OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada’s new immigration plan will be included in the federal budget next week. However, officials from the immigration department are unclear if this will encompass the annual levels plan, which specifies the number of newcomers Canada aims to admit for the upcoming year.

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the immigration levels plan is required to be presented annually by November 1. If Parliament is not in session, an extension of 30 days is permitted. This year, the deadline falls on a Saturday, a day when Parliament typically does not convene.

Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, expressed concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the timing of the levels plan. "There seems to be a lot of uncertainty around funding for settlement services, but also just about the number of immigrants, both permanent and temporary, that Canada will accept in the coming year," Bernhard stated in an interview.

A government official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, confirmed that the release date for the immigration levels plan remains uncertain. Carney has previously stated that the government is focused on managing immigration effectively. He aims to decrease the proportion of temporary residents from approximately seven percent of the population to five percent by the end of 2026.

The office of Immigration Minister Lena Diab has been contacted for a statement but has not yet responded. The situation continues to evolve as the deadline approaches, leaving many questions unanswered regarding Canada’s immigration strategy for the next year.