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Immigration Department helping Canadian military recruit foreign military members

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan waits to appear before the Standing Committee on National Defence (NDDN) on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025.

HALIFAX — The head of Canadian Armed Forces says a policy aimed at attracting highly skilled foreign military members is getting a boost from the federal Immigration Department as the military scrambles to fill jobs amid a protracted personnel shortage.

Gen. Jenni Carignan, chief of defence staff, said Monday the military already has a program in place to attract military members with specialized skills, including pilots who already know how to fly F-35 fighter jets, which Canada is in the process of buying from the United States.

Carignan gave the example of a fighter pilot from the Netherlands who wants to move to Canada, saying the federal Immigration Department would now offer some help.

“We are going to be looking for F-35 pilots,” Carignan told a group of journalists in Halifax after she concluded a day of visiting the port city’s military sites.

“With our colleagues from Immigration ... we are able to put a bit of a spotlight on specific capabilities or individuals with skills that we are looking for as well.”

The general also highlighted the military’s need to attract more maritime technicians as the Royal Canadian Navy is poised to expand its fleet with the introduction of new, river-class destroyers.

Carignan said the military is keen to attract technicians from NATO countries or members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. ...

Last week, Immigration Minister Lena Diab added three new permanent residency streams to Canada’s express entry program, which cover a variety of professions including military roles._

Ottawa is also introducing a new express entry stream for foreign military applicants who have been recruited by the Canadian Armed Forces to serve as doctors, nurses and pilots. ...

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2026.

- CTV -