As the 2025 federal election campaign nears its end, immigration — once a hot-button issue for many Canadians — has largely faded from political debate. Despite concerns over high immigration levels and their impact on housing and affordability late last year, candidates have shifted their focus to more immediate global issues, particularly the economic threats posed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war.
Polls from late 2024 showed that a majority of Canadians believed immigration levels were too high, raising expectations that the topic would be front and center in this election. Yet, according to Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Zool Suleman, the shift in attention has been “shocking,” especially given the growing frustrations around immigration processing delays. Suleman warned that the reduction in temporary visas for students and workers, combined with rising processing backlogs, could leave Canada facing a surge in out-of-status individuals struggling to maintain legal residency.
While the major parties have acknowledged the need for immigration reform, the issue has played a minor role in campaign discourse. The Liberals have proposed capping student and worker visas at less than five per cent of Canada’s population and limiting permanent resident admissions to under one per cent by the end of 2027, aiming to relieve pressure on housing, infrastructure, and social services. The Conservative platform ties immigration targets to available housing, healthcare, and labor market needs, promising tougher screening processes, including union consultations before approving temporary foreign workers and mandatory background checks for student visa applicants.
The NDP platform notably omits direct immigration policies, but Leader Jagmeet Singh emphasized in a recent campaign stop that immigration must be aligned with labor market demands and denounced the exploitation of temporary foreign workers, calling for significant reforms.
Experts say political leaders have intentionally avoided making immigration a dominant issue, wary of provoking comparisons to Trump’s controversial immigration crackdowns. Ali Bhagat, a public policy professor at Simon Fraser University, noted that both the Liberals and Conservatives are carefully navigating the debate to avoid alienating pro-immigration voters or appearing too harsh toward newcomers.
Bhagat criticized the major parties for offering voters little meaningful discussion on the future of immigration. He argued that Canadians deserve a more open debate, especially since immigration is crucial to sustaining Canada’s economic growth.
Suleman echoed the need for a serious conversation about long-term immigration policy, stressing that Canada must decide where it wants to position itself over the next decade amid global economic shifts.
As the election concludes, immigration remains an unresolved but vital issue, one that experts believe will resurface with urgency once the political dust settles.