Why Canada’s changing its immigration system?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted on Sunday that his government made “mistakes” in immigration policies, which have been exploited by “bad actors” such as fraudulent colleges and large corporations for personal gain. The acknowledgment comes as Trudeau faces growing public criticism and a decline in his Liberal Party’s popularity ahead of the 2025 general election.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Trudeau addressed the challenges posed by Canada’s rapidly growing population over the past two years, highlighting vulnerabilities in the immigration system. “Bad actors like fake colleges and large corporations have increasingly taken advantage of our immigration system for their own benefit,” he said. “We made some mistakes, and that’s why we’re making a significant shift,” he added, defending his government’s decision to lower immigration levels over the next three years.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller recently announced Canada’s revised immigration strategy, which reduces the number of permanent residents to be admitted in 2025 to approximately 395,000 — a 20% decrease from the 485,000 expected this year. The reduction also affects temporary immigrants, including international students and foreign workers, whose numbers will be cut to about 446,000 in 2025 and 2026, down from around 800,000 in 2023.

By 2027, Canada will accept only 17,400 new non-permanent residents annually under the updated policy. As part of the overhaul, the government has discontinued the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a popular fast-track study visa program. This change will significantly impact thousands of international students, including many from India, which is Canada’s largest source of foreign students.