Report recommends increased transparency and more collaboration between IRCC, the provinces and designated learning institutions Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is reporting an unprecedented surge in demand for study permits from international students. According to ICEF Monitor, the numbers are continuing to increase as pandemic restrictions are loosen around the globe and students are returning to […]

An early analysis of the first all-program Express Entry draws in 2022. Canada has resumed all-program Express Entry draws as of July 6. Since then, the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in each draw has grown by 250 each week, causing the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirements to go down.   That being said, score cutoffs are still quite […]

A CERC survey says businesses, organizations, and academic institutions that recruit international talent are being negatively impacted by IRCC processing delays. Canadian companies, academic institutions, and government-funded organizations that access immigration are being negatively impacted by delays at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).   The Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC), a not-for-profit that is particularly interested […]

Canada’s immigration department says it is investigating a privacy breach, where work permit extension candidates received emails intended for someone else. Expired and soon-to-expire Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders and Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR2PR) applicants were told to wait for an email with instructions on how to extend their status. One day later, several reports […]

Families of the Canadian victims of Ethiopian and Ukrainian air disasters may be eligible for permanent residency. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has created a new permanent residency program for families of the Canadian victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.   The new permanent residency pathway applies to those who wish […]

Canada’s unemployment rate was at 4.9% again in July, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.9% in July, matching the record low from the month before.   The total number of unemployed people held steady at one million in July. In addition, 426,000 people wanted a job but […]

Alberta invites 120 Express Entry candidates and BC targets tech occupations. Alberta and British Columbia released Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw results this week.   Most Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. Following its launch in […]

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched an Anti-Racism Strategy for 2021 to 2024 in response to findings of racism within the department. In 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) began looking deeper into the departments’ internal environment through an anti-racism lens. An employee survey found that significant proportion of racialized employees considered racism to […]

Canada’s immigration system is entering a new era where the provinces want to have even more control than the federal government. On July 28, 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan released a statement that it is seeking greater control over its immigration system.   The statement came on the same day Saskatchewan’s immigration minister Jeremy Harrison […]

ITAs issued to candidates with a minimum CRS score of 533. Canada has invited 2,000 candidates to apply for permanent residency in the latest Express Entry draw held on August 3, 2022. Express Entry is one of Canada’s most prominent immigration pathways for skilled newcomers.   Invitations were issued to candidates who had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of […]