Federal government aims to set temporary resident targets for the first time this fall

For the first time, Canada will set a “soft cap” on the number of new temporary resident arrivals to the country when it sets its immigration levels plan in the fall, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced Thursday.

The announcement is the latest in a series of steps Miller has taken in recent months to rein in rampant population growth.

The federal government plans to decrease the number of temporary residents to five per cent of the population over the next three years, down from the current 6.2 per cent.

The first targets will be set in September. Canada has seen a sharp increase in the number of temporary residents coming in each year, with Miller saying in the past that the country has become “addicted” to temporary workers.

“Changes are needed to make the system more efficient and more sustainable,” Miller told a news conference.

“There should be an honest conversation about what the rise in international migration means for Canada as we plan ahead,” he added.

Strong population growth in Canada has led to intense scrutiny of the country’s immigration policies and particularly of temporary resident streams.

Canada’s population grew by more than 430,000 during the third quarter of 2023, marking the fastest pace of population growth in any quarter since 1957. Nearly three-quarters of that growth was driven by non-permanent residents.

The number of temporary residents in Canada spiked due to higher international student enrolments at post-secondary institutions as well increased use of temporary worker programs.

The federal government loosened temporary foreign worker rules during the pandemic to help businesses fill positions amid record-high job vacancies.

Canada has also brought in significant numbers of migrants in response to humanitarian crises, including nearly 300,000 Ukrainians.