Immigration Minister Defends Targeted Path to Permanent Residence for Existing Workers

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Lena Metlege Diab said the government will help up to 100,000 temporary foreign workers and their families obtain permanent residence in 2027, a measure announced in this year’s budget. She emphasized that the individuals are already living and working in Canada and that the program is limited to one year, not a permanent increase in immigration levels.

Diab noted that the workers are employed in key sectors across the country and that their transition to permanent status will not add pressure to housing, infrastructure or public services. She added that half of the 200,000 permanent-resident target for the coming year will be drawn from existing workers, with selections made in collaboration with provinces and territories.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre described the plan as “bonkers” and “insane,” arguing that population growth has outpaced housing, health care and jobs. Diab responded that the measure does not bring new arrivals, but rather formalizes the status of people already contributing to the economy, paying taxes and supporting local communities.

The broader immigration targets released last week call for 380,000 permanent residents and 370,000 new temporary residents each year through 2029, alongside a pledge to make more than 200,000 long-term temporary residents permanent by the end of next year. Provincial and territorial governments will receive allocation numbers and can decide how much of the additional space to use for transitioning eligible workers and their families.