Canada’s new immigration rules may create some problems for the Indian community in the country, as current permits for foreign nationals will expire by the end of 2025, forcing millions to be out of the country. Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said there were major changes coming to the country’s immigration rules, affecting hundreds of thousands of workers, many them Indians.
Of these, about five million permits are set to expire in December 2025, after which foreign nationals will have few avenues to apply for permanent residency or renew their permits. Miller has said that many of them could leave voluntarily. For those who do not, the CBSA will be responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
The Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the government intends to cut the number of new permanent residents it admits annually, from 500,000 in 2025 to 395,000 in 2026 and 380,000 in 2027, with 365,000 in 2027. It said the move will “pause population growth in the short term to achieve well-managed, sustainable growth in the long term.” The new targets will also include temporary residents – such as international students and foreign workers already in Canada – looking to apply for permanent residency.
The decline in permanent residency approvals can translate into a 21 percent drop, and if permanent and temporary residency permits are combined, the result is a 40 percent reduction in the number of international students entering Canada. More than a million Indians live in Canada, and many are watching these policy changes with a keen eye.
