Earlier this year, Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada was considering revising immigration targets, given economic uncertainty and rising unemployment in certain parts of the country.

"We don't want people coming to Canada and facing unemployment. We need to be sensitive to the changing labour market, and if we need to make modifications, we will," stated Minister Kenney at that time.

He had planned a meeting with his provincial/territorial counterparts at the end of March to review Canada's labour market needs and determine whether immigration numbers should be reduced.

Based on that meeting, Minister Kenney has determined that the need for immigration to Canada remains strong. Immigration numbers for 2009 will therefore remain at 250,000.

"Canada is facing a long-term labour shortage so the government is not going to turn off the immigration tap only to have to turn it back on later," stated Minister Kenney. British Columbia and Alberta alone are going to need an additional 600,000 foreign workers over the next five years, he went on to say, as aging workers retire and their economies continue to expand.