Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), recently concluded Citizenship Week 2026 by hosting ceremonies across Ottawa, Lunenburg, and Halifax. From April 12 to 18, approximately 6,000 individuals from 40 different countries took the oath of citizenship in over 80 ceremonies nationwide. This year’s events emphasized the importance of reconciliation, with many ceremonies featuring Indigenous Elders who shared land acknowledgements and

A coalition of Canadian organizations, led by the Afghan Women's Organization, has issued an urgent open letter to federal ministers demanding immediate action to protect Afghan nationals awaiting Canadian immigration processing in Pakistan. Despite Canada's commitment to resettling over 55,000 Afghans since 2021, many individuals with active file numbers now face detention and forced removal under Pakistan’s phased deportation plan. The coalition is calling for expedited on

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

On April 14, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 2,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in this draw. In round #410, the cut-off score was 515 points, six points more than it was in the previous CEC-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was June 10, 2025, at 02:46:26 UTC. As of April 12, 2026, 233,555 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool.

On April 13, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #409 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 324 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the round’s cut-off score was 786 points, 16 points fewer than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was November 19, 2025, at 18:53:59 UTC. As of March 29, 2026, 230,186 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. Thi

The Federal Government is moving to update immigration rules to allow for the digital capture of passport information. This technology would allow applicants to scan their electronic passports (ePassports) remotely to automatically fill out their forms. By using this system, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to reduce manual data entry errors and verify the authenticity of travel documents when an application is submitted. While the new process adds an

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From March 28 to April 10, Canada invited 9,407 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of April 10, 27,651 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 1,019 ITAs for Australia, 8 ITAs for Austria, 99 ITAs for Belgium, 45 ITAs for Chile, 12 ITAs for Costa Rica, 5

The Federal Government has introduced a series of regulatory amendments under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration Systems and Borders Act to modernize the in-Canada asylum system. These changes focus on addressing system-wide bottlenecks caused by a surge in refugee claims through several key measures, including a new single online application process and the enforcement of stricter timelines for ministerial due diligence. Notably, the reforms ensure that eligible claiman

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

A new regulatory proposal indicates that Canada is preparing to redesign the selection of high-skilled immigrants, replacing the current Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades programs with a single, streamlined federal category. The goal is to simplify the system and make it more responsive to labour market needs, shifting away from a universal selection model toward a more targeted approach based on occupations and economic demand. Th

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-

On April 2, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held this year’s first occupation-specific Express Entry draw for candidates working in skilled trades occupations and issued 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA). In round #408, the cut-off score was 477, 33 points fewer than the previous draw for this category-based selection, held on September 18, 2025. The tie-breaking rule for this round was February 14, 2026, at 20:53:54 UTC. This year, Canada issued 58

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued new processing instructions for a temporary public policy supporting certain Ukrainian nationals in Canada and eligible family members who have applied under the Family reunification for Ukrainian nationals pathway to permanent residence. Effective April 1, 2026, the measures allow eligible applicants to maintain or restore temporary resident status while their permanent residence application is processed. To qua

Canada has extended certain temporary work permit measures for Ukrainians in response to Russia’s ongoing war. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said Ukrainians who arrived under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) and related measures will get an additional year to apply to extend their work permit. Eligibility includes Ukrainians and family members who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, as well as some CUAET holders permitted to a

Effective April 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has introduced a new service guarantee to strengthen accountability for passport processing. Under the “30 days or free” policy, applicants will automatically receive a full refund of their passport or travel document fee if processing takes longer than 30 business days. The processing clock begins once a complete application is received and ends when the document is printed and verified, excluding mailing

On March 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 2,250 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in this draw. In round #407, the cut-off score was 509 points, two points more than it was in the previous CEC-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 18, 2026, at 08:27:11 UTC. As of March 29, 2026, 230,186 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program regulatory changes took effect on March 30, 2026, updating how applications are processed before permanent residence is granted. Under the new rules, provinces and territories assume expanded authority previously held by IRCC to assess whether nominees can become economically established and whether they intend to live in the nominating jurisdiction. IRCC says the guidance is posted as a courtesy to stakeholders and applies to both existin

On March 30, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #406 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 356 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the round’s cut-off score was 802 points, 60 points more than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was February 12, 2026, at 03:54:03 UTC. As of March 29, 2026, 230,186 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. This

A Scottish-born midwife accredited through the University of British Columbia’s bridging program says she is leaving Canada after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) denied her work-permit application a second time. Heather Gilchrist, a native English speaker, was initially refused for not uploading an English test, saying the application did not clearly request it. After submitting the results, her file was reconsidered but rejected again because officials w