IRCC unveil Canada 2025-2026 Immigration plans and dia priorities

Di Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) don unveil di 2025 -2026 plans and priorities for Canada immigration.

For many wey japa to Canada, di new Canada immigration plan go address domestic challenges wey include housing shortages and infrastructure problems.

No be new tin say Canada don complain bifor say di number of pipo wey dey japa enta dia kontri dey stress dia economy and put pressure for ontop dia infrastructure.

Dis plans go touch visa processes, permanent residency pathways, citizenship programs, and passport services, including students programs.

According to di Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, e say immigration dey bring in economic advantage for Canada, but dem go work to reduce di kontri population.

Lena say dem go reduce di number of temporary residents for Canada, address labour shortage and strengthen asylum system.

"Many newcomers dey come hia to build beta lives and to dey part of Canada. Immigration don become an economic advantage to Canada, and dat come wit responsibility to maintain a sustainable immigration level wey dey consistent wit our kontri community and service capacity."

"We go work to reduce di share of temporary residents to 5% of Canada total population, and our economic immigration streams go focus to move temporary workers for Canada to permanent residence."

Di minister also say Canada wan stabilize permanent resident admissions to less dan 1% of Canada population annually beyond 2027.

Visitors, international students and temporary workers

IRCC say dem work wit partners to verify say pipo wey wan enta Canada meet di requirements, by 'processes visas, electronic travel authorizations, and work and study permits for tourists, business travellers, international students and temporary workers.'

For 2023 alone, di total number of visas and electronic travel authorizations wey Canada issue to visitors, international students and temporary workers reach 6,645,353. But dem no go allow dis large number again - dem go cut am down.

Now, according to IRCC, Canada go adopt sustainable approach to manage temporary resident programs.

Dem add say even though di temporary resident population dey contribute to economy 'but pressures ontop housing and social services' don make dem develop a different approach.

Canada plan na to reduce di share of temporary residents wey dey Canada to 5% of di population by di end of 2026.

"Targets na for new arrivals only and include international students and temporary workers."

Di new plan don set overall temporary resident targets of 673,650 for 2025, and temporarily set 516,600 target for 2026 and 543,600 for 2027.

Di target for new temporary resident arrivals include:

- International students- 305,900 students for each year for 2025, 2026 and 2027;

- Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) - 82,000 workers under di TFW Program for 2025, 2026 and 2027;

- International Mobility Program (IMP) - 285,750 workers for 2025, 128,700 workers for 2026 and 155,700 workers for 2027 under di IMP.

Also, di new plan go allow travellers from 67 kontris to qualify for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a visa.

Dem go also develop regulations for consultants to help protect newcomers and applicants from fraudulent and consultants wey no get permit.

Canada go also update dia eligibility requirements for work permits wey dem dey issue to di spouses of international students and foreign workers – so e go fit meet labour needs for sectors like healthcare and construction.

Refugee selection, express entry and permanent residency

For 2023, about 28.9 per cent of di Canadian labour force na immigrants and refugees. According to Canada annual immigration levels plan, di targeted number of permanent residents wey dem dey select na under different immigration category.

Di 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan reduce permanent resident admissions to reduce pressures on housing and infrastructure.

Overall permanent resident admissions go decrease to

- 395,000 for 2025,

- while dem dey expect 380,000 admission for 2026 and,

- 365,000 admissions for 2027.

E dey expected say more dan 40% of di overall permanent resident admissions for 2025 go be students or workers wey already dey Canada.

Express entry

Canada focus of Express Entry class go be to invite candidates wey get experience to work for Canada so dem go fit apply for permanent residence.

IRCC go conduct category-based invitation rounds for pipo wit strong French language skills, or work experience for di fields of health care and social services, trades and education.

Na ova 40% of 2025 admissions go be former students or workers wey don already dey for Canada so dem go fit move dem to permanent residency.

Refugees

Dem go implement Ministerial Instructions to better manage intake for di Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.

Dem go also focus on di Government-Assisted Refugee program, wey go help resettle 12,000 refugees each from Africa, di Middle East, Asia-Pacific regions, and 4,000 refugees from di Americas by 2028.

Passports

IRCC dey expand dia services to improve online renewals of passports. Dem go do a new online channel for adult passport renewals and go expand for 2025.

Dem go expand e-applications wey go benefit minors and families while also reducing barriers to citizenship.