Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed in its latest Departmental Plan that it is developing a new stream for foreign workers in the agriculture and fish processing industries. The initiative aims to effectively tackle Canada's long-standing agricultural labour shortages through the introduction of sector-specific work permits and potentially expanded international agreements. This new stream is also viewed as a successor to the Agri-Food Pilot, which recently reached its application cap.

Between June 5 and 19, 2025, Alberta's Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) conducted an intensive series of five separate provincial nomination draws, issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to eligible candidates. This series of draws precisely targeted key gaps in the province's labour market, focusing on attracting talent with professional experience and in-demand skills in specific sectors. Data reveals that over 2,300 nomination spots remain for Alberta's 2025 annual allocation, presenting significant opportunities for global applicants.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has recently released its 2024 annual statistical report. The report shows that the province successfully issued its full allocation of 8,000 nominations in 2024, with the Skills Immigration category accounting for a staggering 99%. A notable trend is that, driven by the provincial government's prioritization of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs), occupations in education and social services have surpassed the tech sector to become the category with the most nominees. Furthermore, the report provides a detailed breakdown of nominee salary levels, primary countries of origin, and confirms major changes made to immigration pathways for international students in 2024.

On June 20, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) unveiled its 2025-2026 Departmental Plan, setting a clear direction for immigration policy over the next two years. The plan introduces new immigration avenues for specific groups while continuing and reinforcing the policy of tightening controls on the temporary resident population, a trend that began in 2024. Key measures include proposing the conversion of the 'Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot' into a permanent immigration stream, creating a new work permit for the agriculture and fish processing sectors, adjusting eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) and Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs), and explicitly capping the temporary resident population at 5% of Canada's total population. These initiatives reflect the Canadian government's balancing act between attracting needed talent and alleviating pressure on domestic social services.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has once again issued invitations through the Express Entry system this week. This latest draw was exclusively for candidates in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) who have prior work experience in Canada. A total of 3,000 candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 521. This marks the first time since February that IRCC has held large-scale CEC draws in consecutive weeks, sparking discussions about a potential shift in future immigration selection trends.

On June 25, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a sweeping overhaul of the eligible fields of study for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The changes, designed to align the program with Canada's projected labour market needs for 2025, introduce 119 new eligible programs while removing 178. The new policy heavily favors fields such as healthcare, education, and the trades, while significantly scaling back eligibility for programs in transport and agriculture. These adjustments will primarily impact international students in non-degree programs who apply for their study permit on or after November 1, 2024.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently held another draw through the Express Entry system, this time exclusively targeting candidates who have received a provincial nomination. A total of 503 candidates were invited, with a minimum CRS score of 742. This draw continues the 2025 trend of focusing heavily on the Provincial Nominee Program. To date, the total number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued this year is approaching 40,000. Concurrently, the department issued a strong reminder to all applicants regarding the necessity of ensuring the accuracy of their application information, warning that any form of misrepresentation will lead to severe consequences.

On June 16 and 17, 2025, the province of New Brunswick held four rounds of draws through its Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP). In this series of draws, a total of 608 candidates received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) across four distinct pathways under the Skilled Worker and Express Entry streams. This high frequency of activity makes June the most active month for the NBPNP so far in 2025, bringing the province's year-to-date invitation total to 2,015. The draw results clearly indicate the province's focus on specific labour market needs and its preference for candidates with existing ties to New Brunswick through work or study.

On June 19, 2025, Prince Edward Island (PEI) held its sixth Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw of the year, issuing a total of 52 invitations to apply. A key highlight of this draw was the first invitation of 2025 issued under the entrepreneur stream. The draw also underscores the province's current immigration strategy, which prioritizes skilled workers in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, trades, and manufacturing to address urgent labour market needs.

A new initiative, "Pathways to Teach Canada," has recently been launched to help internationally educated teachers obtain their professional certification in Canada more easily. Through a partnership with World Education Services (WES), the program provides a centralized portal for credential and language assessments, covering nine Canadian provinces and territories. This development, combined with the new education-specific category under Canada's federal Express Entry system, creates an unprecedented opportunity for education professionals worldwide to immigrate to Canada.