Toronto: The hopes of around 2.35 lakh foreign nationals to enter Canada this year have been shattered amid the government’s increasingly strict visa regulations. The affected categories include study visa applicants, spouses of temporary foreign workers, and individuals seeking work permits.
As per official data, over 95,000 study visas were issued in December 2023, but the number drastically dropped to just 30,000 by December 2024. This sharp decline reflects a tightening of Canada’s immigration system.
Spouses of international students and temporary foreign workers have also been facing a surge in work permit refusals. According to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, 1.23 lakh former temporary residents became permanent residents between January and July this year, accounting for 50 per cent of all new permanent residents.
The Canadian government aims to bring down the share of temporary residents to 5 per cent of the total population while focusing on allowing foreign nationals already residing in the country to obtain permanent status.
Additionally, the number of regions listed under low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) has increased to 32. These include Ontario’s Guelph and Greater Sudbury, Manitoba’s Winnipeg, Alberta’s Red Deer and Lethbridge, and British Columbia’s Kelowna. Employers in these areas will no longer be able to offer LMIA-based jobs at lower wage rates.
