Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its operational instructions to clarify eligibility criteria under the temporary public policy (TPP) exempting select in-Canada applicants from completing an Immigration Medical Examination (IME). Operating until October 5, 2029, the policy permits applicants residing in Canada who completed an IME within the five years prior to submitting their application to provide their previous IME or Unique Medical Identifi

New international student and temporary worker arrivals to Canada fell by 66% between January and July 2026 compared to the same period in 2024, representing a decrease of 275,010 arrivals. Official government data shows that new international student arrivals reached 28,200 during the first seven months of 2026 against an annual target of 155,000, down 80% from 2024 levels. Total active study permit holders declined to 590,205 by July 31, 2026, dropping from over one million

On September 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada held Express Entry draw #443 for Canadian Experience Class candidates. IRCC issued 2,000 invitations to apply, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 519. The tie-breaking rule was March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC. This was the second CEC draw in September: on September 1, IRCC also invited 2,000 candidates, but the CRS cut-off was 521. The latest round therefore kept the number of invitations unc

IRCC has released updated application processing data as of July 31, 2026. Since the beginning of the year, the department has finalized 1,832,065 temporary residence applications, including 126,230 study permit applications and 1,530,125 visitor visa applications. Another 394,325 temporary residence applications had not yet been finalized. In permanent residence processing, IRCC reported 255,325 pending economic immigration applications, 165,445 family-class applications and

The Government of Quebec has updated its guidance for people recognized as refugees or persons in need of protection who are living in the province. After a positive decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) or approval of a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment by IRCC, applicants should submit an application for permanent selection to Quebec and an application for permanent residence to the federal government at the same time. A Quebec permanent selection applic

Surging immigration security screening volumes have caused significant backlogs, leaving thousands of citizenship and permanent residence applicants facing multi-year delays. According to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), screening requests rose from 356,200 in 2019 to a peak of 538,100 in 2024, then eased to 438,600 after federal intake reductions. The Canada Border Services Agency currently manages tens of thousands of active files. At the same time, the Im

On September 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the third occupation-specific Express Entry draw of the year for candidates working in healthcare and social services occupations. In round #441, IRCC issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the cut-off score was 475 points (the same as it was in the last draw for this category). The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 26, 2026, at 00:26:14 UTC. As of August 30, 2026, 226,673 profiles wer

On August 24, 2026, IRCC issued a new temporary public policy for foreign nationals of Palestine who arrive in Canada as temporary residents on or before September 30, 2027. The policy takes effect August 1, 2026 and expires December 30, 2027, and lets eligible arrivals apply from within Canada for fee-exempt study permits, open work permits, and temporary resident permits, and move between temporary resident streams. (Source: IRCC) A companion temporary public policy, also d

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) received an official allocation top-up of 200 additional provincial nomination slots from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This brings Alberta's total nomination cap for 2026 up to 6,603 certificates. The provincial government confirmed that these extra spots will be distributed across priority streams to help address urgent regional labour market shortages. The update enables Alberta to issue more permanent

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has issued an operational update regarding open work permits for permanent residence applicants under LMIA exemption code A70. The revised guidance reorganizes processing instructions under Section R207 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Separate instructions now cover spouses and common-law partners, protected persons, applicants approved on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, and eligible family members in

On August 6, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the 9th Express Entry draw of the year for French-language proficiency candidates. In round #433, IRCC issued 5,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 391 points – 8 points fewer than the last draw, and it was the lowest for the category in 2026. The tie-breaking rule for this round was March 18, 2026, at 23:32:40 UTC. This year, Canada has issued

Nova Scotia will introduce non-refundable application fees for the Nova Scotia Nominee Program starting September 1, 2026. The new structure sets a $1,000 fee for worker streams, including Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia Graduate, and Nova Scotia: Express Entry, while the Entrepreneur stream fee will be $2,000. Submitting an Expression of Interest remains free, and fees only apply once a candidate is selected from the EOI pool for assessment. Candidates selected on or after Septe

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 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

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

A recent Abacus Data poll reveals how Atlantic Canadians view regional growth and public policy under the Federal Government. While 17% of respondents identify immigration as a top national issue, the broader regional consensus links population growth directly to local infrastructure capacity. Atlantic Canadians generally support economic expansion but want future growth to align with improvements in housing affordability, healthcare access, and the overall cost of living. Th

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

The Ontario Government introduced major changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) by replacing eight existing streams with the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream. This regulatory update aims to streamline permanent residence pathways for individuals with job offers in the province. The new program introduces higher language and education benchmarks to strengthen overall program integrity. It also lowers revenue thresholds for employers in rural communities to

According to Statistics Canada’s recent report, Canada's population decreased in the first quarter of 2026. The total population fell to 41,417,056 on April 1, 2026. This represents a drop of 55,025 people from January 2026. The decline is due to lower immigration targets and a drop in the number of temporary residents. Canada welcomed 83,149 permanent immigrants in this quarter. This is a 20% decrease compared to last year. The number of non-permanent residents also fell by

The number of new international students and temporary workers arriving in Canada has declined sharply. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), total arrivals fell by 73 percent between January and April 2026 compared to the same period in 2024. New study permits dropped by 84 percent following strict annual caps and enhanced fraud prevention measures. Work permits fell by 67 percent due to a ten percent limit on low-wage hiring. Meanwhile, the gover