Exchange in Canada 2025: Key Immigration Changes You Need to Know

The past month and the last few weeks brought a series of important news for those who are planning to study, work, or immigrate to Canada. Between June and early July, the Canadian government announced significant changes that directly impact the lives of international students, foreign workers, and candidates for permanent residence.

If you're planning for Canada, these recent updates could be decisive for your next strategies. We've prepared a complete overview of the main changes so you can keep up to date and make the best decisions.

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French-speaking target grows to 12% by 2029

At the beginning of June, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced a change that puts French in even more evidence in the Canadian immigration scene. The new target states that 12% of immigration outside Quebec must be French-speaking by 2029, a significant increase compared to the current 8.5%.

This change represents a valuable window of opportunity for Brazilians who are fluent in French. Language is becoming an increasingly important differential in the selection processes, something that many candidates have not yet fully realized. For those who have mastered or are considering Learn about the importance of bilingualism, this is definitely the time to accelerate your studies.

What this means in practice: French-speaking immigration programs will have more vacancies available and may offer more streamlined processes for qualified candidates.

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Regional programs update lists of priority occupations

The communities of Greater Sudbury (Ontario) and West Kootenay (British Columbia) recently released their updated lists of priority sectors and occupations for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) programs.

Featured sectors now include:

• Cheers
• upbringing
• Commerce and Transportation
• Natural and Applied Sciences
• Business, Finance, and Administration

These regional programs represent interesting alternatives for professionals who prefer to start their Canadian journey outside major urban centers. For many Brazilians, especially those who come from smaller cities, explore provinces like Saskatchewan and Manitoba it may be a much more feasible and less competitive strategy.

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New Brunswick significantly expands its provincial program

The province of New Brunswick was positively surprised to announce a substantial increase in its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominations. The jump from 2,750 to 4,250 nominations in 2025 represents a growth of more than 50%, demonstrating the province's commitment to attracting international talent.

The priority areas remain focused on essential sectors such as health, education and civil construction. For Brazilian professionals in these areas, New Brunswick may represent a strategic gateway, especially for those who are analyzing The best cities to study in Canada as a first step.

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New salary values for LMIA are now in effect

Since the end of June, new minimum wage values determine whether a position is classified as high-wage or low-wage in the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. To understand the impact, it is important to know that the LMIA is an authorization that Canadian employers must obtain before hiring foreign workers, proving that there are no Canadians available for the vacancy.

How the classification works:

• High-wage: Wages up of the provincial and territorial median wage for the occupation
• Low-wage: Wages under of the provincial and territorial median wage for the occupation

Why it matters to you:

High-wage positions offer:

• Faster processes (generally 10 business days)
• Fewer restrictions for the employer
• Easier for renovations
• More direct paths to permanent residence

Low-wage positions have:

• Longer processes (up to 6 months)
• More requirements for the employer (such as evidencing local recruitment efforts)
• Restrictions on length of employment
• Additional housing and transportation requirements

Practical example: A software engineer in Toronto with a salary of CAD $85,000 (above the median) would follow the high-wage flow, while an administrative assistant with CAD $35,000 (below the median) would follow the low-wage flow.

This change has a direct impact on job opportunities in promising areas of Canada, especially in technical and specialized sectors where salaries tend to be more competitive and, therefore, classified as high-wage.

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Ontario modernizes processes with new employer portal

Since July 1st, the Ontario Nomination Program (OINP) has been operating under a completely renewed system. The new Employer Portal centralizes the submission of vacancies and employer data, promising more efficiency and transparency in the processes.

Main new features of the system:

• Single platform: All submissions now take place in a centralized location
• In-person interviews: They may be mandatory in specific cases
• More flexibility: Possibility to return applications before the appointment, with a refund

A particularly interesting change benefits early childhood educators. Early childhood education professionals (NOC 42202) who are members of the College of Early Childhood Educators no longer need to meet minimum education requirements in the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) or French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) categories.

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Alert for future students: increase in financial evidence

Attention: Starting next September 1st, the minimum amount of financial proof for study visas will increase to CAD$22,895 per year for the main student.

There is still time for those who wish to apply with the current amounts, but the deadline is rapidly approaching. For families who are organizing the entire essential documentation for exchange students in Canada, anticipating the application can represent significant savings.

Strategic tip: If your plans include studying in Canada and you already have basic documentation ready, consider accelerating the process to take advantage of current values.

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Drama and relief with the PGWP rules

The end of June and the beginning of July were intense for those planning to obtain the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). On June 25, several areas of study were removed from the list of eligible programs, causing widespread concern. Fortunately, on July 4th, these areas were reincorporated and will remain valid until early 2026.

For those who applied between 25/06 and 04/07: Your courses are still valid for PGWP purposes. This situation reinforces the importance of constantly check the eligibility of your course for PGWP, since the rules can change quickly.

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Express Entry: Deadline is coming

The Express Entry system updated the minimum proof of funds values, and candidates from the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) categories have up to July 28th (i.e., less than two weeks from today) to update your profiles.

Urgent: If you have an active Express Entry profile, check immediately if you need to make updates. Failure to update within the deadline may affect your eligibility, although the original submission date is preserved to maintain your ranking position.

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How to take advantage of these changes to your advantage

With so many recent changes, strategic preparation is more important than ever. Some practical actions for the coming months:

1. Monitor weekly updates for the programs you are interested in
2. Invest in French if you are not yet fluent in the language - it may be your differential
3. Consider smaller provinces as strategic alternatives to large centers
4. Speed up pending processes to take advantage of more favorable rules
5. Keep documentation always up to date and ready for quick submission

The changes this mid-year show a Canada that continues to refine its selection criteria, keeping its doors open to qualified talent, but with increasingly specific and strategic processes. For well-prepared candidates, these updates represent concrete opportunities for success.

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Be Easy

Keeping up with all of these changes and understanding how they affect your specific case can be challenging, but you don't have to navigate those waters alone. A Be Easy constantly monitors Canadian government updates and adapts our strategies in real time to maximize your chances of success. Our specialized team offers personalized and up-to-date guidance, from choosing the most appropriate program to fully monitoring the process. Contact us today and transform these recent changes into concrete opportunities for your future in Canada!