On April 2, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the year's first category-based Express Entry draw targeting Trades Occupations, issuing 3,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 477. The draw marks a significant milestone as the first Trades selection since IRCC raised the minimum work experience requirement from six months to one year in February 2026, and represents the twentieth Express Entry draw of the year. Notably, the 3,000 ITAs issued in this single draw already exceed the 1,250 total issued under the Trades category throughout all of 2025, underscoring IRCC's growing emphasis on skilled tradespeople. With 58,830 ITAs issued across all categories in 2026 so far, the Canadian Experience Class and French-language proficiency categories continue to account for the largest share.

Canada has recently introduced two new facilitated work permit pathways under the International Experience Canada (International Experience Canada, or IEC) program for young people from Taiwan and Portugal. These are the TGPI program for Taiwanese youth and the Inov Contacto program for Portuguese youth. Both new pathways offer employer-specific work permits and include tailored arrangements in terms of program structure, financial support, and eligibility requirements. At the same time, applicants from Taiwan and Portugal may still continue to apply under the regular criteria for the IEC Young Professionals category. The new policy suggests that Canada is further expanding youth talent exchange and short-term employment cooperation with specific countries and regions through bilateral youth mobility arrangements.

Canada has launched the 2026 season of the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, and the Working Holiday stream has already seen a large first wave of Invitations to Apply (ITAs). As of January 23, 2026, a total of 10,689 ITAs had been issued to participating countries and territories, out of a 2026 Working Holiday quota of 42,127. While 35,283 spots remain available, the candidate pool already stands at 34,539, suggesting a faster-moving and potentially more competitive season. For young travellers and early-career professionals, the Working Holiday work permit is often the quickest legal route to work in Canada without requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and typically without the need for a pre-arranged job offer—making the first round’s pace an important signal for how quickly quotas may shrink in 2026.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released a statement on December 19, 2025, announcing an immediate pause on new applications for the Home Care Worker Pilots until further notice. The federal government explicitly stated that the programs will not reopen in March 2026 as originally planned, a decision that effectively cuts off a key immigration pathway that many prospective applicants had expected to utilize next year. This pause is part of the federal government's broader effort to recalibrate immigration quotas under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, aiming to prevent further growth in application backlogs, ensure existing cases are prioritized, and make the immigration system more responsive to actual labour market needs.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently updated its official website to indicate that the "applicants not working in Canada" stream under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots (HCWP) has been officially closed. This stream was marked as "closed" on September 29, 2025, without ever having opened to accept applications since the program's launch. Despite this closure, overseas caregivers still have alternative pathways to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, and other routes. Industry analysts suggest this decision may be linked to severe application backlogs and the federal government's policy shift toward prioritizing the transition of temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residence status.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first Express Entry draw of the year for trade occupations on September 18, 2025. A total of 1,250 candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). However, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score soared to 505, significantly higher than the previous draw for this category. The primary reason for the score increase is the long interval between draws, which led to an accumulation of high-scoring candidates. Additionally, internal documents suggest IRCC plans to issue more invitations to trade candidates in the second half of the year.

In 2025, Canada's Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) is entering a new strategic phase due to adjusted federal immigration allocations. To manage reduced quotas, the four Atlantic provinces are concentrating their resources on key sectors vital to their local economies. Healthcare, construction, and information technology have become focal points for attracting talent. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the latest priority sectors and occupations for each province, examines the alternative pathways available in New Brunswick following its AIP pause, and offers authoritative guidance for applicants planning to immigrate through this program in 2025.

On July 10, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador's Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) issued 359 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for provincial immigration to foreign nationals. Spanning both the Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), this draw explicitly requires candidates to hold a job or job offer from a local employer and prioritizes professionals in key fields like healthcare, information technology (ICT), and aquaculture to meet the province's urgent labour market needs.

Newfoundland and Labrador issued 328 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) on May 8, 2025, in its second round of draws through the new Expression of Interest (EOI) system. This system, implemented on February 19, 2025, manages candidates for both the Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). Despite facing an initial halving of its federal nomination allocation, the province successfully secured additional spaces, enhancing opportunities for prospective immigrants.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) announced on May 15, 2025, an update to its list of designated employers under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). This revision includes the addition of 20 new businesses and the removal of 14 previously recognized employers, bringing the total number of designated employers in the province to 364. Notably, due to reduced federal immigration allocations for 2025 and a high volume of applications, PEI is currently prioritizing applications from workers in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, construction, and manufacturing.