Federal Election Impact on Canadian Immigration

As leader of the Liberal Party, Mark Carney’s win in the recent federal election, opens a new chapter for Canada. One of his priorities will be changing Canada’s immigration landscape.

Carney says immigration remains important, but it needs to be better aligned with what Canada can handle effectively, especially when it comes to housing, jobs, and public services.

High Immigration Levels

Canada has seen fast population growth in recent years, partly due to high immigration levels. The Liberal Party now says this growth was too fast and has, as a result, put pressure on key systems like the job market, housing and healthcare.

Carney’s plan is to not fully cap but slow down the number of new immigrants coming into Canada. He stated that he wants to give Canada time to build more homes and make sure newcomers are provided the support they need. Instead of bringing in newcomers right away, the focus will shift to helping those already living in Canada on temporary visas transition to permanent residency.

Temporary Residents

The Liberal platform admits that past immigration levels grew too fast and ended up being more than what Canada’s economy could handle. The new plan is more focused. In 2025, almost 83,000 permanent residency spots will be saved for people who are already living in Canada. Over the next few years, the number of temporary residents is expected to go down, either because they become permanent residents or because their permits expire, and they leave.

How the Election Impacts International Students

Rachel Bendayan has been named the new Minister of Immigration, taking over from Marc Miller. She will lead changes alongside Carney that make it easier for temporary residents to become permanent. The points system, such as the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will give more weight to Canadian work and education experience. Fewer new temporary workers will be allowed, and work permits will be more closely tied to labour shortages. Employers will also need to play a bigger role in helping foreign workers adjust and succeed.

In line with recent limits on permits like study permits, Bendayan plans to offset lost international tuition revenue by expanding student housing. She will also introduce new rules for post-graduate work permits and place stricter requirements on Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs), which could cause some schools to have to update their requirements or lose their status if they do not meet the new standards.

Immigration Targets

The Liberal government wants to lower the number of temporary residents, like students and workers, to under five percent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027. At the same time, Canada is not closing its doors but being strategic in its efforts to welcome skilled workers who can help grow the economy in areas that need support. The government is also aiming to bring the number of temporary residents below five percent of Canada’s population by 2027. But that doesn’t mean Canada is closing its doors as it still plans to welcome skilled newcomers who can help grow the economy, especially in areas where workers are needed.

Francophone Population

There’s also a continued but renewed push of targeting and expanding the Francophone population across Canada outside of Quebec. The goal now is for 12 percent of immigrants settling outside Quebec to be francophone by 2029, which is an increase from the current target.

Although immigration is still an important and integral part of Canada’s future, the Liberal party will focus less on growing numbers and more on helping people already in the country become permanent residents. The Liberal party’s new immigration plan is about balancing needs and building an immigration system that helps both newcomers and Canadian citizens thrive and succeed together.