IRCC launches new pathway to Canada PR for Construction Workers

Surya Rathee
[Published 11 Mar, 2025 | 04:18 AM]
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced major changes to support Canada’s construction. Now, Canada's immigration department is -

• Reserving 6,000 spots for undocumented construction workers and
• Allowing qualified temporary workers to study in apprenticeship programs.

Marc Miller, Minister of IRCC, announced these changes in a press conference in Woodbridge, Ontario, on March 7, 2025. He said, "We’ll allow qualified, foreign workers who register for apprenticeships to study without a permit, so more of them can contribute to our communities now, as they develop the skills they need for the future." Before this change, foreign nationals needed study permits to enroll in apprenticeships. Additionally, most foreign nationals were not permitted to apply for Study Permits while staying in Canada.

The government has not yet announced when the changes regarding permanent residency spaces or the new pathways will take effect. They also have not provided details on the eligibility criteria for the construction worker permanent residence pathway.

Miller also announced the formation of an advisory council to guide federal government policies on construction. This council will include representatives from the government, unions, and industry employers and is expected to convene as early as next week. The council will offer insights on prevailing wages and the number of foreign construction workers Canada will admit.

Additionally, Miller stated that up to 14,000 foreign construction workers may be admitted to Canada. However, he did not specify whether they would enter through permanent pathways, temporary pathways, or a combination of both.

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Why the changes?

Canada’s construction sector has been struggling with ongoing labour shortages, which have worsened the country’s housing supply crisis and made affordability even more challenging.

According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, an additional 6 million homes must be built by 2030 to restore affordability. However, a lack of skilled workers continues to slow construction efforts. Canada has been unable to train and replace construction workers at the necessary rate - leading the country to rely on immigration to fill these gaps.

At the press conference, Minister Miller emphasized this reality, stating, “As hard as we try, we cannot train them [skilled trades and construction workers] here in Canada.” Currently, immigrants make up 23% of all general contractors and residential builders in the sector, according to Statistics Canada. Miller further explained that the policy changes aim to address the shortcomings of existing immigration pathways, which have not brought in enough skilled tradespeople to meet Canada’s labour market and housing demands.

Changes to Express Entry categories

On 27 February 2025, the IRCC also made recent changes to Express Entry categories. In addition to making trade occupations a priority category for Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Express Entry Program, the immigration department also added 19 new occupations to the category, expanding it significantly. Among the added occupations were several construction occupations, including:

• Construction managers
• Construction estimators
• Bricklayers
• Roofers and shinglers
• Floor covering installers
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)

Prior measures for out-of-status construction workers

The new pathway announced today for out-of-status construction workers builds on previous measures introduced by IRCC to support this group.

Back in January 2020, IRCC launched a temporary public policy allowing construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who lost their work status to apply for Canada PR. This policy was extended several times but will expire on December 31, 2024.

The initiative was introduced to address Canada's ongoing labour shortages in the construction sector and to acknowledge the contributions of these workers. As of November 2024, approximately 1,365 out-of-status construction workers, including both principal applicants and their dependents, have obtained permanent residence through this pathway.

Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027

Housing concerns have continued to be a central issue in Canada.

When announcing the Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027, both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller cited housing supply as one of the key reasons for the government’s decision to reduce immigration levels for permanent residents, temporary residents, international students and foreign workers. Minister Miller theorized at that time that the reduction of temporary residents would free up an additional 670,000 housing units - which would eliminate the need for further investment.

The creation of the "In-Canada Focus" category within Canada's federal immigration system was also primarily driven by housing supply challenges. This category prioritizes candidates who are already in Canada and have Canadian work experience, allowing them to apply for Canada PR. Through this initiative, IRCC aims to meet its permanent resident landing goals without increasing housing demands by introducing new people to the Canadian population.

For 2025, the immigration department has set a target of 82,890 new immigrants to be welcomed under the "In-Canada Focus" category.

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Read More: Canada Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027

Source: canada.ca