Canada Immigration

The federal Liberal government's immigration policies have come under scrutiny following the arrest of two Toronto residents, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and his son, Mostafa, 26, on terrorism charges. Police say the pair were in the “advanced stages of planning a serious, violent attack in Toronto,” and had a machete and axe in their possession. The arrests have sparked a debate over how someone with alleged ties to ISIS was able to enter Canada and, in one case, even become a citizen.

A recent news release by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says that there are no more passport application backlogs, and that Service Canada is exceeding the delivery standard for most applications. Nearly all passports are now being delivered within the 10–20-day target (depending on how the passport application is submitted). ESDC says approximately 98% of passports issued are issued within service standards regardless of the intake method.

The Canadian passport is ranked as the 7th most powerful in the world for 2024, offering visa-free travel to 187 countries and extensive work and study opportunities.

If passed, the new bill would make it easier and cheaper for parents and grandparents to stay in Canada for longer.

Canadian Member of Parliament Kyle Seeback is proposing a new bill to support parents and grandparents coming to Canada.

To maintain your permanent resident status in Canada, you must live in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) over a five-year period. This doesn't need to be continuous. Certain days spent abroad can count if you're working for a Canadian business, traveling with a Canadian spouse, or are a dependent child traveling with a Canadian parent.

The Canadian regions that could potentially see a reduction of temporary foreign workers due to Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) recent policy include Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with an unemployment rate equal to or higher than 6%. Based on the latest data, the following CMAs are likely to be affected:

Canadian government lays out parameters and procedures to ensure IRCC officers make fair and reasonable decisions.

Following are the Canadian universities that accept the Duolingo English test: 

On May 23 in Toronto, Monte McNaughton, the Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development announced that Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) is the first professional association in the province to remove the Canadian work experience requirement from their application criteria.

Respondents understand the importance of immigration for the economy and believe that Canada should accept more refugees

The Environics Institute of Canada, in partnership with the Century Initiative, has released survey data on Canadian’s opinions on immigration. The Environics Institute is a research agency that conducts public opinion surveys and collects data on Canadian issues such as the government or economy. Century Initiative is a registered charity run by business leaders and academics that advocates for the population of Canada to reach 100,000,000 by 2100.

According to the report, maintaining this positive attitude among Canadians is crucial for Canada’s immigration strategy. At present, Canada hopes to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year by 2025.

Canada’s new rule to limit graduate students from abroad has raised concerns that it could drive top talent away. Before, students in master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral programs were not part of the cap, but they are now included as the government tries to manage the growing number of temporary residents.

Canada is preparing to change how Express Entry candidates are selected in the first quarter of 2023 and beyond

Applicants, in order to stay eligible, may need to update the settlement fund required amount in the Express Entry profile. It is important to know that the update must be done no later than June 8, 2022.

Updating your profile doesn’t change the date and time that we received it, so you’ll keep your rank if you’re in a tie-breaker situation.

Federal and provincial officials are considering significant changes to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility. The PGWP allows international students who have completed an eligible program at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to work in Canada.

IRCC will increase certain permanent residence (PR) fees on April 30, 2024. The adjustments affect fees for various PR categories from April 2024 to March 2026. Below is a summary table of the new fees:

IRCC is inviting more Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence

The benefits of applying to both

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has addressed U.S. Republican senators' claims that Canada’s immigration program for Palestinians from Gaza poses a threat to American security. The senators alleged the program could allow individuals with potential ties to Hamas easier access to the U.S., Miller stated that Palestinian applicants receive temporary visas only valid within Canada and that entry into the U.S. remains subject to American policies and security screenings involving U.S. cooperation.