Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge Temporary Public Policy, allowing Manitoba to continue issuing provincial nominations for eligible workers until December 31, 2027. The measure is expected to benefit up to 2,700 foreign workers who previously received work permit support letters under the 2024 or 2025 temporary public policies and are still awaiting provincial nomination. To qualify, applicants must cu

On August 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted Express Entry draw #432, inviting 3,000 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence. This was the second draw of the week, following the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round, and the 13th CEC-specific draw of 2026, bringing the total number of ITAs issued through CEC draws this year to 48,250. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score remained at 516,

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

On August 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #431 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 507 Invitations to Apply (ITAs), and the round’s cut-off score was 768 points, 24 points more than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 15, 2026, at 15:58:19 UTC. As of August 3, there were 229,100 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This year,

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has instructed immigration officers to increase their scrutiny of study permit applicants' financial documentation. While official cost-of-living thresholds remain unchanged, officers are now required to examine the source and stability of funds for every application rather than focusing solely on flagged regions. New guidelines direct officers to evaluate up to six months of bank statements and supplementary family employme

The Government of Canada is inviting select passport holders to participate in a client experience survey to help evaluate and improve national passport services. Individuals who received a passport issued between January 1 and June 30, 2026, may receive an email invitation or a physical notice included with their new document. Running from August through October 2026, the voluntary 15-to-20-minute survey is being conducted in both official languages. Officials emphasize that

Internal government communications reveal that arranged marriages of convenience were previously used by some Indian students to secure Canadian open work permits for their spouses. An access to information report from Canada’s High Commission in New Delhi highlighted integrity concerns, noting that immigration-linked marriages were openly advertised in Indian media. Following policy changes introduced by former Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Ottawa restricted spousal work

The Canadian Government has officially expanded its online passport renewal service to all eligible adult citizens nationwide. The update removes previous application limits to make the process more accessible and efficient. Canadians can now submit their renewal applications, digital photos, and fees entirely online without visiting a Service Canada Centre or mailing physical documents. Traditional in-person and mail-in methods remain fully operational for individuals who pr

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated the public guidance for study permits and post-graduate work permits (PGWP) to clarify compliance and eligibility requirements. The revised files detail strict conditions regarding institution transfers, periods of leave, and the automatic invalidation of study permits 90 days after program completion. Officials also confirmed the expiration of a temporary policy that previously allowed certain work permit holder

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

New official data shows a sharp reduction in new temporary residents entering Canada. Between January and May 2026, overall new arrivals fell by nearly 70% compared to the same timeframe in 2024. New study permit arrivals dropped by almost 83%, while new temporary work permits decreased by over 62%. These figures highlight the ongoing impact of federal policy changes, including strict study permit caps and tighter work eligibility rules. The government aims to lower the tempo

On July 22, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the 8th Express Entry draw of the year for French-language proficiency candidates. In round #429, IRCC issued 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 399 points – 21 points fewer than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was November 19, 2025, at 21:21:56 UTC. So far this year, Canada has issued 104,612 ITAs across 41 Express Entry d

Around 1,500 international graduates, including many students from India, may be denied Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) after IRCC clarified that non-credit programs are not eligible for the permit. The clarification did not introduce a new policy but reaffirmed an existing requirement that only eligible degree, diploma, and certificate programs qualify for a PGWP. Many affected graduates argue they enrolled believing their programs met the eligibility requirements and o

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has finalized over 1.6 million applications across temporary residence, permanent residence, and citizenship categories as of May 31, 2026. The department completed more than 1.28 million new temporary residence files, including study permits, work permits, and visitor visas. In addition, IRCC finalized 111,000 economic permanent residence applications and over 45,000 family class files. To support economic needs, Canada lau

On July 21, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in this draw. In round #428, the cut-off score was 516 points, one point fewer than it was in the previous CEC-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 26, 2026, at 17:33:03 UTC. As of July 19, 2026, 231,533 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. So far

On July 20, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #427 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 511 Invitations to Apply (ITAs), and the round’s cut-off score was 744 points, 36 points more than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 26, 2026, at 18:11:36 UTC. As of July 19, there were 231,533 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This year, t

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

Four rounds were held so far this month: a PNP-specific draw on July 6 (534 ITAs, CRS 708 — the lowest PNP cut-off since November 25, 2025), a Canadian Experience Class draw on July 7 (2,000 ITAs, CRS 517), a French-language-proficiency draw on July 9 (5,000 ITAs, CRS 420), and a senior-managers-with-Canadian-experience draw on July 10 (500 ITAs, CRS 392). No round has been held since July 10 as of this writing — worth flagging to CRS-borderline clients watching the pool. (So

IRCC has paused intake of new applications under the Parents and Grandparents Program as of July 15, 2026. Existing applications continue to be processed, with up to 15,000 approvals planned for 2026 under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan; no interest-to-sponsor forms or invitations will be issued until further notice. The super visa remains available as the interim family-reunification option. (Source: IRCC) Actionable — practice impact: new regulations under the Colleg

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its program delivery instructions for the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot. Effective January 1, 2026, staff no longer need to manually associate organization IDs to track provincial or territorial attestation letter exceptions. The update also clarifies language testing requirements for applicants. Students must submit French language test results with a minimum score of NCLC level 5 in all four la