Canada Immigration: Prime Minister Mark Carney Unveils Plans

The new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his plans and policies for immigration after assuming office Carney said the policies are ways his administration plans to address immigration issues in Canada According to Carney, his administration will implement five policies including reducing temporary resident levels to reduce pressure on Canadian resources.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberals Party said it is important to implement policies to address challenges facing the country in terms of immigration. Carney said his administration would make sure Canada remains a welcoming nation. He, however, said Canada will not allow immigration levels to overpower housing, healthcare, and jobs. 

How Canada plans to address immigration As reported by BBC Pidgin, the following policies are ways Canada plans to address immigration in the country. Annual immigration target The Canadian government in 2024 announced a new immigration plan to reduce the number of international students and foreign workers. This was under the previous government. However, one of the ways the Liberal Party under Carney is looking at immigration policy is to stabilize how they admit permanent residents (PR) into the country. 

They plan to keep permanent resident admission for less than 1% of Canada's population annually beyond 2027. This is part of the current Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027, which put permanent residents targets at 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. According to the Liberal party, the stability of annual immigration will create a system to reduce the pressure on public services by newcomers and long-term residents. Addressing temporary residents The Canada temporary resident population includes international students, and foreign workers, amongst others. 

As of January 2025, Immigration News Canada said an estimated 3.02 million temporary residents which include international students, and temporary foreign workers make up about 7.25% of Canada's population of 41.5 million people. The previous government had first announced a plan to reduce temporary residents, but now, the Liberals Party under Prime Minister Carney has reinforced the plan to reduce temporary residents in Canada. 

The Liberal Party pledged to reduce the proportion to less than 5% by the end of 2027, describing it as "sustainable levels." Canada plans to achieve this by transitioning temporary residents to permanent residency while some residents will be allowed to leave as their permits have expired. This method of reduction includes putting limits on study permit applications, to increase eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs), and stop Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs). Study and work permits.

Temporary residents, such as international students and workers can benefit from this process to become permanent residents. However, new applicants for study permits or work permits might face stricter criteria and caps, making am more competitive to enter Canada. Liberals plan to address concerns about housing and public services to ensure immigration levels are in line with infrastructure capacity in the country. 

The reduction in temporary resident levels is also to reduce pressure on Canadian resources. Increasing francophone immigrants Mark Carney is targeting francophone immigrants outside of Quebec by 12% in 2029. This will help with the federal targets of 8.5% in 2025, 9.5% in 2026, and 10% in 2027. The aim is to bolster French-speaking communities outside Quebec and address demographic and labour needs within minority francophone regions. Support global skills Mark Carney said his administration will revamp the Global Skills Strategy to help "attract top global talent." 

The Global Skills Strategy is a federal program that help eligible Canadian businesses hire skilled workers from around the world, which also prioritise work permit process within two weeks. The Canadian government also wants to launch new projects to help high-growth businesses and entrepreneurs attract new talent. Carney also mentioned that they are intentional to draw highly skilled workers from the United States into Canada.

Canada places restriction on Permanent Residence Applications Earlier. The scheme also restricted visa processing to 10 applicants per organisation to hasten processing. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the new scheme began on April 30, 2024.