In a significant policy shift, Canada has announced plans to grant permanent residency to 1.1 million immigrants from around the world, including those from Pakistan, over the next three years.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed on Thursday that, in addition to the permanent residents, the country will also welcome over 300,000 temporary residents in 2025. This strategy is designed to temporarily pause population growth to ensure well-managed and sustainable growth in the long term.
These new immigration targets mark a departure from the policies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic when the government relaxed restrictions on temporary residents to address labor shortages. Previously, Canada aimed to admit 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026. According to Statistics Canada, there were approximately 2.8 million temporary residents, including workers and students, in Canada as of the second quarter of 2024.
“Today’s announcement is the next step in our plan to address the evolving immigration needs of our country,” Miller stated. “While it is clear that our economy requires newcomers, we must adapt our policies to address the pressures facing our nation.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the need for policy adjustments, saying, “We didn’t get the balance quite right.”
Under the new plan, Canada will welcome 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. However, Trudeau has faced increasing pressure to resign amid declining poll numbers and growing support for the opposition Conservatives.
The government projects that these immigration controls will lead to a slight population decline of 0.2 percent in both 2025 and 2026, followed by a rebound of 0.8 percent in 2028.
“These changes will help provinces, territories, and stakeholders align their capacities and allow the population to grow at a sustainable pace while encouraging institutions to better welcome newcomers,” the government stated.
