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

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

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

Payroll employment in Canada rose by 45,600 in January 2026, up 0.2% from December after a small decline the month before, Statistics Canada reported . Year over year, payroll employment was also up 0.2%. Average weekly earnings, including overtime, reached $1,320.46, a 2.0% increase from January 2025. Job gains were concentrated in educational services, construction, finance and insurance, and health care and social assistance, while retail trade posted the largest drop. Job

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a temporary public policy to help Quebec transition more temporary residents to permanent status. The initiative offers streamlined access to employer-specific work permits through the International Mobility Program for eligible foreign workers. Applications will be processed within 30 days, with submissions accepted until December 31, 2026. The policy targets three groups: workers with permits expiring by ye

Over the last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new  draws  under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From March 7 to March 13, Canada invited 3,496 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of March 13, 28,448 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 196 ITAs for Australia, 4 ITAs for Austria, 25 ITAs for Belgium, 4 ITAs for Chile, 2 ITAs for Costa Rica, 5 ITAs for

The Government of Canada has announced the extension of temporary special measures under the Employment Insurance Work-Sharing program to help employers facing economic slowdowns avoid layoffs and retain their workforce. The flexibilities will now remain in place until March 31, 2027, giving businesses more time to stabilize while employees continue working reduced hours and receive partial Employment Insurance support for lost income. Since the program’s expansion, more tha

Canada's International Experience Canada program has introduced two new opportunities for young professionals. The Inov Contacto initiative now welcomes participants from Portugal, while Taiwan's Global Pathfinder Initiative opens doors for Taiwanese applicants. Both programs fall under the Young Professionals stream of the International Mobility Program, which promotes cultural exchange and work experience between Canada and partner countries. These bilateral arrangements s

Saskatchewan launched the second intake window for 2026 on March 2, accepting applications across capped sectors including accommodation and food services, retail trade, and trucking. While the intake window filled quickly for accommodation and food services (240 positions) and retail trade (80 positions), the trucking sector remains open with 40 positions still available out of the original 80-position limit. Only workers with six months or less on a valid work permit were

A recent study from HEC Montreal reveals that the route immigrants take into Canada matters more than their qualifications alone. Workers arriving with closed permits typically earn higher incomes than other groups, while foreign students show the fastest wage growth once they enter the job market. The research, which surveyed 2,500 university-educated immigrants in 2025, found that the current points-based selection system does not always identify candidates who will perfor

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has clarified how work permits will be issued to applicants under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) in 2026. Candidates who have submitted a complete permanent residence application under either pilot and hold a valid job offer may qualify for a work permit valid for up to two years while their PR application is processed. These work permits are exempt from t

According to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the country saw 53% fewer international student and temporary worker arrivals in 2025 compared to the previous year, marking a significant shift in immigration policy. New figures released for December 2025 show just 9,665 study permits and 9,735 work permits were issued that month, reflecting the government's commitment to reducing temporary resident numbers to below 5% of the total popul

On February 10, 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 increased for all streams. Global Talent Stream - 11 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 19 business days (+4 days) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 16 business days (+6 days) Permanent Residence

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the continuation of a streamlined process for International Experience Canada (IEC) participants. Those currently in Canada with valid IEC work permits can now request examination and document issuance domestically when submitting subsequent applications. The extension, effective February 10, 2026, will remain operational indefinitely, offering greater convenience for young professionals, working holiday parti

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new  draws  under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From January 24 to February 6, Canada invited 14,982 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of February 6, 31,632 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 2 ITAs for Andorra, 1,029 ITAs for Australia, 82 ITAs for Austria, 159 ITAs for Belgium, 525 ITAs for Ch

The Quebec government has turned down Montreal's request to grant flexibility for immigrant workers following the elimination of the Quebec Experience Program. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada and city council members had unanimously sought a grandfather clause that would have allowed temporary residents already in the province to apply under the now-defunct program. Immigration Minister Jean-Francois Roberge confirmed that while applications submitted before the program's canc

Canada's immigration minister has filed a motion with the Federal Court seeking mass dismissal of 430 applications from Chinese nationals, citing significant irregularities. The cases, which involve study, work, and visitor permit applications, raised red flags due to identical formatting, shared contact information, and suspiciously similar wording despite claims of self-representation. Officials believe unauthorized "ghost agents" orchestrated these filings, exploiting app

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a freeze on eligible fields of study for Post-Graduation Work Permits for the remainder of 2026. International students planning to work in Canada after graduation should note that no programs will be added to or removed from the current list of eligible CIP codes this year. This decision provides stability for students already enrolled in qualifying programs, but means those in non-eligible courses will not s

On January 5, 2026, Saskatchewan announced an urgent change to the first application intake window for sectors subject to the 2026 caps. The opening date for these sectors has been moved to January 13, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., replacing the previously scheduled date of January 6. This update affects candidates in the Trucking, Retail Trade, and Accommodation and Food Services sectors, which now share a limited portion of the total SINP allocation. For 2026, the intake windows are

New quarterly demographic data from Statistics Canada reveals a notable shift in Canada's temporary resident landscape. By the fourth quarter of 2025, the country saw approximately 477,000 study permit holders, marking a substantial decrease from earlier in the year. Work permit holders numbered around 1.48 million during the same period. Meanwhile, asylum claimants and protected persons reached roughly 505,000, reflecting year-over-year growth in this category. The figures