According to CBC News, the Liberal Party is projected to win the 2025 federal election. Whether it’s a majority or minority government is still unclear—but UW Immigration will keep this page updated as details emerge. Mark Carney, now leader of the Liberal Party, is expected to be invited by the Governor General to take office as Canada’s next Prime Minister. While no one can predict exact policy decisions, the Liberal campaign platform gives a clear indication of where immigration policy is headed.

Permanent Resident Admissions: Focus on “Stabilization”

The Liberals’ platform highlights concerns that immigration levels under the last government rose too fast—straining housing and public systems. Their plan? Adjust the pace and “stabilize” permanent resident (PR) numbers to under 1% of Canada’s population per year, starting after 2027. This proposal is consistent with Canada’s existing immigration targets:

• 2025: 395,000 PR admissions
• 2026: 380,000
• 2027: 365,000

With Canada’s population expected to hit 41.5 million in 2025, these numbers are already below that 1% benchmark.

Reducing Temporary Resident Volumes

Temporary residents now make up around 7.25% of Canada’s population—roughly 3.02 million people. The Liberal platform aims to bring this figure down to under 5% by 2027. To do that, two outcomes are expected:

• Some temporary residents will become permanent residents
• Others will leave as their permits expire

Previous Liberal-led policies—like capping study permits and limiting Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) eligibility—have already started to curb temporary residency growth. During his campaign, Mark Carney reinforced this approach:

• “Immigration caps will remain in place until we’ve expanded housing, and we’ve reabsorbed the levels of immigration that have happened in our country [during the pandemic].”

Supporting Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec

The Liberals want to strengthen French-speaking communities beyond Quebec. Their updated goal: increase francophone immigration outside the province to 12% by 2029. The current federal targets already show a steady climb:

• 2025: 8.5%
• 2026: 9.5%
• 2027: 10%

This move aims to support demographic growth and labour force needs in minority francophone regions.

Backing Economic Immigration and Skilled Workers

To help Canada remain globally competitive, the Liberals plan to revamp the Global Skills Strategy—a program that helps businesses bring in top-tier talent quickly, with fast-tracked work permits. The platform mentions:

• New initiatives for fast-growing companies and entrepreneurs
• Attracting skilled professionals from the U.S.
• Working with provinces to speed up recognition of foreign credentials and experience
• At UW Immigration, we’re closely following how these changes could impact skilled worker streams in the months ahead.

Other Liberal Commitments on Immigration

A few other key priorities outlined in the platform include:

• Adopting digital tools to cut down processing times and reduce backlogs
• Increasing access to legal aid for asylum seekers and refugees
• Continuing removals of failed claimants after due process
• Boosting border security, tightening visa controls, and tackling immigration fraud
• Preserving shared immigration responsibilities with the Quebec government