Canada’s IRCC Announces Which PR Applications It Will Process in 2025

Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed its approach for processing permanent residence (PR) applications in 2025, highlighting which immigration streams will see their entire application inventory processed and which will only get partial attention this year.

PR Pathways to Be Fully Processed in 2025 are:

• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
• Enhanced (Express Entry-aligned) Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
• Community Pilots (including RNIP and other federal community programs)
• Quebec Experience Class (PEQ)
• Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ)
• Quebec’s Pilot Programs

The recent approach to the PR application process reflects that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does not plan to clear its entire inventory of PR applications this year, except for a few permanent residence (PR) streams.

The remaining economic permanent residence streams will have only a portion of their existing application inventories addressed in 2025, rather than receiving full clearance this year:

Also Read: IRCC Conducts Major Express Entry Draw Inviting 4,500 French-Speaking Candidates

Express Entry

All Express Entry streams (operating currently) will see their inventory of applications processed in 2025.

Application wait times (months):

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams that are connected to Express Entry, known as enhanced PNP streams, will have their entire application inventory processed. On the other hand, PNP streams that are not linked to Express Entry—often referred to as base PNP streams—will only have about 35% of their application inventory processed this year.

Quebec

Quebec’s skilled worker pathways, such as the Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), the Quebec Experience Class (PEQ), and Quebec’s Pilot Programs, will be cleared of inventory in 2025.

However, Quebec’s Business pathways, including the Quebec Investor Program, Quebec Entrepreneur Program, and Quebec Self-Employed Program, will only see 3% of their collective inventory cleared in 2025.

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

IRCC will process 33% of the AIP’s application inventory in the remainder of 2025:

Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) application inventory, processing projections, and wait times:

Also Read: Canada Updates Immigration Processing Times for October 2025

Federal Economic Pilots

Canada’s federal economic pilot programs include the Agri-Food Pilot (which has now closed), various caregiver pilots such as the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilot (HCWP), the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (now closed), and the Home Support Worker Pilot (now closed), as well as the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

The inventory expected to be cleared this year, along with the corresponding number of applications:

• Agrifood Pilot: 5% of applications, approximately 445
• Caregiver Pilots: 14% of applications, about 4,816
• Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP): 12% of applications, around 300

Federal Community Pilots

Canada’s federal community immigration pilots include the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), the Francophone Community Immigration Program (FCIP), and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), which has now been closed.

Start-up Visa

Canada’s federal Start-Up Visa (SUV) program will only process 2% of its inventory this year:

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Also Read:

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• British Columbia Extends 491 ITAs to Skilled Workers and Entrepreneurs
• IRCC Canada Issues 291 ITAs in Latest Express Entry PNP Draw
• Albert Issued 1,433 Invitations in the Latest PNP Draws
• First Trade-Specific Express Entry Draw of 2025 Issues 1,250 Invitation