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.
Background
The provincial referendum on October 19 2026, will include ten questions. https://www.elections.ab.ca/elections/referendum/
Four of the ten questions ask Albertans whether they support changes to current immigration policy and practices.
The results of these questions will not be binding on the provincial government. However, a majority of Albertans voting ‘yes’ to the questions may give the provincial government a mandate to make changes to current policy and practices.
The recent rise in public concerns around the level of immigration means that governments must approach the discussion of immigration policies and practices in ways that are carefully considered and supported by evidence. The number of immigrants who come to Alberta has fallen sharply following federal immigration policy changes announced in 2024, although many Albertans will not have a good understanding of these changes, nor the rationale for them. Similarly, they may be unfamiliar with how jurisdictions attract or recruit non-permanent residents and the supports and services made available to them.
It will, therefore, be important that the Alberta government and other stakeholders ensure that Albertans have access to reliable information on current immigration trends and practices so that they can make informed decisions on the questions presented to them.
As part of its work in support of the charitable sector and its interests in public benefit more broadly, The Muttart Foundation has prepared the following summaries in response to the immigration questions. To help draft these summaries, the Foundation consulted with immigrant and newcomer serving organizations across the province as well as with other charitable and nonprofit organizations with public policy interests. The Foundation also reviewed various public data collected and reported by Statistics Canada.
Immigration Policies and Practices Should be Equitable, Fair and Informed by Evidence
The discussion of immigration has become more challenging in much of Canada, including Alberta, since the pandemic. Growing economic and political pressures have contributed to changing views and opinions on immigration that do not always reflect what happens in policy and practice.
A majority of Canadians still view immigration as having positive impacts on the economy and society, although they have concerns about its level and nature. Generally, younger Canadians and those with higher educational levels have more positive views of immigration compared to those who are older or those with lower levels of education.1
This divergence of public opinions and views makes it critical that questions about immigration are discussed with care and with reference to accurate information. The language public officials use when they talk about immigration matters, as do the arguments they make for changes in policy.
Decisions about migration policies and practices have significant impacts on the lives and well-being of immigrants and their families. The goal should be one of striking a balance between meeting the needs of the jurisdictions which seek to attract immigrants and those of the migrants themselves. Immigrants and newcomers commonly face barriers and challenges as they build new lives. They can, and do, experience discrimination and exclusion. It is, therefore, critical that immigration policies and practices do not ignore or further these injustices.
The Muttart Foundation remains committed to the design of public policy and practices that treat all residents, permanent and non-permanent alike, fairly. It sees the value of stakeholders working together to find solutions to community needs in ways that are inclusive and build trust in our democratic institutions and processes.
Decision-making in pluralistic societies requires the creation of opportunities for debate and the building of consensus. The reduction of complex issues into yes-or-no questions can be divisive. It can further lead to poor policy decisions and outcomes.
1. Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
The first immigration question asks Albertans whether the provincial government should have increased control over immigration with the goals of decreasing the number of immigrants who come to the province to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans priority for new employment opportunities.
These are important questions. The proposed changes Albertans are asked to consider, however, have already largely been addressed through changes to previous policies and practices. This may result in some Albertans misunderstanding how immigration policies and practices currently work.
The Federal and Alberta Governments already work together to develop immigration policy that meets regional needs
Immigration in Canada is an area of shared or concurrent federal and provincial jurisdiction.2 While the federal government has the greater level of authority, both levels of government have input into how immigration works. Collaboration and partnerships between the federal, provincial and territorial governments enables the immigration system to work effectively.
The federal and provincial governments meet multilaterally through the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration to discuss immigration policy. A strategic plan guides their work with the goal of supporting an immigration system that provides economic and social benefits for all regions of Canada.
All provinces and territories, with exception of Quebec and Nunavut, have bilateral immigration agreements with the federal government, through which they make decisions about the permanent immigrants they require to meet their own labour market needs.
The number of immigrants who come to Alberta has fallen significantly
Since the beginning of 2025, the federal government has significantly reduced the number of permanent and temporary immigrants who come to Canada, with the number of arrivals plateauing in 2026.3
The immigration plan for 2026 to 2028 targets the largest reductions in the number of permanent residents coming to Canada in over a decade, with the number falling by over 20 percent.4 The planned reductions in the number of non-permanent residents are even greater, with proposed decreases of between 25 and over 30 percent.
In 2025, Alberta welcomed 50,000 immigrants with permanent resident status as part of the new federal strategy. This is the number of immigrants the premier has indicated is the desired target for the province going forward.5
The majority of immigrants who come to Alberta are economic migrants. They actively contribute to all sectors of the economy
The federal government’s most recent immigration plan for 2026 – 2028, focuses on the recruitment of immigrants to meet labour market needs, to strengthen key sectors of the economy and to support those communities struggling to recruit key workers.
The majority of new permanent residents come to Canada as economic migrants. They are assessed for entry through a points-based system and undergo rigorous screening. Applicants who are younger, with job offers and with high levels of education and experience receive the highest point scores based on the current system.
Provinces and territories can also nominate skilled workers, entrepreneurs and international graduates for permanent resident status through the Provincial Nominee Program. In Alberta, the provincial government uses the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program to recruit newcomers to work in key sectors such as health care, technology, construction and manufacturing. The province also recruits migrants to live and work in designated communities under the Rural Renewal Stream.
Canada’s and Alberta’s successful immigration programs have resulted in immigrants contributing to all sectors of the economy. Immigrants make up over one third of the workforces in the professional, scientific and technical services fields as well as in the accommodation and food services sectors.6 They comprise just over half of home child care providers and four out of ten early childhood educators.7
In Alberta, more than one in three staff in the social services sector are immigrants, making them one of the mainstays of the care economy. Nationally, close to 40 percent of immigrants volunteer adding further value to the communities in which they live and work.8
The current immigration priorities recognize the unique labour market needs of different regions of the country, while also including a commitment to prioritize job opportunities for Canadians and those already in Canada.9
The changes in federal immigration policy announced in 2024, including the reduction in the number of new permanent and temporary residents coming to Alberta, and the strong focus on economic migrants substantially meet the immigration goals set out by the provincial government in the first referendum question.
Immigration in Canada remains an area in which the federal government has primary responsibility. The Alberta government retains the right and authority to continue to work with the federal government in ways which meet its own immigration needs, as do the other provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut.
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2. Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
3. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs?
4. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the healthcare and education systems?
The second group of three immigration questions asks Albertans whether the provincial government should introduce legislation that mandates restrictions or imposes limits on non-permanent residents’ access to provincially funded programs such as health care, education and other social services. The Alberta government has argued that these changes are necessary to reduce the growing demands non-permanent residents place on publicly funded services. It has further indicated that other jurisdictions already limit or restrict non-permanent residents’ access to publicly funded services.10
Non-permanent residents are individuals who currently live in Alberta but do not have permanent resident status. They include temporary foreign workers who come to work for a limited time period in jobs that employers can’t fill, international students who come to Canada on study permits to pursue further education, as well as individuals seeking refugee protection in Canada. The majority of non-permanent residents are either temporary foreign workers or international students.
Non-permanent residents make up a small portion of the provincial population. The number of them working and studying in Alberta is declining.
In the first quarter of 2026, there were just over 271,000 non-permanent residents in Alberta, who made up around five percent of the total provincial population.11 While this was a significant increase from the number in 2021, it was a reduction of close to 26,000 from the similar period in 2025.
The number of non-permanent residents in Alberta will continue to fall in both 2026 and 2027, in line with the changes to federal immigration policy announced in 2024.
Non-permanent residents make up a smaller proportion of the provincial population in Alberta than they do in the other large provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The proportion is also lower than that for Canada as a whole.
The majority of non-permanent residents in Alberta are either temporary foreign workers or international students.
Nine out of ten of the 271,000 non-permanent residents in the province are here on temporary work and/or study permits. The majority come to Alberta without their families. They are commonly recruited by employers to fill positions that Albertans are either unable or unwilling to take.
Many non-permanent residents work in the accommodation, retail and food services sectors, although there are also temporary foreign workers in the health care, social assistance and educational services sectors. In Alberta, non-permanent residents also play important roles in the agriculture, agri-food and other related sectors.12
The close to 60,000 non-permanent residents on study permits (international students), many of whom also hold work permits, primarily attend public and private post-secondary institutions across the province. They pay tuition fees that are significantly higher than those of domestic students.
The average undergraduate tuition fees international students pay in Alberta are four or five times higher than those of domestic students.13 Their tuition fees more than cover the full costs of their education and represent a significant source of revenues for post-secondary institutions.14 Alberta taxpayers do not subsidize the education of international students.15
International students are an effective supply of skilled labour for sectors of the economy that face persistent workforce shortages.16
15 Opinion: International students are an asset to Alberta universities – Edmonton Journal.
The majority of non-permanent residents pay provincial and federal income taxes. Many work long hours, sometimes in demanding work environments.
Non-permanents residents who work in Alberta pay provincial and federal income taxes in the same way as Albertans who work. They also contribute to the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, neither of which most are ever likely to access given their temporary periods of residence in the province.
Previous research highlights the long or extended hours many non-permanent residents work as well as the challenging work environments that some face.17 The Alberta government recently announced new legislation to help protect temporary foreign workers from exploitation or abuse, particularly those in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.18
Non-permanent residents are younger than the provincial population as a whole and most come to Alberta without their families.
The majority of non-permanent residents are of working age.18 They are younger than the provincial population as a whole.
The majority of non-permanent residents come to Canada on their own, without their families. In the first quarter of 2026, there were only 25,864 family members living with non-permanent residents with work or study permits.19 They made up just 0.5 percent of the total provincial population.
Non-permanent residents currently have access to health care services, with the federal government covering the health care costs of those who are asylum claimants. Most non-permanent residents are not eligible for the majority of social service programs, including income assistance supports.
Non-permanent residents further do not have access to the publicly funded settlement services, including supports for housing, mental health supports and employment related services provided for immigrants who arrive as permanent residents. The children of non-permanent residents can access public education, which is the norm among provinces. Children’s access to education is considered a fundamental human right, and is protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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Most provinces provide non-permanent residents with the same level of access to health and education services as all other residents.
The proposed restrictions or limitations on non-permanent residents’ access to publicly funded services set out in the referendum questions would place significant new burdens and costs on non-permanent residents.
The majority of non-permanent residents who work earn less than the median wage. Charging these non-permanent residents fees to access health or educational services would place significant financial burdens on them. In the case of fees for health care services, it would likely result in some non-permanent residents either delaying or not accessing care.
The introduction of new limits or restrictions on non-permanent residents’ access to publicly funded services, including premiums or fees for health and education services, would result in Alberta becoming among the least welcoming provinces for non-permanent residents in Canada. Currently, no province restricts access to public education for the children of non-permanent residents who reside in Canada legally. Nor do any charge non-permanent residents fees for their children to attend. The introduction of these changes would likely result in some temporary foreign workers and international students looking at other provinces for work or study opportunities.
Further, denying or limiting non-permanent residents’ access to publicly funded services runs the risk of creating discrimination. Immigration policies and practices should protect the rights and interests of all newcomers regardless of whether they are permanent or non-permanent residents. They should be guided by considerations of fairness and equity and uphold the human rights of immigrants and their families.