Canada Immigration News — Permanent Residency & Policy Briefing (Jan 23 2026)

Canada Immigration News Snapshots: Express Entry Draws; IRCC Inventory & Backlog; New PR Pathway for Doctors; Citizenship Law Reform Takes Effect.

TORONTO — January 23, 2026 — Canada’s immigration landscape continues to evolve as year‑end Express Entry activity rolls on, IRCC releases backlog figures, new targeted pathways for skilled professionals take shape for 2026, and updated citizenship rules come into force.

Express Entry Draws: Continued High Volume

Canada’s Express Entry system is maintaining an active pace of invitations in December:

• The latest week of draws included 399 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates, with a CRS cut‑off score of ~731. CIC News

• This follows several six‑figure year‑to‑date totals — in 2025, IRCC has issued over 117,000 Express Entry ITAs across various streams, including French‑language proficiency, Canadian Experience Class (CEC), healthcare, and PNP candidates. CIC News

Takeaway: Skilled workers with strong CRS scores and provincial nominations remain favoured for PR invitations as 2025 draws to a close.

IRCC Inventory & Backlog: Latest Figures

IRCC’s mid‑December inventory update shows:

• A total application inventory of 2.18 million as of Oct 31, 2025, down slightly from earlier months.

• Despite this slight drop, the backlog — cases pending beyond target timelines — remains substantial. CIC News

Takeaway: While Express Entry results are encouraging for many, overall processing delays still affect large numbers of PR, citizenship, and other applications.

New PR Pathway for Doctors (2026)

In a significant policy shift, the federal government announced a new Express Entry category for international doctors:

• 5,000 federal admission spaces will be reserved for licensed physicians with recent Canadian work experience.

• Invitations to Apply under this new category are expected in early 2026.

• Nominated doctors will benefit from expedited 14‑day work permit processing while they await permanent‑residence decisions. Canada

Takeaway: Healthcare professionals — especially doctors working in Canada — are gaining a more precise and faster pathway toward PR beginning next year.

Citizenship Law Reform Takes Effect

Bill C‑3, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act (2025), came into force on Dec 15, 2025. This reform:

• Eliminates the first‑generation limit for children born abroad, automatically extending Canadian citizenship to many who were previously excluded.

• Creates a more consistent pathway for Canadian parents to pass citizenship to children born or adopted outside Canada, with residency requirements. Canada

Takeaway: The new citizenship rules streamline and expand eligibility for many families with Canadian ties abroad.

Plain‑Language Client Takeaways

• Express Entry remains robust: Regular draws and diverse streams mean continued opportunities for skilled‑worker PR applicants.

• Backlogs still significant: Many applications (PR, citizenship) exceed standard service timelines; plan for longer waits.

• Doctors get a dedicated pathway: A targeted permanent residency category for physicians starts in early 2026.

• Citizenship rules are more inclusive: New law effective Dec 15, 2025, benefits many people born or adopted abroad.

Canada Immigration News