Provinces warn Ottawa slashing immigration program in half will hurt economy
Government halving provincial nominee programs as part of overall immigration cuts
The federal government has told most provinces and territories they must cut their allotted spaces for economic immigration programs by half this year, triggering concerns about drastic impacts on labour and the economy.
The provincial nominee programs (PNPs) are used by all provinces and territories except Quebec and Nunavut. All 11 jurisdictions with PNP slots have been told they will receive a 50 per cent reduction for 2025.
"We are quite reliant on that program. Our employers are quite reliant on the program," Drew Wilby, Saskatchewan's deputy immigration minister, told CBC News. "Obviously it's our key driver of economic immigration."
Saskatchewan's share of the program will be cut to 3,625 spots, its lowest number since 2009. Wilby says the province wasn't consulted about the cuts before they were announced.
The move is part of an overall cut to immigration targets. Ottawa announced in October it would cut the projected number of new permanent residents to 395,000 in 2025, down from 485,000. It's planning further cuts to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.
The PNPs target workers who have the skills to contribute to the economy of a specific province or territory and want to become permanent residents in Canada. Each province and territory has its own streams and requirements.
In a statement sent to CBC News, a spokesperson for Ontario's Immigration Department said the reductions undermine "the province's ability to meet employer demands and support economic growth."
Many of the affected jurisdictions say they are still trying to figure out how they will handle these changes.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Yukon government said Ottawa's announcement prompted the territory to indefinitely push back accepting its first cohort of PNPs this year.
"This is to allow more time to further consider the program's approach to accepting and processing applications in 2025, to ensure this limited allocation is used strategically to address Yukon's pressing labour market needs," it said.
Yukon also said its program will no longer accept applications from employers in rural communities.
Linnea Blum, marketing and communications manager for the territory's Economic Development Department, told CBC News in a statement that Yukon had the country's highest employment rate last year, as well as a job vacancy rate that "has consistently been among the highest in Canada.
"By reducing the number of foreign nationals that will make the Yukon their home through the nominee program, employers may struggle to fill positions critical to maintaining or growing their businesses," Blum said.
A spokesperson for Alberta's Immigration Department said in a statement to CBC News that "it is completely hypocritical" of Ottawa to cut its overall immigration by 21 per cent but impose a 50 per cent reduction to provincial allocations. The move takes away "further decision-making autonomy from provinces and territories."
In an interview, New Brunswick Immigration Minister Jean-Claude D'Amours said trades, education and health care, the three sectors that most rely on the program in his province, are expected to fill 2,000 vacancies alone in 2025.
"Imagine when the federal government will allow us only a maximum of 2,750 people," he said.
He also took issue with the new stipulation that 75 per cent of nominees already be in Canada, pointing out New Brunswick's rate last year was 89 per cent.
"We are already above what the federal government is asking," he said. "They didn't take the time to look at our reality."
Ottawa says it's willing to work with provinces
In a statement, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller's office said PNP allocations are determined "in consultation with provinces and territories."
It said "admission targets have been reduced across all categories."
The statement added "it is up to the discretion of the provinces to use their PNP allotment to help meet the needs of their communities, and that not every province or territory uses 100 per cent of their given allotment each year."
The office said Miller has told provinces about "the potential opportunity for additional allocation, especially for provinces committed to immediately collaborating on shared priorities, like supporting asylum seekers."
Immigration experts said the reduction also raises other issues.
Aidan Simardone, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer, told CBC News that PNP is a pathway for both newcomers to Canada and those already here to seek permanent residency.
"These programs exist to give people flexibility," he said. "[The cuts] will mean more people who are here will have to find different ways of remaining."
He said that raises the potential for some immigration consultants to defraud vulnerable migrants.
Kareem El-Assal, an immigration policy analyst formerly with the Conference Board of Canada, also said the government is placing constraints on provinces and territories.
"A territory like Yukon or the Northwest Territories, they don't welcome a lot of international students or foreign workers," he said, adding that they need the availability of a larger pool of talent that may still be outside of Canada.
"The federal government shouldn't be painting every single province with the same brush."
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