On March 21, 2024, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Marc Miller, shared an update about temporary residents in Canada. He also talked about the changes they’re making.
Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault also joined him. They spoke to the media about the number of temporary residents.
This update happened at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at 1:00 p.m. EST (Toronto time).
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The Immigration Minister said he told the immigration department to check out the IRCC programs that bring temporary foreign workers to Canada and make sure they match what the job market needs.
He also said Canada will start setting yearly goals for temporary residents starting in the fall of 2023, just like they do for permanent residents every year.
Minister Marc Miller is going to have a meeting with officials from different provinces to decide how many temporary residents can come to Canada each year.
Miller also said they’ll organize more immigration draws within the country and wants provinces to do the same. This will help turn temporary residents into permanent ones.
Canada has seen a big increase in temporary residents, reaching 2.5 million people in 2023, which is about 6.2% of the total Canadian population.
To start, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) plans to bring down the number of temporary residents to 5% over the next three years.
The exact target will be decided in the fall after discussing with provinces and territories and as part of our yearly planning.
The Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is getting some updates. Starting May 1, 2024, new work permits (LMIA validity) will only be valid for 6 months instead of 12. But there’s an exception for employers in the recognized employer pilot program (REP).
Also, companies listed in the 2022 workforce solution roadmap will now have fewer temporary foreign workers. Before, they could have 30% of their workforce from abroad, but now it’s reduced to 20%, specifically for the low-wage stream of TFWP.
The new rules for bringing in temporary foreign workers don’t apply to healthcare and construction industries until August 31, 2024. Employers in farming are also exempt from these rules.
Temporary Residents In Canada
In September 2023, Statistics Canada shared new numbers. They said there were about 700,000 more temporary residents in Canada. These are people with study permits, work permits, and those seeking asylum.
Canada plans to welcome a certain number of immigrants each year. In 2023, the target is 266,210 people. By 2025, they hope to raise this number to over 301,000.
Over a million people with work permits in Canada want to become permanent residents. But there aren’t enough spots available for them. The number of spots for permanent residency is much lower than the number of temporary residents in Canada.
Moreover, there are many people temporarily living in Canada who are also competing globally for the same permanent residency spots.
Simply put, Canada already has plenty of temporary foreign workers or residents. If it doesn’t accept anyone new from outside Canada, it could still meet its permanent residency goals for the next 6-7 years.
However, getting permanent residency in Canada is tough now. They mainly prioritize giving it to people with skills needed in the job market, French speakers (Francophone), and those who are highly educated with 3-4 years of work experience.
Province-Wise Temporary Residents
Ontario has the highest number of temporary residents, with around a million people. Quebec and British Columbia come next after Ontario.
