residents in Canada.
  • 91,276 (38.0%) were foreign workers
  • 65,833 (27.4%) were foreign students
  • 57,641 (24.0%) were humanitarian entrants, including refugee claimants,
  • 25,514 (10.6%) were other temporary residents (primarily dependants of workers and students, and other visitors staying longer than 6 months).
• The number of foreign students in Ontario has remained fairly consistent over the last five years, 62,266 in 2004 and 65,833 in 2008.
• Humanitarian cases in Ontario declined from 78,695 in 2004 to 57,641 in 2008.
• Over the last five years, the number of temporary foreign workers in Ontario rose 55%, from 58,973 in 2004 to 91,276 in 2008. In 2004, 47.0% of Canada’s temporary foreign workers were in Ontario, by 2008 Ontario accounted for 36.3% of Canada’s temporary foreign workers.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ontario has 444 towns and cities. Major destinations for newcomers are Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Windsor, London, and the region around Niagara Falls. Visit the Cities and Towns section for more newcomer websites.

• The number of temporary foreign workers arriving to Ontario in 2008 was 66,634, 3.5 times the number of skilled worker principal applicant permanent residents arriving that year (18,757).
• Among the categories of temporary foreign workers in Ontario in 2008:
  • Live-in caregivers comprised 23.1%,(21,047)
  • Other temporary foreign workers comprised 57.6% (52,605)
  • Seasonal workers comprised 19.3% (17,624).
• Since 2004, the number of live-in caregivers in Ontario has increased 145%, from 8,583 in 2004 to 21,047 in 2008.

Permanent Residents

Download a PDF copy of the data for Permanent Resident Landings.

• In 2008, 44.9% of immigrants to Canada were destined for Ontario (110,895). Ontario’s share of immigrant arrivals to Canada has been declining annually since its high point in 2001 (59.3%).
• The Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) remains the number one destination for immigrants in Ontario.
• Top source countries of immigrants have remained fairly consistent for the past five years. In 2008 the top five were: India (15.0% of Ontario landings), China (11.5%), Philippines (8.8%), Pakistan (5.5%) and the United States (3.8%).
• The number of immigrants to Ontario with language ability in English and/or French continues to increase.
• English surpassed Mandarin as the top language of arriving immigrants in 2006 and since then has continued to represent an increasing share of immigrants to Ontario.
• In 2008, just over one-half of the immigrants to Ontario (50.3%) landed with at least some university education.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Canadian multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. Through multiculturalism, Canada recognizes the potential of all Canadians, encouraging them to integrate into their society and take an active part in its social, cultural, economic and political affairs.

• In 2008, 53.3% of immigrants to Ontario entered through the Economic Class (44.2% of landings were skilled workers), 30.8% came through the Family Class and 10.7% were Refugees. Refugees, as a share of landing immigrants, have been declining over the past four years, from 15.6% of landings in 2005 to 10.7% in 2008.
• The proportion of immigrants intending to work in a regulated profession continue to decline in Ontario. In 2004 12.1% intended to work in a regulated profession, but by 2008 that figure was down to 8.3%.

Featured Resource

Visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s website to review their annual statistical publications about new permanent residents to Canada as well as temporary residents entering Canada to work, study or for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.