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    • Visitors to Canada can no longer apply for work permits from within the country

    In 2023, Canada’s population of non-permanent residents (NPRs) grew by more than half a million people, part of the steepest single-year rise in at least five decades of available data (Getty Images / mirsad sarajilic) In 2023, Canada’s population of non-permanent residents (NPRs) grew by more than half a million people, part of the steepest single-year rise in at least five decades of available data (Getty Images / mirsad sarajilic)
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    Visitors to Canada can , Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced Wednesday, bringing an early end to a pandemic-era program that temporarily expanded immigration access.

    The move comes amid efforts to "recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system," a statement from the department reads.

    "IRCC is also aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization," it continues.

    The expanded-access policy was introduced four years ago this month, designed to address logistical challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions by allowing visitors and temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to apply and renew permits without leaving the country.

    The policy also allowed for those with recent work permits who had changed their immigration status to "visitor" to apply to work while awaiting a decision for a new work permit. , IRCC says it has elected to sunset the program early.

    "COVID was such an extraordinary time, and some exceptional policies were put in place to respond to the … once-in-a-century circumstances," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said at an unrelated press conference Thursday.

    "Today, though, that is not the situation."

    Immigration rates draw fire

    In recent years, immigration has become among the most contentious political issues in the country amid rising populations of non-permanent residents, international students and temporary foreign workers – trends that critics say have strained Canada's infrastructure.

    "We have to have a smaller population growth, there's no question about it," federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said at a press conference Thursday.

    "We had a multi-generational consensus in immigration for, literally, decades before Trudeau came along … We brought in hard-working, law-abiding citizens in numbers that our housing market, our job market and our health-care system could absorb."

    Speaking to the media at a cabinet retreat Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that following the pandemic, Canada "no longer needs as many temporary foreign workers."

    "It's not fair to Canadians struggling to find a good job, and it's not fair to those temporary foreign workers."

    Freeland echoed Trudeau's sentiments Thursday, stating her support for recently announced drawdown measures in non-permanent immigration, including halting TFW applications when unemployment is higher than six per cent and capping the proportion of TFWs in a given workplace at 10 per cent.

    "If you as a business think you need more, we have some real concerns about your business model," Freeland said.

    As of June, .

    The deputy prime minister, who also serves as minister of finance for the Trudeau Liberals, avoided stating any new policy commitments, but stressed the importance of balancing Canada's openness to immigration with the economic realities of the day.

    "We are welcoming to new Canadians; that's a good thing," she said. "But we do have to be mindful not to have abuses … not to have business models built on low-wage, sometimes exploited, temporary foreign workers."

    With files from The Canadian Press

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    • Tattoos are becoming more common in today's society and, as a result, appear to be more acceptable in the workplace than they used to be.

    • How to win the fight with kids over phone use

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    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

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    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

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    • A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in northern B.C. earlier this week remains unaccounted for, and "significant resources from across the province" have joined in the search, police said Saturday.

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    • A man who was found dead behind a curling rink in Nanaimo, B.C., earlier this month was the victim of a homicide, police confirmed.

    • York Regional Police say they are looking for a homicide suspect after a wellness check led police to a body at a home in Richmond Hill early Saturday.

    • Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.

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    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • A robust crew of volunteers are raising funds and awareness for first responders and veterans Saturday at Calgary police headquarters in northeast Calgary.

    • Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • A joint police operation to promote safe driving on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area has resulted in laying dozens of charges in three hours Friday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Whether it was a big truck, or a small one, the construction trucks rolling past the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on Saturday had a very important job, and it's putting smiles on the faces of little ones.

    • The 17th annual Canada Army Run is scheduled to take place Sunday in Ottawa, impacting traffic throughout downtown.

    • Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Some residents in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) are raising concerns about the decision to repave the de Maisonneuve bike path, arguing that other roads in the borough should be a higher priority.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • The Lower Sackville area in Nova Scotia has access to a new section of trail, according to a news release from the government of Canada on Saturday.

    • Kings District RCMP in Prince Edward Island is investigating a fatal, single-vehicle crash that occurred on 48 Road in Head of Cardigan on Friday.

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    • Three men are facing charges after a traffic stop netted $70,000 worth of cocaine on Thursday.

    • While slang may come and go, experts say the phenomenon behind them, which constantly churns out brand-new bon mots, is as old as language itself.

    • The last two months after losing her daughter Bella have been extremely difficult for Kyla Thomson.

    • Regina police arrested three youths in connection to a bear mace incident at a Regina high school on Friday.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.

    • The provincial government is considering new rules to restrict a municipality’s ability to install new bike lanes if it means traffic lanes would be removed.

    • Police said the pedestrian, a 52-year-old man, was taken to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

    • Heading into Friday's game against the Calgary Stampeders, quarterback Trevor Harris said he and his Saskatchewan Roughriders were "ready to rock."

    • The City of Saskatoon is proposing changes to the proposed downtown shelter site plan following feedback from nearby residents and businesses.

    • The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.

    • A motorcyclist has died following a serious collision that took place in London’s south end on Friday afternoon.

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    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

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    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

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