IRCC’s 2025 Immigration Consultations: Key Takeaways and What They Mean for Newcomers

If you’re a student, worker, or hopeful immigrant trying to figure out your path, this one matters. It’s not just about targets and charts, it’s about what kind of future Canada’s building, and where newcomers fit into it. 

How Canadians Feel About the Future of Immigration 

IRCC is tightening its focus and rebalancing the system. For years, the Immigration Levels Plan focused mainly on permanent residents (PR), but since 2024, it has also included temporary residents (TR) –international students and temporary workers. The 2025 consultations reveal how Canadians feel about that change. most support strong immigration, but want it to stay sustainable. People called for better coordination between immigration targets and housing, infrastructure, and labour needs, with flexibility across regions. 

Between June and September 2025, IRCC gathered feedback from more than 8,500 organizations.  Including universities and chambers of commerce, non-profits and employers, and received 840 responses. On the public side, more than 18,000 individuals completed the online survey, up sharply from about 3,600 last year. Add in consultations with provinces and territories, and it’s clear this year’s findings reflect a truly national conversation about what “sustainable immigration” should look like. 

The Main Takeaways From the 2025 IRCC Report 

Let’s break down a few of the core findings: 

Temporary residents: students and workers 

Half of organizations felt the 2026 target for temporary residents was “about right,” and a quarter said it was too low. But more than 80% of individual respondents thought it was too high. 

Looking further ahead, organizations leaned toward stability or modest growth, while individuals preferred sharp decreases, especially for foreign workers. 

That tension mirrors the national conversation, that Canada depends on temporary workers to fill critical jobs, but the system’s struggling to absorb everyone comfortably. 

Permanent residents: the long game 

Organizations largely want to increase PR levels, especially in the economic class, with 59% saying the targets for 2027 were too low. Individuals, though, over 75% said “slow down.”  

Still, the economic class stood out as the top priority across both groups. The takeaway? Future plans will likely reward applicants with in-demand skills, Canadian work experience, and language proficiency – particularly those already here on temporary status. 

What everyone agrees on 

• Housing and health care are top priorities for investment.

• Language training, job support, and credential recognition remain key for integration.

• Francophone immigration deserves stronger programs and settlement funding.

What’s Changed Since the 2024 Consultations 

In 2024, consultations centered on how to manage growing volumes responsibly, linking immigration more closely to housing, labour market needs, and regional capacity. This year, that discussion deepened, focusing less on totals and more on balance. Such as who should come, through which streams, and at what pace to keep immigration sustainable. 

Here’s what changed: 

• Public engagement exploded. The number of individual survey responses more than quadrupled, showing how personal this issue feels to Canadians and newcomers alike.

• The divide between public and organizational opinions widened. Businesses, educators, and non-profits mostly said immigration targets are too low. The general public? A majority felt they’re too high.

• Francophone immigration has moved from a side note to a central pillar of Canada’s plan, doubling from 2024 targets. 

The Bigger Conversations Behind the Numbers 

The written submissions often where the best ideas hide told a richer story. 

Universities argued for smarter study permit policies that protect high-quality institutions and fast-track graduate students in key fields like AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. Small businesses advocated aligning foreign worker programs with real local shortages. The tech sector called for keeping the Global Talent Stream strong. 

Meanwhile, settlement agencies and refugee groups warned about rising numbers of undocumented people and urged stronger humanitarian commitments, including better housing supports for resettled refugees. 

And from the Francophone side, the message was loud and clear: support bilingual newcomers, strengthen retention outside Quebec, and invest in communities that make French-speaking immigrants feel at home. 

Together, these findings will guide the Immigration Levels Plan, shaping how Canada manages temporary and permanent migration in the years ahead. 

It’s easy to get lost in numbers and policy talk, but here’s the heart of it: immigration will stay central to Canada’s growth and identity, just in a more measured, deliberate way. The consultations made it clear that Canadians still believe in immigration, but they want it balanced with housing, infrastructure, and community capacity. It’s not about pulling back; it’s about planning smarter. 

That’s really the tone of this year’s report, one of balance and shared responsibility. Canada isn’t asking just how many people to welcome, but how to make sure newcomers can thrive once they’re here, and how communities can grow alongside them.