US pauses immigration from nineteen nations, i..e, on December 2, 2025, the Trump administration placed an indefinite stop on processing immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries the US calls “high risk.”
This pause also includes green card applications, meaning people from these countries, like Haiti, Somalia, and Venezuela, who were waiting for US permanent residence will now see their files stuck without a clear timeline.
Skilled workers from the affected countries may want to look at Canada’s Express Entry system, which continues to accept applications from all nationalities, with no bans or restrictions.
Which Countries Are Included In The US Pause?
Expand the list below to see the full list of countries impacted by the US freeze.
Impacted Countries
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Burundi
- Chad
- Cuba
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Republic of the Congo
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
- Yemen
How To Be Considered Under Canada’s Express Entry?
As the US pauses immigration from nineteen nations, let us see how you can be considered under Express Entry.
Well, Express Entry is Canada’s main system used to pick skilled workers for permanent residence (PR).
You cannot apply directly for PR through Express Entry. Instead, you must receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Government of Canada.
To enter the Express Entry pool, you must first meet the eligibility rules for one of these three programs:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Note: CEC applicants must have at least one year of skilled Canadian work experience in the last three years.
Canada ranks all candidates inside the pool using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS assigns points for your:
- Age
- Education
- Language ability (English or French)
- Canadian and foreign work experience
The CRS can give you up to 1,200 points.
Well, Canada regularly holds Express Entry draws to invite the highest-ranked candidates to apply for PR.
You can still get an ITA with a lower CRS score if you qualify for a category-based draw, which often has lower cut-offs. This can be especially helpful for candidates without Canadian work experience or a provincial nomination.
In 2025, most draws have been program-specific or category-based.
Note: If you receive a provincial nomination (PNP), you get 600 extra CRS points, which almost guarantees an invitation. However, many PNPs require you to show a strong link to the province, such as past study or work there.
What Are Category-Based Draws?
Category-based draws focus on candidates who match Canada’s economic and labour market goals. These categories are chosen by the immigration minister and IRCC.
Canada currently has six categories, including five occupation-focused categories and one French-language category:
- Healthcare and social services
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
- Trade
- Agriculture and agri-food
- Education
- French-language proficiency
To qualify for an occupational category, you must:
- Already be eligible for Express Entry, and
- Have at least six months of continuous, full-time or equivalent part-time work in one eligible occupation within the last three years (inside or outside Canada).
Moreover, to qualify for a French-language draw, you must score NCLC 7 or higher in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Category-based draws normally have lower CRS scores than other draw types. They also account for most ITAs issued in 2025 so far, i.e., 60,250 out of 94,476.
IRCC may add three new occupational categories in 2026:
- Leadership and management
- Research and academia
- Military personnel
Below is a table showing CRS cut-offs in 2025 by draw type.
| Draw Type | Number Of Draws | CRS Cut-Off Scores | Number Of ITAs Issued |
| French-language proficiency | 8 | 379–481 | 42,000 |
| Canadian Experience Class | 13 | 518–547 | 24,850 |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 22 | 699–855 | 9,376 |
| Healthcare and social services | 6 | 462–510 | 13,500 |
| Education | 2 | 462–479 | 3,500 |
| Trade | 1 | 505 | 1,250 |
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