IRCC Discloses Canada’s 2025–26 Immigration Plan and Key Priorities

Immigration Plan & Key Priorities define Canada’s approach to balanced growth, outlining clear targets for visitors, students, workers, permanent residents, and citizenship services. This roadmap sets arrival caps to match housing and service capacity, reforms Express Entry to fill critical labor gaps, and modernizes visa, refugee, and passport processes. It ensures newcomers integrate smoothly, supports families, and upholds Canada’s humanitarian commitments.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

2. Temporary Residents in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

3. Permanent Residents in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

4. Citizenship & Passport Services in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

5. Humanitarian Streams in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

6. Economic Impact of the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

7. Conclusion

Overview of the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

On June 20, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released its 2025–26 Departmental Plan. This document lays out Canada’s Immigration Plan & Key Priorities for the year ahead. It links immigration levels, program reforms, service improvements, and humanitarian commitments. It also addresses housing pressure, health services, and community capacity.

The plan has three core areas of work:

1. Temporary residents (visitors, students, workers)

2. Permanent residents (economic, family, refugee streams)

3. Citizenship and passport services

Each core area aligns with IRCC’s vision to grow Canada’s economy, support families, and uphold humanitarian values. Read the full plan on the IRCC site: 2025–26 Departmental Plan.

Temporary Residents in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

Canada depends on visitors, students, and temporary workers to fill labor gaps and boost local economies. Rapid growth in these groups has strained housing, health care, and social services. The Immigration Plan & Key Priorities sets clear limits and tools to manage this growth.

1. Arrival Targets

IRCC will set arrival caps under the 2025–27 Immigration Levels Plan:

Breakdown by category:

• International Students: 305,900 per year

• Temporary Foreign Workers: 82,000 per year

• International Mobility Program: 285,750 (2025), 128,700 (2026), 155,700 (2027)

These targets aim to keep temporary residents at 5 percent of Canada’s population by 2026.

2. Faster, Safer Entry

The plan modernizes visitor screening and fraud control:

• eTA Expansion: Travelers from 67 countries can now apply for an eTA online. Most approvals occur in minutes.

• Stricter Visa Checks: New training for officers in fraud detection boosted refusal rates for high-risk applications by 61 percent.

• Regulating Consultants: Final rules for the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants will curb fraud in advice and application handling.

3. Student Supports

International students add over $22 billion to Canada’s GDP each year. Yet, some cities struggle with housing and services. The plan introduces:

1. Study Permit Caps on most majors to balance intake.

2. Rising Proof-of-Funds: From 2025, students must show up to 75 percent of the low-income cutoff plus tuition, updated annually.

3. Francophone Pilot: A new pilot to bring French-speaking students outside Quebec.

4. PGWP Updates: Align post-graduation work rights with labor needs in health, tech, and trades.

5. Spousal Work Permits: Expanded eligibility to help families and fill job gaps.

Permanent Residents in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

Canada plans to admit fewer new permanent residents to ease service demands while focusing on economic growth and family unity. The Immigration Plan & Key Priorities sets these annual targets:

Over 40 percent of newcomers will already hold student or work status.

1. Express Entry Reforms

Express Entry will target candidates with:

• French proficiency to boost Francophone communities.

• Experience in health care, social services, trades, education.

The Canadian Experience Class will pick those with strong job offers and earnings.

2. Regional & Business Programs

• Start-Up Visa & Self-Employed: Reduced intake and faster processing to attract entrepreneurs who create jobs.

• Provincial Nominee: Work permits extended up to two years for PNP candidates to prepare for permanent status.

• Atlantic Immigration: Incentives for newcomers to settle in Atlantic provinces.

3. Family & Refugee Streams

• Family Reunification: Online tools improved; faster spousal and child processing; clearer wait-time updates.

• Refugee Resettlement: Canada will welcome 12,000 refugees annually from Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and 4,000 from the Americas by 2028. The Private Sponsorship program will pause some streams until December 2025 to clear backlogs.

Citizenship & Passport Services

Becoming a citizen or renewing a passport marks the final step on the immigration journey. The Immigration Plan & Key Priorities lays out these changes for 2025–26.

1. Citizenship

IRCC aims for 85 percent of eligible permanent residents to take citizenship. New measures include:

1. Family e-applications for minors and entire households.

2. Online Knowledge Tests to speed up the process.

3. Language Waivers for those with documented barriers.

4. Indigenous Knowledge Keepers at ceremonies to honor First Nations, Inuit and Métis heritage.

2. Passport Modernization

Canada issues over 4.5 million passports a year. The plan adds:

• Online Renewal for adults, phased in since 2024.

• Automated Processing to cut wait times.

• Global Access by rolling out services at missions abroad.

These upgrades align with ICAO standards and make travel easier for Canadians worldwide.

Humanitarian Streams in the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

Canada leads with a strong humanitarian record. These reinforces this role:

• Asylum Modernization: $1.1 billion for tech upgrades, faster claim reviews, health coverage for claimants, and new reception centers.

• Global Compacts: Full support for the Global Compact on Migration and Global Compact on Refugees.

• Economic Mobility Pathways: Turning pilot work-plus-resettlement pathways into permanent options by 2025.

By investing in these streams, Canada sets a global example for orderly, safe, and fair migration.

Economic Impact of the Immigration Plan & Key Priorities

Immigration drives Canada’s labor market and innovation. The plan’s focus on in-demand sectors ensures steady growth. Key points:

1. Essential Sectors First

   • Agriculture, food processing, health care, technology.

   • New Agri-Labor Stream with ESDC for farm and fish processing workers.

2. Trade Partnerships

   • Labor mobility agreements under CPTPP and with ASEAN, Indonesia, and Ecuador.

   • Faster entry for specialists in emerging industries.

3. Employer Compliance

   • Stricter inspections under the International Mobility Program.

   • Penalties for firms that mistreat temporary workers.

4. Community Capacity

   • Aligning arrivals with housing and local services.

   • Funding for settlement agencies in high-growth regions.

These measures help keep unemployment low, wages rising, and public services stable.

Conclusion

Canada’s Immigration Plan & Key Priorities for 2025–26 balances growth with sustainability. It caps temporary arrivals, refines permanent resident selection, and modernizes services for citizens and refugees. The plan ties immigration to Canada’s economic needs and community capacity. It relies on clear targets, streamlined processes, and strong humanitarian values.

For employers, educators, and newcomers, the plan offers clarity and stability. For Canadian communities, it ensures that growth remains manageable.

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