The Canadian government has announced fresh, sharp cuts to its immigration levels. This follows rising anti-immigration sentiments amongst Canadian citizens that have been fueled by a housing crisis in the country.
In the new levels that were announced on October 24, 2024, economic immigration targets for 2025 have been dropped by 17 per cent from 281,000 to 232,000. Over 40 per cent of economic immigration in the coming year 2025 will be drawn from temporary residents who are already living in Canada.
At the same time, the targets for permanent resident will be cut over the next three years. In 2025, the number of permanent residents who will be accepted into the country will reduce from 485,000 to 395,000. This number was previously expected to rise to 500,000.
In year 2026, the number shall be reduced even further to 380,000. In 2027, this number shall be cut to 365,000.
The targets for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) have been hit the hardest with a 50 per cent cut. In 2025, the number of PNPs will fall from the figure that was previously set of 120,000 to just 55,000.
Over the past few months, Canada has been rolling back the numbers after the government was subjected to increased pressure over the unsustainable number of temporary residents it had allowed into the country without corresponding housing facilities.
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The increased immigration levels over the past four years have been blamed for the housing crisis in the country. Currently, the government of Canada estimates that temporary residents make up as much as 7 per cent of the country’s population.
A poll by the Environics Institute which has been tracking Canadians’ attitudes towards immigration since 1977 found out that 58 per cent of Canadians feel that the current immigration levels are too high.
In January 2024, the government announced the first-ever cap on international student admissions. Further restrictions on post-graduate work permit eligibilities have been announced, with focus now expected to shift towards asylum seekers and temporary workers under the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
