Government looking to simplify federal economic immigration programs managed through Express Entry
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is entering the final days of a public consultation on major changes to Express Entry that could directly affect how human resources professionals recruit and retain foreign skilled workers for long-term roles in Canada.
The consultation – which opened on April 23 and closes on May 24, 2026 – focuses on proposed reforms to Express Entry’s Federal High Skilled programs and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used to rank candidates for permanent residence.
IRCC is gathering feedback via an online survey from organisations and individuals, including employers.
Single streamlined program proposed
Express Entry currently manages three Federal High Skilled programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Under the proposal, these would be merged into one Federal High Skilled program with a common set of minimum eligibility criteria.
IRCC says the approach would “simplify the federal economic immigration programs managed through Express Entry to reduce complexity and duplication” and ensure “the same criteria apply to all candidates entering the Express Entry pool.” The proposed minimum requirements are Canadian high school education or foreign equivalent, intermediate official language skills at Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) / Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) 6 in all abilities, and one year of cumulative TEER 0–3 skilled work experience in Canada or abroad in the past three years.
According to IRCC, the criteria under consideration “focus on core factors known to help immigrants establish themselves economically in Canada,” including education, language proficiency and skilled work experience.
CRS changes under review
Alongside program consolidation, IRCC is consulting on adjustments to the CRS to better reflect factors that are most strongly associated with employment and earnings outcomes. The department reports that core human capital factors such as age, education, official language skills and Canadian work experience are “generally good predictors of economic outcomes,” while some existing elements, including spousal points, sibling-in-Canada points and Canadian study points, are “relatively weaker predictors.”
One key option is to introduce a new high-wage occupation factor. IRCC says it is “looking into providing additional points to skilled workers who have gained experience or found employment in high-wage jobs in Canada,” including Canadian work experience in a high-wage occupation and valid job offers from Canadian employers in such roles. High-wage occupations would be defined as those with a median wage above the overall national median, reflecting evidence that “higher temporary resident wages are associated with higher likelihood of employment and higher earnings.”
The proposal would also reintroduce job offer points, removed in March 2025, but only for job offers in high-wage occupations. IRCC argues that limiting these points to higher‑paid roles would “make this factor more effective and help attract top global talent,” while helping mitigate fraud risks because many high‑wage jobs require specialised skills that are easier to verify.
Clarifying work experience and future steps
IRCC is further consulting on clarifying what counts as Canadian work experience for CRS purposes, with a view to making sure qualifying experience is tied directly to the Canadian labour market. The department is considering defining it as paid work performed in Canada, as a temporary resident, and paid by wages or commission, while excluding self‑employment in most cases, work while studying full‑time, unauthorised work, and employment paid by foreign sources or certain international bodies.
The department is also reviewing how Canadian licences in regulated occupations and certificates of qualification in trades are recognised. It notes that “having a Canadian licence in a regulated job shows that the candidate has the necessarily skills and qualifications and is ready to practise in their job in Canada,” and is assessing options such as focusing trade points on Red Seal occupations and collecting more information on licensed professionals.
IRCC says feedback from this consultation will inform amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and Ministerial Instructions governing Express Entry, and that “any program changes will be published in the Canada Gazette.”
The federal government has made numerous changes to its immigration policies in the past couple of years. But not all stakeholders are happy about the changes. Recent federal immigration policy changes are expected to intensify chronic labour shortages in Canada’s restaurant sector, with more than half of operators anticipating a negative impact on their businesses, according to Restaurants Canada.
Below is a timeline of the major federal immigration policy changes announced or brought into force between May 2024 and May 2026:
|
Date |
Program / Area |
Change |
|
March 21, 2024 (effective May 1, 2024) |
Effective May 1, employers must explore every option before applying for an LMIA, including recruiting asylum seekers with valid work permits in Canada; new LMIAs are valid for six months (down from 12); HRD America low-wage TFW workforce cap reduced from 30% to 20%. |
|
|
August 26, 2024 |
Effective September 3, 2024, processing of LMIA applications discontinued for six months for job offers in the Montreal economic region with wages below $27.47/hour; Canadian HR Reporter broader policy direction announced for further reforms within 90 days. |
|
|
September 18, 2024 |
IRCC will issue just 437,000 study permits in 2025—a 10% reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000—stabilising at this level for 2026; CIC News cap extended to master's and doctoral students; new PGWP language and field-of-study rules announced. |
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September 26, 2024 |
A refusal-to-process policy for low-wage positions in census metropolitan areas with unemployment at 6% or higher; a reduction of the low-wage TFW cap from 20% to 10% of an employer's workforce; and a cut in maximum employment duration for low-wage work permits to one year. Exceptions for healthcare, construction and food processing. |
|
|
October 21, 2024 (effective November 8, 2024) |
TFW Program – High-wage stream |
The starting hourly wage for workers coming into Canada through the high-wage stream will be increased to 20% higher than the median wage in the applicable province or territory of work…an increase to the existing threshold of between $5 and $8 per hour. |
|
October 24, 2024 |
Permanent resident admissions of 395,000 for 2025, reducing to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027; first-ever inclusion of temporary-resident targets (673,650 in 2025, 516,600 in 2026 and 543,600 in 2027); more than 40% of anticipated permanent resident admissions in 2025 will be from those already in Canada as temporary residents. |
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|
November 1, 2024 |
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) |
Most PGWP applicants now need to give proof of language results when they apply (CLB 7 for university graduates, CLB 5 for college graduates); new field-of-study requirement for college applicants whose study permits were filed on or after November 1, 2024 (966 eligible Programs across agriculture, healthcare, STEM, skilled trades and transport). |
|
December 17, 2024 |
International Student Program |
List of PGWP-eligible college Programs expanded to add roughly 40 Programs in early childhood education and developmental services. |
|
December 23, 2024, 11:59 p.m. ET |
Border policy – Flagpoling |
Work and study permits will no longer be provided to flagpolers at a port of entry, with limited exemptions (US citizens/PRs, free-trade agreement professionals, certain international truck drivers). |
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December 18, 2024 (announcement) |
Canadian immigration authorities said they plan to eliminate the advantage of job offers supported by LMIA in applications for permanent residency (PR), aiming to curb fraudulent practices. |
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January 2025 |
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) |
IRCC extended the temporary policy allowing eligible provincial nominee candidates to obtain an open work permit valid for up to two years, from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2025. |
|
January 21, 2025 |
Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs) |
Spousal open work permits are now limited to spouses of higher-skilled foreign workers; the principal worker in Canada must be employed in a job classified under TEER 0 or 1, or in specific TEER 2 or 3 occupations that are considered high-skilled and in-demand; spouses of international students restricted to spouses of master's students in Programs of at least 16 months, doctoral students or select professional Programs; most dependent children no longer eligible. |
|
January 24, 2025 |
International Student Program |
The 550,162-application figure represents the total number of applications that IRCC will consider, considerably fewer than the 606,250 applications that the department aimed to process in 2024; total of 437,000 study permits, which represents a 10% decrease from the 2024 cap; provincial attestation letter (PAL) requirement extended to most master's and doctoral applicants. |
|
January 30, 2025 |
Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots |
RCIP launched as a five-year PR pathway across 14 designated rural communities, succeeding the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP); new Francophone Community Immigration Pilot launched for six Francophone-minority communities outside Quebec. |
|
February 27, 2025 |
Express Entry |
2025 category-based draw categories announced, which include a new education category, to align the selection of federal economic immigrants with Canada's long-term labour shortages; focus on Canadian Experience Class, French, healthcare and social services, trades and education. |
|
March 25, 2025 |
Express Entry – CRS |
As of March 25, 2025, job offer points are removed from the Comprehensive Ranking System for current and future candidates in the Express Entry pool—both 200-point (NOC Major Group 00) and 50-point (other skilled occupations) allocations eliminated. |
|
March 31, 2025 |
Caregiver Programs |
New Home Care Child Care and Home Support Worker pilots replaced the older HCCP/HSWP pilots (which ended June 17, 2024). Both new streams hit caps the day they opened. The “Applicants Not Working in Canada” stream was cancelled without ever opening. |
|
May 13, 2025 |
Minister of Immigration |
On May 13, Lena Diab replaced Bendayan as immigration minister as part of the cabinet change after the Liberals won the election and formed a minority government. |
|
June 20, 2025 |
IRCC 2025–2026 Departmental Plan |
Plan signalled new PR pathway and work permit stream development, continued reductions in non-permanent residents and operational savings. |
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November 5, 2025 |
TR targets 385,000 (2026), 370,000 (2027), 370,000 (2028); PR targets 380,000 each year; commitment to reduce non-permanent residents to under 5% of Canada's population by end of 2027; permanent economic immigration representing the highest proportion of the Plan in over a decade—reaching 64% by 2027; reaffirmed 10.5% Francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2028. |
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|
November 25, 2025 |
International Student Program – 2026 cap |
A total of 309,670 study permit application spaces will be available under the cap for 2026; master's and doctoral students at public DLIs exempted from the PAL requirement effective January 1, 2026 but counted in the 408,000 issuance target. |
|
December 15, 2025 |
Citizenship (Bill C-3) |
On December 15, 2025, Bill C-3 came into force. The legislation addresses the former first-generation limit on citizenship by descent, which prevented Canadian citizens born or adopted abroad through citizen by descent from passing citizenship to children also born abroad. |
|
December 19, 2025 |
Business immigration |
IRCC is no longer accepting applications for the optional work permit available to Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program applicants; effective December 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m., IRCC will stop accepting new SUV Program applications; pause on Self-Employed Persons Program extended. |
|
April 1, 2026 |
Employers submitting a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application for low‑wage positions under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) must both extend their advertising period and show they have actively recruited youth; minimum of eight consecutive weeks in the three months before submitting the application (doubled from four weeks); youth defined as ages 15–30. Separate rural-employer measures permit up to 15% low-wage TFWs (vs. 10% cap) until March 31, 2027. |
|
|
April 1, 2026 – November 30, 2028 |
IRCC will now allow eligible temporary residents who are directly affected by a natural disaster in Canada to replace lost or damaged status documents and to restore or extend their status, or renew work and study permits, even if they are beyond the usual 90‑day restoration period. |
|
|
April 2026 (announced) |
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced new regulations, to take effect on July 15, 2026, expanding the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants' powers to address fraud and misconduct. |
|
|
March 2026 (announced) |
Express Entry – Talent Attraction Strategy |
Canada published its plans to reintroduce CRS points for job offers for Express Entry draws later on March 13, 2026, as part of a broader suite of reforms, targeted at high-wage occupations and tied to occupational certification requirements. |
