Canada is set to significantly lower its immigration intake for the first time in years, signaling a major policy shift as the government seeks to maintain public support ahead of an upcoming election.
According to a government source, Canada will welcome 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027, down from 485,000 in 2024. The number of temporary residents will also drop by approximately 30,000, bringing the total to around 300,000 in 2025. The revised targets were initially reported by The National Post.
Historically known for its openness to immigrants, Canada is now experiencing a shift in public sentiment, partially driven by soaring housing costs. Rising interest rates over the past two years have priced many Canadians out of the housing market, while a surge in immigration has contributed to record-high population levels, intensifying housing demand and further driving up prices.
With a federal election set for no later than October 2025, immigration has become one of the most divisive issues in Canadian politics. Polls show an increasing number of Canadians believe the country is admitting too many immigrants. This shift in opinion has coincided with a rise in backlash against newcomers, along with more frequent reports of hate crimes targeting visible minorities, according to advocates.
Migrant rights groups strongly condemned the new policy. Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network Secretariat, criticized the decision, stating, “We are witnessing one of the most egregious rollbacks of migrant rights in Canadian history. Cutting permanent resident numbers is a direct assault on migrants who will be forced to remain temporary or become undocumented, pushing them further into exploitative jobs.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office has not yet commented on the changes.
The new immigration targets also mark a departure from pandemic-era policies that eased restrictions on temporary residents to address labor shortages. In 2023, the government had aimed to bring in 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026. However, as of the second quarter of 2024, Canada had 2.8 million temporary residents, including workers and students, according to Statistics Canada.
In an August interview, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told Reuters, “Canadians want an immigration system that is not out of control.”
The Trudeau government, lagging in the polls and facing internal pressure from some legislators, has sought to tighten immigration regulations. This year, fewer visas have been approved, and more visa-holders have been turned away at the border, according to data obtained by Reuters. The government also aims to reduce temporary residents’ share of the population to 5% over the next three years, down from 6.8% in April.
In addition, Canada has capped the number of international students and introduced stricter rules for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which has faced criticism for driving down wages and leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation.
