Canada’s new immigration rules aim to curb population growth, according to new data from Statistics Canada. These changes have significantly curbed population expansion in the first quarter of 2025.
Between January 1 and April 1, 2025, Canada’s population grew by just 20,107 people.
The slowdown has largely resulted from fewer admissions of temporary and permanent residents.
According to Statistics Canada, the temporary resident population declined by 61,111 during this period.
Such a drop hasn’t been recorded since the third quarter of 2020, when strict COVID-19 border measures reduced entries.
Previously, from the first quarter of 2001 to first quarter of 2024, Canada’s population increased at an average quarterly rate of 0.3%.
Throughout 2024, the federal government introduced measures to reduce temporary resident volumes, citing housing, service, and infrastructure pressures.
Below are the key immigration measures contributing to the reported decrease.
Immigration Measures Impacting Growth
As Canada’s new immigration rules aim to curb population growth, here are the main strategies behind the first quarter’s slowed population increase, as reported by Statistics Canada.
Reduced Admissions For Temporary And Permanent Residents
In October 2024, the federal government unveiled the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which reduced Canada’s permanent resident targets.
In 2024, the PR target was 485,000. For 2025, it has been revised to 395,000.
For the first time, the Levels Plan also introduced targets for temporary residents, aiming for 673,650 foreign worker and student admissions.
Additionally, the government aims to lower Canada’s temporary resident population to 5% of the total population by the end of 2026.
This quarter marks the sixth consecutive decline in population growth since these intentions were made public.
Cap On Study Permit Applications
Earlier in 2025, Canada introduced a cap on study permit applications, limiting the number to 550,162.
Of these, IRCC aims to approve just 437,000 study permits in 2025 — a 10% decrease compared to the previous year.
This cap follows the 2024 implementation of study permit limits as a new stabilization measure.
To enforce the cap, IRCC has mandated that most study permit applications submitted after January 22, 2024, include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
Moratorium On Low-Wage LMIAs
As of September 26, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) no longer processes low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs).
This moratorium applies to LMIA applications under the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
It was announced in August 2024 and targets jobs offering wages below the provincial or territorial median or located in census metropolitan areas (CMAs) with 6% or higher unemployment.
The government updates the list of affected CMAs and their unemployment rates quarterly.
Without a valid LMIA, employers cannot recruit foreign nationals through the TFWP, nor can existing TFWP workers extend their permits.
Restricted Access To Spousal Open Work Permits
New restrictions on open work permits (OWPs) for spouses of international students and foreign workers took effect in January 2025.
Now, only spouses of students enrolled in 16-month or longer master’s or doctoral programs, or in specified professional fields like law, nursing, or engineering, are eligible.
This change excludes spouses of students in shorter diploma or undergraduate programs from qualifying for OWPs.
For foreign workers, their spouse may receive an OWP only if the principal applicant works in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation or in select in-demand TEER 2 and 3 roles. Additionally, the worker must hold a permit valid for at least 16 months at the time of application.
Changes To Post-Graduation Work Permit Eligibility
Canada also reformed its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules in 2024.
From November 1, 2024, PGWP eligibility includes new conditions for international students applying after that date.
Now, graduates must complete a study program aligned with Canada’s labour market priorities and meet language proficiency standards to qualify.
While some programs remain exempt from the updated rules, international students must now carefully consider program eligibility before choosing where and what to study in Canada.
These changes aim to ensure that foreign graduates are prepared to integrate into the Canadian labour market and that education pathways lead to meaningful, long-term opportunities.
Together, these new measures underline the Canadian government’s intention to better manage population growth while addressing infrastructure and service limitations nationwide.
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