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.
Information for the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan (IRCC)
Canada’s 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan reduces annual permanent resident targets from 395,000 in 2025 to 365,000 by 2027, with 62 percent of admissions allocated to economic immigration in high-demand sectors like healthcare, skilled trades, and technology. IRCC has highlighted pathways for international students and temporary workers already in Canada to transition to permanent residency.
For the first time, temporary resident limits are set to cap the temporary resident population at 5 percent by 2026. This includes a study permit cap and stricter work permit eligibility for spouses of students and workers. In 2025, 45 percent of temporary permits are allocated to international students, rising to 59 percent by 2026, with the remaining 82,000 permits annually designated for temporary foreign workers. These roles will focus on both high-skilled jobs in sectors like technology, healthcare, and skilled trades, as well as critical roles in agriculture and essential services where demand cannot be met locally.
Family reunification is stable at around 22 percent of total permanent admissions, while refugee admissions hold steady at 15 percent. French-speaking immigration outside Quebec will increase from 7 percent to 8.5 percent in 2025, reaching 10 percent by 2027 to support Francophone communities across Canada. IRCC describes these changes as necessary for balancing economic needs, population growth, and local capacity.
Canada will slash 2025 target for permanent residents by 21 per cent (Toronto Star)
A range of perspectives are being shared by the public in response to the federal government's recent announcements concerning adjusted immigration levels for 2025-2027. As Canada navigates several compounding economic concerns, leading voices form the non-profit, corporate, academic, and government sectors are expressing both praise and doubt. According to IRCC, the new numbers are meant to reflect considerations for ongoing challenges facing Canada's workforce, housing, education, and overall quality of life. Based on current polling, announcements to scale back immigration targets are welcome, in line with current trends of heightened skepticism facing immigration policy. A number of immigrant and refugee serving organizations are calling out the federal government’s policy changes, noting the increased unpredictability of the government, citing that newcomers and prospective immigrants to Canada are increasingly at risk of being left in limbo. The business community, while citing that the changes have caught them by surprise, is calling on the federal government to provide additional support to employers and small businesses in navigating additional red-tape and attracting economic immigrants. In reaction to current cuts to international student numbers, higher-ed associations say schools are bracing for additional reductions in revenues and potential disruptions in programming.
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Do international students and temporary foreign workers pay more than Canadian-born individuals in the rental market? (Stats Canada)
A study by Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, using 2021 Census data, reveals that international students and temporary foreign workers (TFWs) face higher rental costs compared to Canadian-born individuals. On average, international students pay 10 percent more and TFWs 21 percent more per month. However, when adjusting for factors like neighborhood and dwelling characteristics, these differences reduce to 0 percent for international students and 5 percent for TFWs. Several factors contribute to these higher costs. International students and TFWs are more likely to live in urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver, where rents are significantly higher, and they often rent newer, more expensive dwellings. Additionally, only 3.5 percent of international students and 3.1 percent of TFWs have access to subsidized housing, compared to 10.5 percent of Canadian-born renters. Their preference for condominiums and proximity to transit also correlates with higher shelter costs. For TFWs, the study found that even after adjusting for these factors, rental costs remain elevated.
Financial impact of new immigration settings in Canada already being measured in the billions (ICEF Monitor)
Canada's new immigration policies are projected to reduce international student enrollment, potentially causing billions in losses for post-secondary institutions. These measures include a federal cap on study permits (35 percent reduction in 2024, an additional 10 percent in 2025) and stricter eligibility for post-study work permits, with further caps at the graduate level and limited work visa access for partners. Ontario, most affected, faces estimated losses of CAD $300 million for universities in 2024/25, doubling to $600 million by 2025/26. Already underfunded, Ontario colleges rely heavily on international tuition, with thousands of enrollments deferred or canceled. Atlantic universities are set to lose $165 million in GDP and over 2,200 full-time jobs. These policies risk Canada’s educational reputation and its ability to attract global talent in key fields like healthcare and engineering.
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Ontario to effectively bar international students from medical schools starting in 2026 (CBC)
The Ontario government recently announced new regulations to admit international students into medical schools. Effective 2026, 95 percent of medical school spots will be reserved for residents of Ontario, while the remaining five percent is allocated for students from elsewhere in Canada. According to the Ministry of Health, the new measures will be reflected in a small shift in enrolment, as roughly 88 percent of all medical schools in the province. The Ministry is emphasizing that the upcoming changes are not an outright prohibition of students coming from abroad, as if seats go unfilled, medical schools can opt to admit international students. Provincial health officials note that they are also revising the Ontario Visa Trainee Program, that trains the international students sponsored by foreign governments, in an effort to prioritize students coming from within the province.
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