Canada’s New Immigration Minister Silent on Key Policy Questions

(CANADA) Canada’s new Immigration Minister, Lena Metlege Diab, has stayed mostly silent on the country’s toughest immigration questions, even as pressure rises for clear direction on housing, student caps, and backlogs. Sworn in on May 13, 2025 under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government, Diab replaced Rachel Bendayan and brought a reputation for pragmatism from her time in Nova Scotia. As of August 26, 2025, that quiet approach has become a national talking point, with critics warning that public confidence could suffer without regular updates and plain timelines.

Diab has made only a few public statements since taking office. Beyond a Canada Day message, her most detailed action was an August 1, 2025 extension of special measures for Palestinians in Canada, including fee‑exempt permits and extensions for those who cannot return to Gaza. She has not held dedicated press conferences on housing affordability, application queues, or how the government plans to balance immigration targets with services such as healthcare and education.

The government earlier this year lowered the annual goal for new permanent residents to 395,000 for 2025, down from the 2024 target of 485,000, citing post‑pandemic strain. Yet mid‑year data released on August 25, 2025 showed 207,650 permanent residents admitted from January through June, which points to a year‑end total near 415,000—above the official target. That gap has sparked calls for clarity about how Ottawa will reconcile its planning numbers with real‑world intake.

Study permit numbers have fallen sharply. In the first half of 2025, Canada issued 149,860 study permits, compared with 245,055 in the same period of 2024. The government continues to cap study permits and is reviewing Post‑Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules, but Diab has not announced new steps on these files. Institutions, students, and employers say uncertainty is making it hard to plan for the winter and fall intakes ahead.

On fraud, Diab’s office confirmed on August 8, 2025 that draft regulations would give the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) stronger powers. The proposal includes penalties of up to $1.5 million for serious violations and a compensation fund for victims. These rules are under consultation and are expected to take effect later in 2025. Advocacy groups have welcomed the plan, calling it overdue protection for people who paid for advice and got harmed by bad actors.

IRCC opened public consultations on August 6, 2025 to shape category‑based Express Entry selection tied to labor market needs, with the survey window open until September 3, 2025. The process seeks input on which jobs and skills should be prioritized. Officials say the consultation will help line up immigration with economic needs while easing pressure on housing and services. Diab has not personally led these talks, which has added to the sense of distance between the minister and the file’s front lines.

Policy signals under Diab

While the minister hasn’t offered a sweeping vision, a few signals are clear:

• Lower planned levels for 2025 aim to cool post‑pandemic pressures, even as intake so far tracks above the target.
• Tighter controls on temporary residents, particularly international students, indicate a pivot toward stability and stronger quality checks.
• Fraud enforcement is set to become tougher, with the CICC’s new powers and a path for victim compensation.
• Humanitarian focus continues, evidenced by the August 1 extension for Palestinians already in Canada.

Taken together, this points to a “go‑slow” posture: fewer bold announcements while the department gathers data, consults on Express Entry, and locks in regulations against consultant misconduct. Officials suggest the quiet may be strategic during a transition. But a growing chorus argues that silence has its own cost.

Key takeaway: Diab’s approach signals cautious policy adjustments and regulatory tightening, but the lack of regular public briefings is increasing uncertainty for applicants, institutions, and employers.

Data driving a polarized debate

Housing dominates the political conversation. Population growth tied to immigration is often named as one factor in a tight housing market where rents rose about 20% year‑over‑year in major cities. Temporary residents now account for over 7% of the population. Ottawa projects a 0.2% population decline in 2025–2026, intended to ease the strain.

Critics say that decline is too small to matter without serious, shared action across federal and provincial lines, including:

• Faster homebuilding
• Better transit links
• Coordinated housing and infrastructure planning

Backlogs and transparency concerns add fuel to the debate. More than 2 million immigration applications remain in the queue, and the department’s digital upgrade—meant to speed processing—has faced delays. The mid‑year data came out only on August 25, 2025, and opponents seized on the timing.

Conservative Immigration Critic Michelle Rempel‑Garner accused the government of hiding figures Canadians should have seen sooner, arguing families, students, and employers need predictability well ahead of the school year and seasonal hiring periods.

International education and labour pressures

International education is a flashpoint:

• Colleges and universities want clarity on caps so they can issue offers responsibly and ensure housing and supports.
• Students need to know whether studies will still connect to work and permanent residence through the PGWP and Express Entry.
• Employers—especially in healthcare, construction, and food processing—warn that uncertainty risks leaving critical jobs unfilled.

For people on the ground, the stakes are personal. Examples:

• A nurse in Ontario in the Express Entry pool may hesitate to accept a rural job without clarity on how new selection categories will value her experience.
• A family in Alberta waiting on spousal sponsorship wants a realistic timeline to plan childcare and work.
• An international student in Halifax may need to decide whether to defer admission without a prompt answer on a capped study permit.

In each case, silence forces life‑changing choices with limited information.

Stakeholder pressure and practical steps

Advocates say that even a short, monthly update from the minister—covering processing volumes, student cap management, and the fraud regulation timeline—would help calm uncertainty. According to officials, Diab prefers cautious steps while consultations run and while the department aligns intake with housing and service capacity. But with the fall academic term approaching and mid‑year data now public, pressure is mounting for a public briefing.

What applicants and employers can do now:

1. Track the Express Entry consultation (closes September 3, 2025) and consider submitting sector‑specific feedback.
2. If you suspect consultant fraud:
   • Keep records of contracts, payments, and messages.
   • Note that proposed CICC rules include penalties up to $1.5 million and a compensation fund for victims.
3. Palestinians in Canada covered by the special measures can apply for fee‑exempt permits and extensions. For official details, visit IRCC at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or contact IRCC Media Relations at 613‑952‑1650 or [email protected].
4. Institutions hosting international students should:
   • Plan for smaller cohorts,
   • Strengthen housing support, and
   • Communicate PGWP uncertainties clearly to incoming students.

What’s next — timelines and expectations

• Fraud regulations: Expected late in 2025 after consultations conclude.
• Express Entry changes: Could follow in 2026, once IRCC reviews feedback gathered in August and September 2025.
• Temporary residents and PGWP review: Ongoing; the government has already curtailed some numbers, and more guidance may follow.

The minister’s August 1 decision on Palestinians stands out because it provides a concrete path in one area where people needed immediate relief. As of June 30, 2025, 2,555 Palestinian passport holders were in Canada under those measures. Lawyers say this kind of time‑bound, targeted action is the sort of thing the department can do quickly, even while larger policies take longer.

Outstanding questions and political context

Key unresolved questions families and stakeholders are asking:

• Will Canada hold to the lower 395,000 target, or will admissions finish closer to 415,000 as the mid‑year pace suggests?
• Will student intake stay tight into 2026, and how will PGWP rules change?
• When will the backlog begin to drop in a noticeable way?
• Will new Express Entry categories favor specific sectors such as construction and healthcare, and how soon will that show up in Invitations to Apply?

Supporters argue Diab’s practical, inclusive style (from her Nova Scotia experience) suggests she may be building a plan behind the scenes. Detractors counter that such a style requires regular public briefings and digestible data to maintain public confidence. Both sides agree the next few months are pivotal for Canada’s immigration system—affecting program integrity, housing, and broader economic goals.

With consultations closing in early September, eyes are on IRCC’s next steps. A clear schedule for anti‑fraud rules, PGWP decisions, Express Entry updates, and monthly intake data could reduce tensions. If that schedule does not materialize, the gap between policy work and public patience may widen, and calls for the Immigration Minister to speak directly to Canadians will likely grow louder.