The Liberal Party of Canada, under the leadership of Mark Carney, is projected to form a minority government following the 2025 federal election (Source: CBC News, April 2025).
As Canadians await the formal invitation by the Governor General for Carney to assume the role of Prime Minister, many are asking: what will happen to immigration policy?
While no one can predict every move, the Liberal Party’s platform and recent public statements offer clear insights into their planned immigration direction. Here’s what to expect:
1. Stabilizing Permanent Resident Admissions
Acknowledging that immigration levels have grown at an “unsustainable” pace, the Liberals promise to “adjust the numbers to get back on track” (Source: Liberal Party Platform 2025).
Their target: permanent resident admissions at less than 1% of Canada’s population annually after 2027.
This aligns with Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027 (Source: IRCC Official), which sets goals of:
- 395,000 new PRs in 2025,
- 380,000 in 2026,
- 365,000 in 2027,
while Canada’s population is forecasted to be 41.5 million in 2025.
➔ In short: Liberal immigration growth will be moderated but not frozen.
2. Reducing Temporary Resident Population
The temporary resident population (including international students and foreign workers) reached about 7.25% of Canada’s population as of January 2025 (Source: Statistics Canada).
The Liberal platform promises to bring this number down to under 5% by the end of 2027.
They will continue strategies such as:
- Capping study permit applications,
- Tightening eligibility for Post Graduation Work Permits (PGWP),
- Limiting Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWP) eligibility.
Mark Carney emphasized during the campaign:
“Caps will stay until we expand housing and rebalance immigration levels post-pandemic” (Source: Globe and Mail, April 2025).
➔ Key takeaway: Temporary immigration will be more selective and limited.
3. Boosting Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec
Another pillar of Liberal immigration policy is enhancing Francophone immigration.
Their goal is to increase the proportion of French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec to 12% by 2029 (Source: IRCC Annual Plan 2025-2027).
Current federal targets are:
- 8.5% in 2025,
- 9.5% in 2026,
- 10% in 2027.
➔ What it means: More incentives and pathways for French-speaking immigrants across Canada.
4. Strengthening Economic Immigration
The Liberals plan to revamp the Global Skills Strategy, a fast-track program that allows Canadian businesses to hire international talent within two weeks (Source: IRCC Global Skills Strategy Guide).
They aim to:
- Help high-growth companies attract global talent,
- Recruit highly skilled workers, especially from the United States,
- Accelerate foreign credential recognition with provinces and territories.
➔ Bottom line: Skilled workers will still find Canada welcoming, but the bar will be set higher.
5. Other Immigration Measures
- Digital modernization to speed up visa and PR processing;
- More legal aid for asylum seekers and refugees;
- Faster removal of failed refugee claimants (still respecting due process);
- Tougher enforcement against visa fraud and immigration scams;
- Enhanced border security.
Quebec’s special role in immigration will continue to be respected as a shared jurisdiction under federal law (Source: Canada-Quebec Accord).
