ATTENTION! 📢 🇨🇦 Key updates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released a new plan for processing permanent residence applications in 2025.
According to the update, only certain key immigration streams will receive full processing, while the rest will receive only partial processing, which will cause delays in consideration.
🔍 1. Streams that will receive full processing in 2025:
✅ Canadian Experience Class (CEC) — top priority for candidates already working in Canada ✅ Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) — for professionals with proven work experience abroad
✅ Express Entry–PNP — provincial programs linked to Express Entry ✅ Community Pilots — programs for candidates working in smaller communities ✅ Quebec Skilled Worker Program — a separate program for immigration to the province of Quebec
⚠️ 2. Streams with partial processing (delays are inevitable):
📉 Caregiver Pilots — 34,400 applications, of which only 14% will be considered in 2025 🚜 Agri-Food Pilot — limited funding, so partial processing is expected 🚀 Start-Up Visa — 38,600 applications, of which only 2% will be processed
🏙️ Base PNP — 87,700 applications, approximately 35% will be considered
💡 3. IRCC priorities for 2025
The ministry is clearly focusing on programs that provide the fastest economic return for Canada. The main priorities are CEC, FSWP, and Express Entry, as these categories allow the government to attract skilled workers and strengthen the domestic labor market.
Candidates who have applied through the Start-Up Visa or Caregiver programs should expect a long waiting period — possibly until 2026–2027 — before the system fully processes their applications.
🧭 4. What to do now:
🔹 Check your status on the IRCC Portal 🔹 Update your Express Entry profile — language test results, work experience, references 🔹 Consider alternative options: Community Pilot or Atlantic Program
🔹 Submit a complete and error-free application — IRCC rejects incomplete applications without warning
⚠️ Important reminder from the Government of Canada
The Government of Canada emphasizes that it is not mandatory to use immigration consultants or lawyers to apply for permanent residence. If you have time, familiarize yourself with immigration programs on official IRCC resources, as well as in volunteer communities, groups, and channels to avoid unnecessary expenses. This will save you thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands of dollars.
📌 Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)