Starting January 1, 2026, Alberta's Rural Renewal Stream will operate under stricter guidelines as the province responds to reduced federal immigration allocations. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has announced caps on community endorsements, introduced a one-year validity period for candidate letters, and implemented a skills-based endorsement framework. Foreign nationals already in Canada will now need valid work permits during both the application and ass

On November 18, 2025, British Columbia held two draws under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). The BCPNP issued 19 invitations to candidates in the Base Category of the Entrepreneur Stream, which is designed for experienced businesspeople who wish to start a new business or acquire an existing business in British Columbia. The lowest score of this round was 121 points. In addition, the province invited up to five candidates in the Entrepreneur Immigrati

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has invested over $1 million to expand bilingual workforce development and Francophone entrepreneurship in southern Ontario. Funding will support Francophone-led organizations such as the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario and the Conseil régional des Mille-Îles to strengthen up to 12 businesses in tourism, sustainability, and services. The Fédération des gens d’affaires francophones de

Legal experts are calling on the Senate to amend Bill C-3 to grant children adopted from overseas the same citizenship protections as those adopted domestically. A briefing paper submitted to the Senate committee argues that subjecting foreign-adopted children to substantial-connection tests creates an unfair distinction and potentially violates Canada's Charter and international treaty obligations. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has faced years of advocacy fro

A federal initiative designed to help Canadian employers hire skilled refugees from overseas is facing serious challenges , with processing times ballooning from an initial six months to 54 months. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, launched in 2018 to address labour shortages by connecting businesses with qualified refugee workers, has left more than 20 companies struggling with production cuts and lost revenue while applicants remain in precarious situations abroad. Refu

Ontario's Immigrant Nominee Program has suspended the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream following a comprehensive review that uncovered widespread compliance issues and fraudulent activity. The investigation revealed systemic misrepresentation affecting applicants' eligibility assessments, prompting officials to halt new applications indefinitely. All pending applications will be returned with full refunds as authorities work to address vulnerabilities in the current syste

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has updated its operational guidelines for work-permit applications submitted by family members of military personnel, effective November 14, 2025. The revision confirms that dependent children are no longer eligible for open work permits under codes C46 or C48 for applications filed on or after January 21, 2025, where no reciprocal agreement applies. It also clarifies that spouses of TEER 4 workers are no longer eligible for open

On November 14, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the sixth occupation-specific Express Entry draw of the year for candidates working in healthcare and social services occupations. In round #379, IRCC issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the cut-off score was 462 points (ten points fewer than the last draw for this category). The tie-breaking rule for this round was December 02, 2024, at 22:19:41 UTC. This year, Canada issued 86,699 ITAs

Saskatchewan has experienced a dramatic 98 per cent surge in refugee claims over the past year, driven largely by sweeping federal and provincial immigration reductions that have left many temporary residents with few options for staying in Canada. Between April 2024 and April 2025, asylum claims in the province jumped from 683 to 1,344, according to Statistics Canada. At the same time, Saskatchewan recorded the steepest drop in permanent residents among Canadian provinces —

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has released the latest monthly statistics, revealing that pending refugee protection claims hit 298,588 cases by October 2025. This represents a steady climb from 139,540 pending cases in October 2023, marking a significant increase in backlog over the two-year period. While monthly intake has fluctuated between roughly 7,500 and 19,800 new claims, finalizations have consistently lagged, averaging around 6,500 decisions per month.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that protected persons and their family members can now apply for study permits from within Canada, regardless of whether they have submitted permanent residency applications. This policy update, effective November 13, 2025, expands access for various groups, including students at all educational levels, work permit holders, temporary residents, refugee claimants, and families of foreign government officials. The

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has announced the continuation of temporary measures for individuals affected by the Sudan conflict, extending support until October 28, 2026. Sudanese nationals in Canada — as well as eligible foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents — may continue to extend their temporary resident status or modify the conditions of their stay without paying the applicable fees. Sudanese nationals who are read

The federal and Quebec governments have aligned their immigration policies under Prime Minister Mark Carney's leadership. After years of disagreement over reception levels and provincial concerns, both now acknowledge the system needs fixing. Ottawa admits immigration rates have outpaced Canada's capacity to integrate newcomers, while Quebec moderates its reduction plans. Despite this convergence, political tensions persist. Quebec criticizes federal delays on regional exemp

Canada's Express Entry system has experienced a notable transformation in recent weeks, with approximately 11% of all candidates now holding CRS scores exceeding 500 points. While the overall pool contracted by 2,547 profiles between late October and early November, the competitive landscape has intensified significantly. The number of candidates in the highest scoring bracket (601-1,200) more than doubled from 306 to 696, while the 501-600 range expanded by 417 profiles. Th

On November 10, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #377. The Government of Canada issued 714 Invitations to Apply (ITA) for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in this draw. This round’s cut-off score was 738 points, 23 points fewer than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was February 22, 2025, at 2:12:01 UTC. As of November 9, 2025, 245,706 profiles were registered in the Expres

On November 6, 2025, 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 current average LMIA processing time has increased across all streams. Global Talent Stream - 10 business days (+2 days) Agricultural stream – 16 business days (+3 days) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 11 business days (+4 days) Permanen

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has extended its public policy allowing certain foreign workers in Provincial Nominee Program expression of interest pools to obtain open work permits until December 31, 2025. The program, originally scheduled to end in late 2024, enables eligible foreign nationals currently employed in participating provinces to secure work permits valid for up to 2 years with provincial support letters. Manitoba and Yukon remain active participa

Quebec's Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration has introduced the province's immigration framework for 2026-2029, alongside the detailed 2026 Immigration Plan. The strategy aims to limit both temporary and permanent immigration volumes to ease pressure on the province's integration capacity. Quebec will welcome 45,000 permanent residents in 2026, while also admitting between 84,900 and 124,200 temporary residents through the Temporary Foreign Worker and Inter

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced measures to strengthen graduate student recruitment following recent enrolment restrictions. Starting January 1, 2026, master's and doctoral candidates at public universities will be exempt from the international student cap, eliminating the need for provincial attestation letters. Additionally, doctoral applicants will benefit from expedited 14-day study permit processing, extended to accompanying family mem

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced important updates to the provincial and territorial attestation letter framework for study permits. Effective November 4, 2025, IRCC has introduced several key clarifications affecting the 2025 allocation period, including revised protocols for PAL/TAL reuse, joint program applications, and processing criteria. The updates also address exception cases requiring Organization/Entity IDs and provide sample docume