A recent study from CoBC has stated that more temporary residents are leaving Canada’s big cities. The study used data from 2016 & 2021 to show the differences in immigration to urban centers & the surrounding areas.
Well, Quebec had the highest number of newcomers living in the ring of census divisions surrounding Montreal, Longueuil, & Laval. Comparable results were witnessed in the Greater Toronto Area.
Regions outside of York & Peel had immigrant populations of 8.1% & 5.4%, respectively.
However, outside of these regions, this rises from between 19% to 30%. For instance, the Simcoe census division in Ontario noted a 33.58% increase in immigrants between 2016 to 2021.
Recent Surge In Temporary Residents Numbers
More temporary residents are leaving Canada’s big cities. In addition, the report notes that much of the increase in newcomers in rural communities can be attributed to the recent rise in the number of temporary residents in Canada.
This aligns with recent data from Statistics Canada that shows temporary residents accounted for over 804,901 of Canada’s new immigrants in 2023. This is almost double the 471,551 permanent residents that the nation welcomed.
In addition, the CoBC report states that between 2016 & 2021, many regions of Canada witnessed the population of temporary residents more than double, with some regions seeing growth of over 1000%.
Again, Quebec rural regions witnessed the highest increase in temporary residents, with some communities reporting growth to 1,520%.
It also explained that most temporary residents who settled in rural areas were more likely to be on work permits. At the same time, growth in urban centers would be a mix of international students & temporary foreign workers.
This implies that non-urban centers are experiencing rapid increased population growth & changing demographics.’
For instance, Prince Edward Island experienced a notable increase in its population of female temporary residents between 2016 & 2021. This implies an increased requirement of services for women, like settlement services or healthcare services in the province. Other provinces may have different demographic changes, but they will encounter similar challenges.
Changes To Temporary Resident Levels In 2024
More temporary residents are leaving Canada’s big cities. Moreover, meeting the needs of Canada’s growing population has many Canadians concerned about the increased lack of affordable housing as well as the strain on Canada’s already over-stretched healthcare system.
Numerous public opinion polls released at the end of last year indicated that public support for high levels of immigration has dropped rapidly since 2022.
Furthermore, on March 19, Immigration Minister Marc Miller made several declarations regarding the number of temporary residents in Canada. Moreover, he revealed that temporary residents (TRs) will be included in the upcoming Immigration Levels Plan.
The present Plan sets the targets for the number of permanent residents Canada will welcome in the coming year & notional targets for two years after that. The Minister asserted that adding temporary resident levels to the Plan can act as a ‘soft cap’ for the number of temporary residents Canada welcomes going forward.
The Minister also declared that there will be more ‘domestic draws’ in order to become a permanent resident of Canada. This could mean that temporary residents already residing & working in Canada might have an advantage if they decide to apply for PR via the Provincial Nominee Program or Express Entry.
On January 22, IRCC also declared a cap on the number of international study permits the department expected to approve in 2024. It said that this was to stabilize unsustainable numbers of international students, many of whom haven’t been obtaining adequate support during their studies.