Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released updated application figures showing over 1.5 million temporary residence applications finalized between January 1 and June 30, 2026. The inventory of pending applications for students, foreign workers, and visitors stood at 401,280 files. Processing priorities include expedited two-week study permit processing for PhD students and 14-day work permit streams for up to 5,000 licensed doctors under provincial nominee p

Over the past month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From July 11 to August 14, Canada invited 4,307 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of August 14, 42,697 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 1 ITA for Andorra, 204 ITAs for Australia, 4 ITAs for Austria, 29 ITAs for Belgium, 37 ITAs for Chile, 2 ITAs for Co

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 7, 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 except the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Permanent Residence Stream. Global Talent Stream - 10 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 23 business days (+1 day) Seasonal

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge Temporary Public Policy, allowing Manitoba to continue issuing provincial nominations for eligible workers until December 31, 2027. The measure is expected to benefit up to 2,700 foreign workers who previously received work permit support letters under the 2024 or 2025 temporary public policies and are still awaiting provincial nomination. To qualify, applicants must cu

Around 1,500 international graduates, including many students from India, may be denied Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) after IRCC clarified that non-credit programs are not eligible for the permit. The clarification did not introduce a new policy but reaffirmed an existing requirement that only eligible degree, diploma, and certificate programs qualify for a PGWP. Many affected graduates argue they enrolled believing their programs met the eligibility requirements and o

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has finalized over 1.6 million applications across temporary residence, permanent residence, and citizenship categories as of May 31, 2026. The department completed more than 1.28 million new temporary residence files, including study permits, work permits, and visitor visas. In addition, IRCC finalized 111,000 economic permanent residence applications and over 45,000 family class files. To support economic needs, Canada lau

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has updated the provincial and territorial hourly wage thresholds for hiring temporary foreign workers, effective July 17, 2026. The wage offered for a position determines whether an employer must apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) under the high-wage or low-wage stream. For applications received on or after July 17, 2026, the threshold increases to $36.92 in Ontario, $37.50 in Alberta, and $38.40 in British Colu

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, 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 High-wage and Low-wage streams. Global Talent Stream - 9 business days (-1 day) Agricultural stream – 22 business days Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 9 business days (-2 da

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

Over the past month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From April 25 to May 22, Canada invited 6,223 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of May 22, 31,606 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 1 ITA for Andorra, 1,071 ITAs for Australia, 5 ITAs for Austria, 60 ITAs for Belgium, 49 ITAs for Chile, 14 ITAs for Cost

On May 15, 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 except the Permanent Residence Stream and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. Global Talent Stream - 8 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 21 business days (+5 days) Seasonal A

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently updated its instructions regarding the restoration of temporary resident status to provide greater flexibility for foreign nationals. Under the revised policy, applicants can now apply to restore their temporary resident status independently, without the obligation to restore the specific work or study authorizations they previously held. This means individuals who no longer qualify for or require their former autho

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program has announced that Employer Position Assessments (EPA), replacing the former Job Approval Form, will open for submissions on May 4. Intake follows a strict schedule based on industry: the Transportation and Retail Trade sectors open at 8:30 AM CST, followed by Accommodation and Food Services at 12:30 PM CST. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and employers are urged to have their documentation fully prepa

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