Canada to set temporary resident targets for the first time this fall

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says for the first time, Canada will set targets for the number of new temporary resident arrivals to the country.

For the first time, Canada will set targets for the number of new temporary resident arrivals to the country, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced Thursday.

The federal government plans to decrease the number of temporary residents to five per cent of the population over the next three years, down from the current 6.2 per cent.

The first targets will be set in September.

Canada has seen a sharp increase in the number of temporary residents coming in each year, with Miller saying in the past that the country has become "addicted" to temporary workers.

"Changes are needed to make the system more efficient and more sustainable," Miller told a news conference.

"There should be an honest conversation about what the rise in international migration means for Canada as we plan ahead," he added.

Miller said he'll convene a meeting of provincial, territorial and federal ministers in May to talk about how the levels should be set.