The recent announcement of Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan brings promising news for those planning to apply for permanent residency via the Express Entry system. The plan outlines an increased allocation of permanent residency spots for Express Entry candidates in 2025, offering fresh hope to many.
Growth in Express Entry Allocation
Despite reducing overall permanent resident targets by approximately 20% for 2025, there is a notable increase in spots specifically designated for Express Entry candidates:
| Year | Target (Current Plan) | Target (Last Year’s Plan) |
| 2024 | 110,770 | N/A |
| 2025 | 124,680 | 117,500 |
In 2024, the Canadian government set a target of 110,770 for federal high-skilled categories, which include the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). For 2025, they have raised this target to 124,680, signaling an expected increase in invitations issued through Express Entry-managed programs.
Special Emphasis on Candidates Residing in Canada
Introducing the “In-Canada Focus” category is a pivotal change within this year’s plan. With a target of 82,980 out of a total federal economic immigration goal of 197,650 set for this category in 2025, candidates already living in Canada have enhanced opportunities to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This focus highlights about 42% of the federal economic immigration allocation.
Conversely, candidates applying from overseas under the FSWP or FSTP might experience reduced chances of attaining ITAs due to this localized prioritization.
Prioritization of Category-Based Draws in Immigration
In the current year’s immigration plan, IRCC has set an ambitious target of 41,700 permanent residence admissions under the “Federal Economic Priorities” category, which forms a component of the Express Entry managed programs.
It is anticipated that IRCC will implement these “Economic Priorities” through an existing system of category-based draws, initially announced in May 2023. This system enables IRCC to extend Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Express Entry candidates possessing skills and occupations tailored to meet Canada’s labour market needs.
The present categories available for this system include:
- French-language proficiency;
- Healthcare occupations;
- Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations;
- Trade occupations;
- Transport occupations; and
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations.
Notably, the federal government has earmarked certain categories as focal points for the year 2025 within their Levels Plan. These priority categories comprise:
- Healthcare occupations;
- Trade occupations; and
- French-language proficiency.
Express Entry candidates who qualify for these category-based draws are likely to have increased chances of obtaining an ITA in 2025. Generally, eligibility for a category-based draw necessitates that a candidate possesses six months of work experience (or the equivalent of part-time experience) within the past three years in a relevant occupation.
The History of a Domestic-Centric Approach
On March 21, 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced IRCC’s objective to prioritize “domestic draws,” aiming to facilitate the transition of temporary residents within Canada towards permanent residency. Between May and October 2024, IRCC issued 25,700 ITAs across eight Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws. It should be noted that since April 23, 2024, IRCC has not conducted any general draws. Additionally, IRCC has declared its goal to decrease the proportion of temporary residents relative to the overall population from approximately 7% presently to around 5% by the year 2026.
