Jason Kenney Monday said that immigrants, visitors and students from India, China and Philippine to Canada hit a record high last year. China stands first while India and Philippines stand second and third respectively in the number of visas granted by the Canadian federal government 2012.

The federal government last year granted permanent residential status to 32,990 Chinese and 32,704 Philippines and 28,889 Indians according to a press release by Citizenship and Immigration Department of Canada Monday.

"We plan to grow the economy and create more jobs by attracting an increasing number of visitors and the world's best and brightest talent to Canada," said Minister Kenney in the release.

"For this reason, we strive to issue visas and permits as quickly as possible to facilitate travel for immigrants, visitors and students," added Jason Kenney.

The increasing number of immigrants, visitors and students to Canada is apparently because of the introduction of visa category called 'Canadian Experience Class' under which, international students in Canada are entitled to gain work experience while studying.

In 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government extended the multi-entry visa from five years to ten years. That made the foreign visitors to visit and exit Canada more easily and comfortably which possibly accelerated the number of visitors to Canada last year.

Canada has issued 130,000 visitor visas to Indian applicants, an increase of 58 percent compared to 2004. The government granted 235,000 visitor visas to Chinese applicants, an increasing of 158 percent compared to 2004, and 44,000 visitor visas to Filipino applicants, an increasing of 68 percent compared to 2004.

Acknowledging the contributions of the immigrants in Canada, minister Kenney said that around 750,000 Canadians can trace their ancestry to India.

Tracing down to their ancestry, the minister also said that approximately 1.5 million Canadians hail to be from China and around 500,000 Canadians' trace their origin from Philippines.

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