Minister promises changes to temporary visas, but no 'draconian measures'

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says he plans to recalibrate the number of people who come to Canada temporarily to make sure the program is sustainable, but details about what measures the government is considering remain unclear.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says he plans to recalibrate the number of people who come to Canada temporarily to make sure the program is sustainable, but details about what measures the government is considering remain unclear.

Miller, who announced his intentions after he tabled the immigration targets for permanent residents on Wednesday afternoon, said the approach will likely differ based on the different categories of work and study permits.

When it comes to the agricultural sector, for example, the minister said the government needs to more "cohesively and comprehensively" to respond to the reality that temporary foreign worker status is often exploited.

"People that can't switch jobs if they are abused or have unsafe work conditions, the fact that they are threatened with return to their country if they don't perform well, those are all real threats," Miller said at an event in Toronto on Thursday.

He added that there are success stories as well.

"There is a whole ecosystem there that we need to address comprehensively."

The Liberals' record-breaking immigration targets for permanent residents over the last three years have drawn increasing scrutiny as Canada grapples with a shortage of available and affordable homes.