Canada: Two Million Temporary Migrants to Lose Status

Canada: A growing wave of uncertainty is sweeping across Canada’s temporary migrant community as nearly two million individuals face the prospect of losing their legal status in the coming months. The looming visa expirations have ignited protests in Brampton, where demonstrators are demanding a clear and immediate pathway to permanent residency.

The rally, led by the United Immigrant Workers Front, drew attention to what organizers describe as a “human crisis in the making.” Supporters included members of CUPE Ontario and the Marxist Leninist Party of Canada, underscoring labour and political backing for migrant workers’ demands.

Canada: “We Built Lives Here”

In a video circulated on Instagram earlier this week, protest organizers highlighted the scale of the challenge. With work permits and study visas set to expire, they argued that families who have spent years contributing to Canada’s economy are now facing forced departures.

The central demand: allow all temporary permit holders a pathway to permanent residency.

For many protesters, the issue is deeply personal. Temporary residents have filled crucial gaps in healthcare, construction, retail, agriculture and technology sectors. “We are not temporary in our commitment,” one speaker told the crowd. “We built our lives here.”

Immigration Programs Under Pressure

The Brampton protest follows similar demonstrations in Quebec, where changes to immigration programs have caused anxiety among international students and foreign workers.

The province is phasing out the Programme de l’expérience Québécoise, which previously offered a streamlined path to permanent residency. It is being replaced with a stricter, skills-based nominee system, narrowing eligibility and increasing competition.

In response, the Union of Quebec Municipalities, alongside labour unions and business groups, has launched a campaign urging authorities to help migrants “continue their lives here.”

Across Canada, labour organizations have also weighed in. In late 2024, the Canadian Labour Congress publicly stated that migrant workers deserve access to permanent residency and citizenship, framing the issue as one of fairness and economic stability.

Canada: Indians Among the Most Affected

As the debate intensifies, Indian nationals are expected to be among the most affected by the expiring permits. India consistently represents one of the largest source countries for temporary residents in Canada.

In 2024 alone, nearly 188,000 Indian students held study permits — accounting for more than 36 percent of all international students in the country. Additionally, approximately 249,000 Indians held work permits during the same period.

With Canada home to one of the largest temporary resident populations in its history, the stakes are significant. In early 2022, Statistics Canada reported 1.4 million non-permanent residents. By October 2024, that number had surged to 3.2 million — about 7.5 percent of the population. The most recent estimate places the figure at 2.8 million, meaning roughly one in 15 people in Canada is living on temporary status. A decade ago, it was closer to one in 50.

Federal Government Signals Tighter Controls

Prime Minister Mark Carney has acknowledged that the rapid rise in temporary migration has strained housing, healthcare, and social services. He stated that the surge “far exceeded our ability to welcome people and make sure that they had good housing and services.”

The 2025 federal budget described the growth in temporary residents as “unsustainable” and pledged to reduce non-permanent residents to approximately five percent of the total population.

 Enforcement remains limited. The Canada Border Services Agency removed about 22,000 people with expired status last year and refused entry to 40,000 others — modest figures compared to the overall scale.