A new report from the federal Auditor General has cast a harsh light on Canada’s international student surge, revealing a "hot mess" of oversight failures and potential fraud. Between 2023 and 2024, officials identified over 150,000 cases where study permit holders potentially violated their requirements, yet only a tiny fraction were ever investigated. While the Ontario Government faces criticism for a 2019 tuition freeze that pushed colleges to aggressively pursue foreign t

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced that the Four Falls, New Brunswick, port of entry will remain permanently closed, having been out of service since May 2020. Initially suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision to finalize the closure followed an extensive analysis of regional operational pressures and low seasonal traffic volumes. The CBSA noted that the facility lacked an adjacent U.S. port of entry and highlighted that travellers can still u

On May 11, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #415 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 380 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the round’s cut-off score was 798 points, 12 points more than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was January 07, 2026, at 05:23:31 UTC. As of May 10, 2026, 233,770 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. This year,

In a new report titled Resetting Expectations: Canada’s Economy in a Lower-Immigration Era, economists Don Drummond and Parisa Mahboubi warn that Canada's reduced immigration targets represent a fundamental structural shift. They project that real GDP growth could fall to just 0.4% in 2026, significantly trailing official forecasts from the Bank of Canada and the Federal Government's recent economic updates. The authors emphasize that upcoming monthly employment declines, est

The Government of Canada has announced a significant update regarding the regulations governing immigration and citizenship consultants. Effective July 15, 2026, the new measures empower the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants to implement more rigorous disciplinary actions and increased penalties for misconduct. Key updates include expanded reporting requirements, a more transparent public register of licensed consultants set for 2027, and the establishment of

The number of payroll employees in Canada decreased by 60,200 in February 2026, marking a 0.3% decline that followed a modest gain in January. Despite the employment losses, average weekly earnings grew by 1.4% month-over-month to reach $1,338.24, representing a 3.4% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, job vacancies remained relatively stable at 497,200, though they have decreased by 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio edged up

The Government of New Brunswick is increasing the capacity of the Practice Ready Assessment New Brunswick (PRANB) program from 10 to 14 spaces to expedite the licensing of internationally trained doctors. This initiative, a collaboration between the Department of Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick, allows qualified physicians to undergo a 12-week clinical field assessment to ensure they meet provincial standards for safe patient care. Successfu

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has announced that Employer Position Assessments (EPA), replacing the former Job Approval Form, will open for submissions on May 4. Intake follows a strict schedule based on industry: the Transportation and Retail Trade sectors open at 8:30 AM CST, followed by Accommodation and Food Services at 12:30 PM CST. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and employers are urged to have their documentation fully prepa

Statistics Canada is overhauling its Demographic Estimates Program to keep pace with the country’s volatile migration landscape. Following the unprecedented population surge of 2023 and a subsequent cooling in 2025, the agency is integrating real-time administrative data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to better track permit extensions and non-permanent residents. New projects slated for 2026 include releasing sub-provincial data for urban centers to

On April 29, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the fifth Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates of the year. In round #414, IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 400 points – 19 points fewer than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was April 07, 2026, at 20:13:59 UTC. As of April 26, 2026, 234,452 profiles were registered in the Express Entr

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its data on application inventories and backlogs, reporting that as of February 2026, there were 2,092,700 applications across permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship streams in all IRCC inventories. Approximately 55% of applications are currently within service standards, while IRCC continues to aim to process 80% of applications within established timelines, noting that more complex cases may

Recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals a sharp downward trend in temporary resident arrivals, with a 72% decrease in new student and worker permits issued in early 2026 compared to the same period in 2024. This decline follows several federal measures, including an annual cap on international student study permits and a 10% limit on low-wage temporary foreign worker hiring. While the total number of permit holders currently in Canada rema

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) has sent an open letter to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, highlighting systemic failures in the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. Representing over 540 lawyers, CILA argues that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has shifted toward a culture of refusal, where officers apply subjective criteria and unpublished benchmarks to deny applications. Key issues identi

The fourth annual Premier’s Summit on Fairness for Newcomers recently convened in Alberta, bringing together employers, educators, and newcomers to address barriers to professional integration. Under the theme of unlocking newcomer skills, Premier Danielle Smith emphasized the importance of improving foreign credential recognition and expanding mentorship opportunities to ensure immigrants can contribute to their full potential. The provincial government highlighted recent l

Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, has criticized the Liberal Government’s latest youth employment announcement as a repackaging of old commitments that fail to address rising job losses. Highlighting that Canada recently lost over 50,000 youth jobs, the Conservatives are proposing a Youth Jobs Plan centred on aligning immigration with housing and labour market realities. The plan advocates for fixing foreign credential recognition and adjusting stu

The Government of the Northwest Territories has released the upcoming schedule for its newly launched Expression of Interest (EOI) system under the Employer-Driven Stream, with the next draws set for June 25 and September 25, 2026. This competitive system ranks applicants based on skills, experience, and their likelihood of settling in the North, aiming to manage a high volume of interest against a limited federal allocation of 197 total nominations for the year. In the Marc

Newly released data from March 2026 shows a significant shift in Canada’s refugee and immigration processing, marked by a record 8,584 finalized protection claims that outpaced new intakes for the first time in years. This surge in productivity led to the first notable decrease in the pending claim inventory since 2024, bringing the total down to 295,522. However, while initial claim backlogs eased, the Refugee Appeal Division faced its highest volume of new filings to date

On April 15, 2026, the Government of Ontario conducted new invitation rounds in the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the provincial government targeted candidates working in the agriculture-related occupations and other priority occupations and issued a total of 1,339 ITAs. This year, Ontario conducted mainly Employer Job Offer draws, only once inviting master’s and PhD candidates. In tota

On April 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the fourth Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates of the year. In round #411, IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 419 points – 26 points more than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was November 14, 2025, at 07:14:25 UTC. As of April 12, 2026, 233,555 profiles were registered in the Express

New polling from the Angus Reid Institute reveals that two-thirds of Albertans support a proposed referendum measure to restrict temporary residents’ access to government-funded social services like healthcare and education. The data shows a sharp political divide, with nearly all 2023 UCP voters favouring some form of restriction, while a majority of NDP voters believe all residents should remain eligible for support. As the province prepares for these significant votes, ag