Time for a National Reset on Immigration: Provinces Can’t Shoulder the Burden Alone

As immigration continues to shape Canada’s future, the tension between federal oversight and provincial needs is boiling over and it’s time we stop ignoring it.

Across the country, premiers are increasingly calling for more local control over immigration. From Saskatchewan to Ontario, the message is clear: the provinces want more say in who comes in and under what terms. They’re not wrong to ask. But the truth is, we don’t just need more provincial power we need a national conversation that’s long overdue.

Canada’s immigration system, once the pride of our multicultural identity, has become patchwork and reactive. As Michael Trebilcock, a retired academic and co-author of two books on immigration, rightly points out, most of our policies are made “on the fly,” without serious research or evaluation. This is not how a country plans for its future. It’s how it stumbles into crisis.

Provinces have real concerns. Ontario Premier Doug Ford may have walked back his initial idea of issuing work permits to asylum seekers, but his broader message resonates: the strain on provincial services is growing. From housing to health care, provinces are footing bills for immigration decisions made in Ottawa.

Quebec’s unique immigration powers are increasingly seen as a model or at least a point of envy for other provinces. And it’s not just about language or culture anymore. Provinces want the ability to respond to economic needs quickly and efficiently, without waiting for federal green lights or navigating bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Saskatchewan’s Immigration Minister Jim Reiter put it plainly: provinces aren’t just stakeholders; they’re partners. Yet the federal government slashed Provincial Nominee Program slots from 110,000 to 55,000 last year, just when provinces were saying they needed more. Saskatchewan alone has had to cut down its nominee program to just three streams prioritizing health care and skilled trades—not because they want to, but because they simply don’t have enough spots. Meanwhile, industries like mining and construction are left scrambling for talent.

This isn’t sustainable.

And public support for immigration is starting to waver. Trebilcock calls it “disturbing,” but it’s not surprising. When people see headlines about overwhelmed hospitals, unaffordable housing, or overcrowded schools, they draw a straight line to immigration. It’s unfair, but understandable especially when no one is explaining the bigger picture or how immigration policy is being managed (or mismanaged).

The solution? A comprehensive, evidence-based national review of the immigration system. Not a years-long royal commission. Not another partisan political showdown. A focused, inclusive conversation with experts, policymakers, business leaders, municipalities, and yes the provinces. As Ninette Kelley, former UNHCR official, said, we can do this quickly if we put the right people at the table.

This review must tackle not just how many people we bring in, but how we support them when they arrive. Housing, credential recognition, language training, employment pathways these aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities. And they require real coordination between all levels of government.

Immigration is still key to Canada’s growth. But if we want to preserve public trust and ensure immigrants can succeed, we need to stop making policy on the fly. It’s time for a national reset before the cracks in the system become fractures too wide to fix.