Temporary residents' hope shrinks as Canada reduces immigration levels

RED DEER, Alberta — Temporary newcomers in Canada are feeling the brunt of the reduced number of temporary residents the federal government plans to accept between 2025 and 2027.

In January, Filipino temporary worker Marcelo Gado left Canada after failing to secure a contract with another employer. Ninety days after his old contract expired in October, Gado, who worked as a chicken catcher for two years, could not be re-hired.

"Employers were choosing to hire permanent residents for fear of losing their workers to the changes in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)," Gado said in an interview.

The 36-year-old from Guimba, Nueva Ecija is looking to leave the Philippines again after the short break.

"I plan to re-apply to return to Canada because staying in the Philippines is not an option for a breadwinner like me. I will not stop in finding a better future for me and my family," he said.

If successful, like thousands of temporary residents who come to Canada for greener pastures, Gado will try his luck at obtaining permanent status, aware that his hopes would face challenges from Canada's tightening grip on its immigration policies.

Housing and social pressures

In October, the federal government announced its immigration levels plan to reduce the number of temporary residents to 5% from 6.5% of Canada's population by 2026, targeting a projected reduction of 445,600.

Temporary residents are permit holders who are generally workers and students, as well as refugees. Statistics Canada reported that some 3 million non-permanent residents were present in Canada in the third quarter of 2024.

The announcement spelled reforms in the international student program, tightening eligibility requirements for temporary foreign workers, stricter employer compliance, and more rigorous labor market impact assessments.

Furthermore, compared to 2024, federal arm Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will reduce permanent resident targets to 395,000 in 2025 from 500,000; 380,000 from 500,000 in 2026; and 365,000 in 2027.

PR admission from the economic class in key labor market sectors, such as in health and trade, will reach 61% by 2027. Compared to low-wage stream workers, this sector is comprised of skilled workers, business immigrants, provincial nominees, and caregivers.

Focus on students, workers

The changes stem from alleged misuse of the various programs by recruiters and employers, but, at the same time, has put a spotlight on the growing pressures on housing, social services and infrastructure across Canada.

On the housing crisis, IRCC was quick to note that the issue was not caused by immigration, but that "higher numbers have placed pressures."

"Reducing immigration volumes will help to alleviate some pressure in the housing market, as lower population growth means less need for new housing. In fact, lower permanent immigration resident admissions are expected to further reduce the housing supply gap by about 670,000 units by end of 2027," said IRCC in an email interview with GMA News Online.

IRCC is turning its focus on temporary residents already in Canada who are students and workers who are eligible for permanent residence, a segment it said makes up 40% of overall permanent resident admissions in 2025.

"They will continue to support the workforce and economy without placing additional demands on our social services, as many are already settled in Canada with jobs and houses," it said.

"IRCC is aware of acute challenges related to housing and is actively pursuing strategies that support Canada's continued need for immigration while also addressing these pressures," IRCC added.

'Toxic anti-migrant narratives'

Migrant rights advocates denounced IRCC, saying it was using the sector as a "scapegoat" on the issues of housing and social services.

Migrant Rights Network (MRN), an alliance of migrant organizations across Canada, decried claims migrants are responsible for the housing and affordability crisis. "Slashing migrant numbers leaves those truly responsible off the hook," it said in a statement posted on its website.

"Migrants often live in employer-controlled housing or crowded, substandard units without basic tenant rights. They are not competing for single-family homes," MRN said.

The group explained that while the population has gone up by 3.9%, housing prices have gone up more than 20%, while "hundreds of thousands of rental units sit empty because landlords are rent gouging."

Amnesty International is concerned about the consequences of what it called "toxic anti-migrant narratives" on the rights of those already living and working in Canada.

In an email interview, it said the government's ongoing reduction in most, if not all, immigration streams to alleviate housing and other supply issues "are just a form of political posturing to blame refugees and migrants of policy failures."

"Reducing the number of migrant workers does not improve conditions and rights of migrants already in Canada, instead [it] should address the root causes of labour exploitation—the tied visas/closed work permits," said spokesman Maria Serrano.

In January, Amnesty International released its report on Canada's TFWP titled "'Canada Has Destroyed Me': Labor exploitation of migrant workers in Canada", leaving scathing remarks on the TFWP.

Amnesty International pointed out how migrant workers, although essential to the Canadian economy, are made disposable through the TFWP.

"Despite the ongoing need for their skills and work, the Canadian immigration system continues to treat [its] migrant workers as temporary labourers and grant them temporary precarious status," said Serrano.

"Because people targeted for the TFWP are generally not eligible for permanent immigration to Canada, they return year after year with precarious status and remain tied to their employers and risk of labour exploitation," she added.

'Prolonged risk of abuse'

In its report, Amnesty International noted that Canada's preference for high-skilled workers facilitates a "prolonged risk of abuse for many radicalized migrant workers in low-skilled jobs as they continue working in Canada with tied visas for years, with little prospects to access a more secure status."

"In contrast to high-skilled workers, Canada's immigration system offers few avenues for low-skilled workers to permanently settle in Canada," it said.

Migrante Canada fears more temporary residents will choose to become undocumented.

"This is why we should do away with closed work permits, and focus on workers' protection and welfare promotion," said Danilo de Leon, chairperson of Migrante Canada.

"Low-skilled workers always get left behind whenever there are changes in immigration policies," he added. Migrante Canada is campaigning for the regularization of undocumented migrants who lost their status due to policy changes over the years.

Additional measures adopted

The IRCC maintains that the Government of Canada takes the safety and dignity of foreign workers seriously and has enforced actions for their protection.

While in Canada, the IRCC said, foreign workers have the same employment standards, rights and protections under federal, provincial and territorial law as their Canadian counterparts.

The IRCC said that in recent years, it has adopted additional measures for foreign worker protection, including stricter regulations requiring employers to provide private health insurance for their workers, prohibition on charging or recovering recruitment fees and better compliance to the requirements of its foreign worker programs.

It also set up a tip line and online reporting tool for anonymous reporting of alleged abuse, as well as implementing a Migrant Worker Support Program to help workers understand their rights.

Two policies, the Changing Employers Public Policy and the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers are also available to assist foreign workers seeking to change jobs in Canada.

Meanwhile, Express Entry, Canada's flagship application management system, targets highly skilled immigrants who meet the country's economic and labor market needs.

"Candidates selected through Express Entry typically have higher levels of education, language proficiency and work experience, which increases their likelihood of quickly integrating into the workforce and contributing to the economy," IRCC explained.

Foreign workers from all skill levels could access regional immigration programs to secure permanent status, such as the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and two new community pilots, Rural Community Immigration Pilot, and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot.

Policy shift

Immigration lawyer Jatin Shory with Shory Law LLP based in Calgary observed a marked shift in Canadian immigration policy reflecting a "more conservative approach."

In January, the Canadian government has increased investment to shore up border security totaling $1.3 billion.

"These enhancements contribute to a more robust enforcement landscape, potentially leading to increased deportation actions and a more stringent assessment of admissibility," he said in an interview.

"With the tightening of immigration pathways, there has been an uptick in appeals and deportation cases. Individuals whose status might have been more readily regularized are now facing more significant challenges due to stricter admissibility criteria and a reduced willingness to exercise discretionary relief," he said.

Shory noted a more selective approach in economic immigration streams such as in the Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs, and heightened scrutiny on family sponsorship programs.

Vulnerable applicants in Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds are also facing more denials and longer processing times.

"Overall, the shift in policy is creating a more adversarial immigration environment, where applicants are increasingly needing legal representation to navigate appeals and enforcement actions," he added. — VDV, GMA Integrated News