Changes are being considered to Canada's international student visa and temporary foreign worker programs as the country struggles with record immigration numbers and housing prices.

Housing Minister Sean Fraser made the comments in an interview to Global News.

“We do need to continue to look at reforms to our temporary residency programs,” Fraser told the outlet. StatsCan numbers reported by CIC News earlier this year showed the number of non-permanent residents was around 2.2 million people, an increase of over 1 million from the 2021 census CIC News noted.

Pierre Poilievre says the Trudeau Liberals have built "nothing but bureaucracy" when it comes to Canada's housing crisis.

He criticizes Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, a Young Global Leader of the WEF, for posing for photo ops and not doing his job.https://t.co/eT1w2N8u2u pic.twitter.com/Wxy9vTleDJ

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) November 20, 2023

Fraser, who previously served as immigration minister, acknowledged the rise in the Global interview. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of the international student program and the temporary foreign worker program in recent years,” he said.

In response to the number of foreign students, current Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced a doubling of funds required to apply to study in Canada last week.

Pierre Poilievre slams former Liberal immigration minister Sean Fraser for his "total incompetence" in managing the international students program and attacking "the very programs he ran up until two weeks ago". pic.twitter.com/nOPNr6ySO1

— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) August 23, 2023

“There is fraud and abuse and it needs to end,” Miller said. 

Fraser, meanwhile, previously speculated about the necessity of a cap on foreign student visas during the Liberals' cabinet retreat in August. In an October interview with Global, Miller compared that approach to “surgery with a hammer.”

Now, however, Fraser was unwilling to go as far. The Liberals would instead focus on collaboration with the provinces and post-secondary institutions to build more housing before considering a cap, he said.