Many prospective immigrants will not be able to obtain Canadian permanent residence in Canada’s current immigration climate.
It’s no secret that Canada’s immigration program has experienced considerable upheaval in the past couple of years. Indeed the vast majority of our blogs in 2024 were all discussing some aspect of change to virtually all of Canadian immigration whether temporary, permanent or to obtain citizenship. Last week my partner Victor examined the statistical data demonstrating the actual outcomes of these changes on the immigrant population in Canada and how the changes are not yet having the desired effect on our immigration levels that the government intended. When implemented changes don’t provide the desired results, the impact on Canada’s immigration community can be harsh. Let’s review some of the current realities facing prospective immigrants to Canada.
International students
The changes facing international students are dramatic and all encompassing. Aspiring immigrants who came years ago with the promise of being able to qualify for permanent resident (PR) status are often no longer able to do so. Having obtained a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), and not being able to obtain another, many will need to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to be able to remain working in Canada. We are routinely advising our international students clients to forgo the option of obtaining a PGWP after graduation and return home to obtain some foreign work experience and then return to pursue graduate studies in Canada and subsequently apply for their PGWP. You can only have one PGWP – ever! With the caps implemented on the number of international students to Canada, as well as the reduced chances for obtaining PR, applications for study permits has plummeted. For those who still want to try and come to Canada to study, refusal rates have skyrockted. It requires extreme tenacity to be an international student to Canada in this current environment.
Express Entry applicants
The Comprehensive Ranking Scores (CRS) for Express Entry (EE) applicants has been elevated for the past couple of years such that most people can’t qualify….and these are often graduate students with masters or PHD degrees. Furthermore, the EE draws for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) have been made predominately for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants shutting out overseas applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category. The reduced levels for both permanent and temporary immigrants is intended to facilitate those persons already in Canada to obtain permanent residence before opening the doors to those abroad. Aspiring foreign immigrants will need to determine a strategy to come to Canada on a temporary basis as either a student or worker and work towards PR from within Canada.
Francophone applicants
With the challenges to qualifying for EE, many people have chosen to apply as Francophone applicants with a lower CRS score to qualify for a targeted draw. Obviously proof of French language proficiency is an essential requirement. However, this door has also been closed since March 21, 2025 being the latest draw. It is anticipated that the pool of aspiring Francophone applicants is growing such that the CRS points necessary to receive an ITA is also likely to increase.
Business applicants
As of April 2024, Canada’s business immigration program has been both greatly reduced (for the Start Up Visa category) and completely frozen until the end of 2026 (for the Self Employed category). It is still possible to obtain work permits for some business applicants as either Intra Company Transferees or pursuant to some international trade agreements. Obtaining a work permit can give business people the opportunity to establish their businesses and see how our business program transitions in the coming years. For many business people, this degree of uncertainty is not a risk that they are willing to take.
Many of our blogs in the past few years have emphasized the need to develop an immigration strategy and that remains prudent advice. The straightforward path to permanent residence has all but disappeared. We are routinely advising people to develop a tailored path towards PR status that may start with a work or study permit and extend this status, often several times, or switch from worker to student or vice-versa. We recommend aspiring immigrants to maximize their options through learning both English and French (and not speak their native language at home after work or class) or have one spouse attend graduate school in Canada so that the other spouse can have an open work permit. In today’s current reality, this often translates into years of temporary status with the goal to ultimately qualify for permanent residence, but the fact is that after spending many years in Canada, many people simply will not be able to qualify.
Counselling clients in these challenging times is not easy. It is difficult to look clients in the eye, day after day and tell them that there are very few options and many times none at all. In such circumstances as these, I am reminded of the comfort of the Serenity prayer:
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The Courage to change the things I can; and The Wisdom to know the difference.
Recently I had clients who accepted their Canadian reality and came to the difficult decision to return home to India. The principal applicant wife came to Canada as an international student pursuing a master’s degree. Both her and her husband had bachelor’s degrees and several years of management level work experience from their home country and were highly proficient in English. After graduation the wife obtained a management level position and a strong wage of $40 per hour. However after a couple of years she was laid off and she was unable to find employment afterwards. Her husband had also struggled in finding suitable Canadian employment. Notwithstanding the wife’s combination of foreign education and several years of foreign work experience, a Canadian master’s degree, two years of Canadian work experience and strong language proficiency (CLB 7 or higher) she was unable to score a high enough CRS score to garner an ITA under Express Entry and without an employer she could not pursue a PNP application. They realized that their time in Canada was not wasted and with their international education and work experience they would have better options back home. As hard as this decision was to make, this couple had the wisdom to accept their immigration reality. In our current Canadian immigration environment, many others will need to do the same. For a summary of immigration changes, please refer to our blog
“Navigating the Winds of Change to Canada’s Immigration program: A year in review”
and for a review of the impact of these changes on Canada’s immigration levels please refer to our blog
“Immigration Levels Review: When Policy Meets Reality”.
