Citizenship and Immigration

This House of Commons committee meeting on Canada’s immigration system featured seven witnesses: David Thomas (lawyer, as an individual), Alfred Lam (Executive Director, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services), Anita Stellinga (CEO, COSTI Immigrant Services), Nicole Guthrie (Barrister and Solicitor, Legal Assistance of Windsor), Alexander Brown (Director, National Citizens Coalition), and Jean-Denis Toupin (Engineer, Proco Group Inc.).

David Thomas warned of widespread LMIA fraud and abuse, citing cases where migrants paid tens of thousands of dollars for jobs that did not exist, and called for more rigorous background checks on immigrants, especially for terrorism and organized crime links. He argued that prioritizing French speakers in the Express Entry system displaces skilled workers like health care professionals, and that regional immigration programs are ineffective without enforcing residency requirements. He also recommended bringing back mandatory in-person citizenship ceremonies and questioned whether mass immigration has worsened Canada’s housing and fertility crises.

Alfred Lam described Canada’s immigration system as convoluted and unpredictable, with processing times reaching up to 50 years for some programs, leaving many newcomers in limbo and regretting their decision to come. He recommended a broad regularization program to clear backlogs and grant permanent residency to undocumented workers already contributing to the economy, and a consistent credentials recognition process to help skilled immigrants work in their fields. He disagreed with the notion that Canada has too many immigrants, arguing instead that the country has too small a vision for its future.

Anita Stellinga emphasized that settlement agencies are essential infrastructure for Canada’s economic success, but warned that 2024 funding cuts from IRCC are forcing program closures and longer wait times for language classes and employment supports. She called for stable, sustained core investment and urged the government to counter harmful narratives about immigrants. She also raised concerns about limiting settlement services for economic migrants, which she said disproportionately harms women, and about the planned end of the interim housing assistance program for refugee claimants in March 2027, which she argued would strain the general shelter system.

Nicole Guthrie argued that giving the minister broad powers to cancel applications or extend processing times creates uncertainty and contradicts principles of procedural fairness and international human rights law. She emphasized that temporary foreign workers, especially caregivers, need sector-specific work permits rather than employer-tied permits to reduce abuse, and called for a permanent caregiver program with clear, consistent rules and family reunification. She also recommended an amnesty for out-of-status caregivers who have fallen out of status due to employer misconduct or processing delays.

Alexander Brown cited high youth unemployment, long emergency room wait times, a shortage of family doctors, and low housing starts as evidence that Canada’s immigration system is mismanaged. He called for abolishing the temporary foreign worker program except for the hardest-to-fill roles, adding safeguards against diploma mills, closing asylum loopholes, lowering permanent residency targets, and strengthening deportation policies. He argued that the program acts as a subsidy for unproductive businesses and suppresses wages for young Canadians, and disagreed with calls for amnesty or a return to high immigration levels.

Jean-Denis Toupin described how temporary foreign workers are indispensable to his manufacturing company in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, where unemployment is near zero and 45% of his welders are TFWs earning $26.75 to $38 per hour. He warned that new federal rules will force him to lose 30 more workers over two years, reducing production capacity and forcing him to send contracts abroad, and he recommended reinstating simplified regional program conditions, granting three-year work permits, adjusting wage thresholds to regional costs, and introducing a grandfather clause for existing TFWs. He disagreed with Alexander Brown’s call to abolish the TFW program, arguing that regional realities differ and that his workers are unionized and well-compensated.

After testimony, Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe moved a motion to hold an additional meeting on “Operation Citizenship,” a 1995 initiative to expedite citizenship applications before the Quebec referendum, inviting former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, former Minister Sergio Marchi, and former Deputy Minister Peter Harder. The chair initially ruled the motion out of order, but the committee overturned that ruling. Following debate and amendments, the motion was adopted to hold the meeting the week of December 8, 2025, with witness statements limited to 20 minutes per hour to allow for questions.