The new year has ushered in tighter immigration policies as the federal government attempts to cool the country’s accelerated population growth.
Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted to “mistakes” the government made when it comes to its immigration policy.
“Looking back, as the post-pandemic boom cooled and business no longer needed the additional labour help, as a federal team, we could have acted quicker and turned off the taps faster,” he stated in a video posted in November.
The Canadian government announced several immigration policies last year, including tightening limits on newcomers and stricter rules on temporary foreign workers.
Here’s how Canada’s immigration rules are changing this year.
Canada cuts immigration targets
Last October, the federal government announced that it would reduce the number of immigrants it brings in over the next three years, aiming to pause population growth over the next two years.
Previously, the government’s permanent resident targets for the next two years stood at 500,000 per year. Now, the target for 2025 is set to 395,000 and will taper even further in 2026 (380,000) and 2027 (365,000).
Ottawa also plans to reduce temporary residents by 5 per cent of the population by the end of 2026, adding that the population will “decrease over the next few years as significantly more temporary residents will transition to being permanent residents or leave Canada compared to new ones arriving.”
Compared to each previous year, the government says Canada’s temporary resident population will decline by 445,901 in 2025 and 445,662 in 2026. A modest increase of 17,439 is expected in 2027.
Cap on international students
The Canadian government announced last October that the number of new international student study permits issued in 2025 will be 10 per cent less than the 2024 target of 485,000 permits.
“For 2025, this means reducing study permits issued to 437,000,” wrote the feds in a release, adding it will stabilize the intake cap at that same number in 2026.
The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) was also updated, requiring all applicants to”demonstrate a minimum language proficiency in French or English,” stated Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). “This will increase their ability to transition to permanent residence and adapt to changing economic conditions.”
Graduates from public college programs will still be eligible for a PGWP of up to three years if they graduate from a field of study linked to jobs in a long-term shortage. In addition, Ottawa officially ended its fast-track visa program for international students from 14 countries last November.
This comes after the federal government announced early last year that it would cap international student visas for two years. There are additional restrictions on international students, such as limiting their work hours.
Policies that reduce the use of temporary foreign workers
In August last year, Ottawa said it would introduce new measures to address issues with Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program.
The changes that would reduce the use of the TFW program in Canada include consistently enforcing the application of the 20 per cent cap policy for workers, which also involves those who are looking to apply for permanent residency through the “dual intent sub-stream.”
“I’ve been clear over the last year: abuse and misuse of the TFW Program must end. The health and safety of temporary foreign workers in Canada is a responsibility I take very seriously,” said former employment minister Randy Boissonnault.
Employers that use that stream will be subject to “tough” guidelines, added Boissonnault in a statement. This would include “stricter and more rigorous” oversight for high-risk areas when processing Labour Market Impact (LMIAs) and considering an LMIA fee increase.
The federal government noted that the TFW Program was designed to address changes in the country’s labour market, specifically after the pandemic when “needs were high.”
However, as Canada’s labour market returns to a normalized state, the feds say changes are being made to the program to ensure only employers with “demonstratable market needs” have access to it.
Automatic 10-year multiple-entry visa ends
Under new immigration rules, travellers visiting Canada will no longer be automatically granted a 10-year multiple-entry visa.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this change last November, stating that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity “are no longer considered to be the standard document.”
Before making these changes, visitors could be approved for multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years, during which they could travel in and out of Canada. Now, the 10-year visa validity is no longer the standard.
In an email, an IRCC representative said that officers have always had the authority to use their judgment when approving single or multiple-entry visas.
“Under the November 6, 2024, program delivery update, officers were given updated guidelines to consider when deciding whether to issue a single or a multiple-entry visa,” they stated. “These will help enhance the efficiency and integrity of our immigration and asylum system.”
They added that these changes are in response to the record volume of requests to come to Canada and help ensure that the immigration system isn’t misused and “remains fair, orderly, and responsive” to the country’s needs.
No work permit applications for visitors
The IRCC ended the temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for a work permit effective last August.
The policy was initially set to end on Feb. 28, 2025, but the IRCC said it changed the date to “recalibrate” how many temporary residents are in Canada and to “preserve the integrity of the immigration system.” The policy was first introduced in 2020 as a way to help visitors who were unable to leave the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel restrictions.
It also allowed foreign nationals who had a work permit in the past year but changed their status to “visitor” in Canada to legally work in the country while they were waiting for the status of the permit they previously filed.
