Canada's British Columbia (BC) has recently announced significant changes to its Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). Facing dual pressures from a substantial cut in its 2025 federal nomination allocation and a large existing application backlog, BC has decided to limit the intake of new applications to 1,100 for 2025, reserving the vast majority of these spots for healthcare workers in specific occupations. Concurrently, the province has tightened the eligibility criteria for the Health Authority stream, specifying that only professionals directly involved in providing healthcare services can now apply, aiming to prioritize addressing the province's critical healthcare workforce needs.

Continuing its steady pace of invitations in 2025, the Canadian province of Manitoba held its latest Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) draw on May 1. This draw specifically targeted overseas skilled workers who received a direct invitation through the province's "Strategic Recruitment Initiative," issuing 26 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs). The minimum required ranking score for invited candidates was 727, with some possessing federal Express Entry profiles. This action underscores Manitoba's strategy of utilizing specific recruitment channels to attract in-demand talent.

For foreign nationals seeking to start a new life in Canada, accurately and effectively proving past work experience is a critical element for the success of their Permanent Residence (PR) application. Work experience is not only a fundamental requirement for numerous immigration programs but also a significant component of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score within the Express Entry system. However, the work experience information submitted by applicants can sometimes be questioned by officers from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This article will delve into the common reasons why immigration officers might raise questions about work experience and provide targeted response measures and verification strategies that applicants can employ to clarify doubts and enhance their application's success rate.

In a historic first, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a targeted draw specifically for education professionals through its Express Entry system on May 1, 2025. A total of 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence were issued in this draw, with the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for invited candidates being 479. This move marks the official launch of the newly established education category priority stream introduced in February of this year. It is also the first Express Entry draw following the recent, closely watched Canadian federal election, further highlighting Canada's policy direction towards attracting professionals in specific fields.

The 2025 Canadian federal election has concluded, with Mark Carney's Liberal Party securing re-election. The direction of the Carney government's immigration policy for its new term is becoming clear, centering on the core principles of 'stabilizing overall numbers, optimizing the composition, and accelerating processing through technology.' This article delves into the specific policy points, including maintaining the permanent resident cap, significantly reducing temporary residents, stabilizing study permit quotas, relaunching the Global Skills Strategy, increasing the proportion of Francophone immigrants, and advancing processing technology upgrades. It also analyzes the potential opportunities and challenges these policies present for various immigration applicants.

Canada's Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) conducted its latest round of immigration invitations on April 17, 2024. This draw primarily targeted the "Skilled Worker Overseas stream," issuing 27 "Letters of Advice to Apply" (LAAs) to skilled workers residing outside Canada. All recipients were invited directly through the MPNP's "Strategic Recruitment Initiative" and required a minimum score of 621. Furthermore, the MPNP announced it also invited candidates who are already fully licensed to practice in regulated professions and are currently working in Manitoba. This selection underscores Manitoba's immigration strategy of precisely attracting both overseas and in-province talent through targeted, employer-driven initiatives.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new draw through the Express Entry system on April 28, 2025. This draw was specific to the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and issued 421 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates. Invited candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 727 and needed to have created their Express Entry profile before a specific timestamp on September 9, 2024. This marks the second PNP draw this month and contributes to the 31,929 ITAs issued through the Express Entry system in 2025 thus far.

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) conducted multiple invitation rounds through four of its targeted immigration streams between April 11 and 22, 2025. A total of 165 invitations were issued to prospective immigration candidates in these draws, primarily targeting individuals with relevant work experience capable of filling key labour gaps in Alberta's economy. Notable aspects of this recent draw activity include the first selection under the Tourism and Hospitality stream and the first "general" draw under the Alberta Opportunity stream in 2025.

International graduates who had pinned their hopes on the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) graduate streams for obtaining Canadian permanent resident status are now facing significant challenges. The BC PNP has closed its previous International Graduate and International Post-Graduate streams and has indefinitely suspended the opening of three new graduate streams that were planned for 2025. This major shift is primarily a result of the federal government's substantial reduction in BC's provincial nomination allocation for 2025, compounded by a large backlog of existing applications. With the closure of the BC PNP graduate pathways, international graduates currently in BC must now actively explore other economic immigration avenues available across Canada, including the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry, federal pilot programs, and Provincial Nominee Programs in other provinces.

A clause in Canada's Citizenship Act known as the "First Generation Limit" (FGL), which restricts the automatic acquisition of Canadian citizenship for children born abroad to Canadian citizens, has been ruled unconstitutional by the court. Although the federal government is required to make amendments, the legislative process has been slow. On April 22, 2025, the Ontario Superior Court once again approved the government's request for an extension, setting the final deadline for amendment at November 20, 2025. In her ruling, the judge acknowledged the ongoing harm caused by the unconstitutional law to those affected and explicitly expressed the expectation that the incoming government, once formed, will prioritize this legislation to rectify the unconstitutional situation as quickly as possible.