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

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially marked the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) as "Paused" on its website as of July 15, 2026. No new interest to sponsor forms or invitations will be accepted until further notice, although existing applications will continue to be processed. IRCC still plans to grant permanent residence to up to 15,000 parents and grandparents in 2026 under the current Immigration Levels Plan. The department says the paus

Canada's Auditor General told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that IRCC successfully reduced the number of new study permits issued under recent International Student Program reforms but failed to address several critical integrity weaknesses. According to the audit, more than 153,000 potential cases of study permit non-compliance were identified in 2023 and 2024, yet only about 4,000 investigations were launched. The report also found t

On July 10, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the second Express Entry draw for senior managers with Canadian work experience. IRCC issued 500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in the fourth draw of the week. In round #426, the cut-off score was 392, 37 points fewer than the previous draw for senior managers. The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 15, 2026, at 01:46:05 UTC. As of July 5, 2026, 235,127 profiles were registered in the Express Entry

Over the past month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From June 6 to July 10, Canada invited 6,442 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of July 10, 36,940 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 2 ITAs for Andorra, 1,186 ITAs for Australia, 9 ITAs for Austria, 71 ITAs for Belgium, 62 ITAs for Chile, 10 ITAs for Cos

On July 9, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the seventh Express Entry draw of the year for French-language proficiency candidates. In round #425, IRCC issued 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 420 points – 11 points more than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 15, 2026, at 08:04:00 UTC. So far this year, Canada has issued 96,601 ITAs across 37 Express Entry draws

The Canadian Government partnered with the Northwest Territories to enhance the integration and long-term retention of French-speaking and bilingual newcomers. Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced an allocation of approximately $860,000 under the Francophone Immigration Support Program. This funding targets areas outside Yellowknife to improve regional employer engagement, streamline foreign credential recognition, and raise awarenes

The Canadian Government will launch the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge to extend temporary work permits for thousands of foreign workers. Announcements from Winnipeg Members of Parliament Kevin Lamoureux and Terry Duguid confirm that roughly 2,700 provincial nominee candidates can extend their status until December 31, 2027. This temporary measure serves as a follow-on to previous public policies, preventing critical work authorizations from expiring while the provincia

The Federal Court of Canada recently ruled that a study permit refusal was procedurally unfair when an immigration officer failed to question an applicant about credibility concerns. An IRCC officer rejected a study permit because they doubted the family relationship between the applicant and her brother, who provided financial support. The officer did not give the applicant a chance to address this specific doubt before making a final decision. Justice Tsimberis found that t

On July 7, 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 #424, the cut-off score was 517 points, one point more than it was in the previous CEC-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was December 29, 2025, at 17:49:27 UTC. As of July 5, 2026, 235,127 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. So fa

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are partnering to strengthen French-speaking minority communities and address local labour shortages. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced a $1.3 million investment to support promotional initiatives, targeted research, and enhanced skills recognition for bilingual candidates. This project will be managed in collaboration with the Economic Development Council for Manitoba’s Bilingual Municipalities to streamline the immigrati

On July 6, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #423 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 534 Invitations to Apply (ITAs), and the round’s cut-off score was 708 points, 22 points fewer than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was June 4, 2026, at 14:49:51 UTC. As of July 5, there were 235,127 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This year, th

Many Iranian nationals who came to Canada under special humanitarian measures are struggling to reunite with their families due to tightening immigration rules. Federal data reveals that immigration officials approved only 25 spousal open work permits for Iranian applicants over the past two years. The Federal Government recently introduced stricter eligibility requirements to manage the temporary resident population. Spousal applicants must show that their partners have at l

As of July 2, IRCC has updated its estimated processing times for several immigration and temporary residence applications. Applications for work permits submitted from within Canada are currently processed in 129 days, while study permits take approximately 7 weeks and visitor visas 38 days. For applicants outside Canada, work permit processing ranges from 4 weeks in the United States to 9 weeks in India, while study permit processing ranges from 4 weeks in the Philippines t

IRCC has updated its internal guidance for officers assessing whether international students are complying with their study permit conditions. While the underlying regulations have not changed, the revised instructions provide clearer direction on how officers should evaluate enrolment at the designated learning institution (DLI), changes of school or program, academic progress, authorized leaves, and work during periods of leave. The guidance also reinforces that officers sh

On June 24, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the second Express Entry draw for Physicians with Canadian Work Experience. IRCC issued 271 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in this draw. In round #421, the cut-off score was only 223 points. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 31, 2026, at 18:13:49 UTC. As of June 21, 2026, 239,645 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. So far in 2026, the Government of Canada has issued 85,067 invita

On June 23, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in this draw. In round #420, the cut-off score was 516 points, two points fewer than it was in the previous CEC-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was April 14, 2026, at 00:03:10 UTC. As of June 21, 2026, 239,645 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. So f

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is sending surrender letters to some people who received Canadian citizenship by descent under Bill C-3. The letters ask these individuals to return their citizenship certificates. The government is questioning the third-party genealogy records used in their applications. Many affected people live in the United States. They relied on these certificates to make major life decisions. Some people even gave up their American cit

On June 22, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #419 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 955 Invitations to Apply (ITAs), and the round’s cut-off score was 730 points, 75 points fewer than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 09, 2026, at 01:02:28 UTC. As of June 21, there were 239,645 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This year

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is temporarily lifting the twelve-month waiting period for some Ugandans to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA). This change comes because of the worsening security and human rights situation in Uganda. A PRRA checks if a person faces danger or persecution if they return home. Normally, people must wait one year after a negative immigration decision to apply. Now, eligible Ugandan nationals who received a negative