Welcome to Legal and Immigration Services

Released as part of Canada's 2026 Budget Plan on November 5, 2025, the new Immigration Levels Plan for the next three years provides some significant changes to the Canadian immigration landscape. The highlights are:

• 380,000 permanent residents to be landed each year for 2026 to 2028
• Up to 33,000 work permit holders to gain permanent residency between 2026 to 2027
• Temporary resident targets have been reduced by 43% from 2025 to 385,000
• International students targets have also been reduced by 49% from 2025 to 155,000
• Temporary foreign worker targets to be reduced by 37% from 2025 to 230,000

This new Levels Plan will maintain permanent resident numbers steady while reducing the number of temporary residents entering for the next three years ending 2028. Additionally, a new pathway will be created to help transition in-Canada work permit holders to permanent residents. 

For more information and a more in-depth summary of the announced Levels Plan can be found here: 

Supplementary Information for the 2026 to 2028 Immigration Level Plan: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels/supplementary-immigration-levels-2026-2028.html 

Canada's Immigration Levels: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels.html

Effective March 25, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be implementing temporary changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for both the current candidates in the Express Entry pool and future applicants.

This applies to all candidates who have job offers and can be awarded points as follows:

• 200 points: for job offers in occupations classified under Major Group "OO" of the National Occupation Classification matrix (e.g., senior management positions), or
• 50 points: for job offers in any other skilled occupations.

If your Express Entry profile currently includes a qualifying job offer, the additional CRS points associated with this factor will be removed. Although this change will officially take effect on March 25, 2025, it may take a few days for your CRS points to be updated accordingly in your profile. If you do not currently have a qualifying job offer, please be aware that you will no longer be able to gain additional CRS points for this factor after March 25, 2025.

This change will not affect your eligibility to remain in the pool, and no action is required on your part.

If you have an active Invitation To Apply (ITA), that has not expired or been declined, you are not affected by this change and will remain eligible for that specific round of invitation.

IMPORTANT

Please note that the job offer factor will still be part of the following:

• The selection grid for the Federal Skilled Worker Program;
• Eligibility for the Federal Skilled Trades Program; and
• The Provincial Nominee Program, where provinces or territories can consider a qualifying job offer for eligibility or selection criteria.

It is important to continue including the details of any job offers in your Express Entry profile to ensure you remain eligible for various programs.

IRCC News Release: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/12/canada-takes-action-to-reduce-fraud-in-express-entry-system.html

Effective January 21, 2025, only spouses of certain international students and foreign workers will be eligible to apply for a family open work permit (OWP).

As part of the broader measures announced by IRCC in September 2024, this change is in response to an evolving shift in Canada's economy, including a softening of the labour market.

Family OWPs will now be limited to spouses of international students who are enroled in

• master's program that are 16 months in duration or longer
• doctoral programs or
• select professional and eligible programs

Family OWPs will also be limited to spouses of foreign workers who are employed in

• TEER 0 or 1 occupations or
• select TEER 2 or 3 occupations in sectors with labour shortages or linked to government priorities - full list will be available on January 21, 2025

Additionally, the foreign worker must also have at least 16 months validity remaining on their work permit at the time when their spouse applies for their OWP. Dependent children will no longer be eligible for an OWP.

Spouses of foreign workers covered by a free-trade agreement and those transitioning to permanent residence will not be impacted by these changes.

IRCC News Release: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/changes-open-work-permits-family-members-temporary-residents.html