Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Thursday that it will sharply cut the number of immigrants it allows to reduce population growth amid mounting housing and healthcare services pressures.
The new plan will see Canada reducing its annual permanent resident targets from the current 500,000 in 2025 to 395,000—a 21% drop. By 2027, this figure will fall further to 365,000, marking a step back from the rapid growth strategy post-COVID-19 that saw nearly three million newcomers arrive over three years.
“Canadians are justifiably proud of their welcoming immigration system,” Trudeau said at a press conference in Ottawa, “but the tumultuous times as we emerged from the pandemic showed us that between addressing labor needs and maintaining population growth, we didn’t get the balance quite right.”
Trudeau’s remarks criticized provincial and corporate exploitation of immigration programs, especially concerning international students and temporary workers.
“Far too many corporations have chosen to abuse our temporary measures employed in exploiting foreign workers,” he said, also adding that “under the watch of provinces, some colleges and universities are bringing in more international students than communities can accommodate, treating them as an expendable means to line their own pockets. That’s unacceptable.”
These developments will have an enormous impact on Nigerians, who comprise a significant portion of Canada’s immigrant population. Between 2005 and 2024, more than 71,000 Nigerians became Canadian citizens, making Nigeria the 10th largest country of origin for Canadian immigrants. Many more Nigerians continue migrating to Canada for better opportunities, but the new measures may curb these numbers.
This policy change comes as public opinion has soured: an Environics Institute poll earlier this month revealed that 58% of Canadians now feel immigration levels are too high, a reversal from previous years when immigration was broadly seen as beneficial.
Trudeau cited the strain on Canada’s housing and healthcare systems as the primary motivation for the reduction. “This decision gives all levels of government time to catch up, time to make necessary investments in health care, in housing, in social services to accommodate more people in the future,” he explained. Canada’s housing crisis has intensified as new immigrants compete for limited housing, increasing prices and demand for public healthcare resources.
Earlier this year, measures were introduced to limit international students and cap temporary foreign worker quotas. In addition, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) discontinued the visitor-to-work permit policy, which was initially introduced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally set to expire in 2025, this policy allowed foreign nationals, including thousands of Nigerians, to obtain work permits without leaving Canada. Its termination in August already raised concerns among foreign workers, who fear that the latest measures could heighten job insecurity.
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced that the number of permanent residency slots will be reduced over the next three years. Rather than the previous target of 500,000 annual permanent residency slots, Canada will admit 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.
According to Miller, the decision reflects Canada’s need for sustainable growth and a well-managed immigration system, balancing the country’s economic requirements with pressures on housing and job markets. “These changes will make immigration work for our country so that everyone has access to the quality jobs, homes, and support they need to thrive,” Miller stated in a press release.
The government also clarified that the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan will support controlled targets for international students, temporary foreign workers, and permanent residents, aligning with labor market needs. Canada intends to reduce its temporary resident population to 5% of its total population by 2026. This reduction represents a decline in temporary residents by 445,901 in 2025 and 445,662 in 2026, followed by a modest increase of 17,439 in 2027.
Impacts on Work and Study Permits
New rules also limit work permits under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP). Work permits will now be available primarily to spouses of master’s degree students (whose programs last at least 16 months) and spouses of foreign workers in high-demand sectors, such as management or industries with labor shortages. These restrictions are expected to reduce job prospects for families of foreign workers, affecting their ability to gain financial stability.
This immigration policy drew criticism from advocacy groups like the Migrant Rights Network. In a recent open letter to Trudeau and Miller, the group argued that migrants should not be blamed for Canada’s housing or healthcare challenges, stating that these issues reflect “decades of federal and provincial policies that have underfunded and privatized public services.”
With federal elections to be held in late 2025 and the Liberal Party facing declining popularity, this could alter Canada’s political landscape in the coming months. Trudeau concluded, “Our immigration system has always been responsible and it has always been flexible.” However, the policy could see further changes if the election results bring a new government.
