Canada’s immigration department will put people with work and study ties inside the country at the front of the line for permanent residence in 2025, while holding to a PR admissions target of 395,000. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed it will give priority to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), new home care worker pilots, rural and francophone community pilots, and a pathway for skilled refugees and displaced persons.
Family sponsorship for parents and grandparents will be limited to files already submitted in 2024, and provinces will see fewer federal nomination spaces under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as Ottawa narrows intake to ease pressure on housing and public services.
Focus on in‑Canada applicants
IRCC says more than 40% of permanent residence admissions in 2025 will be people already in Canada as workers or students. That focus aligns with Express Entry plans that will lean on the CEC, the stream for applicants with recent Canadian work experience.
The agency expects faster decisions for many CEC candidates as draws shift toward those who have built careers, paid taxes, and settled in Canadian communities.
Home care worker pilots — PR on arrival
Two new Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots opened in March 2025 — one for child care and one for home support — and both reached their online application caps on day one. These pilots replace earlier caregiver programs and, in a notable change, offer PR on arrival for eligible home care workers, including those hired by organizations providing temporary or part‑time care.
IRCC framed this move as a direct response to labour shortages and the need for stable, long‑term care in homes across the country.
Community pilots: rural and francophone
In January, Ottawa launched two community‑focused pilots:
- Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) — targets designated rural areas outside Quebec to fill local job gaps.
- Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) — targets French‑speaking areas outside Quebec to increase French‑speaking admissions.
These pilots aim to give local leaders more voice in selection so communities can pick newcomers who want to live where they are most needed.
New and permanent pathways for skilled refugees and workers
- The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), which helps skilled refugees and displaced people come through economic streams, is set to become permanent by the end of 2025.
- A new route, the Canada Integrated Skills Immigration Pathway (CISIP), is expected in Fall 2025 and will focus on healthcare, trades, IT, engineering, hospitality, green energy, and agri‑food. CISIP will serve candidates both inside and outside Canada and is designed to complement existing tools.
Family sponsorship limits for 2025
Family reunification remains a core pillar, but IRCC will limit 2025 processing for parents and grandparents to files received in 2024.
- The cap is 15,000 sponsorship applications under the family class, processed in the order received.
- The department will not accept new parent or grandparent sponsorship files in 2025 unless it issues further instructions.
- Spousal, partner, and child sponsorship continues, and IRCC says it is working to improve processing for overseas applications after recent delays.
Important: If you did not submit a parents or grandparents sponsorship application in 2024, you may need to wait for new instructions before preparing documents, medical exams, or police certificates.
Policy priorities for 2025 (high level)
- Express Entry will favour the CEC to lift candidates with proven Canadian work histories into permanent residence. IRCC lists typical processing times of about 5–6 months for Express Entry cases, including CEC and Federal Skilled Worker applications.
-
The PNP will run on tighter federal allocations. Ottawa has cut 2025 PNP nominations by 50%, prompting provinces to negotiate for more spaces and to narrow eligibility to in‑demand sectors like healthcare and construction.
-
The refugees and protected persons stream carries a 2025 target of 68,350. IRCC plans to keep resettlement partnerships while putting intake controls on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees program, including a pause on certain sponsorship streams until December 31, 2025.
-
A single online account is being built to unify client interactions, reduce errors, and make file tracking easier.
Processing standards highlighted by IRCC
- Express Entry (CEC & FSW): ~5–6 months
- Enhanced PNP: ~7–8 months
- Base PNP: ~19 months
- Citizenship grant applications: ~12 months
What this means for applicants and provinces
- Candidates with recent Canadian work experience (CEC profiles) may see better odds in Express Entry draws.
- Non‑CEC applicants can still compete via Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, or a PNP nomination, but reduced PNP spaces make nominations harder unless skills match priority sectors (healthcare, construction, engineering, tech).
- Families planning to sponsor parents/grandparents should note only 2024 submissions are eligible for 2025 processing under the 15,000 cap.
- Spouses, partners, and dependent children remain eligible for sponsorship; IRCC is working to speed up overseas cases.
- Refugee resettlement targets remain firm. The pause on some private sponsorship streams until end‑2025 may shift focus to government‑assisted routes and the EMPP/CISIP pathways.
Provinces will face trade‑offs: with fewer PNP nominations, officials are expected to concentrate on roles tied to hospitals, long‑term care, major construction, and key industrial projects. Some provinces have paused lower‑priority streams and are revising criteria toward candidates with job offers and stronger local ties.
Employers who rely on PNP to recruit abroad may need to plan earlier, coordinate with settlement agencies, and consider hiring workers who already hold Canadian study or work permits.
Service improvements and other program tweaks
IRCC’s planned single‑window online account could reduce delays caused by missing forms or misdirected uploads, easing the logistical burden for applicants and employers.
Other program changes under consideration or development:
- New work permit streams for agriculture and fish processing
- Review of field‑of‑study rules for Post‑Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)
- Changes to spousal open work permit eligibility
These tweaks will affect who can gain Canadian experience and later transition into permanent residence through CEC or PNP.
Processing times and planning
Processing time remains a core concern. IRCC lists typical timelines:
- Express Entry (CEC & FSW): 5–6 months
- Enhanced PNP: 7–8 months
- Base PNP: 19 months
- Citizenship grants: 12 months
Applicants should plan extra time for medicals, biometrics, police checks, and credential assessments.
Strategic intent and expected outcomes
The policy choices reflect a balancing act: keep doors open to talent, support reunification, and protect space for refugees, while cooling population growth in overheated regions.
By anchoring the 2025 PR admissions target at 395,000 and directing a large share to people already in Canada, IRCC aims to steady settlement services and housing markets without cutting off the labour supply. This marks a shift from pre‑pandemic years when more newcomers landed directly from abroad.
The home care pilots — with PR on arrival — signal a move from short‑term fixes to immediate settlement, likely reducing turnover in a sector with high churn. The day‑one caps show strong demand and existing backlogs reported by caregiver placement agencies.
Rural and francophone pilots are targeted responses to labour shortages in small towns and to declining French‑language services outside Quebec. By involving community partners in selection, IRCC expects placements to be more durable.
Practical next steps for applicants and employers
- Candidates: Track Express Entry rounds closely—CEC‑focused draws favour profiles with recent Canadian work and strong language scores.
- Non‑Canadian applicants: Consider job offers or provincial nominations in shortage sectors.
- Caregivers and francophone candidates: Explore pilot pathways that target real community needs.
- Employers and provinces: Prepare to prioritize roles tied to healthcare, construction, and key local projects; coordinate earlier with settlement services.
Where to find official details
For official targets, program notes, and service standards, IRCC directs readers to the 2025–2027 plan published on its website. The department’s public documents detail category targets, intake controls, and timelines for pilot launches and transitions.
Find the plan here: IRCC 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan
This Article in a Nutshell
IRCC’s 2025 plan fixes Canada’s PR admissions target at 395,000 while prioritizing applicants already inside the country, particularly those in the Canadian Experience Class. More than 40% of admissions will go to workers and students in Canada to reduce stress on housing and public services. Family sponsorship for parents and grandparents is limited to 15,000 applications filed in 2024, with no new 2025 submissions accepted. Two home care worker pilots launched in March 2025 and provide PR on arrival for eligible caregivers. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot will become permanent by end of 2025, and the Canada Integrated Skills Immigration Pathway will debut in Fall 2025 to target priority sectors.
