An RBC Thought Leadership report from September 2026 argues that Canada’s immigration settings need a reset. It says the country admitted three million migrants in three years, that housing and services did not keep up, and that per-capita GDP fell. The authors want steadier targets and a return to a clearer points system. How Ottawa is already using people who are here is in temporary workers already in Canada.
The three-year surge
The report treats 2022 to 2024 as a decade of population growth packed into 36 months. Housing and public services did not expand on that clock. The authors say the old advantage of the system was that employers and cities could plan. The business routes that closed afterward are described in doing business in Canada under the current rules.
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Express Entry
Category-based draws, in place since 2023, are the report’s main complaint about Express Entry. It says lower-scoring candidates have been invited ahead of higher-scoring ones, with gaps of about 100 Comprehensive Ranking System points. The authors want the ranking score put back in front of the category. A recent trades round, which is exactly the kind of category draw they are criticizing, is in the October 1 invitation of 3,500 tradespeople.
The five changes they want
- A range for population growth, instead of a target that jumps each year.
- The Comprehensive Ranking System back in charge of who is invited.
- Provinces, through the nominee program, handling occupation shortages.
- A two-step model: work in Canada first, then permanent residence.
- Targets adjusted with current economic data, not with a plan written years ahead.
Who wrote it
Jackie Pichette, Farhad Panahov, and Caprice Biasoni wrote the report after six months of talks with more than 60 people in the field. Their line is that immigration still matters to the economy and that the recent pace was not matched to housing or to earnings. The report says: “The integrity of the immigration system depends on its ability to evolve alongside the economic needs of the country, rather than operating on outdated assumptions of growth.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the report call the system unstable?
It counts three million arrivals in three years, faster than housing and services, and a set of rule changes that applicants could not plan around.
What is the complaint about Express Entry?
Category draws have invited lower scores ahead of higher ones, by about 100 ranking points in the cases the report cites.
How would provinces handle shortages?
Through the Provincial Nominee Program, so a region picks the occupation it is actually short of.
