Canada to put a cap on temporary residents for the first time!

Mar 22, 2024 / < 1 min readIshita Soni

Canada Plans to Reduce the Number of Temporary Residents

Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, announced new plans to reduce the number of temporary residents in the country. Currently, Canada hosts about 2.5 million temporary residents in 2024.
According to recent data, 40% hold work permits, 22% have study permits, and 18% are asylum applicants.
Additionally, Canada will limit the number of international students entering the country for the next two years.

Canada to Cut Temporary Resident Numbers

The federal government plans to reduce the temporary resident share from 6.2% of the population to 5%.
Over the next three years, this reduction will take effect through new caps introduced in September.
As a result, foreign workers and asylum seekers will face stricter entry limits.

Canada has nearly 2.5 million temporary residents in 2024—an increase of one million since 2021.
Because of this sharp rise, businesses must cut the number of foreign workers by May 1st.
Meanwhile, construction and healthcare sectors continue to struggle with labour shortages.
Temporary worker rules will remain unchanged until August 31, 2024.

Changes Affecting Temporary Residents

In 2021, Statistics Canada reported that temporary residents included:

  • 40% work permit holders
  • 22% study permit holders
  • 18% asylum applicants
  • The rest were family members on visas

Furthermore, Immigration Minister Marc Miller confirmed new limits on international student numbers for the next two years.
The government aims to reduce study permits by 35%.
In 2022, Canada welcomed 800,000 international students, up from 214,000 a decade earlier.
This rapid growth is one of the main drivers behind the new policy changes.

Get in touch with SPS Canada

Receive professional advice on any of your questions regarding Canadian immigration. get in touch with us, experienced immigration consultants from SPS Canada. For additional information, contact support@spscanada.com (Canada) or support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad), or by phone at (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada) or +919586226232 (Ahmedabad).

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