Canada shut down or indefinitely paused several permanent residence pathways in 2025 across federal and provincial immigration programs, affecting skilled workers, international graduates, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and refugees.
These changes were announced by provincial governments and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at different points throughout 2025 as part of broader immigration system adjustments.
The closures come amid mounting pressure on Canada’s immigration system, including high application volumes, long processing times, and concerns around program integrity.
Here are the pathways that were closed and the alternatives still available.
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Provincial Nominee Program pathways suspended
Several provinces suspended or permanently closed nomination streams under their Provincial Nominee Programs.
- Ontario closed its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream on November 14, 2025, citing concerns over systemic misrepresentation and/or fraud,with new applications rejected and submitted ones returned.
- Saskatchewan announced on March 27, 2025, that it would no longer accept applications or expressions of interest for its Entrepreneur, International Graduate Entrepreneur, and Farm Owner or Operator categories, adding that there are no plans to reopen them.
- New Brunswick discontinued its Express Entry Student Connection Pathway in early February 2025, stating it “is not returning for 2025.” The province also stopped accepting new expressions of interest for its Skilled Worker Priority Occupations pathway in March.
- British Columbia shut its International Post-Graduate Stream on January 7, 2025, and later suspended all planned replacement student streams indefinitely on April 14 until its allocation levels are restored.
- The Yukon Community Program pilot ended as scheduled on June 30, 2025, after five years, bringing to a close a pathway that offered two-year open work permits leading to permanent residence.
Alternatives to discontinued PNP streams
- Applicants who qualify under Express Entry and work in TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations can still pursue permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry–linked Provincial Nominee Program draws, and category-based selection draws
- Occupational category draws often have lower Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off scores and generally require six months of full-time work experience. For example, those affected by the closure of Ontario’s Skilled Trades Stream may still qualify under Express Entry Trades draws.
- Applicants may still be eligible for alternative PNP streams either within the same province or in another province. For instance, New Brunswick noted that graduates with eligible employment can still apply under the NB Employment pathway through the NB Express Entry Stream.
While many PNPs prioritize candidates with strong provincial ties, some streams remain open to applicants without prior connections, like the following:
- Foreign nationals interested in settling in Atlantic Canada can apply through the Atlantic Immigration Program if they have a job offer from a designated employer that is endorsed by the province. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada currently lists a 37-month processing time for AIP applications.
- Applicants with job offers from designated employers in AIP participating communities can pursue permanent residence through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot or the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot. The Francophone pilot requires a minimum NCLC level 5 across all language abilities.
Quebec immigration programs affected
On November 19, 2025, the Government of Quebec ended its Quebec Experience Program, which previously offered permanent residence through the Quebec Graduates Stream and the Temporary Foreign Workers Stream. The program had already been paused since October 31, 2024.
Quebec immigration pilots said on November 6, 2025, that it will end its food processing, orderly, and artificial intelligence immigration pilot programs on January 1, 2026, after reaching their caps, except for the Francophone stream under the technology pilot, which remained open until December 31, 2025.
Alternatives for Quebec-bound applicants
The Skilled Worker Selection Program is now the primary pathway for skilled workers seeking permanent residence in Quebec. The program, which replaced the Regular Skilled Worker Program in 2024, reopened on July 27, 2025.
Interested applicants must submit a declaration of interest through the Arrima system.
Agri-Food Pilot ends early
The federal Agri-Food Pilot closed on February 13, 2025, about three months earlier than planned due to high demand. The pilot, launched in 2020 and extended in 2023, was originally set to run until May 14, 2025.
Eligible sectors under the pilot included meat product manufacturing, greenhouse and nursery production, mushroom production, and animal production.
Alternatives for agri-food workers
- Some occupations previously eligible under the Agri-Food Pilot remain eligible through Express Entry, including skilled roles such as retail and wholesale butchers and agricultural service contractors or farm supervisors. Some of these occupations also qualify under Express Entry’s agriculture and agri-food category-based draws.
- Provincial Nominee Programs also remain an option, especially in provinces with agriculture-focused streams. Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Talent Pathway, for example, targets several agri-food occupations.
- The Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot also continue to prioritize agricultural and food-processing roles in select provinces and communities.
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots paused long-term
In December 2025, the federal government announced a long-term pause on the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Child Care and the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot: Home Support, stopping new applications.
Both pilots reached their caps within hours of opening and, although initially expected to reopen in 2026, will now remain closed until March 30, 2030, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The pilots provided permanent residence pathways for workers with job offers in home care and child care. Eligible occupations included Home child care providers (NOC 44100), Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202), Home support workers and caregivers (NOC 44101), and Nurse aides and orderlies (NOC 33102).
Alternatives for caregivers and healthcare
Some affected workers may still qualify under the Express Entry system, as Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202) and Nurse aides and orderlies (NOC 33102) meet skilled work requirements and are eligible for category-based draws under the Education and Healthcare and social services categories.
- Provincial pathways also remain open, with several Provincial Nominee Programs continuing to target caregiving, education, and healthcare roles. Manitoba frequently invited applicants under NOC 44101, while Ontario held draws for NOC 33102 and NOC 42202.
- Applicants with job offers from designated employers may also apply through the Atlantic Immigration Program, where healthcare roles were prioritized across all Atlantic provinces in 2025, and through the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, which targeted similar occupations in communities such as Timmins and West Kootenay.
Start-up Visa Program
In December 2025, IRCC stopped accepting new applications under the Start-up Visa Program, with a limited exception for applicants who already secured a valid commitment from a designated organization in 2025. The program officially closed on January 1, 2026.
The closure followed growing criticism over long processing times, which exceeded 10 years. IRCC also extended the pause on the Self-Employed Persons Program “until further notice.”
Alternatives for entrepreneurs
The federal government said details of a new targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs will be announced in 2026 to address backlogs in business immigration programs.
In the meantime, entrepreneur-focused Provincial Nominee streams remain the most viable option. Here are some examples of PNP streams targeting entrepreneurs:
- British Columbia, two streams: Base Stream or Regional Stream.
- Alberta, four streams: Rural Entrepreneur Stream, Farm Stream, Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
- Manitoba, one stream (two pathways): Business Investor Stream—Entrepreneur Pathway and Farm Investor Pathway.
- Nova Scotia, two streams: Entrepreneur Stream and International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
- Newfoundland and Labrador, two streams: International Entrepreneur Stream and International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot ended
The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot program connected skilled refugees and displaced persons with Canadian employers.
It stopped accepting applications in July 2025 and officially ended on December 31, 2025.
Alternatives you can pursue
In June, the federal government announced plans to launch a new permanent immigration program based on the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, though it did not roll it out before the pilot ended. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says work on the program is ongoing, and it is expected to become the main alternative once launched.
Under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government also announced a one-time initiative to transition about 115,000 Protected Persons from temporary status to permanent residence, with further details expected in 2026.
Eligible foreign nationals may also pursue permanent residence by submitting a refugee protection claim or applying for Humanitarian and Compassionate consideration in exceptional cases.
