Thousands of Temporary Residents Are Being Squeezed Out by Canada’s Shifting Immigration Reality. Here’s What the Country Could Lose

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An IT specialist, a special-needs teacher, an engineer with two master’s degrees: They’re among hundreds of thousands of temporary residents who have been left in limbo by Canada’s immigration pivot.

After cranking out study and work permits to welcome the world to Canada after the pandemic, the government has reversed course, vowing to “take back control of the immigration system.”

Not only has Ottawa let in significantly fewer international students and foreign workers since 2024, it has also pulled the rug out from under hundreds of thousands of temporary residents already in Canada.

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It’s a drop in the bucket: Nearly 1,940,000 study, work and visitor permits are slated to expire by the end of 2026 — with another 1,039,840 in 2027. And the annual number of permanent resident spots has been slashed from half a million to just 380,000.

So many temporary residents are living in uncertain and frustrating situations, even when they have Canadian work experience or education and have made huge investments to come here and boost their odds of staying. Processing delays, point systems that leave them at a disadvantage and bureaucratic obstacles are leading some to look elsewhere.

To launch a new series, the Star spoke to temporary residents who are caught up in the numbers game and butting up against a system that once promised them hope. Each story reveals a slice of their struggles and challenges.

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