Original: Source
Canada’s surge in temporary residents might be, well, temporary.
Driving the news: Temporary residents grew to 6.8% of Canada’s population last quarter, but new data suggests the immigration tide could be cresting. The country added 131,810 temporary residents, which is significantly lower than the record 312,758 seen last year.
- Part of this drop was driven by the curtailing of foreign study permits, with the number of temporary residents with such permits falling by 24,594 last quarter.
Why it matters: The federal government plans to implement temporary immigration targets starting in the fall, as it tries to limit the number of temporary residents to 5% of the population within the next three years. Slowing growth is key to reaching this goal.
- Federal and provincial immigration officials have discussed ideas to turn more temporary residents into permanent ones and speed up deportation processes.
Yes, but: Speed bumps are ahead for Canada’s crackdown on temporary foreign workers. Employers have grown reliant on them, with the number of residents holding some form of temporary work permit now more than 1.3 million, ~152% more than two years ago.—QH