Canada Tweaks Temporary Residence Programs to Manage Numbers and Integrity
Canada is making changes to its temporary residence programs to manage the flow of temporary residents and the integrity of the system.
The government is cutting international student study permits by 10% in 2025 and tightening up work permit eligibility.
From the news release today: To align with Canada’s evolving economic and humanitarian needs and to ensure the system is sustainable and efficient.
From X (formerly Twitter) IRCC: “We just made changes to Canada’s temporary residence programs to manage the flow of temporary residents, protect the integrity of the system and vulnerable people. These changes will strengthen our immigration system, adapt to Canada’s changing needs and grow our population responsibly.
January 2022: The Canadian government announced a national cap on international students.
Key Changes
From the IRCC report “Strengthening Temporary Residence Programs for Sustainable Volumes” the government is also protecting the asylum system’s integrity by introducing partial visa requirements for Mexican nationals and enhanced fraud detection.
As part of these changes the international student study permit intake cap will be reduced by 10% from 485,000 to 437,000 by 2025 and this cap will stay in place until 2026.
And changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) will align the program with Canada’s immigration and labour market needs. Later this year work permits will be restricted to spouses of master’s degree students in programs 16 months or longer and spouses of foreign workers in managerial positions or in labour shortage sectors.
Temporary Resident Reforms and System Integrity
For the first time ever Canada is capping temporary foreign workers in March 2024 after years of high immigration levels.
The update mentions a goal to reduce temporary residents from 6.5% to 5% of the population by 2026. This will involve reforming the International Student Program, tightening work permit eligibility and stronger employer compliance to prevent system abuse.
The statement says “Canada has a long history of welcoming newcomers who contribute to our economy and make our country better. We responded to labour shortages and the economic impact of the pandemic by meeting the immediate needs of businesses and supporting recovery. But the economy has changed and we must now adapt the immigration system to address emerging challenges including a soft labour market.”
Government Commitment to System Integrity
Earlier this year the IRCC announced they would be reducing the number of temporary residents with the goal of getting them to 5% of the population by 2026. To do this they are reforming the International Student Program, cracking down on temporary foreign workers and employer oversight to prevent system abuse.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller said not everyone who wants to come to or stay in Canada will be able to, “We are taking action to strengthen our temporary residence programs to meet the needs of today’s world. Our immigration system must be sustainable and managed.”
Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, noted the Temporary Foreign Worker Program was designed to address labour shortages when Canadians couldn’t fill the jobs. “We now see more Canadians are qualified for the open positions and these changes will prioritize Canadian workers while the program still meets economic needs,” Boissonnault said.
The government will continue to listen to Canadians, provincial and municipal leaders and stakeholders to ensure the immigration system is working and fair as the country grows.
Quick Facts
- The reduction of temporary residents from 6.5% to 5% of the population will be reflected in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan to be released in November 2024.
- Graduates of public college programs tied to long term labour shortages will still be eligible for a PGWP of up to 3 years.
- As part of the PGWP reforms, applicants will need to demonstrate minimum language proficiency in English or French. University graduates will need a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 and college graduates will need a CLB of 5 for PGWP applications filed after November 1, 2024.
- Starting in 2025, master’s and doctoral students applying for study permits will need to submit a provincial or territorial attestation letter, with 12% of the allocation spaces reserved for them because of their contribution to the Canadian labour market.
- As of January 1, 2024 the financial requirements for study permit applicants were updated to reflect the actual cost of living in Canada and prevent student exploitation.
- Budget 2024 provides $743.5 million over 5 years starting in 2024-2025 to support the integrity of the asylum system.
In August 2023, Canada hinted at potentially limiting foreign student visas due to the rising cost of housing.
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