On April 22, 2026, the Government of British Columbia held the third Skills Immigration invitation draw under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and issued invitations to apply to 484 skilled candidates with the potential to create high economic impact in the province. The selection criteria targeted two distinct groups: 252 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

On April 22, 2026, the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) issued 674 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a general draw for the Masters Graduate stream. The minimum score of this round was 61 points, 31 points more than it was in the previous draw. In addition, Ontario has invited 244 candidates under the PhD Graduate Stream. The minimum score for this draw was 56 points (+7). The profiles of selected candidates were created between April 22, 2025, and April 20, 2026. In t

The Government of Saskatchewan has utilized approximately 26% of its 2026 Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) allocation, issuing 1,223 of its 4,761 total available spots. Data reveals that priority sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, and technology, have seen the highest activity, accounting for 689 nominations so far. To maintain labour market balance, the province continues to manage capped sectors through specific intake windows, with the next scheduled

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its data on application inventories and backlogs, reporting that as of February 2026, there were 2,092,700 applications across permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship streams in all IRCC inventories. Approximately 55% of applications are currently within service standards, while IRCC continues to aim to process 80% of applications within established timelines, noting that more complex cases may

Recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals a sharp downward trend in temporary resident arrivals, with a 72% decrease in new student and worker permits issued in early 2026 compared to the same period in 2024. This decline follows several federal measures, including an annual cap on international student study permits and a 10% limit on low-wage temporary foreign worker hiring. While the total number of permit holders currently in Canada rema

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) has sent an open letter to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, highlighting systemic failures in the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. Representing over 540 lawyers, CILA argues that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has shifted toward a culture of refusal, where officers apply subjective criteria and unpublished benchmarks to deny applications. Key issues identi

The fourth annual Premier’s Summit on Fairness for Newcomers recently convened in Alberta, bringing together employers, educators, and newcomers to address barriers to professional integration. Under the theme of unlocking newcomer skills, Premier Danielle Smith emphasized the importance of improving foreign credential recognition and expanding mentorship opportunities to ensure immigrants can contribute to their full potential. The provincial government highlighted recent l

Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), recently concluded Citizenship Week 2026 by hosting ceremonies across Ottawa, Lunenburg, and Halifax. From April 12 to 18, approximately 6,000 individuals from 40 different countries took the oath of citizenship in over 80 ceremonies nationwide. This year’s events emphasized the importance of reconciliation, with many ceremonies featuring Indigenous Elders who shared land acknowledgements and

The Government of Saskatchewan has passed The From Many Peoples, Strength Act, establishing a permanent framework to celebrate the province's diverse cultural and faith groups. This legislation eliminates the requirement for communities to request formal proclamations annually for their specific heritage days, weeks, or months. By codifying these recognitions into law, the province ensures they are automatically observed each year, supported by standalone documents that deta

A coalition of Canadian organizations, led by the Afghan Women's Organization, has issued an urgent open letter to federal ministers demanding immediate action to protect Afghan nationals awaiting Canadian immigration processing in Pakistan. Despite Canada's commitment to resettling over 55,000 Afghans since 2021, many individuals with active file numbers now face detention and forced removal under Pakistan’s phased deportation plan. The coalition is calling for expedited on

Garnett Genuis, Conservative Shadow Minister for Employment, has criticized the Liberal Government’s latest youth employment announcement as a repackaging of old commitments that fail to address rising job losses. Highlighting that Canada recently lost over 50,000 youth jobs, the Conservatives are proposing a Youth Jobs Plan centred on aligning immigration with housing and labour market realities. The plan advocates for fixing foreign credential recognition and adjusting stu

The Government of the Northwest Territories has released the upcoming schedule for its newly launched Expression of Interest (EOI) system under the Employer-Driven Stream, with the next draws set for June 25 and September 25, 2026. This competitive system ranks applicants based on skills, experience, and their likelihood of settling in the North, aiming to manage a high volume of interest against a limited federal allocation of 197 total nominations for the year. In the Marc

In response to persistent labour shortages, the Manitoba Government has officially opted into two federal temporary measures for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to support employers outside the Winnipeg area. Effective from April 14, 2026, until March 31, 2027, these measures allow eligible rural and northern employers to bypass standard restrictions on low-wage positions. Specifically, businesses can maintain their current proportion of temporary foreign workers

On April 16, 2026, Prince Edward Island conducted 2026’s fourth invitation round under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP). In this draw, PEI issued 127 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'

Alberta released the results of the recent Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) immigration draws. The province invited 342 Express Entry candidates under the Priority Sectors Stream (manufacturing, construction, skilled trades), Law Enforcement and Accelerated Tech pathways. Additionally, Alberta invited 134 Rural Renewal Stream candidates and 164 Dedicated Health Care Pathway candidates (Express Entry and non-Express Entry). In total, the province has invited 640

Newly released data from March 2026 shows a significant shift in Canada’s refugee and immigration processing, marked by a record 8,584 finalized protection claims that outpaced new intakes for the first time in years. This surge in productivity led to the first notable decrease in the pending claim inventory since 2024, bringing the total down to 295,522. However, while initial claim backlogs eased, the Refugee Appeal Division faced its highest volume of new filings to date

On April 15, 2026, the Government of Ontario conducted new invitation rounds in the Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the provincial government targeted candidates working in the agriculture-related occupations and other priority occupations and issued a total of 1,339 ITAs. This year, Ontario conducted mainly Employer Job Offer draws, only once inviting master’s and PhD candidates. In tota

On April 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the fourth Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates of the year. In round #411, IRCC issued 4,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 419 points – 26 points more than the last draw. The tie-breaking rule for this round was November 14, 2025, at 07:14:25 UTC. As of April 12, 2026, 233,555 profiles were registered in the Express

New polling from the Angus Reid Institute reveals that two-thirds of Albertans support a proposed referendum measure to restrict temporary residents’ access to government-funded social services like healthcare and education. The data shows a sharp political divide, with nearly all 2023 UCP voters favouring some form of restriction, while a majority of NDP voters believe all residents should remain eligible for support. As the province prepares for these significant votes, ag

On April 14, 2026, British Columbia held a new draw for business candidates in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The province invited 14 candidates in the Base Category of the Entrepreneur Stream. The lowest score of this round was 115 points, two points fewer than in the previous draw, held on March 10, 2026. This stream targets experienced entrepreneurs who intend to establish new businesses or take over and grow existing businesses in B.C. This yea