A majority of Canadians say the country should accept fewer immigrants in 2025 than it did in 2024, with nearly three-quarters saying immigration should be reduced until housing becomes more affordable, according to a Nanos survey for CTV News. Two out of three, or 64 per cent, of Canadians surveyed said the country should accept fewer immigrants in 2025 compared to 2024. Meanwhile, about one in four, or 26 per cent, of Canadians said we should let in about the same number of immigrants, while only five per cent said we should accept more.
In August, Immigration Minister Marc Miller promised “significant” changes to the number of permanent residents let into the country, including stricter rules to reduce the stream of temporary foreign workers who were allowed into Canada in higher numbers in recent years to address the labour shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trudeau also signalled in August that there would be more changes coming this fall to reduce the number of permanent residents. And this week, Miller announced a 10 per cent reduction in the number of international student permits, which would result in “approximately 300,000 fewer study permits” issued in the next three years.
This year, the target for study permits was 364,000 – a 35 per cent decrease from the nearly 560,000 permits issued in 2023. The government’s move came after experts – and federal public servants -- warned the government that population growth was putting increasing strain on .