OttawaCanada announced Wednesday that it will cut international student permits next year and tighten rules for foreign workers, with the aim of reducing the number of temporary residents.
The warning comes after another round of restrictions aimed at controlling record levels of migration, which have pushed Canada’s population past 41 million at the start of the year.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has blamed high immigration for pressures on housing, the labour market and social services.
“It is a privilege to come to Canada. It is not a right,” said Immigration Minister Marc Miller at a press conference.
In 2025, Ottawa plans to issue 437,000 student permits to international students, down from 485,000 this year and 500,000 in 2023.
It will also impose new limits on work permits for spouses of some international students and foreign workers. It will also tighten checks before issuing travel visas to stem the rise in fraudulent or rejected asylum applications.
Ottawa said it would reduce the number of temporary residents to 5 per cent of its population, down from 6.8 per cent in April.
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– 2024-09-21 02:18:04
