In an effort to lower the number of temporary residents in the country, Canada has stated that it will further decrease the number of study permits it issues to international students and tighten the requirements for work permits.

This comes after tidings that the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, lagging in public opinion polls and fresh off a significant defeat in this week's by-election, is attempting to curtail the number of temporary residents in the nation, including foreign workers and students.

"We're giving out 35% less..."

The federal election, one of the most contentious subjects in Canadian politics, is not expected to happen until at least October 2025. With the modifications unveiled on Wednesday, there will be 437,000 fewer international study licenses granted by 2025. Data from the immigration department shows that 509,390 were authorized by Canada in 2023 and 175,920 in the first seven months of 2024.

This year, we are awarding 35% fewer permits to international students. And that figure will drop by an additional 10% the following year. Immigration boosts our economy, but as Trudeau said in a post on the social media site X, we crack down on bad actors who use students and abuse the system.

This year, we are awarding 35% fewer permits to international students. And that figure will drop by an additional 10% the following year. Immigration boosts our economy, but we take strong action against those who take advantage of students and misuse the system.

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The modifications would also restrict temporary foreign workers and the spouses of some students' eligibility for work permits. The government of Canada announced on Wednesday that it would review measures to strengthen visa integrity and was reviewing the visa decision-making process in light of the country's recent surge in refugee claims. This will enable our highly trained officers to identify fraud and reduce the number of unauthentic visitors.

Program for Temporary Foreign Workers

According to a devastating United Nations assessment, Canada's temporary foreign worker program serves as a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery." Miller considered this wording "inflammatory." The ministers continued to fixate on figures and budget cuts without mentioning workers' rights at all. Executive Director Syed Hussan of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change said in a statement.

Migrants will still be exploited; the only way to end this is to provide them equal rights and the ability to exercise those rights, which can only be achieved by granting permanent residence status to all of them. Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, expressed disappointment that the announcement made on Wednesday did not contain a strategy for converting temporary immigrants to permanent residents.

"These aren't contract positions. She questioned, "Why aren't we helping these folks achieve permanence? Without additional immigrants, our economy will not expand. Therefore, we must be quite clear about our future course. Even when post-pandemic inflation dropped to the Bank of Canada's target of 2% yearly in August, migrants have been held accountable for societal issues such as a shortage of accessible housing and an increased cost of living.

Complex economic problems

Some economists and proponents of immigration contend that the connection between migrants and economic hardship is oversimplified and that disadvantaged arrivals cannot be held accountable for intricate economic issues. Although Canada was formerly known for its welcoming attitude toward newcomers, polls have shown that an increasing portion of the public believes the country is accepting too many immigrants. Anti-immigrant rhetoric and violence have also increased in Canada.

However, Canada's federal government is looking to reduce the number of temporary residents following years of growth. International student approvals were capped by the government in January and are expected to drop by nearly half this year.