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.
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.
