Canada’s Immigration: To reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada to 5 per cent of its population over the next three years, more of them need to be given permanent residence (PR) status, says Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) met on May 10in Montreal, where they discussed Canada’s immigration levels planning for 2025-2027.
Key policy topics for discussion were the economic and social benefits of immigration, levels of permanent and temporary residents, and related capacity pressures.
This was the first time Miller met with other immigration ministers since he announced the first limits on the level of temporary residents being let into Canada.
In acknowledging the role played by temporary residents in contributing to Canada’s prosperity, labour markets and cultural diversity, ministers emphasized the need to strategically manage any reductions in temporary resident numbers through a data-driven approach.
Many provincial ministers suggested the expansion of their immigration programs to allow temporary residents – including temporary foreign workers, international students, those arriving under Canada’s responses to international humanitarian crises, and asylum claimants – become Canada PRs.
“Today we had very productive discussions on the key immigration challenges that we face as a country,” said Miller.
“We discussed how to factor in temporary residents into immigration levels planning while addressing labour market shortages and successfully integrating newcomers in our communities.”
“We will continue to work collaboratively to reduce capacity pressures, while assuring sustainable population growth and access to social programs.”
Among other matters discussed at the forum was the provincial and territorial ministers calling on the federal government to reverse the $625M cuts to employment services under the labor market transfer agreements (LMTAs), which will risk services on which workers, newcomers, job seekers and vulnerable Canadians rely.
They highlighted that strong collaboration and coordination between orders of government will be important to leverage federal, provincial, and territorial immigration programs, including the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
New Federal Measures
Ministers also discussed recently introduced federal measures, including changes to the International Student Program (ISP).
They noted that the ISP falls under both immigration (which is shared jurisdiction) and education (which falls under provincial responsibility exclusively).
Furthermore, they acknowledged changes to Ottawa’s existing work permit programs, underlining a need for better alignment with short- and long-term regional labor market needs.
This includes strategic use of temporary foreign workers in certain economic sectors.
In terms of refugees and asylum seekers, Ministers brought forth conversation on Canada playing a leadership role in welcoming people displaced in crises in Afghanistan, Gaza, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Turkiye, and Ukraine.
With the country’s growing role as a place that offers protection and support for these individuals on humanitarian grounds, the Ministers discussed the need for ongoing collaboration and cooperation around the federal crisis response framework to guide and manage Canada’s response to humanitarian crises.
In 2023, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) processed a total 72,320 asylum claims at land, air, and marine ports of entry and Inland Offices. During the same period, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processed 71,455 asylum claims, making the total number of asylum claims processed in 2023 to be 143,770 – 1.5 times the previous record set in 2022.
This year has already witnessed 46,765 asylum claims processed by IRCC and CBSA.
Study Permit Misuse
Last month, there were talks of study permit misuse by international students, who are using it to enter the country and file for asylum. This has led to a nearly 650 per cent rise in asylum claims by foreign students in the last five years, according to The Globe and Mail.
Ministers lastly touched upon the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) and their critically important role in supporting regional economic and labor market needs.
“Ministers recognized that certain PTs (provincial and territorial ministers) are experiencing pressures driven by growth in permanent and non-permanent immigration and reiterated the importance of Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs) in spreading the economic benefits of immigration across the country,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Immigration and Career Training and Provincial and Territorial co-chair of the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration.
“PT ministers called for additional PNP allocations to address PT priorities, such as supporting the permanent residency of Canada Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel visa-holders and noted the importance of extending federal settlement supports to temporary residents who are on a pathway to permanent residency.”
