The Immigration Minister, along with provincial & federal ministers discuss shared priorities for the future of immigration in Canada.
Together, the ministers make up the Federation of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI). The FMRI is a decision-making body that aims to support an effective Canadian immigration system. Its mission is to advance immigration priorities and enhance Canada’s immigration policies and programs.
The FMRI meets twice a year for immigration ministers to advance provincial priorities & collaborate with colleagues. The last meeting took place in November 2023.
Throughout yesterday’s conference, the Minister reiterated that the discussions were widely positive & productive but noted that there was still work to be done, specifically within the scope of Canada’s international student program.
International Students
Provincial and federal ministers discuss shared priorities. Marc Miller stated that this has been a turbulent year for the program due to numerous significant changes implemented since January. These changes include a cap on the number of international student applications that IRCC will consider, the introduction of Provincial Attestation Letters, and changes to eligibility criteria for PGWPs.
The Minister further noted that some provinces & territories have requested that IRCC consider longer PGWPs for graduates of healthcare & trades professions, both of which are sectors that employ an aging workforce.
Minister Miller stated that IRCC is working on a permanent resident pathway for construction workers. He mentioned the present Express Entry category for applicants with trades professions. However, according to a recent Access To Information request (ATIP), this category issued in category-based Express Entry draws in 2024.
Moreover, many of these professions require provincial accreditation & the Minister said that provinces are working to cut the red tape surrounding the princess so that newcomers can work in their chosen fields faster. Foreign credential recognition is a provincial responsibility.
Temporary Resident Levels
Provincial & federal ministers discuss shared priorities with Marc Miller. The previous meeting was the first since IRCC declared several new measures & policies regarding temporary resident levels in Canada. Particularly, IRCC plans to begin adding temporary resident levels to the annual Immigration Levels Plan.
Minister Miller stated that these targets will act as a ‘soft cap’ on the number of temporary residents for the next three years.
Overall, the temporary residents presently make up to 6.2% of Canada’s population. The new targets will bring this number down to 5% over the next few years.
While speaking yesterday, Minister Miller noted that more accurate data sharing between provinces, territories, and the federal government was needed to ensure that provinces can plan adequately for the future and better match incoming newcomers to labor force needs.
Part of IRCC’s plan to reduce temporary resident levels is to pursue more domestic draws. This was in action when IRCC agreed to extend the work permits of almost 7,000 PGWP holders who are applicants for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. Extending these work permits reduces the need for Canada to admit more applicants from abroad to close gaps in the labor force.
IRCC stated that it was open to working with other provinces & territories in a similar way to help transition more temporary residents to permanent residents.