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The Canadian Federal Government announced in 2024 that it is reducing the number of temporary residents and foreign workers in 2025. These legal changes will affect employers who hire immigrants, international students and foreign workers. This article offers employers resources and guides to hire and retain internationally educated and newcomer talent within the 2025 context.
More from our “Supporting Newcomer Success” article series:
- How career services can support international students amid a shifting immigration landscape
- Canada needs a bridging culture to support newcomer success
Context
Canada faces further international student drops (The PIE News)
The number of international students in Canada for 2025 is so far 100,000 less than the intended federal government cap, according to government data obtained by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE). Larissa Bezo, CBIE president, said “the financial impacts of this abrupt drop in international students are, for many institutions, staggering” and this includes the impact on employers.
Immigration Trends in 2025: What They Mean for Employers (McMillan)
The Canadian federal government announced its goal of reducing the number of temporary residents and foreign workers in 2025. These changes affect Canadian employers that hire international students or foreign workers. This article from McMillian says employers must be proactive, organized, and well-informed to navigate the changing work permit and immigration regulations in 2025, and lays out some steps for employers.
What the data show about the state of immigration in Canada since cuts were announced (National Post)
Canada reduced its 2025 permanent immigration target from 500,000 to 395,000 and set a new cap on temporary resident visas for 2025, covering both students and workers.
Why Canada should do more to keep international students (Policy Options)
This opinion piece lays out statistics related to international students in Canada within the 2025 context and argues that Canada needs to more to retain international students due to their positive economic impact and their contributions as highly skilled employees.
Resources for employers
Beyond settlement: How employers can close the immigrant employment gap (CareerWise)
Immigrants in Canada possess valuable skills and experience, yet many remain underemployed due to challenges like lack of professional support, discrimination, poor onboarding and difficulty translating foreign credentials and experience to the Canadian context. This article from CareerWise looks at employer strategies to close the immigrant employment gap and how to help with integration beyond the workplace.
Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces (Hire Immigrants Ottawa)
Although Hire Immigrants Ottawa is a city-specific initiative, the employer playbook is applicable to the broader Canadian context. Designed for immigrant-serving organizations, employment agencies, workforce development and planning agencies, economic developers and Canadian employers across sectors, the Employer Playbook provides strategies to recruit the best candidates, add diverse perspectives and foster an inclusive workplace where immigrant employees can thrive.
Guiding Principles of Career Development (CERIC)
CERIC’s Career Work in Action: Discussions and Activities for Professionals – Newcomers to Canada is available for free download and covers suggested discussions and activities for use with newcomers to Canada based on CERIC’s Guiding Principles of Career Development.
Hiring an International Student: What Employers Need to Know (Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin)
This guide lays out key considerations employers need to know such as which international students are eligible to work and whether their business is ready to employ newcomers. It also offers a list of terms and definitions.
Inclusive Onboarding for Newcomer Employees: A Resource For Employers (Hire Immigrants Ottawa)
This resource is for employers seeking to create an inclusive onboarding process for their immigrant and newcomer employees to Canada, and also provides employers with an onboarding checklist.
Inclusive career advancement for immigrant employee retention (CareerWise)
This article looks at underemployment and barriers to career advancement immigrants face in Canada often due to cultural differences and lack of support from managers. Strengthening manager skills and organizational processes is essential to harness potential and improve immigrant engagement, retention and economic contribution.
Manager Resource: Creating an Inclusive Environment (World Skills Employment Centre)
This publication by World Skills, a non-profit employment centre dedicated exclusively to the employment needs of newcomers, is specifically for managers. The publication summarizes key components of workplace inclusion and offers practical recommendations that apply a “newcomer lens” to creating an inclusive work environment.
National Employer Playbook (World Education Services)
World Education Services (WES) is a credential evaluation service that authenticates and evaluates international degrees and diplomas to determine their authenticity and Canadian equivalencies. Its employer playbook can help employers to recruit, hire and onboard immigrant workers, as well as address unconscious biases, create inclusive workplaces and retain talent.
Recruit newcomers to Canada (Government of Canada)
This Government of Canada resource supports employers to learn how to connect with newcomers looking for work. The resource guide offers tips for hiring newcomers, assessing qualifications, and tips for integrating and retaining newcomers.
Strengthening Employer Feedback Channels: Read the Report (Immigrant Employment Council of BC)
The Strengthening Employer Feedback Channels (SEFC) Project engaged employers across the country to identify the key challenges that go beyond recruitment when attracting and retaining immigrant employment. The report identifies nationwide themes and regional perspectives from cities and provinces across the country.
Supporting immigrant and refugee youth career development (CareerWise)
Those working with immigrant and refugee youth can support their career development through fostering social capital, providing paid work experiences to build job skills, and directly engaging with youth to understand their unique needs and perspectives. Educators, employers, and service providers can learn more about these strategies through this CareerWise article.
The Employer’s Roadmap to hiring and retaining internationally trained workers (Government of Canada)
This extensive manual by the Government of Canada offers employers a how-to for recruiting and assessing internationally trained workers, best practices in hiring internationally trained workers, integrating and retaining internationally trained workers, and creating an inclusive workplace. There are also additional resources that are both national and specific to the provinces and territories.
