2 million temporary migrants to lose status: Protesters in Brampton demand permanent residency as visas expire

Protesters in Brampton are demanding a path to permanent residency for the more than two million temporary immigrants whose visas are set to expire in the coming months.A group called the United Migrant Workers Front led this week’s protests, calling for all temporary permit holders to be allowed to stay in Canada permanently. The demonstration was supported by members of CUPE Ontario and the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada.

In a video posted on Instagram on Monday, organizers revealed the upcoming visa expirations and called for certainty for those affected. The Brampton protest follows similar demonstrations in Quebec, with activists urging the government to allow temporary residents to stay amid changes to immigration plans. The province is phasing out its previous Express Entry Quebec Experience program that provided permanent residency to international students and foreign workers, replacing it with a more rigorous skills-based nomination program.Indians are expected to be among the worst affected as India has been providing a large number of temporary residents, including students and workers. Nearly 188,000 Indian students held study permits in 2024, accounting for more than 36% of the total international students, while approximately 249,000 Indians held work permits during the same period.With many work permits and student visas set to expire, Quebec City’s union, along with several unions and businesses, has launched a campaign to help immigrants “keep living here.”Brampton organizers also pointed to calls from unions across Canada for more inclusive immigration policies. At the end of 2024, the Canadian Labor Congress stated that “Immigrant workers in Canada should receive permanent residency and citizenship.”Canada currently has one of the largest temporary resident populations in its history. In early 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the number of non-permanent residents was 1.4 million. By October 2024, this number had increased to 3.2 million, accounting for 7.5% of the total population. The latest estimate puts the number at 2.8 million, meaning about one in 10 Canadians are in temporary status, compared with one in 50 a decade ago.Prime Minister Mark Carney said the surge in temporary migration was “well beyond our ability to welcome people and ensure they have good housing and services”. The 2025 federal budget describes the growth as “unsustainable” and says controlling immigration growth will help young Canadians in the labor market.The government plans to reduce non-permanent residents to about five percent of the total population. Some temporary immigrants may be quickly granted permanent residency, but others are expected to leave voluntarily. Canada has limited ability to deport overstayers. Last year, the Canada Border Services Agency deported about 22,000 people with expired status and denied entry to 40,000 others.