Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, said that Canada will welcome about 300,000 immigrant by the new year.

The minister said in a meeting at the Canadian House of Commons that the "vast majority" of immigrants coming in will be working class citizens as that is where the greatest need is.

The government will also accept refugees and people who have been sponsored to remain in Canada by a relative who is a Canadian citizen.

Hussen said that the government has gone from accepting 260,000 immigrants, to 300,000, because of demand among many Canadian families to be reunited with their loved ones. He added that employers wanted to continue to use immigrants to meet their business growth needs.

Canada has reached its highest rate of receiving immigrants in a century, according to statistics released on Wednesday.