What Is Canada’s Immigration Policy?

Introduction

Canada has built a reputation over the last half century for welcoming immigrants and valuing multiculturalism. Foreign-born people make up almost one-quarter of Canada’s population—the largest share in more than 150 years and one of the highest ratios for industrialized Western nations. Immigrants have helped the country counter aging demographics and fuel economic growth, though some Canadians have expressed concern about the increasing strain on housing and social services. 

The country became an even more attractive destination for immigrants over the last decade, after policies imposed by the first Donald Trump administration severely restricted access to the United States. While Joe Biden largely reversed those policies, his administration also worked with Canada to limit the number of refugees and asylum seekers crossing the northern U.S. border. Upon returning to office, Trump’s renewed focus on tightening border security and reducing unauthorized immigration has placed additional pressure on Canada to crack down on immigration.

What role has immigration played in Canada historically?

As in the United States, immigration has significantly shaped Canadian society and culture. After gaining self-governance as a dominion within the British Empire in 1867, Canada used immigration to help develop vast tracts of land. Government-sponsored information campaigns and recruiters encouraged immigrants of that era to settle in rural, frontier areas.

But not all immigrants were welcome. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century policies prevented or discouraged immigration by select groups, including certain people of non-European and non-Christian backgrounds, as well as the poor, ill, and disabled. Canada’s immigration calculus changed during the postwar period as refugees and others fled Europe, public attitudes toward outsiders softened, and economic growth demanded a larger workforce. Cold War tensions also influenced Canadian policy, with preferences established for anti-Communist and Soviet-bloc immigrants.

Legislation in the 1960s and 1970s laid the groundwork for Canada’s current immigration regime, which embraces multiculturalism. In 1967, Ottawa introduced a points-based system for evaluating applicants, after which Canada saw a jump in immigration from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. A 1971 policy first articulated the government’s support for cultural diversity, and legislation in 1976 explicitly codified Canada’s commitment to refugees, mandating that federal and provincial officials develop immigration targets together. It also cast immigration as a tool for meeting the country’s cultural, economic, and social objectives.

Immigration has long played a vital role in Canada’s economy, providing a stream of relatively young workers. Immigrants have become increasingly important as the native-born labor force ages and the fertility rate remains low, at roughly 1.3 births per woman in 2023, far below the global rate of 2.2. Furthermore, Canada continues to experience a shortage of skilled labor across several industries, including health care and construction. 

How do Canadians view immigration?

The Canadian public has viewed immigration favorably for decades, though this sentiment has soured somewhat in recent years as migration levels have increased, stoking concerns over the cost of living and housing affordability. According to a 2024 survey [PDF] by the Toronto-based Environics Institute, 58 percent of Canadians felt there was too much immigration to Canada—the largest proportion of people with this view since 1998. 

Generally, however, Canadians continue to view both immigrants and their country’s immigration system more positively than their counterparts in the United States. This is due in part to the Canadian government’s efforts to promote and embrace a policy of multiculturalism and make diversity part of the national identity. Canada also does not experience the same level of large-scale unauthorized migration as many other countries, including the United States. Still, the change in public support has been noticeable. In the last ten years, “we went from Canada welcoming Syrian refugees with open arms to a posture today that is very closed off,” David Coletto, CEO of public opinion and market research firm Abacus Data, told CBC.

Who immigrates to Canada, and where do they settle?

Canada gained 483,591 permanent residents [PDF] in 2024, the most new foreigners accepted in a single year since 1972, when comparable data became available. According to the Canadian government, the greatest share of new residents came from India, followed by the Philippines, China, Cameroon, and Nigeria. 

While then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau planned to steadily increase immigration levels—with the goal of welcoming half a million new permanent residents in 2026—pressures on housing and infrastructure pushed the government to announce sharp cuts in 2024. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office in March 2025, has also expressed support for a restrained approach to bring overall immigration down to “sustainable levels.” In 2025, Canada aims to cap the number of new permanent residents at 395,000, a 21 percent decrease from the previously planned target.

Ontario has long been Canada’s leading destination for immigrants. Between 2016 and 2021, the province welcomed 44 percent of all new permanent residents, the majority of whom settled in and around Toronto, Canada’s largest city. According to the most recently completed census in 2021, nearly 47 percent of Toronto’s population was foreign-born.

How does the Canadian immigration process work?

Canada admits new permanent residents under four main immigration categories. In 2023—the most recent year with data available—approximately 58 percent of immigrants were admitted through economic pathways, 23 percent through family sponsorship, 16 percent as refugees and protected persons, and 3 percent for humanitarian or other reasons.

Economic. Canada’s economic immigration process has been touted as a model for other countries. The federal government offers several economic programs, the majority of which are managed through a points-based system known as Express Entry. The system gives preference to younger candidates with job offers and high levels of education, experience, and language proficiency (i.e. English or French). Approximately every two weeks, the government invites top-ranking individuals to apply for permanent residency, an expensive and comprehensive process that includes language testing and biometric screening. Most applicants receive a decision within about six months.

Other pathways include various regional economic programs, including the Provincial Nominee Program, which welcomed more than 108,000 people in 2023. Through this program, people apply directly to individual provinces, which select candidates who fulfill their economic needs. The federal government must still approve provincially nominated immigrants, but grants most permanent residency.

Family. This class of immigrants includes spouses, partners, and children joining family members already living in Canada. Under this program, legal permanent residents apply to sponsor their relatives, who must also apply for permanent residency. Canada recognizes same-sex couples for this immigration category, even if they are not legally married, although a couple must provide proof of a long-standing relationship. The government has sometimes implemented priority processing for family reunification applications that sponsor nationals of certain conflict-afflicted countries, such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Refugees and protected persons. In 2024, Canada resettled 49,300 refugees—making it the second-largest resettlement country globally—primarily from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia. Canada also granted permanent residency to 27,400 refugees that year, more than any other country. These new residents were predominantly from Iran and Nigeria.

There are two main types of resettled refugees: government-assisted and privately sponsored. Government-assisted refugees are referred by the UN refugee agency based on their location and vulnerability, and receive government assistance during their transition. Privately sponsored refugees, meanwhile, are brought to Canada by government-approved citizens and organizations that assume legal and financial responsibility for them. Refugees cannot apply directly to be resettled in Canada. All refugees undergo rigorous screening by Canadian officials and generally have permanent resident status when they arrive.

Humanitarian and other. Canada grants permanent residency to a small number of people for other reasons. These include broadly defined humanitarian and compassionate grounds, such as specific hardships that applicants would face if they were to return to their home countries. Individuals must receive permission to apply. Officials consider various factors when adjudicating cases, such as applicants’ connections to Canada and the circumstances they face if they are not admitted.

What is Canada’s policy on asylum seekers?

Canada is also known for its relative openness to asylum seekers. They often come to Canada for similar reasons as resettled refugees, but they differ in that they have not obtained government approval before arriving.

Migrants can make an asylum claim at any border crossing or airport, as well as certain government offices inside Canada. In 2024, Canada received 174,000 asylum applications, the fourth-largest recipient after the United States, Egypt, and Germany. It can take officials up to two years to decide whether to grant an applicant protected status. Once that status is granted, most asylum seekers are immediately eligible to apply for permanent residency. In limited circumstances, some unsuccessful asylum seekers may qualify for permanent residency under the humanitarian category.

Some critics, including immigrants who entered the country via normal channels, claim Canada allows asylum seekers to “jump the queue” and enter through “backdoor immigration.” The government seeks to balance these concerns with its humanitarian values. “We, like every country, must control and be deliberate with respect to our borders,” Canada’s Carney told CFR. “The government is very focused on doing that on the border side, but also treating asylum seekers—treating everyone who comes to Canada—to the standards they should.”

While officials consider their cases, asylum seekers receive health care and, potentially, housing assistance, social welfare, and work rights. The government has historically been slow to deport failed asylum claimants, and some remain in Canada without documentation. However, deportations of asylum seekers have increased and in 2024 hit their highest levels in roughly a decade, according to Reuters. Between January 1 and November 19, 2024, the government removed 7,300 people, an 8 percent increase from 2023. (This figure does not include people who left on their own accord or those sent back to the United States under a bilateral agreement.)

What are Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs?

Canada has several temporary foreign worker programs intended to address industry-specific needs and support the country’s economic and cultural advancement. Officials granted a total of 949,270 new temporary work permits to foreigners in 2023, including for agricultural laborers, in-home caregivers, and highly skilled professionals.

The system is complex, but temporary workers generally come to Canada through one of two pathways. The International Mobility Program provides work visas to foreigners that fit broad criteria. Employers can hire them without considering Canadian applicants, though some permit holders have restrictions on where and what jobs they can work. Meanwhile, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows businesses that cannot find employees domestically to recruit internationally. All foreign workers receive labor protections and officials inspect their workplaces to mitigate mistreatment. How long foreign workers can remain in Canada varies. While some skilled temporary workers eventually gain permanent residency, low-wage laborers generally cannot.

In 2024, the Trudeau administration announced a goal of reducing the number of temporary residents to 5 percent of Canada’s population by the end of 2026—part of a broader effort to ease pressure on infrastructure, housing, and services, while encouraging sustainable growth.

How much of a challenge is unauthorized immigration in Canada?

Canada’s geography—bordered by three oceans and the United States, which is itself a magnet for immigrants—has helped Ottawa limit flows of undocumented people. Its highly regulated immigration system, including rigorous visitor visa requirements, is designed to further curb such migration. Estimates vary, but the Canadian government noted in 2024 that as many as five hundred thousand undocumented people could be living in the country. In 2023, the government announced plans to offer certain undocumented workers a pathway to citizenship. 

After experiencing rapid immigration growth, Canada has reduced its immigration admissions goals. The government’s 2025–2027 immigration plan set permanent resident targets to 395,000 in 2025 and 380,000 in 2026—significantly lower than previous plans that aimed for 500,000 by 2025. 

In June 2025, Carney introduced legislation that proposed sweeping changes to Canada’s border and immigration laws, including expanding grounds for refugee protection ineligibility and barring asylum claims from anyone who has been in the country for more than a year—potentially subjecting them to deportation. The proposed bill came after Carney promised upon taking office to address Canada’s “unsustainable” immigration levels, and as the United States—a close Canadian partner—has been cracking down on unauthorized immigration.

How have U.S. policies affected Canada’s immigration system?

The United States and Canada have long collaborated to control the movement of people and goods across their shared border—the longest in the world at more than five thousand miles.

In 2002, the two governments signed a Safe Third Country Agreement, asserting that refugees must make an asylum claim in the first safe country they enter—either the United States or Canada—save for certain exceptions. Previously, many asylum seekers relied on entering Canada via the United States to make their claims for international protection. Nearly a decade later, the countries announced a “Beyond the Border” strategy to enhance security cooperation and promote lawful travel and trade, including by sharing information about visa applicants and border crossers.

However, some recent U.S. immigration actions have placed strains on Canada’s system. In 2017, when Trump first took office, Canada received roughly fifty thousand asylum claims, double the previous year’s. Experts linked this to a number of Trump policies, including asylum and travel restrictions, heightened immigration enforcement, and the decision not to renew Haiti’s temporary protected status. The surge overwhelmed Canadian authorities, prompting officials to tighten border security, modify the asylum screening process, and even visit the United States to deter would-be migrants. 

Yet some of Trump’s actions were a boon for Canada’s economy. In 2020, his administration suspended the issuing of visas for highly skilled workers. Meanwhile, Canada made it easier for foreign workers to acquire jobs on its territory, giving qualified professionals—many applying from the United States—work permits within two weeks.

Biden reversed many of Trump’s immigration policies, including lifting the freeze on green cards enacted in late 2020 and raising the annual refugee admissions cap to 125,000 for fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. However, his administration modified the U.S.-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement, making it easier for border authorities to turn away asylum seekers.  

In his second term, Trump has criticized what he views as lax Canadian border enforcement, blaming it for increased flows of illicit drugs and undocumented migrants to the United States. At the same time, some experts say Trump’s decision to significantly increase the fee for new H1B visa applicants—the visa category reserved for workers in “specialty occupations”—creates an opportunity for Canada to attract its own high-skilled foreign workers.