Israeli Immigrants to Canada

by The Canadian Magazine of Immigration · March 9, 2026

In 2025, 595 Israelis were admitted to Canada as permanent residents.

From 2020 to 2025, a total of 5,150 Israeli citizens were admitted to Canada as permanent residents.

Israeli Immigration to Canada in Recent Years

Since 2020, Israeli immigration to Canada has shown a notable increase, particularly accelerating after the escalation of conflict in the Middle East following October 2023. By the 2021 Canadian Census, the total immigrant population born in Israel stood at approximately 29,395, reflecting cumulative arrivals up to that point. Reports indicate a surge in recent years, with over 10,000 Israelis relocating to Canada in the early part of 2024 alone, including around 8,000 who obtained work visas (with Canada approving 3,425 temporary work visas for Israelis between late 2023 and September 2024 out of 3,705 applications). This trend is often attributed to factors like political instability, security concerns, and economic opportunities in Canada, contrasting with broader patterns of Israeli emigration to various Western countries. Immigration from Israel has been trending upward in recent decades, forming a significant portion of Jewish immigration to Canada.

The Jewish community in Canada remains one of the largest in the diaspora, with the 2021 Census recording 335,295 people identifying as Jewish by religion (a modest increase from 329,500 in 2011) and contributing to an estimated total Jewish population of around 393,500–398,000 when including those identifying by ethnicity or other criteria (some estimates place it near 410,000 by 2025 based on slow growth trends). This positions Canada as home to the world’s fourth-largest Jewish population after Israel, the United States, and France. The community has grown gradually through a positive net migration balance (more Jewish immigrants arriving than emigrating) and natural increase, despite low fertility rates; historically, Israel has been a key source country for Jewish immigrants (about 19% of Jewish immigrants by religion from 1980–2021), alongside the US, former Soviet states, and others. Major population centers include Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with recent growth noted in Western provinces like British Columbia.