Canada Immigration Briefing — October 29, 2025

Canada Immigration Briefing — October 29 Snapshots: Education and Trades Express Entry draws, Ontario invites 1,893 candidates, B.C. pivots to high‑impact nominations, IRCC backlog nears 1M, and a postal strike disrupts IRB mail. Practical client takeaways inside.

Express Entry: IRCC ran multiple category‑based draws this month, including Education (Sept. 17: 2,500 ITAs, CRS 462) and Trades (Sept. 18: 1,250 ITAs, CRS 505)—a notable easing for educators and steady demand for skilled trades. CIC News

IRCC volumes & backlogs: As of August 31, 958,850 applications were in the backlog (outside service standards), up from end‑July. IRCC’s official dashboard also shows the department is managing 2M+ files overall. Expect uneven processing times through the fall. CIC News+1

Ontario (OINP): On September 3, Ontario issued 1,893 targeted invitations across 77 occupations through its EOI system—continuing large, occupation‑focused rounds. Ontario+1

British Columbia (BC PNP): With a 2025 allocation of 4,000 nominations (≈50% lower than 2024), B.C. says it does not expect to resume general or priority‑occupation ITAs in 2025. Instead, it plans a limited number of high-impact ITAs (≈100) from a pool of 10,000+ registrants, while continuing HA/Entrepreneur pathways. WelcomeBC

Courts & tribunals/operations: The Canada Post strike (began Sept. 25) is disrupting mail nationwide. The IRB warns delivery to and from the Board may be temporarily affected—use online filing and e‑communication wherever available; consider couriers if paper is required. Canada Post confirms mail/parcels won’t be processed or delivered during the strike. IRB-CISR+1

Policy watch (IRCC transparency): From July 29, refusal letters for many temporary resident applications now include Officer Decision Notes—clearer reasons and faster next steps without an ATIP request. Government of Canada

What this means for clients (plain‑language takeaways)

• If you’re in education or trades, watch your Express Entry profile: recent cut‑offs (462 / 505) show opportunities for competitive candidates. CIC News

• Ontario remains active—check EOI scores and occupation targeting before registering. Ontario

• In B.C., general draws are unlikely this year. Strengthen employer ties or health authority/entrepreneur options if eligible. WelcomeBC

• Mail disruptions: shift to portals and email for IRB/IRCC; if paper is unavoidable, expect delays and keep proof of delivery. IRB-CISR+1

• Refusals: review Officer Decision Notes attached to refusal letters to decide on reapply vs. judicial review quickly. Government of Canada

Canada Immigration Briefing — October 29