Rachel Bendayan, a Member of Parliament for Outremont, Quebec, has been appointed as Canada’s new Minister of Immigration. She will lead the country’s immigration department, succeeding Marc Miller in the role. The cabinet reshuffle, announced by Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney in preparation for the 2025 federal election, includes changes to the immigration portfolio.
Cabinet reshuffles are common in Canadian politics, allowing Prime Ministers to reassign or remove ministers to improve performance or align policies with public opinion. The last reshuffle, in July 2023, saw Marc Miller replace Sean Fraser as Immigration Minister.
With the change in administration, Canada’s immigration policy is now led by a new Prime Minister and Immigration Minister. Ministers receive Mandate Letters from the Prime Minister, which outline their goals and the challenges they must tackle in their roles.
Prime Minister Carney’s views on Canada’s immigration policy are still unclear, but past statements suggest he supports limiting immigration to pre-pandemic levels, prioritizing temporary residents for permanent residency, and reducing the number of temporary foreign workers.
Marc Miller's tenure as Immigration Minister saw significant changes to Canada's immigration system, focusing on reducing both temporary and permanent immigration to address housing and affordability issues. As Immigration Minister, Marc Miller implemented several key changes, including limiting study and work permits, reducing permanent resident immigration, shifting focus to in-Canada economic immigration, capping international student enrolment, and making significant adjustments to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and Express Entry system. He also introduced new pathways for skilled workers, restricted family Open Work Permits, and removed arranged employment points from Express Entry.
Bendayan was born into a Moroccan-Jewish family and raised in Quebec. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies and a joint Bachelor of Civil Law/Juris Doctor from McGill University. With almost ten years of experience, she built a successful legal career at Norton Rose Fulbright before transitioning into politics. During her legal career, Bendayan specialized in litigation, international arbitration, and international trade law. She has also taught at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Law.
Minister Bendayan has held multiple roles in Canadian politics, including Minister of Official Languages. She has also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade.
Immigration is a key issue in Canada, vital for the labor market and demographics. Marc Miller emphasized its role in preventing a recession in 2023. Due to its importance, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally announced the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan. The importance of the immigration portfolio is reflected in the prominent roles former immigration ministers take on. For example, Sean Fraser, who preceded Marc Miller, is now Canada’s Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities, a key role amid the country's housing affordability challenges.
Marc Mendicino, the immigration minister before Fraser, continued his political career as Minister of Public Safety until 2023 and now serves as Canada’s Chief of Staff-designate under Mark Carney. The immigration department (IRCC) also enjoys significant autonomy in its operations, unlike many other government departments.
IRCC has the authority to implement significant public policies, such as the temporary COVID-era measure that allowed international students to work unlimited hours off-campus during regular school semesters. This policy replaced the previous 20-hour limit, and currently, students can work up to 24 hours a week off-campus.
Check if you qualify to migrate to Canada. Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn about finding employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.
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