In 2024, Canada welcomed approximately 1.2 million new immigrants, including 500,000 students. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act , the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship must submit annual projections of the number of permanent residents Canada expects to welcome. This plan covers immigrants through economic programs, family reunification programs, and refugee and protected person programs, and is updated every three years. It is within this context that the Canadian government has implemented recent measures to better manage immigration, particularly for temporary foreign workers, international students, and asylum seekers. These reforms aim to provide better protection for workers, streamline the arrival of students, and make the asylum claim process more efficient.
I – Measures concerning temporary foreign workers
In Canada, immigrants can officially enter the country in two ways: either as temporary residents for short-term stays (such as to visit, study, or work), or as permanent residents to settle permanently and eventually become citizens.
For temporary foreign workers, the government strengthened their protections by amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations in September 2022. These changes require employers to provide foreign workers with clear information about their rights before arrival and throughout their employment. As part of its commitment to protecting these workers, the government launched the Migrant Worker Support Program in 2022, with a budget of $49.5 million to help them better understand and exercise their rights. In parallel, the quality and speed of employer inspections were improved, resulting in a 36% increase in fines levied on non-compliant employers between 2023 and 2024. The government also took steps to combat fraud related to the Labour Market Impact Assessment.
In 2024, an additional $41 million in funding was allocated to continue protecting temporary foreign workers. Efforts were also made to improve training for risk assessment and fraud detection officers, by revising guidelines to reduce risk tolerance. Finally, the temporary public policy allowing visitors to become workers was repealed to prevent abuse and mistreatment.
These measures to better protect temporary foreign workers and combat fraud are part of a comprehensive strategy to improve immigration to Canada. This plan also includes recent initiatives to better manage the arrival of international students, in order to ensure more structured and beneficial immigration for the country.
II – Measures concerning foreign students
Several measures have been taken:
- Study permit applications are now limited: In partnership with the provinces, the Canadian government has put in place a limit for international student permit applications, set this year at 360,000. This measure aims to control the growth in the number of international students and to ensure that Canadian communities are able to welcome and integrate them properly.
- Verification of acceptance letters and financial requirements: A system for verifying acceptance letters has been put in place to combat fraud, while the financial requirements of applicants have been increased so that they are better prepared for life in Canada.
- A work permit for spouses of students: In addition, open work permits for spouses of students are now reserved for situations where the principal applicant is enrolled in a master’s, doctoral or professional degree program or participates in the Pilot Program for students in Francophone minority communities.
- Post-Graduation Work Permit Reforms: The Canadian government has reformed the Post-Graduation Work Permit to exclude graduates of college programs offered through public-private partnerships. In other words, graduates of certain programs that benefit from public-private collaboration are no longer eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit, which allows graduates to work in Canada after completing their studies. This reform aims to better regulate access to the work permit for graduates of programs that are more closely aligned with the needs of the Canadian labour market and to prevent abuses related to agreements less focused on students’ professional integration.
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- New permits to change schools : New rules could require students to apply for a new permit to change schools and make institutions responsible for verifying student compliance.
- Regulation of working hours: Finally, a change to the permitted working hours for off-campus international students is being prepared to allow them to focus on their studies while still having the option to work. These measures are expected to come into effect later this winter.
Just as Canada has taken steps to better manage the arrival of foreign students, it has also taken initiatives to regulate asylum claims.
III – Measures concerning asylum applications
In March 2023, Canada and the United States expanded their Safe Third Country Agreement, now covering the entire land border, including inland waterways. This change led to a significant reduction in irregular border crossings, causing the number of irregular asylum claims to plummet from 165 per day in March 2023 to 13 per day.
In parallel, since 2019, the Integrated Asylum Claims Assessment Centre (ICAC), created by IRCC and the CBSA, has accelerated the processing of claims. This has facilitated the review of files and expedites the scheduling of hearings, thus reducing the number of postponements.
Furthermore, in February 2024, Canada introduced a partial visa requirement for Mexican citizens in response to a sharp increase in their asylum claims, the vast majority of which were either rejected or withdrawn. This measure reduced Mexican asylum claims by nearly 80%, from 1,997 in February 2024 to just 434 in June of the same year.
Recent reforms, affecting both the protection of temporary foreign workers and the management of asylum claims, demonstrate Canada’s commitment to meeting the needs of its labour market while addressing current social challenges. By adjusting student flows and regulating immigration, the government aims to support the economy while ensuring that local communities can effectively welcome newcomers. The goal is to facilitate successful integration within a fairer environment for all.
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