Alberta plans to put a question to voters this fall on whether the provincial government should restrict the intake of certain categories of newcomers, including international students, temporary foreign workers and asylum seekers.
The measure was announced by Premier Danielle Smith during a televised address. Smith presented the referendum as an effort by the provincial government to take control of an issue that, under Canada’s constitutional arrangements, is primarily managed by the federal government in Ottawa.
Smith said Alberta faces a material deficit in next week’s provincial budget, attributing part of the shortfall to a decline in provincial resource royalties amid lower global oil prices. She also pointed to the province’s unusually rapid population expansion as a contributor to fiscal pressures.
"Throwing the doors wide open to anyone and everyone across the globe has flooded our classrooms, emergency rooms and social support systems with far too many people, far too quickly," she said in her address.
Statistics Canada data cited by the provincial government indicate Alberta’s population surpassed the 5 million mark in 2025 and grew by more than 600,000 people over the previous five years. Smith said that rapid growth has strained provincial resources and was a recurring theme in a recent series of town hall panels where residents voiced concerns about international immigration.
Smith said she will seek a referendum mandate to pursue legal changes that could alter eligibility for provincially funded services. One example she offered was a law that would restrict access to health care, education and other social programs to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and people with an "Alberta approved immigration status."
The provincial announcement comes at a politically sensitive moment. The move was described as potentially damaging to Canadian unity, and it arrived while Prime Minister Mark Carney has been making efforts to improve ties with western, resource-rich provinces and to address a simmering separatist movement in Alberta.
The broader national context also includes changes to federal immigration policy. After several years of a welcoming stance under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the federal government has recently been reducing its immigration targets and introducing caps on temporary residents, citing pressures on housing, infrastructure and social services.
An ATB Financial analysis noted that a distinguishing factor for Alberta is the high level of interprovincial migration - Canadians moving into Alberta from other provinces in search of better opportunities and more affordable housing - which amplifies the province’s population growth relative to other parts of Canada.
Smith said the referendum is a response to what she described as a clear concern among Albertans and is intended to give the provincial government a direct mandate from voters on how to proceed. The precise wording of the ballot question and the legal mechanisms that would be used to implement any changes were not detailed in the announcement.
Summary of developments:
- Alberta will hold a fall referendum on limiting numbers of international students, temporary foreign workers and asylum seekers.
- The provincial government cites a looming budget deficit, reduced resource royalties and rapid population growth as reasons for the move.
- Proposed changes could include limiting access to provincially funded services to citizens, permanent residents and those with an "Alberta approved immigration status."