Canada Slashes Temporary Resident Intake by Nearly 43% | PRIMENEWSNOW

Between 2026 and 2028, the number of temporary residents will see a decline. Previously, the government aimed to welcome 305,000 international students annually. However, the new targets are set at 155,000, dropping to 150,000 by 2027 and 2028, effectively halving the 2025 goal.

In response to the U.S. imposing a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, Canada is introducing a fast-track pathway to attract affected talent.

Projections for temporary workers and students in 2026 stand at 385,000, decreasing to 370,000 in the following years. The issuance of new work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Programme (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP) will total 230,000 next year, reducing to 220,000 by 2027 and 2028.

The 2025 target for temporary residents was 673,650, including 367,750 foreign workers and 305,900 students. The revised figures for 2026 and 2027 are 516,600 and 543,600, respectively.

Indians represent the largest group affected, making up 20.8% of the TFWP source countries and 29.2% under the International Mobility Plan in 2024. They also accounted for 36.5% of study permits issued.

“We aim to balance new arrivals with the planned departure of international students and temporary workers as their status expires in 2025 and 2026. Our commitment is to reduce temporary resident numbers through departures, program limits, and lower immigration levels to less than 5% of the population by the end of 2027,” stated Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, in the plan presented to Parliament.

The impact on permanent residents will be minimal. While the target was 395,000 in 2025, it will slightly decrease to 380,000 over the next three years. The focus will remain on economic immigration, with nearly 65% of new permanent residents supporting labor market needs by 2027, up from the current 59%.

“We are regaining control over the immigration system, steering Canada towards sustainable levels, and fulfilling the promise of Canada to those who call it home,” the document from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) emphasized.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government faced pressure to significantly reduce the intake of newcomers, especially temporary residents, amid rising anti-immigration sentiment. The latest plan addresses this political challenge.