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

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

Ottawa will raise key immigration fees this spring as it adjusts charges for inflation and program costs. As of March 31, 2026, the right of citizenship fee for adults will increase from $3.25 to $123, while the $530 processing fee for adult citizenship grants remains the same. A second increase follows on April 30, 2026, affecting permanent residence programs, including the right of permanent residence fee ($600) and higher rates for provincial nominees, business applican

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab responded to the Auditor General's recent report on international student reforms, acknowledging progress while committing to further improvements. The government has successfully reduced the number of non-permanent residents by over 171,000 in late 2025, working toward a target of under 5% of Canada's population by 2027. While the Auditor General praised improvements such as the letter-of-acceptance verification system and program dive

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)—

Canada has announced changes to the super visa program that will make it easier for families to bring parents and grandparents to visit. Starting March 31, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will offer two new ways to meet income requirements. Families can now use income from either of the past two tax years instead of just one. They can also include the visiting parent or grandparent's income to reach the minimum threshold. The super visa allows parents and

On March 12, 2026, the Federal Court ordered expedited reconsideration of a visitor visa application after four rounds of judicial review. Indian parents Subash Kumar and Rashmi sought to visit their children, who were studying in Canada, but faced repeated refusals despite strong financial ties and a travel history. The case was taken pro bono after multiple settlements failed to resolve the issue. Justice Grant found the visa officer's decision unreasonable for ignoring ev

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

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

On March 18, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the third Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates of the year. In round #405, IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 393 points – four points fewer than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was December 29, 2025, at 12:47:31 UTC. As of March 15, 2026, 231,362 profiles were registered in the Expres

On March 17, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) in this draw. In round #404, the cut-off score was 507 points, one point fewer than in the previous CEC-targeted draw, and the lowest since August 2024. The tie-breaking rule for this round was May 11, 2025, at 18:57:31 UTC. As of March 15, 2026, 231,362 profiles were registered

On March 16, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Express Entry draw #403 for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. The Government of Canada issued 362 Invitations to Apply (ITA), and the round’s cut-off score was 742 points, 32 points more than the previous PNP-targeted draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was October 05, 2025, at 20:35:25 UTC. As of March 15, 2026, 231,362 profiles were registered in the Express Entry pool. This