Canada Introduces A New Route For Construction Workers for PR

To help Canada’s construction industry, the immigration department has made significant changes. These are the most significant adjustments.

• Setting aside immigration slots for a maximum of 6000 undocumented construction workers in Canada.
• Giving temporary foreign workers who meet the requirements to participate in apprenticeship programs without needing a study permit.

These changes were announced on March 7, 2025, at a press conference in Woodbridge, Ontario by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The federal government will permit qualified foreign workers who register for apprentices to study without a permit, Miller stated with effect from March 7, 2025. Foreign nationals would need study permits to apply for apprenticeships prior to this change. Applying for study permits from within Canada is illegal for most foreign nationals.

The government did not disclose the eligibility requirements for the construction worker permanent residence pathway, nor did it specify when the new pathways or changes pertaining to permanent residency spaces will be put into effect. Miller also announced the establishment of an advisory council to help shape federal construction policy. Miller said the advisory council, which will include government union and business employer representatives, will begin meeting as early as next week.

Regarding prevailing wages and the number of foreign workers Canada will accept in the construction industry, the council will offer suggestions. Up to 14,000 foreign national construction workers could be allowed entry into Canada, Miller added. He made no mention of whether they would be admitted through temporary, permanent or a combination of pathways. For construction field apprentices with valid work permits, the IRCC has released the requirements for eligibility for the study permit exemption.

Justification for These Modifications

Canada’s construction industry has been plagued by ongoing labor shortages during a housing supply shortage, which has made it more difficult for the nation to construct new homes and exacerbated issues with domestic affordability. To restore housing affordability, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation projected that 6 million more homes would need to be built by 2030, highlighting the need for qualified workers in the construction industry.

An important factor in Canada’s decision to turn to immigration to bring in more skilled tradespeople and construction workers is the country’s ongoing labor shortage, which shows that the country is unable to train and resupply its domestic labor pool.

According to Statistics Canada, immigrants make up 23% of all general contractors and residential builders in Canada’s residential construction industry. Miller went on to explain that one of the main reasons for the changes that were announced today was that the existing routes for bringing skilled tradespeople to Canada were insufficient in terms of housing and labor market demand.

Recent Modifications to Express Entry’s Trade Category

Significant modifications to the Express Entry system’s categories were made by the IRCC on February 27, 2025, to reflect the department’s goal of inviting newcomers who can support Canada’s construction industry to apply for permanent residence. Not only did the immigration department designate trade occupations as a priority category for invitations to apply (ITAs) under the Express Entry system, but it also expanded the category by adding 19 professions.

Several construction-related jobs were among the additional occupations, including:

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

Prior Actions Taken for Construction Workers Who Were Not in Status

Today’s announcement of a regularization pathway for construction workers who are not in status seeks to expand on earlier policies the IRCC set up for this group. Construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who had lost their work status were given the opportunity to apply for and possibly obtain Canadian permanent residence in January 2020 when the IRCC first put forth a temporary public policy. Before it finally expired on December 31, 2024, this policy was extended several times.

Given the systemic labor shortages in Canada’s construction industry and the value these workers bring to the sector, this policy was put into place. Approximately 1365 out-of-status construction workers including principal applicants and their dependents were granted permanent residence via this pathway as of November 2024.

Immigration Levels Plan for 2025–2027

Concerns about housing have remained a major issue in Canada and have significantly influenced the immigration scene there.

Housing supply was mentioned by both immigration minister Miller and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the announcement of the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan as a major factor in the government’s decision to lower immigration levels for both temporary residents (such as foreign workers and students) and permanent residents.

At the time, Minister Miller conjectured that the anticipated decrease in temporary residents would free up an extra 670,000 housing units, increasing the nation’s supply of available housing without requiring additional funding.

Issues with housing supply also played a major role in the establishment of Canada’s In-Canada Focus category for federal immigration allocation. Candidates who are currently in Canada and have Canadian work experience are given preference when it comes to being invited to apply for permanent residence. The IRCC intends to create this category to reach its goal of landing permanent residents without increasing housing pressures by bringing in a new population. Through the In-Canada Focus target, the immigration department intends to land 82,890 new immigrants in 2025.