Editors Pick

Highlights: IRCC set to invite 505,162 students in 2025 

• IRCC announced the cap for Canada study permit of 2025 on January 18, 2025.
• The Canadian government has capped study permits at 505,162 for 2025. 
• The new cap for Canada study permit will be effective from January 22 to December 31, 2025. 
• Candidates looking to renew their study permit at the same DLI and Temporary residency permit holders are exempt from the Canada Study permit processing cap.

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Canada Study Permit Processing Cap for 2025 

The IRCC processing target for study permit applications is set at 505,162, which is less than the 606,250 applications they processed last year. In 2024, IRCC approved 364,000 study permit applications, though it still has not approved the number of study permits it aimed to approve this year. 

According to the 2025-2027 Immigration Level Plans, IRCC will welcome 305,900 new students. This is not the approved number of study permits but the number of new international students IRCC aims to welcome to Canada yearly.
 

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Applicants who are exempt from the processing of Canada Study permit cap 

Under the new ministerial instructions, some applicants are exempt from the study permit cap; those applicants are: 

• Want to renew their study permit at the same DLI at the same level of study for which they are currently holding a permit.
• Subject to an unenforceable removal order as well as holder of a temporary resident permit that is valid for at least six months
• Who are: 

• Being sponsored by Canadian residents for immigration under land sponsorship 
• Are protected persons 
• Applied to become Canada PR and received an exemption order for a study permit 
• family member of the above-mentioned person 
• Applying to study at a DLI that is administered by a department and agency 
• Received scholarships for non-Canadians that are administered and funded by Global affair Canada
• Have been selected to participate in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot
• Living in Canada or entering Canada and applying under the provision of a public policy enacted by the federal immigration minister in response to a crisis or other pressure
• Exempt from the need to apply for a study permit as it is set out in Temporary public policy 
   

Difference between the applications that are processed and the applications that are approved

The total number of 505,162 applications set out for the cap represents the number of applications that would be processed by IRCC, not the applications that are approved. As the implementation of the international student cap is on January 22, 2024, IRCC opted to cap the number of study permit applications that will be processed. 

IRCC implemented the study permit to reduce the number of study permits and consider those already in Canada and those who will extend their status there. These are two points that IRCC considered before putting a processing cap, within which it will seek to meet the approvals target for the coming year. 
 

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Highlights: Europe in need of 1.2 Million Healthcare professionals

• A new initiative has been launched to address the ongoing workforce shortages of nurses across the EU countries.  
• As a part of this initiative, Europe requires nearly 1.2 million healthcare professionals.
• Europe has a huge demand for healthcare jobs, such as specialist doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, and general practitioners.  
• A report released by the WHO hints at a shortage of 18 million healthcare workers globally by 2030.

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EU Calls Out for 1.2 Million Healthcare Workers

European countries are facing workforce shortages, especially in the healthcare sector. To address this issue, Europe has announced an EU action. Under this new initiative, around 1.3 million healthcare workers will be invited by the European countries. The EU Action aims to bring many changes within the healthcare system over 36 months.
 

EU member states will team up with social partners, and nurse organizations will tailor the needs per the EU Action to suit national and subnational levels. As a part of the Action, new mentoring and training programs will be held for nurses, including self-assessments and other strategies that benefit the worker's well-being. 
 

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Top In-demand Healthcare Jobs in Europe

The European countries are looking to recruit nearly 1.2 million healthcare professionals.

Some of the most in-demand jobs healthcare jobs roles in Europe are as follows:

• Specialist medicals
• Generalist medical practitioners
• Nurses
• Healthcare assistants
• Midwives
• Physiotherapists
• Pharmacists
• Dentists
• Audiologists
• Speech therapists
   

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Top 7 EU Countries with a High Demand for Healthcare professionals

The Eurostat reports show that Norway had the highest overall number of nursing graduates in 2020, with nearly 75 nurses per 100,000 inhabitants. Other EU countries, such as Denmark and Sweden, registered a high number of nursing graduates per 100,000 inhabitant, with 44.1 and 43.5 per 100,000 individuals, respectively.
 

European countries have a high demand for healthcare workers, including nurses, medical practitioners, specialized doctors, etc. However, according to the EURES report of 2023, the seven EU countries with a high workforce shortage in the healthcare sector are listed below:
 

1. Switzerland
2. Norway
3. Germany
4. Ireland
5. Austria
6. Denmark
7. Netherlands

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Highlights: UK Government Announces Plans of Hiking Immigration Fees for Skilled Workers  

• The UK Government has suggested major changes to the UK Immigration fees.
• If implemented, the UK immigration fees for skilled workers will increase this year.
• The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee under the Skilled Worker Pathway will increase to £525 from the current £239.
• Official approval of the proposed immigration costs has yet to be finalized by the UK Parliament.

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UK Immigration Fees May Increase in 2025

The UK government has announced plans to hike immigration costs for skilled workers. Proposals were submitted to the UK Parliament, and official approval is pending.

Some of the proposals suggested for the increase in the UK immigration fee include the following:

• The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fee, which is to be paid by the UK employer sponsoring a foreign worker via the UK Skilled Worker Pathway, will increase to £525.
• An additional fee could be imposed on the cost of applying for UK citizenship.

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How will the Immigration Fee hike Impact the UK?

The proposals to increase the immigration fees have yet to be accepted by the UK parliament; however, if and when implemented, it is expected to generate revenue of £269 million. The government aims to cut down the cost of taxpayers through the fee increment. The government had also recently confirmed that UK employers must bear the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) cost for the foreign nationals they are sponsoring. The increased UK immigration fees will also impact the cost of recruiting foreign talent, creating a financial constriction for employers in the UK.

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Highlights: Saudi Arabia Updates Work Visa Rules for Indians

• Saudi Arabia has announced changes to the work visa policy for Indian applicants.
• The changes came into effect starting January 1, 2025.
• According to the new rules, Indians applying for an employment visa must complete the pre-verification of academic and professional qualifications.
• Reports suggest that the new change was announced to align with the Vision 2030 initiative to boost the country’s labor sector.

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Saudi Arabia Announces New Work Visa Requirement for Indian workers

Saudi Arabia has announced a new work visa requirement for Indian workers looking to work there. Indians applying for an employment visa in Saudi Arabia must now clear the re-verification process of credentials, including both academic and professional. The new rule is to promote the country's labor sector while maintaining its standards. According to reports, the new requirement for a work visa is to further support the Vision 2030 Initiative.

More than 2.4 million Indians are currently employed in Saudi Arabia, making up the second-largest group of expats. Over 2 million Indians are spread across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman. The new verification process aims to maintain the inflow of workers, sustain the high labor market standards, and deal with the limited training centers.

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Documents Required for a Saudi Work Visa

You must gather the following documents to apply for a Saudi employment visa:

• Valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months
• Visa application form
• Two copies of the recent passport-sized photographs
• A signed job contract
• Academic transcripts
• Work experience certificates
• Medical certificate
• Criminal clearance certificate

How to Apply for a Saudi Work Visa?

You can follow the below steps to apply for a Saudi Work visa:

Step 1: Secure a job offer in Saudi Arabia

Step 2: Receive an invitation letter issued by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Step 3: Arrange the documents required for the visa

Step 4: Apply at the nearest Saudi consulate

Step 5: Wait for the visa status

Step 6: Fly to Saudi Arabia and obtain a residency permit (Iqama) within 90 days.

Saudi Work Visa Costs and Processing Time 

The cost of applying for a Saudi work visa depends on the type and duration of entry.

The table below has the complete fee breakdown for a Saudi work visa:

The processing time for a Saudi work visa takes around 1-3 weeks.  

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Highlights: What changes will occur in Express Entry in 2025? 

• Canada has decided to implement changes in Express Entry’s overall immigration program in 2025.
• Express Entry removed the CRS points, which will no longer be awarded to valid job offers. 
• Federal Economic Priorities and In-Canada Focus replace the Federal High skilled allocations. 
• Canada has increased the targeted number of admissions under the Federal economic programs to 124,590 in 2025.

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Changes that will occur in Express Entry in 2025 

 Increases in the Express Entry overall immigration targets 

Express Entry will notice a relative increase in its share of overall immigration targets. The Federal government increased the target number of admissions under the Federal economic programs to 124,590 landings. This increase is accompanied by a 20 percent reduction in the overall immigration level compared to the 2024 targets. This shift allows the federal government to control more than the 2024 targets. This shift allows the federal government to have more control over immigration with fewer admissions processed through Provincial and regional immigration pathways. 

Express Entry will play a more prominent role in Canada’s immigration system in 2025 as Federal High skilled (FHA) allocations that fall under Express Entry make up a significant portion of the immigration targets. 
 

“No” more CRS points for Job offer 

As announced earlier, there will be a significant change in spring 2025: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points will no longer be awarded for valid job offers. Candidates in the Express Entry Draw can either receive 50 or 200 additional points if they have a valid job offer (based on their level of job offer). This removal is a temporary measure, but IRCC has not specified it yet. 

Candidates currently receiving valid job offer points need to boost their scores by relying on human capital factors scored by the CRS, such as language proficiency or work experience. 

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Federal Economic Priorities and In-Canada Focus will replace Federal High Skilled for allocations 

Canada’s annual allocation for immigrants admitted through Express Entry was designated under the FHS allocations. The allocation under FHS in 2025 is being replaced and divided into two new subcategories under the Immigration level plan: 

• Federal Economic Priorities 
• In-Canada Focus

These two new subcategories mark a significant shift in which the candidates will be selected for permanent residency:

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Emphasis on different category-based selections 

IRCC is expected to focus more on Express Entry Draw on category-based selections in 2025 that align with Canada’s labor market priorities (through the Federal Economic priorities) allocations at the annual Immigration level. According to the 2025-2027 Immigration level plans, IRCC has designed to prioritize designated categories in 2025, such as: 

• Healthcare occupations
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations;
• Trades occupations
• Transport occupations
• Agriculture and Agri-food occupations
• French language proficiency

IRCC plans to conduct more of these draws in 2025 due to the priority sectors designated under the Federal Priorities allocations. In 2025, the French proficiency category will continue to have a key focus, as it did in 2024. Canada is also planning to increase Francophone immigration outside Quebec.

Canada has set a target of 8.5 percent of total new admissions for the French proficiency category, which will rise to 9.5 percent in 2026.

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