A detailed budget briefing published on December 15 highlights how Ottawa’s 2025 Federal Budget and the accompanying 2026-28 Immigration Levels Plan will tilt Canada’s intake toward permanent, skills-aligned newcomers while scaling back temporary programs. Admissions will be capped at 395,000 in 2025, then stabilise at 380,000 annually through 2028, with the economic class rising from 59 % to 64 % of the total.
Temporary foreign worker permits are projected to drop 37 % by 2026, and international student permits will fall to 155,000—about half current levels. The government argues the shift will ease housing pressure and improve newcomer integration while still plugging critical labour gaps. Business groups support the quality-over-quantity focus but caution that housing and credential-recognition reforms must keep pace.
Amid these shifting policies, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can serve as a one-stop resource for employers and prospective immigrants seeking up-to-date guidance on work permits, study visas and permanent-resident applications. Its online tools simplify form completion, flag documentation requirements and track application status, helping users adapt quickly to tighter quotas and new program rules.
![Federal Budget 2025 Recalibrates Immigration Levels; Tech Firm CanPR Sees Strategic Alignment]()
Toronto-based CanPR Technology Ltd. says the measures dovetail with its AI-driven “TREK” platform, which matches immigrant talent to high-demand occupations. The start-up reports more than two million app downloads and 150 employer partners. CEO Akshat Soni predicts that precision-matching tools will become indispensable as economic-class competition intensifies and temporary pathways shrink.
For corporate mobility teams the budget signals a medium-term environment of lower temporary-resident ceilings but improved chances for highly skilled professionals in priority sectors such as health care, advanced manufacturing and clean tech. Employers should audit workforce plans to identify roles that qualify under economic-class programs and consider leveraging digital platforms to pre-screen candidates.
Stakeholders expect draft regulations in early 2026 outlining new selection categories and settlement-fund thresholds. Consultation windows will be tight, so companies and universities should prepare submissions now.
Temporary foreign worker permits are projected to drop 37 % by 2026, and international student permits will fall to 155,000—about half current levels. The government argues the shift will ease housing pressure and improve newcomer integration while still plugging critical labour gaps. Business groups support the quality-over-quantity focus but caution that housing and credential-recognition reforms must keep pace.
Amid these shifting policies, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can serve as a one-stop resource for employers and prospective immigrants seeking up-to-date guidance on work permits, study visas and permanent-resident applications. Its online tools simplify form completion, flag documentation requirements and track application status, helping users adapt quickly to tighter quotas and new program rules.
Toronto-based CanPR Technology Ltd. says the measures dovetail with its AI-driven “TREK” platform, which matches immigrant talent to high-demand occupations. The start-up reports more than two million app downloads and 150 employer partners. CEO Akshat Soni predicts that precision-matching tools will become indispensable as economic-class competition intensifies and temporary pathways shrink.
For corporate mobility teams the budget signals a medium-term environment of lower temporary-resident ceilings but improved chances for highly skilled professionals in priority sectors such as health care, advanced manufacturing and clean tech. Employers should audit workforce plans to identify roles that qualify under economic-class programs and consider leveraging digital platforms to pre-screen candidates.
Stakeholders expect draft regulations in early 2026 outlining new selection categories and settlement-fund thresholds. Consultation windows will be tight, so companies and universities should prepare submissions now.
