Trudeau to slash Canada immigration target by 21 per cent after years of record growth

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is reducing inflows of newcomers for the first time in more than a decade, ushering in a new era for a country that once embraced high levels of immigration.

Canada is expected to axe its annual permanent resident target to about 395,000 for next year, down 21 per cent from the earlier goal of half a million set last year, according to a government official who asked not to be identified to discuss matters not yet public.

The annual target will also be further decreased to roughly 380,000 for 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. The news was first reported by the National Post on Wednesday, and Immigration Minister Marc Miller will propose final numbers to parliament on Thursday morning.

Permanent residents are a key part of Canada’s immigration system that focuses on bringing in young and highly educated workers to replenish its rapidly ageing workforce.

A large reduction to pre-pandemic levels signals the government is scaling back on its immigration ambition.

A large wave of immigrants that started arriving after travel restrictions eased in 2022 led to record population increases.