By Paul Vieira
OTTAWA--Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will introduce a revamped immigration plan on Thursday that he says will have restrictions on the number of temporary work permits issued.
Trudeau said via his official account on X that Canada intends to issue fewer temporary work permits.
"We're bringing in stricter rules for companies to prove why they can't hire Canadian workers first," he said in the social-media post.
The post emerged after his office said he is scheduled Thursday to make an announcement about Canada's immigration strategy, a week after two polls indicated the majority of Canadians believe the country is allowing too many newcomers in the country.
A restriction on temporary work permits could be part of a broader revamp that might include a reduction in the level of permanent residents -- or immigrants who don't require visas to work or reside in the country -- allowed in 2025. Canada currently envisages entry to 500,000 permanent residents in 2025, but the National Post newspaper earlier reported the government intends to reduce that level by about 20%. Other media outlets later matched the Post's reported numbers.
Representatives for Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller didn't respond to requests for comment. Miller told The Wall Street Journal last month that Canada was mulling a reduction in the number of permanent residents allowed entry.
Polls issued last week, from Environics Institute and Abacus Data, suggest Canadians believe the country is admitting too many immigrants, which has led to increases in home prices and rents, and put a strain on the country's social-services network and infrastructure.
Cutting the level would arguably mark one of the biggest sea-changes yet in government policy since Trudeau took power in 2015. Trudeau and other Canadian officials have advocated for an aggressive immigration policy, and lauded how the country is better than its developed-world peers in welcoming newcomers and incorporating them into the economy.
Starting in the first quarter of 2022, Canada has added 1.03 million permanent residents. During the same period, Canada added a net 1.4 million temporary immigrants, either on student or work visas, or roughly double the number allowed in the decade starting in 2010.
Through 2024, Miller and other officials have laid the groundwork for a slowdown in immigration intake. Miller said last month Canada would reduce the number of student study permits issued next year by 10% from 2024 levels, to 437,000. That level would remain in place for 2026. In March, Miller said the Liberal government intended to reduce the share of temporary visa holders in Canada to 5% of the population, from a 6.5% share.
Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
10-23-24 1957ET
