Toronto 
The federal government has announced changes in temporary resident programs amid evolving economic conditions and labour market challenges.
Credit: Gül Işık/Pexels
Key changes announced by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship include reducing the intake of international student study permits by 10% in 2025, capping the number at 437,000, with plans to maintain this level in 2026.
- Reduction in Study Permits: For 2025, the number of new study permits will be limited to 437,000, a 10% decrease from the previous target.
- Post-Graduation Work Permit Program: Starting November 1, 2024, all Post-Graduation Work Permit applicants will need to meet higher language benchmarks, with university graduates requiring Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7, and college graduates level 5.
- Work Permit Restrictions: Restrictions will be tightened later this year. Spouses of master’s degree students will only qualify if the academic program is at least 16 months long. Furthermore, work permit eligibility will be limited to spouses of foreign workers in specific managerial, professional roles or sectors experiencing labour shortages.
- Master’s and doctoral students: Master’s and doctoral students applying for study permits will need to provide a provincial or territorial attestation letter, reserving about 12% of the spaces for these applicants due to their significant contributions to the labour market.
“The Temporary Foreign Worker program was designed to address labour market shortages when qualified Canadians were not able to fill those roles,” said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages announcing the changes.
“Right now, we know that there are more Canadians qualified to fill open positions. The changes we are making today will prioritize Canadians workers and ensures Canadians can trust the program is meeting the needs of our economy.”
Per the news release, reforms to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program will be introduced this fall to align more closely with Canada’s immigration objectives and labour market demands. Graduates from programs at public colleges will remain eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) of up to three years if they graduate from a field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage.
Per the news release, this adjustment is part of a broader strategy to decrease the proportion of temporary residents from 6.5% to 5% of the total population by 2026.
The changes will be formalized in the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, to be released by November 1, 2024.
More Information
- Reducing the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada
- Actions taken to strengthen Canada’s temporary residence programs and migration pathways
