Foreign home care workers in Canada are facing potential employment gaps after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarified that applicants under the Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots are not eligible for bridging open work permits. The exclusion means applicants cannot rely on a BOWP to keep working while their permanent residence applications are processed and may need to find another way to maintain their temporary status and work authorization as existi

The Ontario Government has updated regulations for Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program to restrict financial support to legal Canadian residents. Effective immediately, the amended rules under the Ontario Works Act and the Ontario Disability Support Program Act exclude individuals residing in Canada without legal status. Temporary residents, including international students, temporary workers, and tourists, are also ineligible for these social assistance

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) updated its guidance for the Rural Entrepreneur, Graduate Entrepreneur, and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur streams on August 12, 2026. The new details clarify how program officers assess the existing economic establishment requirement during the application and monitoring phases. Official eligibility criteria remain unchanged. Applicants with files currently under review will have a chance to provide extra information if concern

The Government of New Brunswick has secured nearly $10 million in federal funding through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program to help internationally trained professionals integrate into the provincial workforce. Distributed across WorkingNB, post-secondary relations, and Skilled Trades NB, the funding targets critical shortages in health care, engineering, skilled trades, and education. Planned initiatives include wage subsidies for 100 internationally educated nurses

Canadian employment increased by 75,000 jobs in July 2026, raising the national employment rate to 60.9%. Figures from Statistics Canada show the unemployment rate fell to 6.4%, reaching its lowest level in two years. Job growth was led by core-aged women, with significant gains across wholesale and retail trade, financial services, and construction. Private sector employment added 58,000 positions, while self-employment grew by 44,000. Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, an

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued an operational update regarding open work permits for permanent residence applicants under LMIA exemption code A70. The revised guidance reorganizes processing instructions under Section R207 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Separate instructions now cover spouses and common-law partners, protected persons, applicants approved on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and eligible family members in

On August 7, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the average LMIA processing time has increased for all streams except the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Permanent Residence Stream. Global Talent Stream - 10 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 23 business days (+1 day) Seasonal

On August 7, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the first round of invitations in the Express Entry system for newcomers with work experience in transport occupations. Express Entry draw #434 was the fourth consecutive draw of the week, and 300 Invitations to Apply (ITA) were issued to skilled workers with work experience in the transport sector. The cut-off score was 470 points. The tie-breaking rule for this round was October 11, 2025, at 14:55:4

On August 6, 2026, British Columbia held new invitation rounds under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), targeting five priority occupation categories. The province invited 183 early childhood educators; 124 candidates in all priority health care occupations; up to five candidates working in the education sector; 187 candidates in all priority construction occupations; and six candidates in priority veterinary care occupations. The veterinary draw was ope

Nova Scotia will introduce non-refundable application fees for the Nova Scotia Nominee Program starting September 1, 2026. The new structure sets a $1,000 fee for worker streams, including Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia Graduate, and Nova Scotia: Express Entry, while the Entrepreneur stream fee will be $2,000. Submitting an Expression of Interest remains free, and fees only apply once a candidate is selected from the EOI pool for assessment. Candidates selected on or after Septe

An evaluation report published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) found that the federal Self-Employed Persons Program is no longer fit for purpose. Designed as a permanent residence pathway for world-class athletes and cultural talent, the program has been hindered by vague eligibility criteria, high refusal rates averaging 69%, and a processing backlog exceeding ten years. Application intake was paused in April 2024 and extended indefinitely in December

The Government of Ontario has officially opened the Expression of Interest portal for the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream. Replacing eight former nomination pathways, the new stream allows eligible foreign workers with an Ontario job offer and self-employed physicians to register for provincial nomination. The stream features three distinct pathways covering TEER 0–3 occupations, TEER 4–5 roles, and self-employed physicians billing through OHIP. Uninvited profiles submi

Canadian post-secondary institutions are refining their international recruitment strategies to navigate shifting student mobility in India. Policy changes, higher visa rejection rates, and reduced immigration incentives have led many prospective Indian applicants to explore alternative study destinations. While demand across major urban centres has softened, India’s expanding middle class in smaller tier-two and tier-three cities presents new recruitment opportunities. To ma

On July 30, 2026, the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation et Integration (MIFI) published the results of the 86th invitation round in Quebec’s online system Arrima, which were conducted on July 30, 2026. MIFI invited 105 candidates under Stream 1 (Highly qualified and specialized skills), 296 candidates under Stream 2 (Intermediate and manual skills), 110 candidates under Stream 3 (Regulated professions), and 12 candidates under Stream 4 (Exceptional talent). So far,

Saskatchewan has allocated at least 750 provincial immigration nominations in 2026 for graduates of local designated learning institutions who secure job offers in key economic sectors. Under updated Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) guidance, eligibility relies on the employer’s operational sector rather than the applicant’s specific field of study. Qualifying industries include healthcare, agriculture, technology, skilled trades, energy, mining, and manufacturin

The Government of Yukon has issued a General Declaration of Need to streamline licensing for internationally trained family physicians. Under the new Limited A pathway, qualified doctors from the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia can receive a licence from the Yukon Medical Council without undergoing additional practice assessments or supervision. Issued under the Medical Profession Act, this initiative reduces administrative barriers for foreign-trained p

On July 24, 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) published updated enforcement statistics showing that 10,607 inadmissible individuals were removed from Canada between January 1 and June 30, 2026. Quebec recorded the highest number of enforced removals at 5,467, followed by the Greater Toronto Area with 2,674, the Pacific Region with 906, and the Prairie Region with 839. Most removals involved immigration non-compliance: 8,551 cases concerned refugee claimants and 1

On July 23, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted the first category-based Express Entry draw targeting skilled military recruits. IRCC issued only four Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in round #430. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this round was set at 368 points. The tie-breaking rule applied to profiles submitted before June 2, 2026, at 20:11:26 UTC. As of July 19, 2026, there were 231,533 profiles in the Express Entry poo

Actionable — LMIA files: updated provincial/territorial median hourly wage thresholds took effect July 17, 2026, based on 2023–2024 Labour Force Survey data under NOC 2021. The high-wage/low-wage split for LMIA stream classification (median wage + 20% for high-wage) should be re-checked for any file where the offered wage sits near the prior threshold. (Source: ESDC) ESDC reports $10.2 million in compliance penalties issued to employers for FY2025–26, more than double the pri

Actionable — Ontario: the OINP's regulatory redesign is now in force. The former 8 program streams have been eliminated and replaced with a new Ontario Workforce Priority stream; the Expression of Interest system is closed to new EOIs and the e-filing portal is expected to reopen later this summer. Applications already submitted under the former streams will be assessed under the rules in place when filed. Recommend holding new Ontario-stream filings until the portal reopens.