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IRCC issues record-breaking 6,000 invitations in French-language Express Entry draw

IRCC issues record-breaking 6,000 invitations in French-language Express Entry draw

IRCC held its largest-ever French-language Express Entry draw on Dec 17, 2025, inviting 6,000 candidates with CRS scores as low as 399. The draw brings December’s total ITAs to nearly 20,000 and reflects Ottawa’s strategy to bolster Francophone communities and hit 2026 economic-immigration targets sooner. French-speaking applicants now have an unprecedented window to secure permanent residency, while employers gain faster access to bilingual talent.

Dec 18, 2025
New IRCC data show application backlog tops one million despite overall inventory dip

New IRCC data show application backlog tops one million despite overall inventory dip

IRCC’s December 16 inventory update shows 2.18 million applications in the system, with 1.01 million now backlogged—up 10,000 on the previous month. Permanent-resident queues account for more than half the backlog, even as temporary-resident inventories shrink after student and worker caps. The figures signal longer waits for some PR streams and underscore Ottawa’s shift from temporary to permanent pathways.

Dec 18, 2025
Canada’s population falls for first time in years as student-permit crackdown bites

Canada’s population falls for first time in years as student-permit crackdown bites

Canada’s population slipped by 0.2 % in Q3 2025—the first quarterly decline in years—after Ottawa slashed study-permit approvals and curbed other temporary visas. The move supports housing affordability but squeezes colleges and businesses dependent on international students, underscoring the trade-offs in the government’s plan to cut non-permanent residents to 5 % of the population by 2027.

Dec 18, 2025
Ontario handed 23 % fewer study-permit spaces for 2025 as unused quota triggers claw-backs

Ontario handed 23 % fewer study-permit spaces for 2025 as unused quota triggers claw-backs

Ontario will see its 2025 international-student allocation fall 23 % to roughly 117,000 study permits after colleges left 42 % of last year’s quota unused. The province can now claw back permits from institutions that fail to fill seats, threatening hundreds of programs and thousands of jobs while potentially easing housing demand.

Dec 18, 2025

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