Ontario announced a new $1.7 billion investment to expand postsecondary education and prepare more students for high-demand careers across the province. The funding will support the creation of 70,000 additional seats in colleges and universities, particularly in sectors experiencing labour shortages such as healthcare, skilled trades, STEM, and education. According to the provincial government, the first new spaces are expected to become available starting in Fall 2026. Earl

International student interest in Canada is rising again after two years of decline. New search data shows a sharp increase in prospective students looking at Canadian institutions. This turnaround follows a major policy change after officials removed master's and doctoral students from the national enrolment cap. These postgraduate applicants no longer need a provincial attestation letter to apply. Online searches for master's programs jumped by 55 percent in December 2025.

On May 21, 2026, Manitoba held the invitation round #271 under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The province invited 96 skilled workers under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams as part of a strategic recruitment initiative. In this round, 20 invitations were extended to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. This year, the MPNP invited 1,605 candidates, and 500 of them received inv

The Canadian Government has updated instructions regarding study permit validity periods. Officers must generally issue study permits and temporary resident visas for the full length of the study program plus an extra 90 days. However, this validity period normally cannot outlast the applicant's passport. The new update clarifies a crucial exception under subsection 52(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Certain individuals do not need a passport that co

A new report by IDP Education shows that visa rules change how students choose their study destinations. Many international students now look at visa policies very early in their planning process. Canada remains a popular choice for global students. However, many applicants feel that the chances of obtaining a Canadian study visa are lower than in the past. Students are highly concerned about visa approval rates and processing costs. Tight rules are making some students choos

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

New data from the 2026 Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey reveals a severe contraction in international student recruitment across Canada due to restrictive immigration policies. During the first quarter of 2026, 69 percent of Canadian universities reported a drop in new undergraduate enrolments, while 80 percent saw declines at the postgraduate level. These figures represent a second consecutive year of deterioration, contrasting sharply with growth in Asian and European mark

Manitoba held its largest MPNP draw of 2026 on May 7, issuing 906 Letters of Advice to Apply in draw #270. The round included 431 invitations for education-related occupations under the occupation-specific selection stream and 475 invitations through strategic recruitment initiatives. A major focus of this draw was candidates connected to the Temporary Public Policy (TPP) for prospective provincial nominees, with 429 invitations issued under this category alone. In addition,

A new debate is growing in Alberta after discussions around a potential 2026 referendum on immigration-related policies gained national attention. Proposed questions reportedly focus on reducing immigration levels, limiting access to provincially funded services for some temporary residents, and introducing additional requirements tied to immigration status. Supporters argue the measures would help Alberta manage population growth and protect public resources, while critics w

Conservative members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration have called for the firing of Immigration Minister Lena Diab following her testimony regarding widespread fraud in Canada’s international student program. The committee highlighted Auditor General findings showing that 14 percent of over 150,000 individuals who entered the country fraudulently have since filed asylum claims, while the whereabouts of another 33,600 remain unknown. During the hearing,

A new study released by Statistics Canada on May 5, 2026, indicates that federal policy changes implemented in 2024 have triggered a significant reversal in international student trends. Preliminary estimates suggest that new student cohorts will plummet by 64% in the 2025/2026 academic year compared to 2023/2024 levels. Total international student enrolment in public postsecondary institutions is projected to drop by 29% over the same two-year period, bringing population lev

On April 23, 2026, Manitoba held the invitation round #269 under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The province invited 308 candidates under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba stream. The draw invited 192 candidates under the occupation-specific selection and 116 candidates under the Skilled Worker pathway. In this round, 105 invitations were extended to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. In 2026, the MPNP invited

On April 22, 2026, the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) issued 674 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a general draw for the Masters Graduate stream. The minimum score of this round was 61 points, 31 points more than it was in the previous draw. In addition, Ontario has invited 244 candidates under the PhD Graduate Stream. The minimum score for this draw was 56 points (+7). The profiles of selected candidates were created between April 22, 2025, and April 20, 2026. In t

On April 9, 2026, Manitoba held the invitation round #268 under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The province invited 32 skilled workers under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams as part of a strategic recruitment initiative. In this round, 8 invitations were extended to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. This year, the MPNP invited 295 candidates, and 49 of them received invi

On April 7, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to reduce administrative hurdles for international students and apprentices. Key changes include removing the co-op work permit requirement for students and eliminating study permit mandates for foreign apprentices under specific conditions. Furthermore, the proposal allows international graduates and students to continue w

Canada’s language training sector is rebuilding language-to-academic pipelines after recent immigration policy changes sharply reduced enrolments in these pathways. With Provincial Attestation Letters concentrated at public institutions and new rules requiring students to obtain a new permit to change designated learning institutions, traditional multi-DLI pathways became difficult to sustain. In response, Languages Canada developed the Joint Pathway Program , a joint program

The Government of Canada has announced new temporary measures to help communities and individuals disrupted by domestic natural disasters, as climate-related emergencies become more frequent and severe. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says that impacted temporary residents, including international students, temporary foreign workers and visitors, may replace lost status documents and apply to have permits restored, extended or renewed beyond the usual 90-

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab responded to the Auditor General's recent report on international student reforms, acknowledging progress while committing to further improvements. The government has successfully reduced the number of non-permanent residents by over 171,000 in late 2025, working toward a target of under 5% of Canada's population by 2027. While the Auditor General praised improvements such as the letter-of-acceptance verification system and program dive

On March 18, 2026, the Government of Ontario invited candidates through five Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) streams. The province conducted the first Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate stream draws, inviting 582 and 525 candidates, respectively. Additionally, the province conducted draws under the OINP's Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS). Ontario issued 108 invitations

New data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows a significant decline in temporary resident arrivals for January 2026. Canada welcomed 7,040 new international students and 11,850 temporary workers, marking a 28% overall decrease compared to January 2025. These figures reflect the government's commitment to reducing Canada's temporary population to below 5% through measures such as annual caps on study permits, stricter work-permit eligibility,