Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) Minister Marc Miller today provided an update on temporary resident levels in Canada, announcing new reforms. He was joined by Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault for the announcement.
In a move to better match Canada’s workforce needs, the Immigration Minister has ordered a review of temporary foreign worker programs offered by the IRCC department. Additionally, Canada will be establishing yearly quotas for temporary residents, mirroring the existing system for permanent residents, starting this fall.
There are currently over 2.5 million temporary residents living in the country, accounting for 6.2% of the population. The government aims to reduce the temporary resident population to 5%, or about 2 million, “to reach an appropriate volume of temporary residents that Canada can welcome,” said Miller.
The plan is to reduce the number of temporary residents by approximately 20% over the next three years.
Miller also announced that there will be more invitations (draws) for inland immigration, meaning for those already in the country to become permanent residents.
With the measure, Canada will reduce 5% of temporary residents annually with the goal of making them permanent residents.
Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) were also announced, including a reduction in the LMIA validity period to 6 months starting May 1, 2024, with certain exceptions.
All employers identified in the 2022 Workforce Solutions Plan will have a reduction from 30% to 20% of their workforce coming from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, in the low-wage stream of the TFWP.
However, the health and construction sectors are exempt from the TFWP measures mentioned above.
Previously, Canada only set targets for permanent residents, aiming for about half a million annually.
Earlier this year, international student visas were reduced by 35%, and the government intends to stabilize permanent residency at half a million annually.
Key takeaways:
- Canada to reduce temporary resident population by 20% over 3 years
- More invitations for inland immigration to become permanent residents
- Changes to TFWP, including reduced LMIA validity period
- Health and construction sectors exempt from TFWP changes
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