MUMBAI: Fueled by the rising costs of living, a housing problems, and the ability of its diverse network services, such as medical, to cope with an increasing influx of immigrants, Canada continues on its way to suppress such inflows.
After having announced in January a two- year intake cap for foreign students, the move has now been expanded to cover all “temporary residents”– which includes foreign students, momentary foreign workers, those who have fled to Canada under its charitable programs, and asylum seekers.
For the first time ever, starting in fall ( September ), Canada will place limits on the number of “temporary residents” that it will admit. Only permanent residents with a pathway to Canadian citizenship were given annual targets that did n’t end with the date.
Marc Miller, Canada’s Immigration Minister, while addressing the media late night on Thursday ( India time ), pointed out that the country’s temporary resident population has grown rapidly, reaching up to 2.5 million ( 6.2 % of the overall Canadian population in 2023 ).
We are aiming for a 5 % decrease in the number of temporary residents over the next three years as a starting point. He stated that this goal may be finalized in the fall as part of our monthly rates planning and after consultation with our provincial and territorial counterparts.
Miller emphasized the need to improve the position between emigration planning, group power, and labour market needs. Therefore, target would be set for both the amount of permanent residents and the number of temporary residents in order to help repetitive population growth.
We may expand the Immigration Levels Plan for the first time starting this fall, according to Miller.
Even though new strained relations between India and Canada and higher living costs have stifled interest, the presentations are likely to have an impact on Indian aspirants.
Under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program ( TFWP), India has been one of the best resource nations. During 2023, almost 26, 500 Indians were granted permits under the TFWP system, second only to Mexican who had bagged 45, 500 grants. In accordance with this system, roughly 20, 600 temporary resident permits were given to its citizens. The Philippines came in third place. India was the highest source nation for international students, enrolling 2.2 million new pupils in 2022. However, recent data reveal a significant decline: Between July and October 2022, the Canadian government processed 1.46 lakh new study permit applications, which dropped to just 87, 000 during the same time period in 2023. The annual data for 2023 is not yet released.
Miller made reference to the need to “make the system more efficient and sustainable” in his address, acknowledging the importance of temporary foreign workers, particularly those who are filling job openings in crucial industries like healthcare professionals, early childhood educators, and construction workers. Immigration experts predict that there will be some leeway when hiring temporary workers in pressing industries.
He argued that “our programs that welcome temporary residents must take into account the needs and changing demands of the labor market.” In order to better align current programs with labor market needs and find abuses in the system, I have instructed my department to conduct a review of existing programs that attract temporary workers.
Miller acknowledged the need to ensure secure pathways to permanent residency for those who want to call Canada home and to avoid the pitfalls of an economy based solely on temporary workers. In order to accomplish this, he would collaborate closely with the Employment Minister on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s immigration streams.
The” Provincial Nominee Programs” for permanent residency invites are likely to be the focus of the upcoming months. According to Miller,” On another hand, the Provincial Nominee Program gives provinces and territories an opportunity to address their specific economic needs while dispersing the advantages of economic immigration and appointing people for permanent residency.” We will have more domestic draws for temporary residents as part of our efforts to transition to permanent residency, and we will ask provinces and territories that participate in the Provincial Nominee Program to do the same with their allocations.
” However, if there is one thing to take away from these comments today, it is this: Canada will continue to benefit from the significant contributions newcomers make every day. We want each new family and resident to have a successful experience and access to the services they require. Our ultimate objective is to create a well-managed, sustainable immigration system that is built on needs rather than profit, he remarked, at the expense of integrity and sustainability.
