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Canada has announced significant changes to its temporary residence programs, including stricter rules for international students and limitations on employment eligibility, Wego reports.
Today, we announced changes to Canada’s temporary residence programs to better manage the volume of temporary residents, uphold the integrity of our immigration system and protect vulnerable people. Learn more about what’s changing: https://t.co/jtLbjAQT2y
We’re taking these… pic.twitter.com/K7EOjmytDk
— IRCC (@CitImmCanada) September 18, 2024
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, unveiled measures to manage the volume of temporary resident arrivals and uphold the integrity of the immigration system.
Key actions include:
- A 10% reduction in the intake cap on international student study permits for 2025, lowering the number to 437,000. This is markedly lower than the 2024 target of 485,000. The government aims to stabilize the intake for 2026 at the same level.
- Updating the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program to better align with immigration goals and labour market needs
- Limiting work permits for spouses of master’s degree students to those enrolled in programs at least 16 months long. Furthermore, work permit eligibility will be restricted to spouses of foreign workers in management or professional occupations or sectors experiencing labour shortages.
Canada is also addressing integrity issues within its asylum system amid a global increase in displaced people. Measures include implementing partial visa requirements for Mexican nationals, improving claims processing while maintaining fairness, reviewing visa decision-making processes to detect fraud, and exploring further steps to strengthen visa integrity.
