Canadians can anticipate updates on the federal government’s immigration strategy in the upcoming budget announcement, with shifting public attitudes towards immigration prompting revisions, following a prior reduction in targets by Ottawa. Prime Minister Mark Carney stated, “We are improving immigration management,” during a speech at the University of Ottawa. The new immigration plan in the budget aims to align immigration levels with national needs and capacity to benefit newcomers and society.
In response to a surge in immigration post-pandemic that strained public services, the Trudeau government reduced the target for permanent residents in 2024 from 500,000 to 395,000, with further reductions planned. A recent poll revealed that a majority of Canadians felt there were too many immigrants entering the country for the first time since polling on immigration attitudes began in 1996.
The influx of immigrants post-pandemic impacted public services such as housing, transportation, and healthcare, as mentioned by Usha George, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. While Canada’s overall unemployment rate reached 7.1%, recent immigrants faced a higher rate of 11.1%, highlighting challenges in the labor market.
Experts emphasized the need for a more targeted immigration approach to align with emerging industry demands, particularly in high-skilled sectors like AI and cybersecurity. Calls were made to leverage recent changes in U.S. visa policies to attract specialized talent to Canada and retain skilled Canadians who had left for American opportunities.
Despite the potential benefits, caution was advised in making significant policy changes solely in response to U.S. visa policy alterations. The emphasis was placed on aligning immigration pathways with national technology priorities and labor market demands to ensure a strategic and beneficial immigration strategy for Canada.