More people have been immigrating to Canada than ever before. According to The Monitor, the number of new permanent residents in Canada in 2004 grew by 7% from the previous year.

You may be wondering why so many people are deciding to move to Canada now. The answer is simple.

If you've considered immigrating to Canada as a Skilled Worker yourself, then you may already know about the Pass-Mark system. If not, let me give you a little information about this system.

Basically, the Pass-Mark system allows Canada to control who is allowed to become permanent residents of the country. There are different qualifications that applicants have to meet, such as being able to speak either English or French and meeting work experience requirements. In the system, points are awarded for each of the qualifications an applicant meets. The number of accumulated points determines whether or not an application will be approved.

Prior to September 18, 2003, the minimum number of points needed to have a permanent resident application approved was 75. With the passing score being so high, most applicants failed to meet that level unless they had already secured employment in Canada, had a degree beyond the bachelor's level, or already had family members living in the country. As a result, many applicants were turned away.

In September of 2003, Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, formerly Denis Coderre, announced that the minimum passing score would be lowered to 67. While that drop may not seem significant - it's only 8 points - it does make a big difference. In fact, most people who have prior work experience, speak either English or French, and have a bachelor's degree can achieve a passing score using the Pass-Mark system.

While Canada is excited about the increased number of immigrants coming into the country, they do not guarantee that additional changes to the Pass-Mark system or to other aspects of the permanent resident application process won't be made.