Chandigarh, 26 October, 2024: Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has slashed its Permanent Resident (PR) intake by 20 percent for 2025, reducing the target from 500,000 to 395,000—a decision that dampens the aspirations of many Punjabis hoping to settle abroad.
“This decision comes amid an influx of international students and workers, many of whom were promised pathways to permanent residency by agents,” explained RP Singh, a prominent immigration lawyer based in Chandigarh.
“With Canada’s elections approaching in 2025, locals are pressing the government to prioritize employment and housing for Canadians,” he added.
A recent report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates that 3.5 million new homes are required by 2030 to achieve housing affordability—a crisis exacerbated by surging numbers of international students. In 2022 alone, Canada experienced a 47 percent jump in international students, with nearly 50 percent of the 319,000 students being from Punjab.
Canada has traditionally seen high PR numbers for Indians. Among the 433,000 individuals granted PR in 2021, Indians led with 138,000. Similar trends continued in recent years, with 122,000 Indians among 452,000 PRs in 2022, and 138,000 out of 475,000 in 2023. By July 2024, 84,000 Indians had already been accepted among 311,000 PRs, with Punjabis consistently forming a significant share. Notably, PR applications from Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have also surged in recent years.
Kuldeep Singh, Director of Sunrise Immigration Consultants, emphasized Canada’s pivotal role for Punjabis over the past three decades. “Canada has long been the preferred destination. However, with recent, stricter policies, fewer students are applying, which will inevitably reduce future PR applicants,” Singh noted.
The IRCC has projected further cuts in PR intake, targeting 380,000 for 2026 and 365,000 for 2027, down from the 485,000 accepted by July 2024.
