IRCC has officially updated several immigration fees effective December 1, 2025, affecting International Experience Canada (IEC) applicants, restoration of status, and multiple inadmissibility services. The changes include higher charges for authorizations to return to Canada, temporary resident permits, criminality and serious criminality assessments, as well as restoration of visitor, worker, and student status. Applicants who submit online must pay the new fees immediatel

Nova Scotia has introduced a formalized Expression of Interest process for all Nova Scotia Nominee Program streams and Atlantic Immigration Program designations. The new system addresses the gap between high application volumes and available federal allocations by allowing the province to select candidates through periodic draws based on labour market priorities. All current and future submissions will enter an EOI pool, and selected applicants will receive direct notificati

A recent immigration enforcement action at the construction site of Calgary's new arena has raised concerns that Canada is adopting aggressive tactics similar to those used by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Canada Border Services Agency, accompanied by Calgary police, required workers to present identification, resulting in four individuals being barred from returning to work for lacking proper documentation. Experts warn that involving local police in immig

A new study released by Statistics Canada reveals that 38% of non-permanent residents were not captured in the 2021 Census, marking a notable seven-percentage-point improvement from the 45% missed rate documented in 2016. The research identified distinct patterns in census participation across demographic groups. Ontario recorded the highest provincial omission rate at 45%, while Quebec achieved the lowest at 22%. Young adults aged 20 to 24 and individuals on short-term perm

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released provincial and territorial allocations for 2026 under the international student cap, setting a national target of 408,000 study permits—down 7% from 2025. The cap, which has successfully reduced the number of study permit holders from over 1 million to approximately 725,000 since its 2024 introduction, aims to lower Canada's temporary population to below 5% by 2027. As announced before, master's and doctoral students

Canada has announced a temporary public policy exempting certain FIFA-invited foreign nationals from work authorization requirements ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The policy, effective through July 31, 2026, applies to FIFA employees, contractors, and subcontractors who hold invitation letters confirming their involvement in official FIFA events. Eligible individuals can enter Canada between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, without obtaining traditional work permits.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has implemented a five-year temporary measure allowing out-of-status and unauthorized home care workers to regularize their immigration status while awaiting permanent residence decisions. The policy, which became effective March 31, 2025, enables eligible workers who applied under Stream A of the Home Care Worker Immigration program to restore their status and secure work authorization. Family members residing in Canada who are i

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has announced an extension to the temporary pause on new applications under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program's group of five and community sponsor streams, now lasting until December 31, 2026. The decision comes as the department works to address a significant backlog caused by high demand and lengthy processing times. While new applications remain on hold, previously submitted cases will continue to be processed, and C

The Government of Canada has announced the continuation of special immigration measures for Haitian nationals and foreign family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents beyond November 20, 2025. The extension allows eligible individuals to apply for study permits, open work permits, temporary resident permits, or status extensions without application fees. Initially launched in May 2024 in response to Haiti's deteriorating security conditions, these measures ref

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has granted Canada's Federal Government an additional two months to finalize amendments to the Citizenship Act, pushing the deadline from November 20, 2025, to January 20, 2026. This extension provides Parliament with crucial time to advance Bill C-3, legislation designed to eliminate the First-Generation Limit that currently blocks Canadians born overseas from transmitting citizenship to their foreign-born children. The court ruled this

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program has officially closed the 2025 intake after receiving sufficient applications to meet its federal nomination allocation of 300 candidates. Applicants will receive email notifications regarding the status of their submissions. The program is scheduled to reopen in 2026, with further details to be announced. In the interim, employers facing workforce challenges can explore alternative pathways such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Progr

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) has invested over $1 million to expand bilingual workforce development and Francophone entrepreneurship in southern Ontario. Funding will support Francophone-led organizations such as the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario and the Conseil régional des Mille-Îles to strengthen up to 12 businesses in tourism, sustainability, and services. The Fédération des gens d’affaires francophones de

A federal initiative designed to help Canadian employers hire skilled refugees from overseas is facing serious challenges , with processing times ballooning from an initial six months to 54 months. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, launched in 2018 to address labour shortages by connecting businesses with qualified refugee workers, has left more than 20 companies struggling with production cuts and lost revenue while applicants remain in precarious situations abroad. Refu

Ontario's Immigrant Nominee Program has suspended the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream following a comprehensive review that uncovered widespread compliance issues and fraudulent activity. The investigation revealed systemic misrepresentation affecting applicants' eligibility assessments, prompting officials to halt new applications indefinitely. All pending applications will be returned with full refunds as authorities work to address vulnerabilities in the current syste

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has updated its operational guidelines for work-permit applications submitted by family members of military personnel, effective November 14, 2025. The revision confirms that dependent children are no longer eligible for open work permits under codes C46 or C48 for applications filed on or after January 21, 2025, where no reciprocal agreement applies. It also clarifies that spouses of TEER 4 workers are no longer eligible for open

Saskatchewan has experienced a dramatic 98 per cent surge in refugee claims over the past year, driven largely by sweeping federal and provincial immigration reductions that have left many temporary residents with few options for staying in Canada. Between April 2024 and April 2025, asylum claims in the province jumped from 683 to 1,344, according to Statistics Canada. At the same time, Saskatchewan recorded the steepest drop in permanent residents among Canadian provinces —

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has released the latest monthly statistics, revealing that pending refugee protection claims hit 298,588 cases by October 2025. This represents a steady climb from 139,540 pending cases in October 2023, marking a significant increase in backlog over the two-year period. While monthly intake has fluctuated between roughly 7,500 and 19,800 new claims, finalizations have consistently lagged, averaging around 6,500 decisions per month.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that protected persons and their family members can now apply for study permits from within Canada, regardless of whether they have submitted permanent residency applications. This policy update, effective November 13, 2025, expands access for various groups, including students at all educational levels, work permit holders, temporary residents, refugee claimants, and families of foreign government officials. The

Canada's Express Entry system has experienced a notable transformation in recent weeks, with approximately 11% of all candidates now holding CRS scores exceeding 500 points. While the overall pool contracted by 2,547 profiles between late October and early November, the competitive landscape has intensified significantly. The number of candidates in the highest scoring bracket (601-1,200) more than doubled from 306 to 696, while the 501-600 range expanded by 417 profiles. Th

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has extended its public policy allowing certain foreign workers in Provincial Nominee Program expression of interest pools to obtain open work permits until December 31, 2025. The program, originally scheduled to end in late 2024, enables eligible foreign nationals currently employed in participating provinces to secure work permits valid for up to 2 years with provincial support letters. Manitoba and Yukon remain active participa