Canada announced new pathways this week. It's also deporting 974 Nigerians.

Canada's immigration system can hold two things at once, and it wants you to see only one of them.

This week, IRCC announced new Express Entry categories for 2026 prioritising healthcare professionals, researchers, and French speakers. More provincial nominee spots. Better pathways for skilled workers already in Canada. The immigration minister said Canada is "going out into the world to recruit the people our country needs."

Simultaneously, the Canada Border Services Agency is deporting foreign nationals at the highest weekly rate in over a decade. Between January and October 2025, 366 Nigerians were removed. Another 974 are currently classified as "removal in progress," meaning they're waiting for their turn. Nigeria is the only African country in the top 10 deportation nationalities for 2025. Processing times for Nigerian applications have stretched from 8 to 11 weeks.

Neither story is wrong. They describe the same system from two different positions.

Canada's immigration system in 2026 isn't hostile to Nigerians. It's selective. If your profile matches what Canada needs this year: healthcare, STEM, French language, graduate research, the door is open and the pathway is real. BusinessDay's full breakdown of what changed is worth reading before you plan anything.

If your profile doesn't match, or if you're already there on a status that's expired or contested, the other part of the system is also operating. At the highest rate in a decade.

The question to ask isn't "can I go to Canada?" It's "which Canada am I applying to?"