With the inauguration of Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney in the spring of 2025, Rachel Bendayan MP has been appointed as the country's new Minister of Immigration, heralding a structural reorganization of the immigration system. The appointment provides a window into how the Canadian government will screen and accept immigrants going forward. In this column, I'd like to shed some light on the policy direction the new immigration minister will take. 

 Rachel Bendayan is the Member of Parliament for Outremont, Quebec, and is an expert in international trade law with a background in international development and law. With a solid background in both law and politics, she is expected to bring a methodical and analytical approach to policy, especially given her Quebec background, which could lead to more targeted selection of French-speaking immigrants in the future.

 The broad outlines of the policy direction will likely continue to build on the foundation laid by his predecessor, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration. During his tenure, Miller introduced a number of regulatory policies to address the housing shortage, rising cost of living, and social integration issues that have resulted from the rapidly growing immigrant population, including the implementation of a cap on the number of international students, limiting the issuance of LMIAs in major metropolitan areas, tightening PGWP conditions, restricting spousal open work permits, and revamping the Express Entry scoring system. All of these reflect a commitment to targeting permanent residency to high-demand occupations, with a focus on domestic residents.

This is expected to continue under Bendayan, and is likely to be refined in a more sophisticated and destination-oriented manner. In particular, the preference for French-speaking immigrants is likely to become more pronounced, reflecting the Minister's Quebec background. The French-speaking category within Express Entry will become more selective, and scores on French language proficiency tests such as the TEF and TCF will play a significant role in immigration outcomes.

We also expect to see an expansion of the permanent residency conversion policy for temporary residents already in Canada. PGWP holders, Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) workers, and those working in essential occupations such as construction and healthcare will be targeted, in an effort to prioritize the settlement of talent already here over new international arrivals.

In addition, international student policies are likely to be tightened. The criteria for Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) will become more stringent, and the financial proof requirements for tuition and living expenses will be increased. In addition, some private schools may not be eligible for the PGWP, so those considering immigrating after studying abroad will need to be more careful in choosing their school and program of study.

The Work Permit policy is also expected to continue with tighter employer requirements and LMIA screening criteria, which will make it more difficult to hire foreigners, especially in low-skilled occupations, while opening up more pathways to permanent residency for high-skilled occupations. 

Express Entry will also remain high-scoring, while category-based selection will be strengthened. Invitations through provincial nominations will be stronger, as evidenced by recent selections, and will be more centered on specific occupations such as French, education, technology, healthcare and social work, which have been identified as priority areas for selection this year.

Immigration to Canada is shifting away from its traditional broad and open character and becoming increasingly strategic and selective. It's no longer just about scoring points, but also about meeting multiple factors such as occupation, language skills, and previous experience in Canada. The answer to immigrating to Canada now seems to be precise, targeted, and sophisticated preparation. If you're considering immigrating to Canada, we recommend that you keep a close eye on the changing policy landscape and create a strategy that fits your conditions and goals. Canada is still open to possibilities and opportunities. It's just that it will take more preparation and judgment to seize those opportunities.