Environics Institute

Canada Overhauls Immigration System, Cuts Visas By One-Third

Canada: Creates Pathway For 33,000 US-Based Skilled Workers

New Canadian government policy, prioritizes skilled workers and offers residency pathway for 33,000 United States-based H-1B visa holders by the year 2027.

Canada has unveiled sweeping reforms to its immigration system, announcing plans to slash the number of temporary residents by nearly one-third while opening a new route to permanent residency for skilled foreign professionals, including tens of thousands currently working in the United States.

The measures, revealed as part of Budget 2025 and the federal government’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, represent the most dramatic shift in Canadian immigration policy in decades. The strategy aims to ease pressure on the …