Navigating Procedural Fairness: Recent Federal Court Ruling Reinforces the Role of IRCC Officers in Application Reviews In a recent landmark ruling, Canada's federal court has reaffirmed a critical aspect of procedural fairness in immigration matters. The ruling underscores that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officers are not obligated to inform... Read More
IRCC Reveals Digital Platform Modernization Project Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revealed its immigration strategy named "An Immigration System for Canada’s Future". This strategy aims to provide efficient, user-friendly services both domestically and internationally. A key element of this strategy... Read More
Overview of Canada’s 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan On November 1, 2023, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, presented the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan in Ottawa. This plan outlines Canada's immigration objectives in response to demographic challenges and labor market... Read More
Unveiling Canada’s Comprehensive Immigration Strategy for a Prosperous Future Today IRCC unveiled a detailed plan titled "An Immigration System for Canada’s Future." This blueprint aims to address the immigration framework for Canada's future. Keep in mind the strategy is simply a plan of what... Read More
Canada Introduces New Work Permit Program with the Philippines A new initiative has been set in motion by the Canadian Government to address the nation's labor needs and foster stronger ties with the Philippines. Announced by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship,... Read More
Fraud Prevention for Foreign Students and Changes to Post-Graduate Work Permits IRCC has announced important changes to the study permit processing, in effect as of December 1st: - Starting December 1, 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLI) will be required to confirm every applicant’s letter of... Read More
Latest IRCC Express Entry Round: October 10, 2023 In the latest development in Canada's immigration landscape, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently conducted its first Express Entry draw for the month, inviting 3,725 candidates to apply for permanent residency on October 10, 2023. To... Read More
LMIA Low-Wage Cap Reverts back to 20% after October 30, 2023 Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) permits employers to hire foreign workers to temporarily occupy positions for which qualified Canadians cannot be found. The program has imposed cap limits on certain job titles since 2014.... Read More
Parents and Grandparents Lottery Opens Today Today Canadian government unfurls its annual opportunity for family reunification under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2023, a contentious lottery system that allows Canadian permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents. From October... Read More
IRCC Moves from a True Annual Lottery System to a ‘Year In, Year Out’ System for its Parental Sponsorship Program Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will accept up to 15,000 complete applications under the Parents and Grandparents sponsorship program. On October 10, 2023, IRCC will initiate the process of sending... Read More
Canada’s Shifts How it Selects Candidates Under Express Entry As we reported in May, Canada introduced pivotal shifts in how it issues Invitations To Apply under the Express Entry system, which governs Canadian Experience Class and Skilled Worker permanent residence applications. Transitioning from Points... Read More
Latest IRCC Express Entry Round: July 15, 2023 In the most recent Express Entry draw held today, on August 15, 2023, a total of 4,300 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to eligible candidates. This draw encompassed the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program,... Read More
Open Work Permits for H1B Holders reached 10,000 Applicants in 48 hours. News Alert: IRCC's portal states that the brand new program that granted 3-year open work permits to H1B holders has already reached it's 10,000 applicant cap. The success of this program demonstrates how the U.S.,... Read More
Path to Permanent Residence for Ukrainians in Canada As Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine continues, Canada is increasing its efforts to provide sanctuary and support to those affected by the violence. Since the introduction of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) in... Read More
Innovation at the Forefront: Canada’s Ambitious New Approach to Immigration and Tech Talent Attraction The Canadian Government has displayed renewed focus on the country's blossoming role as a prime attraction for global tech talent. The aim is not just about meeting the demands of current job market but also... Read More
Hire H-1B Visa Holders on Canada’s new Open Work Permit – Limited Opportunity! Dear Canadian Business Leaders, We are delighted to inform you about an exciting new development in immigration policy that can greatly enhance your ability to secure skilled personnel from the high-tech sector in the United... Read More
Canada Ups Its Game in Global Tech Talent Recruitment The Canadian government is leaning into Canada's nascent status as a global frontrunner in tech talent recruitment and attraction, with the goal of not only satisfying current high-demand job vacancies but also drawing in the... Read More
Study authorization extended for work permit holders In a recent development, the Canadian government has announced a new measure that aims to empower temporary foreign workers to pursue their educational dreams and create new opportunities. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration,... Read More
Visa-Free Air Travel to Canada Expanded for Eligible Travellers from 13 More Countries The Government of Canada has announced the expansion of its visa-free or electronic travel authorization (eTA) travel program for eligible travellers from 13 additional countries. This significant development aims to facilitate easier entry and enhance... Read More
Government of Canada Launches Category-Based Selection for Express Entry, Focusing on In-Demand Professions and French Language Proficiency Government of Canada Launches Category-Based Selection for Express Entry, Prioritizing Specific Professions and French Language Proficiency In an attempt to address the labor shortages across the country, the Government of Canada has announced the introduction... Read More
Lululemon and the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement: An Example of Canada’s Dire Shortage of Skilled Workers The world-renowned yoga and athletic apparel company, Lululemon, is no stranger to the headlines. Recently, it has gained recognition for its substantial investment project in Vancouver, which promises to stimulate British Columbia's economy and workforce... Read More
IRCC Updates Proof of Fund Requirements for Skilled Immigrants (Express Entry) in Canada On May 2, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the proof of settlement funds requirement for skilled immigrants applying for permanent residency under the Express Entry system. The revision of the IRCC’s minimum... Read More
Canada relaxes the rules against foreign ownership of Canadian property On March 27, 2023, the Government of Canada quietly relaxed the rules barring non-Canadians from owning Canadian property by modifying some of the exceptions to the law. The amended Regulations now make it easier for... Read More
IRCC reminds visa officers that Dual Intent is a legitimate policy setting IRCC released an update to one of it's guidance manuals (aimed at visa officers) to remind them that the policy of Dual Intent is a legitimate policy that is designed to encourage both temporary residents... Read More
Post-Graduate Work Permit holders entitled to extend for another 18 months (even if they already extended before) On March 17 IRCC announced a new public policy that allows existing Post-Graduate Work Permit holders (PGWP) with valid or recently expired permits to apply for an extension that can be valid for an additional... Read More
Public policy allowing visitors to apply for a work permit extended until February 2025 Today IRCC announced that the COVID-19 public policy allowing visitors in Canada with a valid visitor visa to apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada has been extended for two years, until... Read More
Big changes to Express Entry. Canada expands who qualifies for immigration under a revised NOC system On November 16th, IRCC Minister Sean Fraser announced the long-awaited introduction of the revised National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, which tracks and categorizes job titles and qualifications in the Canadian labour market. The NOC system... Read More
New Ontario Entrepreneur Program Announced, with few details On December 14th the Province of Ontario announced a new entrepreneur program to attract foreign nationals to invest and move to Ontario. The provincial government is hoping to generate $20 million in business investment by... Read More
Federal Government to fund IRCC Deputy Prime Minister Freeland has announced an $85 million dollar allocation to IRCC to help move along around 1.8 million applications that are currently in a processing backlog. This announcement is welcome news to applicants... Read More
Proposed Changes to the Citizenship Act in Canada The Liberal Party has introduced a new bill that if passed would create changes to the Citizenship Act A new bill was proposed that if passed would create changes to the Citizenship Act. These changes... Read More