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)—

Alberta released the results of the recent Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) immigration draws. On March 5, the province invited 832 candidates under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Additionally, on March 6, Alberta invited 139 Express Entry candidates under the Accelerated Tech Pathway. The March 12 draw invited 47 candidates under the Dedicated Health Care Pathway – non-Express Entry stream, while the March 13 draw invited 349 candidates under the Rural Renewal

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

The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training has secured $96,000 in compensation for a victim of unlicensed immigration consulting. Yan Wang, operating without proper authorization, collected fees for services but never filed the required documents with the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. Instead, Wang provided falsified paperwork to the client. After a thorough investigation, ministry officials, exercising their authority under the Immigration Services Act, issue

On March 20, 2026, Prince Edward Island conducted 2026’s third invitation round under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP). In this draw, PEI issued 101 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates working in priority sectors based on economic impact in PEI. The province prioritized candidates with employment offers from PEI-based organizations and international graduates from recognized institutions, including UPEI, Holland College, and Collège de l'Î

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

Alberta has introduced new mandatory fields in the Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI) system to collect details on wages and working hours for candidates with a job offer. Effective February 25, 2026, all new submissions must include this information, and profiles missing these details will not be considered in future draws. This update signals a stronger focus on job quality and alignment with labour market needs under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. Alberta is

On March 18, 2026, the Government of Ontario invited candidates through five Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) streams. The province conducted the first Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate stream draws, inviting 582 and 525 candidates, respectively. Additionally, the province conducted draws under the OINP's Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS). Ontario issued 108 invitations

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

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

New data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows a significant decline in temporary resident arrivals for January 2026. Canada welcomed 7,040 new international students and 11,850 temporary workers, marking a 28% overall decrease compared to January 2025. These figures reflect the government's commitment to reducing Canada's temporary population to below 5% through measures such as annual caps on study permits, stricter work-permit eligibility,

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

Manitoba is strengthening its healthcare workforce with 45 internationally educated nurses completing specialized ICU training this spring. The program, which runs from January 5 to April 23, prepares these professionals to work in intensive care units and high-acuity hospital settings across the province. Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced that this initiative supports new nurse-patient ratios in ICUs while addressing critical staffing needs. A s

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced significant regulatory changes, affecting Ontario Regulation 421/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. These amendments grant the Minister authority to redesign the OINP by creating or removing selection streams, a power approved through the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025. The updates streamline application processing, refine program streams to address provincial labour market demands, and strengthen program i

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

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 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