C.D. Howe council urges deeper cuts to temporary residents and improved exit tracking

The C.D. Howe Institute’s immigration targets council is urging the Federal Government to implement further reductions to Canada’s temporary resident population and establish better data collection on departures. Parisa Mahboubi, chair of the council, cautioned that the government lacks accurate tracking of whether temporary residents leave after their permits expire, leaving policymakers to rely on assumptions. Although new international student and temporary worker arrivals have dropped sharply in 2026, Mahboubi argues that the Federal Government’s target of reducing temporary residents to less than five percent of Canada’s population should be treated as a ceiling rather than a floor. The council recommends aiming for non-permanent residents to represent between three and four percent of the population, in line with historical averages.

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