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.
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.
