Implications for Prospective Applicants
Canada has long been recognized as a desirable destination for immigrants from around the globe, and it is celebrated for its multicultural society, robust economy, and high standard of living. Over the years, the Canadian government has adjusted its immigration policies to meet the demands of a changing labor market, demographic shifts, and international commitments. Recent changes to immigration laws and procedures introduced have sparked considerable interest and concern among prospective immigrants.
As Canadian immigration continues to evolve, prospective applicants need to stay updated with the latest policy changes. This guide provides an overview of the adjustments in the last few months, organized chronologically and divided into two main areas: temporary residence updates, and pathways to permanence and citizenship. Each section highlights key changes and their implications for applicants.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Changes to Temporary Residence and International Student Policies
Enhanced Verification and Program Updates for International Students (October 2023)
Starting December 1, 2023, Canadian post-secondary institutions designated for international students must directly confirm each applicant’s acceptance letter with IRCC, helping to prevent acceptance letter fraud. Most study permit applicants need to provide a provincial attestation letter (PAL) or territorial attestation letter (TAL). By fall 2024, institutions offering superior support for international students will be recognized for faster study permit processing. In June 2023, following investigations into fraudulent admissions letters, of the 103 cases reviewed by October 12, 2023, 63 were found to be genuine students, and 40 were not.
Revised Requirements to Protect International Students (December 2023)
To address fraud and other risks, Canada revised admission requirements for international students. Stricter screening processes mean that prospective students must provide more comprehensive documentation to prove their eligibility and intentions. Adjusted on the basis of low-income cut-off (LICO), a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.
Updated Travel Information for Mexican Citizens (February 2024)
Mexican citizens with a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa or who have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years and are traveling by air with a Mexican passport will be eligible to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA). Those who do not meet these criteria will need to apply for a Canadian visitor visa. The changes reflect a response to an increase in asylum claims from Mexican citizens that have been refused, withdrawn, or abandoned.
Off-Campus Work Rules for International Students (April 2024)
New restrictions around off-campus work hours have been introduced to better manage the integration of international students into Canada’s workforce. Applicants intending to study in Canada should plan their finances accordingly, as work hours during the study may be limited. The temporary policy permitting students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus will end on April 30, 2024, and will not be extended. This fall, we plan to revise the weekly off-campus work limit to 24 hours.
Ending Post-Graduation Work Permit Flagpoling (June 2024)
Foreign nationals can no longer apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at the Canadian border. This step aims to reduce “flagpoling,” where temporary residents leave Canada briefly and re-enter to obtain same-day immigration services, bypassing standard processing times. Flagpoling places a high demand on border resources diverts officers from enforcement duties and causes delays for other travelers and goods.
From March 2023 to February 2024, PGWP applications accounted for about 20% of flagpoling attempts by foreign nationals. The Government of Canada is enhancing in-country application processing times and transitioning to a more streamlined and modernized processing environment to address this. This change promotes fairness among applicants and supports smoother border operations with the U.S., benefiting both countries.
Visitors are no longer allowed to apply for work permits from within Canada (August 2024)
RCC introduced the policy in August 2020 to assist visitors who were unable to leave Canada due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. This policy allowed visitors in Canada to apply for a work permit without leaving the country. Additionally, foreign nationals who had held a work permit within the last 12 months but changed their status to “visitor” could apply to work legally in Canada while awaiting a decision on their new work permit application. Although initially set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC ended the policy earlier as part of broader efforts to manage the number of temporary residents in Canada.
Strengthening Temporary Residence Programs for Sustainable Volumes (September 2024)
Canada has implemented caps and adjusted eligibility criteria to balance temporary residence numbers. In 2025, Canada will reduce the intake cap for international student study permits by 10%, lowering the target to 437,000 new study permits, down from the 2024 target of 485,000. This reduction will be followed by stabilizing the intake cap in 2026, keeping the number of study permits issued at the same level as in 2025.
Canada will also limit work permit eligibility for spouses of master’s degree students to those enrolled in programs lasting at least 16 months. Work permit eligibility for spouses of foreign workers will also be restricted, applying only to those in management or professional occupations or in sectors experiencing labor shortages, under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP).
Key Changes to Canada’s LMIA Criteria (September 2024)
The Canadian government recently announced changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program aimed at prioritizing Canadian workers and reducing dependence on foreign labor in low-wage roles. Effective September 26, 2024, regions with unemployment rates of 6% or higher will no longer process LMIAs for low-wage positions, with exceptions for essential sectors like healthcare, construction, and food processing. Additionally, the cap on foreign workers has been reduced from 20% to 10% of the workforce across Canada, except for certain high-demand sectors. Employment durations for low-wage foreign workers are now limited to one year, further reinforcing the emphasis on filling these roles with Canadian talent.
To prevent misuse of the TFW Program, the government has increased scrutiny of LMIA applications, with stricter enforcement and penalties for non-compliance. Enhanced monitoring will target industries at high risk of exploiting foreign labor, ensuring the program is only used for genuine labor shortages. The government is also encouraging employers to consider untapped labor sources within Canada, such as young people, newcomers, and individuals with disabilities, and to invest in training and upskilling to adapt to evolving labor needs. Further adjustments may be made within the next 90 days based on labor market conditions, with potential changes to the High-Wage Stream and other program components.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Eligibility (September 2024)
IRCC’s temporary policy of allowing online study from outside Canada without affecting PGWP eligibility ended on August 31, 2024. Any time spent studying outside Canada will reduce the length of your PGWP. In addition, Attend at least 50% of your program in person
To be eligible for a PGWP, you must meet certain general and program-specific requirements. General eligibility includes having completed a program at a designated learning institution in Canada while maintaining full-time student status and applying for the PGWP within 180 days of graduation. However, there are exceptions.
Eligibility requirements vary based on the type of program completed and whether you studied inside or outside of Canada. For university graduates with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, the program must be at least 8 months long except for Quebec, where it should be a minimum of 900 hours, and language proficiency in English or French is required. Similar length and language requirements apply for non-university programs, including college programs or flight schools. Graduates must also meet field of study requirements, particularly for certain fields such as STEM, healthcare, and agriculture. Eligibility also depends on your location at the time of application—graduates inside Canada can apply directly. At the same time, those outside Canada must meet additional criteria related to their study permit and the timing of their program.
Issuing a visa: single vs. multiple entry (November 2024)
As of November 6, 2024, the guidance has been updated to clarify that multiple-entry visas with maximum validity are no longer considered the standard. Officers now have the discretion to decide whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and to determine the appropriate validity period.
End of the Student Direct Stream and Nigeria Student Express (November 2024)
Canada has ended the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) programs to streamline the study permit process and provide equal access to international students. Applications received before November 8, 2024, will still be processed under these streams. Moving forward, all students, including those formerly eligible for SDS or NSE, will apply through the regular study permit process, which includes Guaranteed Investment Certificates for financial proof. This change aims to enhance fairness and program integrity while maintaining opportunities for students globally.
Part 2: Pathways to Permanent Residency and Citizenship
Changes to Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Persons Programs (April 2024)
To address backlogs, Canada has restructured its Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs. Canada is implementing changes to its federal business immigration programs to reduce processing times and address the application backlog.
To enhance the Start-up Visa Program, Canada will:
- Limit permanent residence applications to those from no more than 10 start-ups per designated venture capital firm, angel investor group, or business incubator.
- Prioritize applications backed by Canadian capital or supported by a Canada Tech Network business incubator, including new and in-progress applications.
Additionally, the Self-Employed Persons Program will temporarily stop accepting new applications to focus on clearing the existing backlog. This program offers a path to permanent residence for individuals with significant experience in art, culture, sports, or recreation. The pause, expected to last through 2026, will allow Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process the current inventory, explore program reforms, and improve wait times.
Community Applications Open for Rural and Francophone Immigration Pilots (May 2024)
Canada has continued expanding rural and Francophone immigration pathways to support smaller communities and French-speaking regions. This initiative provides tailored support for those interested in relocating outside of major cities.
New Legislation for Citizenship by Descent (May 2024)
In an effort to make citizenship more accessible to those with Canadian ancestry, Canada introduced legislation allowing individuals born abroad to claim citizenship by descent. This simplifies the process for second-generation Canadians living abroad. In 2009, a “first-generation limit” was added to the Citizenship Act, allowing only Canadian citizens born in Canada or naturalized before their child’s birth to pass on citizenship to children born abroad. However, Minister Marc Miller has introduced Bill C-71 to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation, granting automatic citizenship to those born abroad to Canadian parents who were also born abroad, prior to the law’s enactment.
Future generations will need to have a Canadian parent with at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before their birth or adoption to inherit citizenship.
Bill C-71 also aims to restore citizenship to “Lost Canadians” and extend citizenship to their descendants, as well as those born abroad in second or subsequent generations before the bill’s enactment. Once the bill passes, the government will provide further details for eligible individuals.
New Pilot Programs to Support Caregivers (June 2024)
In response to the growing need for caregiving support, Canada announced pilot programs focused on caregivers, with plans to make the caregiver program permanent. This change offers a direct route to permanent residency for those with caregiving experience. These enhanced programs will allow caregivers to work with organizations offering temporary or part-time care for individuals who are semi-independent or recovering from injuries, enabling them to secure reliable employment with straightforward access to PR.
To qualify, applicants must meet specific criteria, including a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4, a high school diploma equivalent, recent relevant work experience, and a full-time home care job offer. This PR on-arrival approach supports Canada’s efforts to address evolving home care demands, with further details on eligibility and application processes expected soon.
Enhancing Francophone Community Vitality with French-Speaking Immigrants (August 2024)
Minister Marc Miller announced the launch of the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) on August 26, 2024, in partnership with French-language and bilingual post-secondary institutions in Canada. This pilot, part of Canada’s Policy on Francophone Immigration, aims to increase the accessibility of Canada’s International Student Program for French-speaking students from regions like Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. To improve approval rates, the program will ease requirements for students, such as waiving the need to prove intent to leave Canada and adjusting financial requirements to 75% of the local low-income cut-off. Participants will also have a streamlined pathway to permanent residency, with access to settlement services to support their integration.
In addition, ten communities have been added to the Welcoming Francophone Communities (WFC) initiative, bringing the total to 24. These communities were chosen for their inclusive environments and capacity to support French-speaking newcomers outside Quebec.
The recent changes to Canada’s immigration policies reflect the government’s commitment to balancing population growth with economic needs, social integration, and regional diversity. For prospective applicants, staying informed about these adjustments is key to creating a successful immigration strategy. By tailoring their applications to align with Canada’s evolving priorities, prospective immigrants can enhance their chances of achieving their goal of building a life in Canada.
Navigating the new landscape may seem complex, but with careful planning, relevant qualifications, and possibly the support of an immigration consultant, applicants can make well-informed decisions about their future in Canada.
https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-71 ; https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/05/government-of-canada-introduces-legislation-for-citizenship-by-descent.html
