The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) announced on Friday that permanent residents will now be allowed to enlist, as the military struggles with low recruitment levels. Previously, permanent residents were only eligible under the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) entry program, which was "open to individuals ... that would reduce training costs or meet special needs ... such as a trained pilot or doctor," according to the Royal United Services Institute in Nova Scotia, a non-profit association for retired and active members of the CAF.

This move also comes five years after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced it would change its "outdated recruitment process," which would allow permanent residents who have lived in Canada for 10 years to apply.

The CAF also sounded the alarm in September about the severe shortage of recruits to fill thousands of vacancies, meeting about half the number of applicants it needs monthly to meet its goal of adding 5,900 members this year.

While the Armed Forces did not specify whether the latest step was taken to boost recruitment, Christian Leuprecht, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, says it makes sense. Leuprecht told CTVNews.ca on Saturday in an email, "In the past, the CAF had the luxury of limiting itself to citizens because it had enough applicants. This is no longer the case. The CAF also resisted opening the ranks to permanent residents because it already creates additional burdens and risks, such as security clearances." However, he points out that recruiting non-citizens is not new at all, arguing that many other countries have been doing so for years, adding: "Countries like France use military service as a fast track to citizenship; but since it is relatively easy for permanent residents to obtain Canadian citizenship, it is not clear that this will provide a significant incentive in the Canadian case."

In March, Minister of National Defense Anita Anand said the Canadian Armed Forces need to grow if they want to meet the global demands raised by Russia's ongoing unjustified invasion of Ukraine, stating: "Time is critical in everything we do when so much is at stake for Canada and the world." The minister also added at a press conference at that time: "We face the greatest threat to international peace and stability since the end of World War II. What can a country like ours, an incredible country like ours, bring to the table?"