Canada Immigration News — Permanent Residency & Policy Briefing (Jan 28 2026)
- Nina A
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
Canada Immigration News Snapshots: Express Entry Invitation Activity; IRCC Backlog Surpasses One Million; Provincial Nominee Program Shifts; Enforcement & Court‑Related Immigration News.
TORONTO — January 28, 2026 — Canada’s immigration system continues to move with high Express Entry invitation totals, a backlog rising above one million applications, evolving provincial nominee program shifts, and notable enforcement and court-related developments that affect permanent‑residence hopefuls.
December Express Entry Invitation Activity
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has maintained active Express Entry selection rounds this month:
In December 2025, IRCC held multiple draws that together issued 19,552 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. Minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores ranged roughly 399 to 731 across draw types, including the Canadian Experience Class, healthcare, French‑language proficiency, and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) rounds. en_US
The first December Express Entry draw on 8 Dec sent 1,123 PR invitations with a CRS cut‑off of 729 for PNP candidates — the largest PNP‑specific Express Entry round so far in 2025. Immigration News Canada
Year‑to‑date totals show IRCC has issued over 106,000 ITAs in 2025 across Express Entry rounds. CIC News
Key Date & Numbers: Dec 8, 2025: 1,123 ITAs (PNP‑linked) with CRS ≥ 729. December 2025 (multiple draws): ~19,552 ITAs total (CRS ~399–731)
IRCC Backlog Surpasses One Million
New statistics from IRCC show application inventory pressures persist:
As of October 31, 2025, IRCC’s total application inventory remained high, and the backlog of applications beyond service standards exceeded one million, including permanent and temporary residence files. CIC News
For Express Entry–aligned PNP categories, the proportion considered backlogged rose from 47 % at the end of September to 51 % by late October, the highest since April 2022. CIC News
Numbers to Note: Total IRCC application inventory (Oct 31, 2025): ~2.18 million. Backlog proportion for Express Entry–aligned PNP files: ~51 % CIC News
Provincial Nominee Program Shifts
Provincial nominee streams remain a crucial PR pathway but are changing:
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced that it will return all Skilled Trades Stream applications and issue refunds, effectively ending processing of those applications. Immigration News Canada
British Columbia PNP (BC PNP) issued 410 invitations on Dec 10, 2025, to high‑economic‑impact candidates, including skilled workers with job offers and points‑based selections. LinkedIn
Impact: Changes in Ontario’s Skilled Trades stream may shift applicants to other PNP streams or Express Entry categories, while BC continues targeted invitations.
Enforcement & Court‑Related Immigration News
Immigration enforcement and legal processes are also notable in late 2025:
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported 8,982 deportations of foreign nationals in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Immigration News Canada
The Federal Court of Canada has extended deadlines for immigration judicial review applications, allowing more time (up to 75 days in some instances) to perfect leave and review filings due to court backlog pressures. Canada Immigration Services
A recent Ontario court case exposed a “cash‑for‑marriage” immigration fraud scheme, reinforcing enforcement against sham marriages that undermine family reunification rules. Immigration News Canada
Canada Immigration News
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