Canada shut down or indefinitely paused several permanent residence pathways in 2025 across federal and provincial immigration programs, affecting skilled workers, international graduates, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and refugees.
These changes were announced by provincial governments and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at different points throughout 2025 as part of broader immigration system adjustments.
The closures come amid mounting pressure on Canada’s immigration system, including high application volumes, long processing times, and concerns around program integrity.
Here are the pathways that were closed and the alternatives still available.