During a meeting with provincial and territorial immigration ministers at the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI), IRCC Minister Marc Miller addressed requests from provinces for longer post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) for healthcare and specific trades sectors. Minister Miller assured accommodation of this request but emphasized the need for provinces to provide supporting data.
Minister Miller highlighted the ongoing collaborative efforts during the FMRI meeting, acknowledging the positive momentum towards finding solutions, despite incomplete work. Discussions revolved around achieving a balanced approach in immigration planning, focusing on factors like the inclusion of temporary workers and supporting asylum seekers through a new federal policy framework.
A key agenda item was the sharing of data on temporary residents transitioning to permanent residents within the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). While consensus wasn’t reached on all topics, there’s a commitment to continued collaboration between the federal government and provinces.
The federal government aims to reduce the proportion of temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s total population over the next three years, as 6.2% of the population currently comprises temporary residents. Previous FMRI meetings, like the one in November 2023, focused on Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan and the Provincial Nominee Program improvements.
The revised levels plan aims to bring in 110,000 new permanent residents in 2024, increasing to 120,000 in 2025 and 2026, with a focus on economic immigration. Provinces emphasized the importance of a higher proportion of PNPs in immigration planning and cooperation with the federal government to attract and retain immigrants outside major urban centers. Francophone immigration promotion and streamlining processing times were also discussed, highlighting the importance of enhancing the immigrant experience and meeting labor market demands.
Source: Immigration News Canada