Alberta Referendum Immigration Questions, and Implications for CALPs

There are four immigration-specific questions proposed in the referendum. The exact text of the questions, as published by the Government of Alberta, is noted in quotation marks below.

“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?”

This first question is the “backbone” of the immigration referendum questions. It asks voters if they want Alberta to exert more control over immigration as a province. Immigration is a federal government responsibility in Canada, but there is some precedent to a province having more control of their immigration system, as this is already the case in Quebec.

While it would be difficult to anticipate exactly what the changes would represent, the question posits that if Alberta had more control of its immigration system, it would emphasize economic migration (instead of migration for people in crisis, like refugees). Similarly, the question posits that an Alberta-controlled immigration system would create additional safeguards, ensuring available jobs would go to Albertans first.

“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?”

This question has two parts:

• First, it posits the creation of an “Alberta-approved immigration status,” which does not currently exist. In practice, this means allowing Alberta to decide who is a “legitimate” immigrant to the province beyond existing federal law.
• Second, it asks voters to decide which immigrants are allowed to access Alberta’s public services. Because the question identifies citizens and permanent residents in one category, these impacts would likely be concentrated among temporary residents. Currently, temporary residents include Temporary Foreign Workers, international students with study permits, asylum seekers waiting for their tribunal decision, and Ukrainians who have come to Canada through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel.

“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?”

This question seeks to delineate who would and would not be able to access provincially funded social support programs. The Government of Alberta also notes its parameters: “This refers to things like childcare subsidies, student aid, and other benefits and income supports, not standard health care and education.” It is worth mentioning that temporary residents are typically already excluded from these benefits under existing laws and policies.

This question proposes a waiting period of 12 months before people can access these services. While it is difficult to anticipate exactly how this might be implemented, the following question expands on the details.

“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 health care and education systems?”

As the Government of Alberta notes, Question 4 asks “whether temporary residents should be charged a fee (tuition/premium) to access public education or health care so long as their status remains temporary.”

In this model, any temporary resident (TFW, international student) living in Alberta would need to pay the Government of Alberta out of pocket to access Alberta health care and Alberta K-12 education. Based on the wording for Question 3, we can assume this is for the first 12 months that they live in Alberta.

As the Government of Alberta articulates on its referendum page:

• “The above questions seek feedback from Albertans on alternative ways to limit the free access to these services for temporary residents.”
• “None of these options affect those with permanent resident status. The Canada Health Act does not require provinces to insure temporary residents. As is the case with visitors to Alberta, emergency health care would still be provided.”

Therefore, we can assume that if passed, the Government of Alberta intends to charge money out-of-pocket to temporary residents to access health care and public education. Currently, we do not know what constitutes a “reasonable fee or premium.” 

While there are many prospective outcomes for the referendum, it is worthwhile for CALPs to consider the implications these outcomes may have on their clientele. Many CALP learners are temporary residents, ineligible for existing federal language training programs. If these participants become ineligible for additional programs and supports, or required to pay to access government services, it will be critical for CALP staff to familiarize themselves with the new rules.