The temporary residence program was ramped up after the coronavirus pandemic, as Canada’s economy struggled to fill a labor shortage.
As a result, nearly three million people living in Canada have some type of temporary immigration status, with 2.2 million arriving in just the past two years, according to government statistics. Temporary residents represent 6.8 percent of the country’s total population of 41.3 million, up from 3.5 percent in 2022.
But Canada’s economy is now creating fewer jobs, and unemployment, at over 6 percent, remains stubbornly high. It is even higher for temporary residents, at 14 percent.
Many Canadian cities face a housing affordability crisis, and several provinces have overstretched health care systems.
With one in five Canadians born overseas, the country has long been open to immigrants. Conservative and Liberal governments have historically promoted immigration policies meant to bolster the ranks of workers and increase the population.
But that is now shifting. Most Canadians, polls show, believe the country has taken in too many newcomers in too short a period. An August poll, for example, showed that two-thirds of Canadians feel the current immigration policy is letting too many people in.
Canada says it will take a more flexible approach to immigration, allowing people in when they are needed and closing the door when they’re not.
