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 9, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the average LMIA processing time has decreased for all streams except the Agricultural and Low-wage streams, which had a very slight increase. Global Talent Stream - 7 business days (-5 days) Agricultural stream – 16 business days (+1 day) Seasonal Agr

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 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

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new  draws  under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From March 14 to March 27, Canada invited 3,167 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of March 27, 31,077 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 233 ITAs for Australia, 6 ITAs for Austria, 38 ITAs for Belgium, 4 ITAs for Chile, 4 ITAs for Costa Rica, 10 IT

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a major policy change on March 23, 2026, expanding eligibility for open work permits for spouses of workers under Significant Investment Projects in British Columbia. The update removes previous restrictions that limited eligibility to spouses of high-skilled workers at specific TEER levels. Now, spouses of all SIP workers—whether employed in high-skilled occupations (TEER 0-3) or low-skilled positions (TEER 4-5)—

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processed 32,400 permanent residence applications and welcomed 24,100 new residents in January 2026. The department also granted citizenship to 227,300 individuals between April 2025 and January 2026. During the same month, IRCC finalized 34,200 study permit applications and 136,700 work permit applications, including extensions. These numbers reflect Canada's ongoing commitment to maintaining robust immigration pathways for

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is introducing new fees effective April 1, 2026. Applications from skilled workers with job offers, which were previously free, will now require a $500 fee as the province shifts toward employer-driven streams and aims to recover administrative costs. In addition, a $250 fee will be charged for second-review requests to discourage non-genuine appeals, with refunds issued if the original decision is overturned. The new measure

The Federal Government announced a temporary measure that allows eligible skilled workers in Quebec to extend their employer-specific work permits for up to 12 months. This gives Quebec additional time to process applications for the Quebec Selection Certificate, which is required before applying for permanent residence. The measure targets workers who received invitations to submit a Demande de Selection Permanente under Quebec's Skilled Worker Selection Program. Applicatio

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new  draws  under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From February 21 to March 6, Canada invited 8,676 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of March 6, 28,404 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 645 ITAs for Australia, 20 ITAs for Austria, 70 ITAs for Belgium, 68 ITAs for Chile, 23 ITAs for Costa Rica, 7

On March 4, 2026, the Government of Canada announced that it will continue offering temporary immigration relief to Iranian nationals already living and working in the country. The measures, first introduced in February 2023 due to ongoing instability in Iran, now allow Iranians holding valid work permits issued on or before February 28, 2025, to apply for extensions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated these provisions will remain in effect until March 31, 2

On March 4, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)  updated  the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the average LMIA processing time has decreased for all streams except the Global Talent and High-wage streams. Global Talent Stream - 12 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 15 business days (-4 days) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10

Over the last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new  draws  under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From February 7 to February 13, Canada invited 6,986 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of February 13, 28,872 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 290 ITAs for Australia, 21 ITAs for Austria, 40 ITAs for Belgium, 128 ITAs for Chile, 12 ITAs for Costa Rica

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is organizing a virtual immigration and job fair on February 11, running from 6 to 10 p.m. GMT. This event offers skilled foreign workers a valuable opportunity to connect directly with employers across the province who are actively hiring. Participants will need to upload their resumes during registration for employer review. The fair will also include informative sessions and Q&A segments with immigration experts, covering pathwa

Over the last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the first draws of the year for the International Experience Canada (IEC) pools. From January 1 to January 23, Canada invited 12,693 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of January 23, 35,567 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 1 ITA for Andorra, 1,304 ITAs for Australia, 83 ITAs for Austria, 370 ITAs for Belgium, 2

New federal statistics reveal that work permit issuances under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) plummeted to just 2,615 in November 2025, marking the lowest monthly intake since early 2024. This sharp decline follows commitments from federal ministers to "rebalance" the program in response to concerns over housing shortages and wage suppression. While the program saw over 100,000 approvals annually during the post-pandemic peak of 2022–23, the government has since

Canada's immigration system continues to show robust activity , with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada processing over 414,000 permanent residence decisions between January and November 2025, welcoming 367,500 new permanent residents during this period. The citizenship program also demonstrated significant momentum, granting citizenship to 181,600 individuals from April through November. On the temporary residence front, IRCC finalized substantial numbers of applic

The Government of Canada has announced new measures to support Ukrainian nationals who applied through the family reunification pathway to permanent residence. Effective immediately, eligible applicants and their family members can extend their stay in Canada until March 31, 2027, while awaiting decisions on their applications. This extension allows them to apply for new or extended work permits, study permits, or temporary resident status from within Canada—even without rec

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association is raising serious concerns about the state of Canada's immigration framework, which appears to be buckling under systemic pressure. Rick Lamanna, a board director with the organization, points to fundamental issues beyond typical backlogs — namely, the absence of a unified national strategy and policy decisions that seem detached from ground realities. With wait times stretching past a decade in certain programs and recent propos

Canada faces a mounting challenge as nearly one million work permits have expired by late 2025, with close to another million set to lapse throughout 2026. This could result in roughly two million individuals without legal status by mid-2026, with South Asian nationals comprising approximately half of this figure. The situation has intensified due to recent policy shifts that have narrowed pathways to permanent residency, particularly affecting international students and tem