Clarity in a Shifting Landscape: Your Weekly Canadian Immigration Briefing
- Gagandeep Singh
- Oct 26
- 3 min read
Welcome to your weekly roundup of the most important developments in Canadian immigration. As your dedicated immigration consultants, we know that navigating this system requires staying on top of every change, big or small.
This past week was quiet on the federal draw front, but it brought significant—and frankly, shocking—news for business immigration and important updates on provincial compliance.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happened and what it means for you.
1. Express Entry: A Holding Pattern
The biggest news from the federal Express Entry system this week was the lack of news.
No Draws Held: IRCC did not hold any Express Entry draws between October 20-25, 2025.
This pause is not unusual, but it always creates anxiety for candidates in the pool. The silence could be due to several factors. IRCC may be preparing for the end-of-month reporting, or it could be strategically pacing its draws to align with the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which notably reduced overall targets.
We are also observing the one-year anniversary of the government's major policy shift (announced October 24, 2024) to "stabilize" immigration numbers. This week's pause feels like a direct reflection of that more measured, and sometimes slower, approach. We remain vigilant and expect draws to resume, likely continuing the trend of highly-targeted, category-based selections for sectors like Healthcare, Trades, and STEM.
2. The Top Story: Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program Faces 10-Year Wait
This is, without a doubt, the most critical update for business applicants. Based on data released by IRCC (updated October 9) and reported by industry media, the processing time for new Start-Up Visa (SUV) applications is now listed as "more than 10 years."
This is not a typo. A backlog of over 43,200 applications, combined with a sharply reduced quota for 2025 (only 2,000 spots, down from 5,000 in 2024), has brought the program to a virtual standstill for new entrants. Furthermore, refusal rates for incubator-backed streams have reportedly soared.
For all practical purposes, the federal Start-Up Visa program is no longer a viable option for entrepreneurs seeking a timely path to permanent residence. A 10-year wait time is an untenable situation for any business founder.
We are now advising most clients to pivot their strategy away from the federal SUV program and explore more predictable pathways, such as:
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Entrepreneur Streams: Many provinces, like Ontario, B.C., and Saskatchewan, have active entrepreneur streams with clearer, albeit still high, investment and business management requirements.
Owner-Operator Pathways (C11): For some clients, obtaining a work permit as an entrepreneur under the C11 "significant benefit" category may be a more immediate (though non-permanent) solution to get to Canada and start operations.
3. PNP Updates: Ontario Cracks Down on Fraud
While federal draws were quiet, the provinces were active.
Ontario (OINP) - October 21, 2025: The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) took a firm stance on program integrity. This week, it updated its public-facing list of individuals, employers, and representatives who have had administrative monetary penalties or banning orders imposed against them for contravening the Ontario Immigration Act.
This is a welcome move from the OINP. It increases transparency and serves as a powerful deterrent against fraud and misrepresentation. For applicants, this is a stark reminder: who you hire as your representative matters. Using an unauthorized "ghost" consultant or participating in a fraudulent job offer scheme can result in a ban from the program and jeopardize your entire future in Canada.
British Columbia (BC PNP): To note, there was no BCPNP draw this past week. The most recent draw occurred earlier in the month on October 2, 2025, where 474 invitations were issued to candidates in high-impact categories, including those with high-wage job offers.
4. What to Expect in the Coming Week
Will Express Entry Return? We are overdue for an Express Entry draw. All eyes are on IRCC to see if they will hold a general, program-specific (e.g., CEC-only), or category-based draw in the final days of October.
IRCC Statement on SUV? The news of a 10-year wait time is alarming. We will be watching to see if IRCC issues a statement to address the backlog or announces any new measures to manage the SUV inventory.
More PNP Action: We expect provinces like B.C., Manitoba, and Saskatchewan to continue their regular draw schedules.
Immigration Tip of the Week
In light of the OINP's compliance update, our tip this week is about due diligence. Before you hire anyone to represent your immigration application, you must verify their credentials. If they claim to be a Canadian consultant, search for their name or registration number on the public register of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). If they are not listed as "Active," they are not legally authorized to take your money or represent you.
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