Canada’s immigration system has undergone sweeping changes in 2025.
Over the course of the year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made many major announcements—from substantial changes to Express Entry to new restrictions on spousal open work permits.
Taken together, the changes indicate a more targeted approach to permanent residence (PR)—prioritizing specific skills and occupations and narrowing access to more general pathways through stricter eligibility rules.
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Here’s a look at the biggest policy changes and updates of 2025—and whom they impacted most.
1) Passing of Bill C-3: An Act to amend the Citizenship Act
Whom this impacts: People affected by the former “first-generation limit” (FGL), who now qualify for Canadian citizenship.
On December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 came into force. The legislation addresses the former FGL on citizenship by descent, which prevented Canadian citizens born or adopted abroad through citizen by descent from passing citizenship to children also born or adopted abroad.
With Bill C-3 in effect, thousands of lost Canadians have become eligible, and can now apply for proof of Canadian citizenship.
Going forward, children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, to a Canadian parent who was also born or adopted abroad must meet a “substantial connection” requirement, defined as the parent having spent at least three years in Canada prior to the child’s birth or adoption.
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2) Removing CRS points for arranged employment
Whom this impacts: All Express Entry candidates in the pool.
On March 25, 2025, IRCC updated Express Entry rules so candidates no longer receive additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for arranged employment (through Labour Market Impact Assessment-supported job offers).
Previously, candidates with job offers could receive an additional 50 or 200 CRS points, significantly improving their likelihood of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR.
This change leveled the playing field, removing any advantage those with an LMIA-supported job offers previously had for receiving an ITA. That also means that those without job offers stand a better chance of receiving an ITA following this update.
The federal government first announced this change in 2024, stating a desire to reduce fraud and “strengthen the integrity of Canada’s immigration system” as a reason behind the change.
3) Overhauling category-based selection
Whom this impacts: Express Entry candidates with qualifying experience in priority categories and occupations.
In February 2025, IRCC updated category-based selection priorities for 2025. That update saw the addition of Education as a priority category and the removal of Transport altogether.
The Healthcare category was expanded, with numerous social services occupations added—becoming “Healthcare and social services.”
Finally, IRCC restructured the eligible occupations listed under all categories, adding some and removing others. For example, the STEM category saw 19 occupations removed and six added.
Candidates who qualify for category-based draws are more likely to get PR through Express Entry. To qualify for an occupational category, a candidate typically must have six months’ continuous full-time work experience in a single eligible occupation within the past three years.
In December 2025, IRCC also announced a new Express Entry category for physicians with Canadian work experience, with draws expected to begin in early 2026.
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4) Adding restrictions to family open work permits
Whom this impacts: International students and foreign workers seeking open work permits for their spouses or common-law partners.
Effective January 21, 2025, IRCC tightened eligibility for family open work permits (OWPs). For international students, eligibility was restricted to spouses/common-law partners of students enrolled in:
- Master’s programs of 16 months or longer;
- Doctoral programs; or
- Select professional programs, such as nursing, engineering, and law.
In addition to this, family OWPs for foreign workers were limited to spouses or common-law partners of those working in
- Training Education Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) 0 or 1 occupations; and
- Select TEER 2 or 3 occupations, in fields such as healthcare, trades, and natural resources.*
*You can view the list of TEER 2 and 3 occupations that can still get a spouse a family open work permit here.
5) Overhauling the field-of-study requirement for PGWPs
Whom this impacts: International students in non-exempt programs who want a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
In 2024, IRCC introduced a field-of-study requirement: To be eligible for a PGWP, international students in *non-exempt programs must complete a program in an eligible field of study linked to occupations in long-term shortage (including areas prioritized under Express Entry).
In June 2025, IRCC updated the eligible list, and then in July 2025 reinstated fields that had been removed—stating the removed fields will remain eligible until the list is updated again in early 2026.
As a result of this change, there are currently 1,107 PGWP-eligible educational programs available for international students who seek to work in Canada after graduating.
*Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs are exempt from field of study requirements.
6) Introducing new rules for international students changing schools
Whom this impacts: Most post-secondary international students seeking to transfer to a new designated learning institution (DLI).
Starting November 8, 2024, study permit holders at the post-secondary level must be enrolled at the DLI named on their study permit.
Prior to this change, students could change schools without needing to apply for a new study permit; they were required only to notify IRCC.
This means international students should also keep in mind the processing time for a study permit extension. For example, as of time of writing, it takes 119 days to process, which would cause a significant delay for an international student looking to start a new curriculum.
7) Changing policy regarding provincial immigration
Whom this impacts: Foreign nationals seeking provincial nominations.
In 2025, Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) swung sharply because of the federal government’s nomination allocation cuts across the board in January 2025.
As a result, many provinces and territories paused or narrowed streams and focused on priority sectors (for example, BC suspended certain graduate streams; Nova Scotia and PEI emphasized healthcare/trades/childcare; and Saskatchewan limited overseas recruitment outside priority sectors and imposed caps in certain industries).
Throughout 2025, all provinces and territories except Ontario negotiated allocation increases, restoring many to numbers close to their previous year’s allocation.
For example, Alberta and Manitoba received 65% of their 2024 allocation, while The Yukon and The Northwest Territories received 94% and 100% of their 2024 allocation, respectively.
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8) Changing the medical exam requirement for Express Entry PR applications
Whom this impacts: People applying for PR through Express Entry.
In August 2025, IRCC implemented a change requiring non-exempt Express Entry applicants to complete an Immigration Medical Exam (IME) upfront prior to submitting their PR applications.
The new requirement took effect on August 21, 2025.
Previously, applicants could submit their application for PR, await instructions from IRCC, and then complete a medical exam if necessary.
Those applying for PR through Express Entry who already live in Canada and have completed a previous IME within the last five years which indicates low or no risk to public safety may be exempt from needing to complete another IME.
9) Updating rules for maintained status
Whom this impacts: Temporary residents in Canada on maintained status who file more than one extension application.
In 2025, IRCC changed how maintained status works when a person submits multiple extension applications. Under the updated approach, if a temporary resident submits a second extension application while on maintained status and the first application is refused, the second application will not extend their authorized stay and will be refused.
Prior to this change, submitting a subsequent application while on maintained status could extend a foreign national’s period of authorized stay in Canada (although it would not provide them with authorization to work or study).
Maintained status provides a foreign national whose permit has expired with legal authorization to work or study in Canada under the terms of their existing permit, as long as they applied for an extension before the expiry, and they remain in Canada.
More details can be found here.
10) Extending the public policy allowing certain closed work permit holders to change employers
Whom this impacts: Some foreign nationals in Canada with employer-specific (closed) work permits.
In 2025, IRCC continued (and updated) a public policy that allows certain workers on employer-specific work permits to request authorization to begin working for a new employer and/or occupation while their new work permit application is in process.
Under this policy, a worker could gain work authorization within 10 days’ time, rather than having to wait much longer for the new work permit to be issued; as of the time of writing, the processing time for a work permit application from within Canada is 210 days.
It replaced an original policy, which was signed as a temporary public policy during the Covid-19 era.
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