Non-permanent residents in Canada: An examination of work and health inequities under Canada’s 2025-2027 immigration levels plan

Non-permanent residents (NPRs) comprise 7% of the Canadian population, arriving through numerous immigration programs to fill labour market gaps. The jobs available are typically deskilled, low waged, and do not have the same employment standards and protections as those jobs secured by Canadian-born workers or immigrants arriving through programs granting permanent resident status. As the federal government launches new immigration level plans between 2025-2027 that limits transition pathways of NPRs to permanent residency, this research seeks to explore how immigration policy changes may continue to perpetuate inequities in working conditions, work injury risk, and work disability among non-permanent residents. Specifically, this research will use multiple data sources to examine NPRs lived experience of work and health, with a focus on NPRs arriving on a student visa, work visa or as temporary foreign workers, as they navigate ongoing policy changes and economic (in)security in a new country. Evidence of different experiences will provide actionable insights and priority setting that can inform decision-making in immigration, compensation and health policy to reduce inequities where they may exist.