Living in Canada Newcomers to Canada

Canada’s 2025 Immigration Plan: Good News for Express Entry Applicants

By: Mariam Baher

Canada’s 2025 Immigration Levels Plan signifies positive changes for those looking to settle in Canada through the Express Entry system. Last month, the federal government announced a reduction in overall immigration targets for 2025 by about 20%. Despite this reduction, Express Entry applicants have significantly increased in the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan.

IRCC has indicated that their focus for draws will be applicants who are in Canada and those who a who fall under specific occupation/category draws. This includes the following categories:

• Transport
• Agriculture and agri-food
• French-language proficiency
• Technology and science, which encompasses, (STEM), Engineering, and math
• Healthcare
• Trade

New In The 2025 Immigration Plan

The 2025 Immigration Levels Plan has been set to target 124,680 applicants for permanent residence for candidates who fall under the new “In-Canada Focus” and “Economic Priorities” categories. This target for permanent residence is an increase from both 2024 and 2023, signalling that more invitations to apply (ITAs) will be issued for permanent residency in 2025. This is great news for applicants who are looking to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry programs.

Express Entry is an online system that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to manage applications for permanent residency. Express Entry includes three programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). These programs welcome skilled workers who wish to seek permanent residency in Canada. The increase for these categories provides more options for qualified candidates to be issued an invitation to apply (ITA) in 2025 than we have seen in the past couple of years.

Opportunities for Candidates Who Are in Canada

Canada has introduced a new category called “In-Canada Focus.” This category was introduced to give applicants who are already living in Canada a better chance of being invited to apply for permanent residency. For 2025, the government has set a target of 82,980 spots for the “In-Canada Focus” category, which accounts for nearly half of Canada’s total economic immigration target.

The “In-Canada Focus” category is an exciting opportunity for those already working, studying, or living in Canada on temporary permits as qualified individuals will be able to transition to permanent residency status more easily in 2025 than ever before.

In-Demand Occupations in the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan

The 2025 Immigration Levels Plan highlights an increased focus on category-based draws. This means that if you work in a field that is in demand in Canada’s labour market, you may have a better chance of receiving an ITA, provided you have six months of work experience in the relevant field (in the last three years at the time of application).

As the government allocates their new immigration plans for 2025 focusing on skilled workers, high-demand occupations, and for those already in Canada, the landscape for 2025 Canadian immigration looks promising. The chances of being invited to apply through these programs are much higher in 2025 than in previous years.

If you meet the qualifications and want to start your journey to permanent residency, this could be the perfect time to apply. Please do not hesitate to contact us to get started today.