Canada Immigration Update: The Week’s Must-Know News
The latest back-to-back Express Entry rounds evidence a powerful late-year impetus or could IRCC just be beating the deadline in time for Christmas and New Year vacations? Moreover, equally newsworthy are deportation cases, new citizenship rules, and immigration backlogs featured this week.
Canada’s 3rd Express Entry draw this month welcomes 6,000 for PR
The latest Express Entry Draw, conducted by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on December 17, 2025, aimed at Francophone candidates and gave out a whopping 6,000 invites to apply for permanent residency.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 399 which is noteworthy as it dropped below 400. This significant decrease in cut-off makes this draw one of the most easily within reach rounds in recent years, especially for the applicants under the French language proficiency category.
This December is the single highest month for Express Entry invitations in 2025 as the IRCC has issued a total of 19,522 invitations so far in this month alone, and one after another, with a mixed bag of general and category-based rounds, covering Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, healthcare occupations, and now French language proficiency.
The upsurge came on the heels of the announcement of the new Immigration Levels Plan in November 2025, indicating that draw sizes are made with revised federal priorities in mind.
2nd Express Entry draw sends 5,000 PR invitations
IRCC held another massive Canadian Experience Class Express Entry draw on December 16, 2025, issuing 5,000 invitations to apply for permanent residency.
The CRS score cut-off decreased by 5 points to 515 in contrast to the previous CEC draw and by 16 points when compared to the November 26 CEC draw.
Only in the previous week, IRCC conducted a noteworthy Canadian Experience Class draw on December 10, issuing 6,000 ITAs to candidates with a CRS cutoff score of 520.
The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is intended for workers with at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada acquired within the last three years. Applicants must possess a minimum language proficiency and must have legally worked in a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 profession.
It is apparent that the IRCC is finally cognizant of the need to focus on in-Canada candidates, which is reconfiguring the Express Entry outlook. Moreover, this government body is under increasing demand to steady the job market while addressing housing needs and public services.
If economic conditions remain the same and labour shortages are a constant challenge, huge CEC draws would likely be descriptive of Express Entry in the months ahead.
For now, the December 16 draw underscores an immigration pivot – that Canadian experience is not just appreciated but actually preferred.
December 15 Express Entry Draw for PNP issues 399 ITAs
On December 15, the IRCC conducted an Express Entry draw distributing 399 invitations to apply for permanent residency. This round focused on applicants with a provincial nomination and a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cutoff of 731 consistent with last week’s Monday draw.
This is the consecutive week of PNP draws held one after another, which highlights the federal government’s continued dependence on provincial nominations to choose contenders who virtually line up with regional job market demands.
Canada sends home a record number of foreign nationals in 2025
As of October 31, 2025, a total of 18,785 foreign nationals were expelled forcibly from Canada during the calendar year, according to the official Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) data.
These comprised 8,982 deportations, 5,821 exclusions, and 3,982 departures.
Mexico topped the list with 3,972 removals, followed by India with 2,831 (a record high), and third, Haiti with 2,012. This mode reflects visa origins, with Indian deportations becoming viral on social media about student visa duplicity.
Ongoing removal by top 10 citizenships presents India as leading with 6,515 cases followed by Mexico at 4,650 and U.S.A. at 1,704.
Departure orders require leaving within 30 days, advancing quickly to deportation if disregarded. Exclusion orders mandate a temporary bar for 1-5 years, usually for cases of falsification or a minor nonconformity.
Deportation is the most grave type of removal directive under Canadian immigration law. It permanently prohibits a foreign national from coming back to Canada unless they are issued a written Authorization to Return to Canada. While not all removals are deportations, all deportations are removals. Less severe results include departure directives and exclusion orders, which permit return after a specified period if conditions are reached.
These categories allow for a progression of responses, allowing noncompulsory compliance and lessening enforcement costs. This approach gives the same importance to firmness and fairness, but as removals increase, so do controversies about overstepping, particularly for defenceless populations like foreign students contending with unexpected policy revisions.
Noncompliance with immigration laws is the usual reason for deportation, including outstaying visas, breaking work or study permit conditions, or staying in the country after failing a refugee claim. Other grounds include organized crime involvement, criminality, misrepresentation, and security-related reasons under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
New citizenship rules correct injustices to Canadian families
Meant to put to right historical injustices and present an enlightened system that underscores real connections to Canada, new citizenship rules are now in place in the country.
As of December 15, 2025, Bill C-3, An Act to Amend Canada’s Citizenship (2025), is now in effect, trying to put an end to the years of discrimination against children of Canadians born abroad which is a breach of principles of equality under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Old rules have left many – often called “Lost Canadians” – in limbo, refusing them the citizenship that is rightfully theirs. This change heralds a positive outlook for numerous families in a diaspora worldwide – a little more than 2.8 million Canadians abroad – assuring that Canadian bonds remain strong wherever they go.
For persons born or adopted before December 15, 2025, the bill automatically gives citizenship to those formerly not included by the first-generation limit or other obsolete rules.
To pass on citizenship, the parent must evidence a “substantial connection” to Canada – specified as at least three cumulative years or 1,095 days of residence in the country before the child’s birth or adoption. This requisite fosters the precept that citizenship by descent should be linked to real, demonstrated ties to Canada. This inclusive provision is for both the biological and adopted children.
The reforms reinforce a sense of belonging, with the welcome possibility of increasing engagement of Canadians abroad, through economic contributions, cultural exchanges, and voting. Economically, more accessible citizenship pathways could attract skilled workers back to the country, improving talent pools in healthcare, technology, and other sectors.
The positive changes align with broader aspirations for inclusion, equity, and diversity, potentially boosting remittances, international collaborations, and cultural statesmanship. Globally, this legislation fosters Canada’s reputation for a progressive immigration policy – a welcoming nation.
Immigration backlog resurges as per Dec 16 IRCC update
Based on the recent IRCC data released on December 16, 2025 (retrospective to October 31, 2025), the total immigration application record stands at 2,182,200, with a backlog of 1,006,800 applications (those going beyond service standards).
The backlog is primarily caused by increased application volumes that fail to be addressed by processing capacity, worsened by external delays such as incomplete submissions, security checks, or biometrics, a surge of post-pandemic applications, and policy changes (e.g., student visa limits). The system is overburdened by the complexity of certain cases (e.g., family sponsorships in need of rigorous validation), record influx in previous years, and staffing restrictions, also contribute. Current data presents a 33% decrease in asylum claims and 53% less new students/workers in 2025 vs. 2024, which is helping lessen temporary residency backlogs, but permanent residency delays continue because of sustained need for economic immigration pathways.
There is a preference for quality over quantity, giving importance to high-skilled temporary foreign nationals who may transition to PR. For international students, less arrivals mean reduced competition but possible program limits at institutions dependent on foreign fees. Workers enjoy faster processing, preferring industries such as IT and agriculture in the face of labour shortages.
This data highlights IRCC’s resilience, but it still has to contend with challenges.
Rising PR backlogs could delay family reunifications, affecting productivity and mental health.
On the other hand, temporary reductions lessen pressures on housing (where there is a lack of 500,000 units) and public services. Economists predict that continuing at 380,000 PRs yearly will add 1.2 million workers by 2030, preventing demographic declines.
Inversely, integration support – like certifications and language development – must be amplified. For businesses, less temporary workers mean resorting to domestic hiring or automation. Universities, facing revenue slumps from declines in student applicants, may recommend reduction of limits.
Globally, Canada’s model distinguishes itself from suppressive policies in other countries, presenting it as a premier destination. However, to maintain such, backlog management is of utmost importance.
Take advantage of the aggressive Express Entry invitations issued by the IRCC, currently back-to-back, with a mixed bag of general and category-based rounds, covering healthcare occupations, Canadian Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Program, and now French language proficiency. Start your bid to make Canada your home by getting assessed now and partnering with Lifeline Immigration for expert guidance as to which stream or pathway for immigration is best suited for your qualifications.
Source of News Information: https://www.canada.ca/
