Ottawa – The Canadian Armed Forces has launched sweeping reforms of its recruitment system as the military seeks to address a persistent shortage of personnel and meet ambitious growth targets.
Officials say the CAF has fallen short of staffing goals for years. According to a recent audit by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2025 the CAF recruited roughly 15,000 new members despite planning for about 19,700 — leaving a shortfall of approximately 4,700. Recruitment processing delays were significant; median time-to-recruit ranged between 245 and 271 days, well above target timelines of 100–150 days.
To reverse the trend, the CAF in early 2025 introduced a revised system that includes a probationary enrolment period in which recruits begin basic training while their full security clearance is still being completed. The Aptitude Test has been replaced by a new Scored Employment Application Form (SEAF) that assesses applicants’ education, leadership experience and life achievements — a shift from traditional exam-based selection. The CAF also relaxed its medical standards for certain conditions such as asthma, allergies, ADHD and anxiety, eliminating automatic disqualifications for some categories.
The recruitment push is occurring within the larger context of the CAF’s aim to rebuild its regular force to 71,500 members (with 30,000 in Reserve) by 2032, under the government’s defence strategy titled “Our North, Strong and Free.”
Signs of progress are emerging. For the fiscal year April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the CAF enrolled 6,706 new regular-force recruits — surpassing its target of 6,496 for the year and representing a 55 per cent increase over the previous year.
However, experts caution significant challenges remain. Retention continues to be a weak point. Military analyst David Fraser warned the CAF still faces a shortfall of roughly 16,000 personnel and needs to streamline training pipelines and modernize infrastructure to retain recruits and fully leverage growing intake.
As Canada’s defence posture expands amid global uncertainty, the CAF’s recruitment drive marks a pivotal effort to ensure the country’s military readiness and sovereignty.