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Emigration and immigration

Canada's Temporary Immigration Numbers Exceed Targets, Raises Concerns Over Management

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Canada's temporary resident arrivals continue to surge, with numbers outpacing government targets, according to a recent report by the Association for Canadian Studies. Despite reductions in various categories, the overall numbers for temporary resident arrivals still exceed projections, sparking concerns over how Ottawa will manage temporary immigration in the coming months. The report highlights the need for the government to implement greater cuts to meet the desired goals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The International Mobility Program (IMP) has seen a 26.4% decrease in intake from 410,825 in the first six months of 2024 to 302,280 in the corresponding period this year, but remains ahead of the government's target for 2025.
  • The government's target for 2025 was 285,750, but under IMP, employers can hire foreign workers to meet labour needs that align with Canada's interests, such as technology.
  • Indians saw a fall in numbers from 109,125 in January-June 2024 to 94,010 over the same period this year, a drop of 14%.
  • The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has seen a 3.8% decline from 109,310 to 105,195 for the six-month period, but remains above the target of 82,000 for 2025.
  • The category of international students has seen a significant decline, with new study permit holders falling from 245,055 to 149,860 for the six-month period, or 38.8%.
  • Indians suffered a sharper decrease, from 99,950 to 47,695, or 52.3%, in the category of international students.

Statistics:

  • The overall target for 2025 for all temporary resident arrivals was 673,650.
  • The numbers for new TFWP visas only accounted for approximately 42% of the annual target, totaling 33,722 visas.
  • The Canadian government's target for reducing Canada's temporary population to less than 5% remains a priority.

Sources:

  • "Immigration report for October" by the Association for Canadian Studies.
  • Statement by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data.

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