Canada’s advertised immigration “cuts” are smaller than they appear after IRCC confirmed that 148,000 additional permanent residence admissions for people already in the country will be on top of the annual 380,000 levels target, according to Budget 2025 and an IRCC spokesperson.
Budget 2025 says Ottawa intends to grant permanent residence to 33,000 temporary foreign workers and 115,000 people categorized as Protected Persons in Canada within the next three years. These groups already live in Canada, so regularizing their status does not add to the resident population.
The department confirmed these one time programs will be “in addition to the Levels target,” not inside it, which means headline targets do not reflect the extra intake.
IRCC spokesperson Rémi Larivière said the 33,000 work permit holders will be people who have “established strong roots in their communities,” including those “contributing to key sectors in rural (areas).”
On the refugee side, Larivière noted that the 115,000 Protected Persons “are not like international students or foreign workers, who are on time-bound temporary permits.”
“Prioritizing their admissions as permanent residents over the next two years will ensure that those in genuine need of Canada’s protection have their permanent status recognized,” the spokesperson noted.
Recently, TD Economics says the rapid immigration cuts are doing what policymakers intended, noting population growth collapsed from 3.2% in Q2 2024 to 0.9%, which is helping cool the hottest pressure points in housing and hiring.
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