World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Canada's new limits on temporary foreign workers are now in effect. Here's what changed (CTV)
New measures for Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) are now in effect as of September 26. Going forward, the federal government has announced it will be limiting processing Labour Market Impact Assessments for those entering through low-wage streams within the TFWP for areas across Canadas with an unemployment rate of six percent or higher. This has signaled tighter regulations for employers when hiring workers from abroad; restricting against hiring more than 10 percent of their workers through the TFWP. Additionally, workers are only eligible to remain employed through low-wage streams for up to one year. Exceptions may be applicable to workers in key industries both seasonal and non-seasonal, such as agriculture, food processing, construction, and healthcare. The changes come as part of the Government of Canada's gradual plan to reduce temporary immigration and prioritize stable population and economic growth. Employment and Social Development Canada states that the federal government will continue to monitor labour market conditions and make further refinements to the program as needed.
Population growth slows for first time since pandemic as federal government clamps down (Radio-Canada)
As the federal government continues to tailor programming to reduce temporary migration, recent data indicates that population growth in Canada is slowing slightly. During the second quarter of 2024, growth trajectories for Canada's population is experiencing a downward trend for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with border restriction. Nearly all of Canada's population growth can be attributed to immigration, with temporary residency accounting for explosive rates in population increases in recent years. According to Statistics Canada, in Q2 of 2024, there was a net increase of 117,836 non-permanent residents, lower than figures recorded in October 2023, when measures were introduced. Though the rate of population growth is slowing, it still remains higher than any other second quarter before 2022. Alberta is experiencing the fastest growth rate among regions, with an increase of 1 percent per quarter, while the Northwest Territories was the slowest, with an increase of 0.1 percent. As of July 2024, Canada's population has reached 41,288,599.
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The provision of higher- and lower-skilled immigrant labour to the Canadian economy (Stats Canada)
This research, conducted by Statistics Canada, aimed to examine the contribution of recent immigrants to the Canadian labour market by analyzing their skill levels and employment outcomes. The study focused on immigrants who landed in 2018 and 2019, assessing their employment status by May 2021. Its purpose was to provide insights into the distribution of recent immigrants across different occupational categories and to explore how their labour is integrated into both higher- and lower-skilled roles, addressing ongoing discussions about labour shortages and the role of immigration in filling these gaps. The findings show that while 35 percent of recent immigrants were employed in lower-skilled jobs, 40 percent were in higher-skilled roles, such as engineering and computer systems. However, immigrants were less likely than Canadian-born workers to be employed in middle-skilled jobs, particularly in construction trades. Economic immigration programs, particularly the Provincial Nominee Program, were the main pathways for recent immigrants, but their contribution to addressing middle-skilled labour shortages remains limited.
A Settler’s Journey Towards Reconciliation (Maytree)
Dr. Chandrakant P. Shah's journey toward reconciliation began with his realization of the stark disparities faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Over his career, he worked to address issues such as poor healthcare in remote First Nations communities, the inclusion of Indigenous content in the Canadian citizenship exam, and unconscious bias in healthcare education. Through initiatives like developing an Indigenous health strategy and advocating for cultural safety training, he sought to promote equity and address the systemic challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Shah emphasizes that each individual has unique talents to contribute to reconciliation, urging Canadians to commit to sustained action for a just and inclusive society. In a recent panel webinar, Indigenous Perspectives on Immigration to Turtle Island, Indigenous leaders echoed similar themes, stressing the importance of education, respect, and collaboration in fostering understanding between Indigenous peoples and newcomers. They highlighted the shared responsibility to address ongoing challenges and work toward building a more inclusive Canada, where both communities can learn from and support one another.
Further Reading:
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