The Liberal Party of Canada has won the 2025 federal election and is set to form a minority government.
Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party, is expected to be invited by the Governor General to become Prime Minister of Canada.
While it’s difficult to predict the exact policies the Liberals will implement, we can get a sense of their overall immigration direction by reviewing their platform and campaign promises.
Stabilizing Permanent Resident Admissions
In their 2025 election platform, the Liberals acknowledged that the previous federal government allowed immigration levels to grow at an “unsustainable” pace, putting pressure on housing and social infrastructure. As a result, they plan to “stabilize” permanent resident (PR) admissions at less than 1% of Canada’s population annually, beginning after 2027.
This aligns with Canada’s current PR targets, as outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027. The planned permanent resident admissions for the next few years are set at 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027. With Canada’s population expected to be 41.5 million in 2025, these targets already fall below the 1% threshold.
Reducing Temporary Resident Levels
As of January 2025, Canada’s temporary resident population is estimated at 3.02 million, or roughly 7.25% of the total population. The Liberal platform promises to reduce this figure to “sustainable levels,” targeting less than 5% of Canada’s population by 2027.
This reduction is expected to happen in two ways:
- More temporary residents transitioning to permanent residency (PR).
- Temporary residents leaving Canada when their status expires.
The previous Liberal government, under immigration minister Marc Miller, took steps to address this issue by capping study permit applications and restricting eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) and Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs). During the campaign, Mark Carney stated, “Immigration caps will remain in place until we’ve expanded housing and reabsorbed the immigration levels that were added during the pandemic.”
Increasing Francophone Immigration
The Liberal Party has proposed increasing the target for francophone immigration outside Quebec to 12% by 2029. This marks an increase from the current federal targets of 8.5% in 2025, 9.5% in 2026, and 10% in 2027.
The goal is to strengthen French-speaking communities outside Quebec, addressing both demographic challenges and labour shortages in minority francophone regions.
Supporting Economic Immigration
The Liberals also plan to revamp the Global Skills Strategy, a program designed to help Canadian businesses attract top global talent by prioritizing work permit processing within two weeks. They also propose creating new initiatives to help high-growth businesses and entrepreneurs attract skilled workers, particularly from the U.S.
Additionally, the platform mentions working with provinces and territories to streamline the recognition of foreign credentials and international professional experience, facilitating smoother integration for skilled immigrants.
Other Liberal Party Promises
The Liberal Party’s platform includes several other key promises regarding immigration:
- Digital Service Tools: They plan to implement digital tools to reduce processing times and eliminate backlogs.
- Legal Aid for Refugees: The party commits to providing legal aid for asylum seekers and refugees to ensure they receive timely advice and have their cases resolved promptly.
- Failed Claimants: The Liberals vow to remove failed claimants once due process has been followed, though the specifics of this policy remain unclear.
- Border Security and Immigration Fraud: The platform includes increasing resources for border security, tightening visa requirements, and enhancing enforcement against immigration fraud.
- Collaboration with Quebec: The Liberals will continue to work with the government of Quebec to manage immigration as a shared responsibility.
While these plans are still subject to the realities of governance, the Liberal Party’s platform offers a clear vision for Canada’s immigration future, balancing the need for sustainable growth with economic and social integration.
