Canada's Immigration Minister, Lena Metlege Diab, marked World Refugee Day on June 20, 2026. This year also represents the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The minister highlighted Canada's proud history of helping those who flee danger and stated that refugees make valuable contributions to local neighbourhoods and the economy. Canada aims to welcome refugees through fair and well-managed programs. The government will continue working with partners to build l

On June 18, 2026, Manitoba held the invitation round #273 under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The province invited 124 skilled workers under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas pathways as part of a strategic recruitment initiative. In this round, 22 invitations were extended to candidates with a valid Express Entry profile number and a job seeker validation code. This year, the MPNP invited 1,833 candidates, and 537 of them received

On June 18, 2026, Prince Edward Island conducted 2026’s sixth invitation round under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP). In this draw, PEI issued 182 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 College de l'Île.

On June 18, 2026, the Government of British Columbia conducted new draws under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Programs (BCPNP). The province issued invitations to apply to 279 skilled candidates with the potential to create a high economic impact in the province. The selection criteria targeted two distinct groups: 130 candidates in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 positions earning a minimum wage of $62 per hour and $125,000 per year while working full-time with their support

Canadian job vacancies rose in the first quarter of 2026. This is the first quarterly increase since 2022. Employers reported 506,700 open positions. This is an increase of 11,800. Both full-time and part-time positions saw growth. Sales and service roles led the job gains. However, health sector vacancies continued to decline. Regionally, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta added the most vacancies. Quebec was the only province to see a decrease. Additionally, the average

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) launched a new online tool, the Eligibility Explorer, on June 17, 2026. This interactive tool helps prospective immigrants find pathways that fit their unique backgrounds. Users answer a few quick questions about their employment history, education, and language skills. The tool then displays the specific immigration streams they might qualify for. This self-assessment takes only a few minutes, and the system does not save any

According to Statistics Canada’s recent report, Canada's population decreased in the first quarter of 2026. The total population fell to 41,417,056 on April 1, 2026. This represents a drop of 55,025 people from January 2026. The decline is due to lower immigration targets and a drop in the number of temporary residents. Canada welcomed 83,149 permanent immigrants in this quarter. This is a 20% decrease compared to last year. The number of non-permanent residents also fell by

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

The Manitoba Government announced key changes to the International Education Stream (IES) – Career Employment Pathway (CEP). Candidates with active profiles who possess at least six months of local work experience must now transition into the Skilled Worker in Manitoba pathway. This update aims to align post-secondary education with provincial labour market demands. Eligible candidates should update their profiles immediately to remain under consideration for regular draws. T

New Brunswick published the results of its recent draws using an expression of interest system to streamline immigration applications for the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). On June 3 and June 4, 2026, the province conducted six new draws and issued a total of 699 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to qualified candidates. The new draws were conducted under the New Brunswick Express Entry Stream – Employment in New Brunswi

Thousands of Canadians signed an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for the protection of refugee rights. The letter arrives ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, amidst rising anti-immigrant sentiment across the country. Advocates expressed deep concern over recent policy changes, including lower refugee admission targets and stricter asylum rules. The group urged the Federal Government to maintain fair hearings and expand private sponsorship pathways for vul

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) published an opinion piece proposing a major system redesign. The CILA argues that growing application backlogs require Canada to consider using artificial intelligence to make initial immigration and refugee decisions. Under this proposed model, AI would generate initial reasoned outcomes for high-volume, rule-bound applications like study permits and citizenship grants. Human adjudicators and judges would remain at the bac

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is now accepting registrations for the Temporary Rural or Remote Health Support Initiative. This new program will nominate up to 250 candidates to help fill critical support roles in regional healthcare facilities. Eligible individuals must submit their registration online before the deadline on August 31, 2026. The provincial government will issue the first round of immigration invitations in the coming weeks. Official

The advocacy group Rainbow Railroad reports that Canada's new border law, Bill C-12, puts LGBTQ+ refugees at risk of being returned to dangerous countries. The legislation requires asylum seekers to submit their refugee claims within one year of their first arrival in Canada. This technical rule applies retroactively, making thousands of existing claims ineligible for review by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Legal experts note that many LGBTQ+ individuals do not disclose

The Government of the Northwest Territories will host two online information sessions about its nominee program on June 16 and June 18, 2026. These Zoom sessions will help local employers and foreign nationals learn about the application process. Attendees can also ask government employees questions during the presentations. The sessions are happening right before the upcoming Expression of Interest draw for the Employer Driven Stream on June 25, 2026. Interested candidates m

Canada’s Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) continues to support smaller communities facing labour shortages and demographic challenges. RCIP operates in 14 communities across the country and granted permanent residence to 800 individuals during the first two months of 2026. Participating regions can identify up to 25 priority occupations based on local economic needs, including health care, manufacturing, transportation, and skilled trades. Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, h

Recent data shows a major shift in Canadian international student demographics following federal cap restrictions on post-secondary levels. The overall number of international students in secondary schools or lower remained stable between 115,000 and 125,000 from 2023 to 2025. In contrast, post-secondary international student numbers fell drastically from 544,000 to 263,000 during the same period. Other study sectors also dropped from 47,000 to 21,000, causing the relative sh

The Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, Joseph Schow, will travel to France and Italy on June 12, 2026. The official mission aims to attract foreign investment and highlight the province of Alberta as a top destination for global talent. Minister Schow will promote the province's highly skilled workforce, technological infrastructure, and advanced innovation sectors. He will join over 20 Alberta companies at Eurosatory in France to build international partnershi

Newly released data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada reveals a significant decrease in new refugee protection claims. The Refugee Protection Division recorded 2,863 new claims in May 2026. This number is a major drop from the 16,793 intake cases reported in May 2024. Finalizations peaked in May 2026, with 8,977 cases completed, reducing the total pending claims to 286,970. Meanwhile, the Refugee Appeal Division saw a rise in pending appeals, which reached 5,49

A new Fraser Institute study suggests that recent increases in business investment do not mean Canada’s long-standing investment challenges have been resolved. Researchers found that investment in productivity-enhancing assets such as machinery, equipment, software, and intellectual property accounted for 11.1% of the economy in 2025, up from nearly 14% in 2014. The report also notes that rapid labour force growth combined with slower capital investment has reduced investment