On November 4, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) rolled out updated guidelines following regulatory amendments that took effect January 31, 2025. These changes grant designated officers the authority to individually cancel electronic travel authorizations, temporary resident visas, work permits, and study permits when circumstances warrant. The new provisions under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations apply exclusively to issued document

Canada's partial release of its 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan alongside Budget 2025 reveals a strategic recalibration of the country's immigration framework. Temporary resident admissions will decline from 516,600 to 385,000, reflecting efforts to balance infrastructure capacity with population growth amid housing pressures and institutional constraints across Canadian provinces. International student spaces will face a 50% reduction to 155,000 in 2026 (150,000 in 2027 a

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has revised the list of countries requiring medical examinations for temporary residence applications, effective November 3, 2025. Four countries—Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and Venezuela—have been added to the requirement list, while six territories —Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, and Taiwan —have been removed. The changes affect individuals who have resided in or travelled to these nations for six co

A recent Abacus Data survey of nearly 3,000 Canadians reveals that public opinion on immigration has plateaued after last year's surge in skepticism. While roughly half of Canadians still view current immigration levels negatively and cite pressure on housing and healthcare, the data shows no further hardening of attitudes. With 67% saying the federal government's 2026 target of 380,000 newcomers is too high – down from 72% a year ago – there's evidence that reduced targets

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab launched the 13th National Francophone Immigration Week on November 3, highlighting the theme "Thank you for enriching our Francophonie." The week recognizes the vital contributions Francophone newcomers make to Canada's cultural and economic landscape. Minister Diab announced that the government remains on track to achieve its 2025 target of 8.5% French-speaking permanent residents outside Quebec. Federal and provincial ministers are w

Ontario is introducing comprehensive reforms to its driver's licence system through Bill 60 , which links licensing eligibility directly to immigration status and work authorization. Effective early 2026, the Ministry of Transportation will verify applicants' legal status in Canada before issuing or renewing licences. The legislation prohibits temporary visitors from obtaining commercial driver's licences, ends automatic recognition of foreign licences from non-reciprocal cou

Canada's rental market is experiencing a notable shift as reduced immigration levels begin to ease the pressure on housing demand nationwide. Recent data reveals that major cities, including Toronto, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, and Metro Vancouver, have recorded year-over-year rent decreases for one-bedroom units, with Toronto seeing the steepest drop at $176. Ontario experienced the largest decline in immigration in early 2025, receiving over 15,000 fewer newcomers than th

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program has updated its regulatory framework as of October 31, allowing officials to consider additional factors when deciding whether to return applications before issuing nominations. This amendment follows earlier changes introduced in July and gives the program greater flexibility to prioritize applications that align with Ontario's current workforce needs. Applicants whose submissions are returned will receive full refunds of their applicat

Statistics Canada published a detailed demographic analysis examining Arab communities across the country, revealing significant growth and notable characteristics. The Arab population has more than tripled since 2001, reaching nearly 796,000 people in 2021, with projections suggesting it could grow to between 1.4 and 1.9 million by 2041. The study highlights that half of Arabs aged 25 to 54 hold bachelor's degrees or higher, considerably above the national average. The repo

A comprehensive TD Economics report released on October 28, 2025, confirms that Canada's strategic reduction of immigration levels is achieving its intended objectives across housing and employment sectors. The analysis, authored by Chief Economist Beata Caranci and Economist Marc Ercolao, reveals that population growth has decelerated from 3.2% in Q2 2024 to 0.9% in 2025, significantly moderating rental market pressures and stabilizing unemployment rates. Purpose-built rent

On October 29, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates. In round #376, IRCC issued 6,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 416 points, 16 points fewer than in the previous draw in this category. The tie-breaking rule for this round was September 8, 2025, at 15:27:09 UTC. This year, Canada issued 81,485 ITAs through 46 Express Entry

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has released a comprehensive analysis addressing widespread misconceptions about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, representing over 100,000 small and medium-sized business owners nationwide. The report systematically refutes claims that businesses are addicted to foreign workers, that TFWs displace Canadians, suppress wages, strain public services, or facilitate worker abuse. CFIB emphasizes that temporary foreign workers

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced temporary special processing measures to assist those affected by the 2025 wildfire season across Canada. These provisions, in effect from July 2 to November 30, 2025, support temporary residents who need to restore or extend their status or replace key immigration documents such as visas, permits, or visitor records. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents, the measures retroactive to April 1, 2025, co

On October 27, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #374. The Government of Canada issued 302 Invitations to Apply (ITA) for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in this draw. This round’s cut-off score was 761 points, 17 points fewer than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was September 26, 2025, at 02:14:06 UTC. As of October 26, 2025, 248,253 profiles were registered in the Expre

A new policy brief by Dr. Lisa Ruth Brunner reveals that Canada's once-lauded international education system is now facing significant scrutiny due to fragmented governance and overreliance on student tuition revenues. The research identifies key issues, including inadequate policy coordination, institutional funding dependency, declining public support, and unclear pathways to permanent residency, that leave students vulnerable. To restore Canada's reputation and ensure sus

The University of Toronto has maintained its position as Canada's premier academic institution, ranking 21st globally in the newly released Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026. McGill University and the University of British Columbia follow as the nation's top contenders, securing positions at 41st and 45th, respectively, among the world's leading universities. The rankings , which evaluate over 2,100 institutions across 115 countries using five key performa

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced procedural updates to the Recognized Employer Pilot program. Effective October 24, 2025, applicants may now use a single Labour Market Impact Assessment for multiple work permit applications under the REP framework, contingent upon available positions remaining on the approved LMIA. IRCC has simultaneously established standardized procedures for officers to verify position availability on REP LMIAs. These clar

Three employers face historic charges under Saskatchewan's Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act, marking the first prosecution of its kind in the province. Kartikkumar Prakashkumar Patel, Rutvik Hasmukhbhai Patel, and Piyushkumar Mafatbhai Patel each face three counts related to alleged violations at Guac Mexi Grill in Moose Jaw between August 2023 and February 2024. The charges include retaliating against foreign workers for cooperating with authorities,

On October 22, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador held new rounds of selection through the Enhanced Expression of Interest (EOI) system, issuing a total of 100 invitations. Of these, 55 were sent to candidates under the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP), while 45 went to applicants through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). As of February 19, 2025, all applicants to the NLPNP and AIP must submit their applications through the new Immigration Acce

A comprehensive Statistics Canada study released on October 22, 2025, highlights critical challenges facing immigrant women with nursing credentials in Canada's healthcare workforce. The research reveals that while immigrant women constitute 27% of Canada's nursing-educated population, many internationally educated nurses face substantial barriers to appropriate employment. The 2021 Census data analysis shows that only 50-72% of foreign-educated immigrant nurses work in heal