Canada Immigration Update – November 14, 2025

Canada Immigration Update – November 14, 2025 Snapshots: Key shifts are emerging across Canada’s immigration system this week as the federal government and top province

The federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released updated processing‑time figures (to September 10, 2025).
- For the main economic streams, the standard for the Canada Express Entry system remains six months for eligible candidates. CIC News
- The base (non-Express Entry) stream under a provincial nominee program (PNP) has an average duration of 19 months. CIC News
- Between January 1 and August 31, 2025, IRCC processed 298,500 decisions and welcomed 276,900 new permanent residents. Government of Canada+1
In the provinces, Alberta has conducted five draws in 2025, issuing almost 4,700 nominations so far, while having 1,714 nomination slots remaining out of its 6,403-slot cap. CIC News
- Notably, many invitations originate from priority sectors, including construction, agriculture, aviation, and healthcare. CIC News
- The province’s accelerated Tech, Law Enforcement, and Dedicated Health Care pathways are active, signalling targeted sector-based selection. CIC News
On the legislative front, Bill C-12 has been reported as giving IRCC broader power to cancel pending applications in certain streams — notably the Start-Up Visa program — due to backlogs and compliance concerns. Canada Immigration Hub
- Thousands of applicants in that program may now face cancellation risk unless their associated designated business incubators fully comply with new ministerial instructions. Canada Immigration Hub

If you are applying for permanent residence, the six‑month target in Express Entry is still applicable — but that doesn’t guarantee that your file will truly be processed in that time, especially if it involves complex issues or non‑standard streams.
For those looking at provincial nomination, be aware: competition is firm, sector priorities matter and Alberta’s example shows how quotas and slots are being tracked and managed tightly.
For entrepreneurs under the Start‑Up Visa or similar pilot programs, the Bill C‑12 changes signal a structural shift: compliance matters, the backlog matters, and you may be exposed to cancellation risk if the program you’re in falls out of conformity.
Employers and institutions recruiting international students or workers: processing-time improvements for some streams are positive, but slower timelines for base PNP streams (19 months) remain a constraint.
For international students: With immigration flows being more closely monitored and regulatory scrutiny apparently increasing, arriving in Canada remains an opportunity — but it may come with higher expectations for compliance and documentation.

6 months: Service standard for Express Entry‑eligible permanent residence files.
19 months: Average for base (non‑Express Entry‑aligned) PNP streams. CIC News
298,500 decisions: Made by IRCC from Jan 1 to Aug 31, 2025. Government of Canada+1
6,403 nomination slots: Alberta’s 2025 total allocation. CIC News
1,714 slots remaining: As of October 21, Alberta still had these slots available to issue. CIC News
Late October / Early November 2025: The federal government is expected to announce the next iteration of its Immigration Levels Plan (covering 2026‑28). Yahoo Finance+1