Canada Immigration Update – December 5 2025

Canada Immigration Update – December 5 2025 Snapshots: Canada’s immigration system is pivoting significantly. Recent announcements by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and corresponding provincial measures reveal a clear intent: curb the volume of temporary entrants, boost provincial nominee streams, and tighten compliance and oversight.

What’s new

• On November 4, 2025, the government released its new multi‑year Immigration Levels Plan for 2026‑2028: permanent resident admissions will be set at ≈ 380,000 annually across those three years. JD Supra+2Immigration News Canada+2

• At the same time, targets for temporary residents (students, workers, others) are being slashed: for 2026, the temporary‑resident target is 385,000, down significantly from previous years, with further reductions planned in 2027‑28. JD Supra+1

• The number of new international students targeted for 2026 is 155,000 — down nearly 50 % from previous plans. JD Supra+1

• A massive spike in study‑permit refusals: For applicants from India in August 2025, the rejection rate reached 74%, up from ~32% in August 2023. The Logical Indian+1

• New operational guidance gives IRCC officers expanded powers to cancel visitor visas, study permits, work permits and eTAs if compliance or admissibility conditions are not met. The Economic Times+1

• Meanwhile, provincial nominee programmes (PNPs) are set to play a bigger role: the 2026 target for PNP permanent‑resident quotas is going up while temporary worker and student quotas shrink. CIC News+1

• IRCC updated its Immigration Medical Exam (IME) country list, adding four locations and removing six. CIC News

• Latest processing‑time update (Nov 6, 2025) issued by IRCC shows continuing backlogs, and lengthening waits in many application streams. Immigration News Canada+1

Why it matters – clear takeaways

• For international students: Getting harder. A drop in allowances for student admissions, plus much tougher refusal rates, means you’ll need stronger documentation, financials, and purpose.

• For temporary foreign workers & visitors: Your status is more fragile. The new cancellation rules mean that being granted a permit isn’t enough — ongoing compliance matters.

• For skilled‑worker/permanent‑residence hopefuls via PNP or Express Entry: The doors are shifting—more emphasis on provincial nomination, fewer through mass student‑to‑worker‑to‑PR paths.

• For educational institutions and employers: Expect enrolments of international students to drop; recruiting foreign workers may become more difficult. Strategic planning is required.

• For applicants overall, timing, documentation, purpose, and staying abreast of change are now more important than ever. Policy is moving, not static.

Key dates & numbers

• Nov 4, 2025: Release date of the 2026‑2028 Immigration Levels Plan.

• 155,000: Target number of new international‑student admissions for 2026.

• 385,000: Temporary resident admissions target for 2026.

• ≈ 380,000: Annual permanent‑resident target for 2026‑28.

• 74%: Study‑permit refusal rate for Indian applicants (August 2025).

• Nov 6, 2025: Date IRCC issued latest processing‑time update.

• Ongoing: New cancellation‑power rules are now active (effective November 2025

  timeframe) for temporary residence documents.

In conclusion

Canada’s immigration landscape is entering a new era: one of fewer temporary entrants, stronger oversight, and greater provincial responsibility. For students, workers, employers and provinces alike — the message is clear: adapt now, prepare better, stay informed. The opportunities remain, but the pathways are narrowing and the rules tightening.

Canada Immigration Update – December 5 2025