Canada has launched a program to move skilled temporary foreign workers to permanent residence, Immigration Minister Lena Metzge Diab has confirmed, amid concerns that a growing number of migrants are being locked out of legal status.The program aims to provide permanent status to 33,000 workers in in-demand sectors over two years. It was first announced in November, but government officials have provided few details since then. “We have already launched it,” Diab told the Star in an interview this week. He further said, “I am not in a position to tell you specifically how many there are as of now, but we will be able to provide more clarity and more details on them in the month of April.”Recent government data showed that more than 2.1 million temporary residents’ permits were set to expire in 2025, and another 1.9 million are expected to run out of status in 2026. These figures have raised concerns about a potential increase in the undocumented population.The program is part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s effort to reduce the share of non-permanent residents in Canada’s population from 6.8 per cent at the end of 2025 to less than five per cent by 2027. Converting temporary migrants into permanent residents is considered an important way to achieve that goal. Last year, more than half of the 395,000 new permanent residents were previously in Canada on temporary permits.“If you are in Canada on temporary status, whether it’s a visitor, whether it’s a student, whether it’s a worker, for any reason you want to stay beyond the deadline, we are asking that you please apply for an extension,” Diab said.He added: “If you do not apply for an extension, we expect you will honor that commitment and leave. We are also saying that even if you have applied for an extension, it may be granted or it may be denied for various reasons. If it is denied, we expect you will also leave.”
What is Bill C-12?
Diab is also overseeing the controversial Bill C-12, which would give immigration officials the power to cancel, block or suspend documents and applications in the public interest. “These are extraordinary powers,” she said. He added, “Many people will be watching this kind of decision.”The Minister aims to reduce the number of temporary residents, stabilize permanent resident entry, ensure francophone settlement outside Quebec and implement an international talent attraction strategy. She is working closely with provincial governments and local communities to balance labor needs and worker safety. “You have politicians saying, ‘Close the temporary foreign worker program,’ but I’ve heard from hundreds of industries, businesses, working people, chambers of commerce … they need workers because there aren’t enough Canadians to fill the jobs in certain sectors,” Diab said.Diab also spoke about international students, who face significant cuts under the new federal plan. “The more we can take care of our institutions and our integrity and strengthen our systems and make sure that the students who are coming in are really getting a valuable education, I think that’s really what’s most important,” he said.