Canada to Announce Major Changes to Immigration System Amid Pressure on Trudeau

Three sources familiar with the matter say the federal government is expected to unveil significant changes to Canada’s immigration system on Thursday.

This announcement comes as up to 30 backbench Liberal MPs reportedly push for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down.

One source indicated that the upcoming changes will include reducing the annual number of permanent residents admitted to Canada and modifying temporary immigration streams.

Canada had initially aimed to admit 500,000 permanent residents in 2025 and planned to maintain that target in 2026. Since the Liberal government took power, the number of permanent residents admitted annually has surged by 59%.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller hinted at potential changes to immigration streams during a recent Liberal cabinet retreat. “We’re looking at the various streams to make sure that as we move forward, Canada remains a positive place in its support for immigration,” Trudeau remarked on August 28.

In 2023, Canada hosted more than 2.5 million temporary residents, which accounted for approximately 6.2% of the total population.