By Mata Press Service

Canada is planning a major overhaul of its immigration system to better meet the needs of the country and newcomers.

In a report released this week titled "An Immigration System for Canada's Future", the government laid out a pathway to strengthen the immigration system for people, ensure immigration continues to contribute to the nation’s economic growth and help businesses and communities thrive.

“Hearing from stakeholders and newcomers provided important insight into how we can develop a stronger and more integrated immigration system in Canada,” said Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

“With these measures, we aim to build a system that is easier to navigate, with an inclusive and coordinated plan that aligns our immigration programs and policies with the needs of the country,” he said.

“As we move forward, the people who come to Canada will continue to be at the heart of our work, whether they wish to work, study, or call this place their home.”

The new report identifies actions to transform Canada’s immigration system, informed by engagement with a broad range of partners and stakeholders. Some changes are already underway, while others are in development.

This includes

• positioning the immigration system to adapt quickly and to respond equitably and sustainably to growing global humanitarian crises
• developing a new Francophone Immigration Policy to enhance the vitality of Francophone minority communities, while maintaining and increasing the demographic weight of French linguistic minority communities in Canada
• improving the International Student Program by working with provinces and territories on a Recognized Institutions Framework so that post-secondary institutions with high standards in key areas such as integrity and student supports can benefit from faster processing of study permits
• integrating housing, health care and infrastructure planning, along with other important services, into Canada’s immigration levels planning, in close collaboration with provinces, territories and municipalities
• building an advisory body of newcomers with experience in immigration to inform program and policy improvements, as well as service delivery
• creating a Chief International Talent Officer position to more effectively align immigration programs and pathways with the labour market, including industry and sector strategies

• making the Immigration Canada website more user-friendly, so that applicants can easily find the information they need.

Miller’s announcement came a day before the new annual targets for permanent residents were released.

Last year, the government said it aims to welcome record numbers of 485,000 permanent residents in 2024 and half a million in 2025. In an August interview, Miller said he’d either keep or raise those targets, not reduce them, because “the need is too great.”

The government has heavily relied on immigration to rapidly add more workers to stave off economic decline from an aging populace. Over one year to July 1, Canada’s population grew at a record 2.9% percent, among the world’s fastest rates, and international migration was responsible for nearly 98 percent of that growth as fertility reached historic lows.

Despite the federal government's position that immigration is crucial to filling Canada's labour shortage, there appears to be dwindling support among Canadians for more immigration.

Over the past year, Canadians have become more negative about the direction of the country and the economy, and in governments’ ability to plan for future challenges. Inflation and the cost of living, along with housing affordability and interest rates, are now seen as the top issues facing the country.

Recent polls showed that a strong majority of Canadians continue to believe that immigration is good for the economy, but rising concerns about immigration numbers have weakened the public consensus on this point over the past 12 months.

Fewer also now agree that immigration is needed to maintain the country’s population growth, although this opinion remains more widely held in Quebec than elsewhere in Canada.

This expanding view that Canada is taking in too many immigrants is driven in large part by rising concerns about how newcomers may be contributing to the housing crisis.

According to a poll by the Environics Institute more than four in ten Canadians now strongly (23%) or somewhat (21%) agree with the statement, ‘there is too much immigration to Canada,’ up 17 percentage points from one year ago and the largest one-year change ever recorded on this question.”

They are still outnumbered by those who are satisfied with the level of immigration, at 51%. Still, the poll found, “Canadians are now significantly more likely than a year ago to say there is too much immigration to the country, dramatically reversing a trend dating back decades. For the first time, a growing number of Canadians are questioning how many immigrants are arriving, rather than who they are and where they are coming from.” – with agencies

Quick facts

• Immigration is the main driver of population growth in Canada. In 2021, more than 8.3 million people, or almost one quarter (23%) of the population, were or had been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada. This was the largest proportion since Confederation and the highest among the G7.
• The share of Canada’s population that is of working age is shrinking. Fifty years ago, there were seven workers to each senior in Canada. Now, we are at approximately three workers for each senior, and the share is projected to drop to close to only two workers for each senior in the foreseeable future. An aging workforce has broad economic implications, like chronic labour market shortages.
• Close to two thirds of recent immigrants are of core working age—between 25 and 54—helping rejuvenate Canada’s population.
• IRCC’s engagement initiative received input from more than 17,500 voices, including over 2,000 organizations and over 2,100 current or former clients, such as temporary foreign workers in Canada, international students, and permanent residents.