Finding The "In-Canada" Focus: What The 2025 Data Shows

When the 2025 Immigration Levels Plan was released in 2024, one headline number caught everyone's attention: 82,980 admissions under an "in-Canada focus."

At the time, the government was clear that this focus would be driven largely through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), alongside some regional pathways. The message was straightforward, and energizing. Temporary residents already in Canada would be prioritized for permanent residence.

But when CEC invitations began rolling out in 2025 (or more the point, didn't!), the early optimism started to give way to confusion.

In total, only 35,850 ITAs were issued through CEC draws in 2025. And with recently released IRCC data, we know that just under 50,000 permanent residents were admitted via Canadian Experience Class last year.