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John Oh, 25, came to Canada when he was 9. Now, he has graduated from university, and is working as a building technology designer. He is preparing to apply for permanent residency (PR). Oh was able to stay in the country under his parents’ visas. When he turned 18, he obtained a study permit and went on to complete his university education. He currently holds a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
“The whole purpose of getting PR is definitely stability,” he said.
Canada granted permanent residence to approximately 393,500 people in 2025, a nearly 19 per cent decrease from the previous year. The decline followed three consecutive annual increases: admissions rose from about 406,000 in 2021 to 437,600 in 2022, 471,800 in 2023 and 483,700 in 2024, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. These totals include all permanent-residence categories, not just Express Entry.
Oh said he is hoping changes to the Express Entry system, taking effect Nov. 3, will improve his chances of obtaining permanent residency. The changes place greater weight on relevant Canadian work experience and job offers in certain high-wage occupations.
He worked full-time in his field for two-and-a-half years. If he is unable to obtain permanent residency, he will have to return to South Korea to complete his mandatory military service.
“[If I go back to Korea] I have to get a new job, and create my own new social network and everything,” he said.
Manan Gupta, president of Skylake Immigration and a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, said receiving additional points does not necessarily guarantee an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency.
“You’re still just sitting in the pool,” Gupta said.
26-year-old Dana Lee is not in a high-wage occupation but plans to pursue permanent residency through a different strategy.
Lee came to Canada eight years ago to attend university and graduated from the University of Waterloo to work as a data engineer for the past two years.
“There are ways to increase your score by gaining more work experience, but as time goes by, there is also the risk of reaching the end of your authorized stay in Canada,” she said.
Lee said she is considering moving to Alberta in hopes of improving her chances of obtaining permanent residence. Alberta’s Accelerated Tech Pathway allows eligible candidates who are working full-time in Alberta or have a qualifying job offer from an eligible Alberta tech employer to be considered for provincial nomination, provided they meet other program requirements.
“I want to keep my options open so that returning to South Korea when my visa expires isn’t my only choice, and so I can continue staying in Canada,” she said.
Mehakdeep Singh is an advocate with Naujawan Support Network, a GTA group of immigrant workers and international students. The network organizes against wage theft and workplace exploitation and campaigns for work-permit extensions and pathways to permanent residence. In a phone interview, Singh discussed the difficulties faced by people seeking permanent residence.
His advocacy predates the latest announcement. Reporting from 2024 documents his arrival from India in 2018, his studies in heating and air conditioning at Fleming College in Peterborough, and subsequent work in security and as a baker in North Bay.
Singh also participated in Brampton protests in 2024 calling for work-permit extensions and clearer routes to permanent residence. The network’s broader organizing includes supporting immigrant workers and international students facing exploitation.
On their website, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) writes that candidates seeking qualifying job-offer points should update their profiles before Nov. 3. Existing profiles will be recalculated when the changes take effect, with invitation rounds paused during a process that could take up to two weeks.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
Reporter, OTR, F2026.
