MontrealThe Quebec government has lowered its immigration targets for the coming years to 45,000 new permanent residents annually. Quebec sets annual target of 45,000 permanent immigrants for next 4 yearsThe Canadian Press · The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 06, 2025 12:27 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 1 minuteThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The Quebec’s government’s new annual targets marks a decrease from 61,000 new permanent residents this year, to 45,000 the next four years. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)The Quebec government has lowered its immigration targets for the coming years to 45,000 new permanent residents annually.The new immigration plan published Thursday morning marks a significant decrease from the 61,000 permanent immigrants who are expected in Quebec this year.But the government had been considering even deeper cuts — to as low as 25,000 permanent residents per year.Quebec wants nearly 80 per cent of those immigrants to have intermediate French-language skills by 2029, up from 50 per cent in 2019.The government also wants to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers and international students by 13 per cent by 2029 compared to 2024, mostly in Montreal and Laval, Que.Statistics Canada says there are approximately 562,000 temporary immigrants in Quebec. WATCH | Quebec businesses call out federal government over cuts to immigration:Quebec businesses say immigration reductions in federal budget will make labour shortages worseThe Carney government’s recent budget includes a drastic reduction in the number of temporary residents admitted in the coming years, something the Quebec government supports, but Quebec’s business community feels differently.
Quebec government cuts immigration targets for permanent residents
