On October 19, Albertans will be asked to vote on a number of questions that have potentially consequential implications for our province and our country.  There has been much rhetoric around each of the questions, and it is almost certain there will be even more rhetoric before ballots are cast.

The Muttart Foundation is not supporting or opposing any of the questions.

It does, however, feel it vitally important that people have access to evidence about each of the issues on which they are being asked to make judgment.  What follows is our attempt to provide facts and perhaps say things that others will not, or cannot, say.

The provincial referendum on October 19th 2026, includes four questions which ask Albertans whether they support changes to current immigration policy and practices.

To help them answer these questions, there are some important things Albertans need to know about immigration policy and the immigrants and non-permanent residents who come to live and work in the province.

  • As a result of recent changes in immigration policy, the number of immigrants who come to Alberta has fallen significantly. The immigration plan for 2026 to 2028 proposes to reduce the number of non-permanent residents coming to Alberta by 25 to 30 percent.
  • The majority of immigrants who come to Alberta are economic migrants who contribute to all sectors of the economy. Immigrants make up over one-third of the workforces in the professional, scientific and technical services field; the social services sector; and the accommodation and food services sector.
  • Non-permanent residents are immigrants who live in Alberta but do not have permanent resident status. Most are temporary foreign workers or international students. Non-permanent residents make up around five percent of Alberta’s total population, and most come without family members. 
  • Non-permanents residents who work in Alberta pay provincial and federal income taxes in the same way as other residents. They also contribute to the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, neither of which most access given their temporary periods of residence in the province.
  • Across Canada, the majority of provinces provide non-permanent residents with the same level of access to health and education services as all other residents. Currently, no province requires a fee for the children of non-permanent residents who live in Canada legally to attend a public school.