A new report from Nanos Research shows that immigration levels in Canada are no longer the primary concern for Canadians, showcasing shifting voter priorities.
Over 1,000 people were surveyed over a four-week period leading up to December 26, 2025, and findings show that currently, concerns about the economy (21.8%), US relations (10%), inflation (8.4%), and healthcare (6.6%) seem to outpace immigration (6.4%).
This begs the question: With concerns around immigration declining among the voter population, is the age of rapid change in Canada’s immigration landscape over?
Despite receiving less public focus than in previous periods, the pace of immigration is unlikely to decline. In fact, there are many changes coming to Canada’s immigration landscape in 2026 alone.
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This article will cover some of these changes, including the launch of new permanent residence (PR) pathways, three potential new Express Entry categories dropping, and an update to Canada’s job classification system.
Launch of new PR programs and pathways
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is currently working on launching several new PR programs and pilots to address labour shortages in key sectors across Canada and replace the closure or suspension of existing programs/pathways. These include:
Agriculture and fish processing stream: In its 2025-2026 Departmental Plan, IRCC revealed it is working on developing a new foreign labour stream to fill workforce gaps in Canada’s agriculture and fish processing sector—which will include a corresponding sector-specific work permit.
This stream has yet to be launched, nor has the government released any updates on it since announcing this course of action in June 2025.
Pilot program for entrepreneurs: IRCC is working towards the opening of a new pilot program for immigrant entrepreneurs, following the department announcing the closure of the Start-Up Visa Program and indefinite pause of the Self-Employed Persons Program on December 31, 2025. Further details have not yet been disclosed.
Pathway for refugee students: Also announced in IRCC’s 2025-2026 Departmental Plan was a new “complementary pathway for refugee students,” based on the successes of the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), which was to become available by the end of 2025.
This pathway was intended to open prior to the closing of the EMPP that closed on December 31, 2025, but details are still being finalized.
Pathway for construction workers: In March 2025, IRCC announced that it intends to create a pathway for out-of-status construction workers to restore their legal status in Canada and obtain PR. Up to 6,000 permanent immigration spaces will be reserved for out-of-status construction workers already in Canada.
As of now, IRCC has not provided any further details on eligibility criteria, nor has it specified when this pathway will begin.
Accelerated pathway for H1-B visa holders: Canada’s 2025 Budget, released November 4, included plans to launch an expedited PR pathway for US H1-B visa holders, part of a strategy to attract skilled professionals to fill labour shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, research, and advanced industries.
The federal document claimed it will launch this pathway “in the coming months,” meaning it is likely to open sometime in 2026.
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Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility changes
IRCC will soon be updating the list of study programs that are eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
In June of 2025, IRCC made substantial changes regarding which programs could lead to a PGWP after graduation—adding 119 new eligible fields (and an entirely new set of programs in the “Education” field) and removing 178 others.
In July, however, the immigration department postponed the removal of these fields until early 2026.
Until then, individuals in the formerly removed fields can still qualify for a PGWP if they applied for either their study permit or PGWP:
- Before November 1, 2024; or
- After June 25, 2025.
Field of study requirements are mainly applicable to those who study in post-secondary programs below the bachelor’s level, with some exceptions.
When IRCC removes these fields in 2026, certain individuals will no longer qualify for a PGWP. With this in mind, you will want to double-check if your study program qualifies for a PGWP if your plan is ultimately to gain Canadian work experience as a springboard to PR in Canada (e.g., through the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry).
A full list of eligible study programs can be found here.
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Revisions to the National Occupational Classification system
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, used to classify occupations in Canada, is set to undergo changes in the near future.
According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), changes to the NOC system will be a “major revision,” and will include both content and structural updates.
The 2026 NOC system revision will affect over 150 unit groups (about one third of all NOC occupations), with some to undergo substantial structural revisions, including:
- Indigenous-related content: Aimed at ensuring such information is accurate, respectful, and current (in collaboration with Indigenous communities).
- Health, science, and public protection occupations: Intended to better reflect evolving roles and responsibilities (informed by stakeholder feedback).
- Education and emergency services: Designed to be more representative of current duties and responsibilities of such occupations (grounded through internal research).
NOC revisions can change which occupation code best matches a candidate’s work experience. Because many immigration programs assess eligibility and selection based on NOC and/or TEER, some candidates may find their occupation evaluated differently after the update.
Candidates may need to revisit how their job duties align with the revised descriptions to ensure they’re claiming the correct occupation. This is especially important for those applying through NOC-targeted pathways like Express Entry category-based selection and many Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams.
Although the ESDC initially indicated that details of the NOC system restructuring would be released in October 2025, no update was issued. This delay points to a likely implementation timeline extending into 2026.
Potential introduction of new Express Entry categories
Between August and September 2025, IRCC conducted public consultations on three proposed Express Entry categories being considered for introduction in 2026:
- Leadership: Designed for highly skilled senior managers responsible for strategic oversight and team leadership.
- Research and innovation: Intended to prioritize researchers and scientists whose expertise supports innovation, productivity, and long-term economic growth.
- National security and defence: Aimed at supporting the Canadian Armed Forces by attracting skilled military recruits from partner countries.
Details about confirming the inclusion of these new categories, or a possible timeline for their launch, have yet to be shared.
With the addition of new categories, IRCC can better respond to evolving economic priorities across Canada by targeting a wider range of eligible Express Entry candidates for invitations—further allowing the government to more aptly fill gaps that have been identified across Canada’s labour market.
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Bill C-12 to become law
Bill C-12, “Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act” is likely to become law; it has passed its third reading in the House of Commons and first reading in the Senate on December 11, 2025.
If enacted in its current form, Bill C-12 would provide the Governor General with the power to restrict immigration application processing at multiple stages, including refusing to accept new applications and suspending or terminating those already in progress.
These powers would apply to PR visas, work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas, electronic Travel Authorizations (eTAs), and PR cards.
Bill C-12 further empowers the government to alter conditions on temporary resident documents and on temporary residents themselves, including foreign workers, international students, and visitors.
For a more detailed breakdown on the Bill’s implications, see our recent coverage.
For this Bill to become law, it must pass its third reading in the Senate and receive royal assent. The Senate will reconvene in February to resume consideration of this bill.
Prioritization of in-Canada candidates
In 2025, Immigration Minister Lena Diab Metlege said IRCC would prioritize PR applications from temporary residents already living in Canada, noting that the approach would help limit new arrivals.
This was echoed in the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan released in November 2025.
Several initiatives and measures (in progress or upcoming) support this shift, including the following:
- Increased permanent admissions target for the PNP from 55,000 in 2025 to 91,500 in 2026 (and 92,500 for the next two years)—meaning more Invitations to Apply to be issued through this pathway.
- In 2025, the federal government announced it intended to focus on Express Entry candidates with Canadian work experience, which aligns with the new “Physicians with Canadian work experience” category implemented in late December 2025
- Draws are set to begin in “Early 2026,” requiring candidates to have one year of Canadian work experience.
- Accelerating the transition of 33,000 temporary foreign workers working in high-demand sectors to PR status in 2026 and 2027 (across both years).
- Streamlining the transition of up to 115,000 protected persons already in Canada to PR status (one-time initiative, over 2026 and 2027).
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