IMMIGRATION ALERTS

Canada began fining unauthorised immigration advisers on 28 October 2026 — up to CAD 1.5 million, plus public naming.

Ontario’s REDI initiative returns through 2027 with nomination spaces for six communities, but federal PNP draws remain paused.

Canada overhauls Express Entry from November 3, 2026: up to 150 points for high-wage occupations and no LMIA required for job offers.

Canada's draft immigration plan cuts temporary residents to 385,000 while holding PR at 380,000 and fast-tracking 33,000 workers.

Canada overhauls Express Entry from November 3, 2026: bonus CRS points for high-wage work and job offers, LMIA requirement scrapped.

Quebec's incoming Parti Québécois government proposes halving temporary immigration and raising French proficiency requirements for permanent residence.

Canada allows work permit holders to study courses of 6 months or less without a study permit under temporary policy effective September 4, 2026.

Canada invests $1.2 million in Francophone immigration projects across Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario.

Canada tightens LMIA employer eligibility. Staffing agencies and Employer of Record models barred from sponsoring foreign workers.

Canada tightens employer compliance rules for LMIA-exempt work permits. New attestation requirements, six-year inspection window, penalties for fee recovery.

Canada adds UK to CPTPP work permit provisions from September 1, 2026. UK professionals can access LMIA-exempt work permits in engineering, tech, finance and more.

Canada raises student visa financial requirement to C$23,448 from September 1, 2026. Co-op work permits simplified for post-secondary students.

Canada IRCC September 2026 processing times: citizenship certificate jumps to 33 months, caregiver PR reaches 76 months. Super visa improves.

India resumes Employment Visa services for Canadian nationals with stricter in-person requirements. Biometric enrollment mandatory. Postal submission no longer available.

Canada closes Hong Kong permanent residence pathways to new applications from August 31, 2026. Open work permits still available until May 2029.

Ontario OINP remote work rules 2026 – infographic showing fully remote work not accepted, hybrid work permitted with regular in-office attendance, and employer location requirements for GTA vs outside GTA.

Canada is addressing persistent labour shortages in rural regions by increasing the allowable share of low-wage Temporary Foreign Workers from 10% to 15% of a rural employer's workforce. The temporary measure runs from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Ontario has declined to participate, citing youth unemployment. Canada is also targeting 20,000 workers already in Canada for permanent residence through the In-Canada Workers Initiative.

IRCC has rescinded the controversial new requirement for the Reciprocal Employment (C20) category that would have required foreign nationals to already have an employer-employee relationship abroad. The rule, published July 29, 2026, was reversed on August 6 after being confirmed as a "version control error."

Ontario has officially opened the Expression of Interest portal for its new Ontario Workforce Priority stream, the first pathway under the province's redesigned OINP. Effective August 4, 2026, eligible foreign nationals can now register for provincial nomination through three pathways: higher-skilled workers (TEER 0-3), lower-skilled workers (TEER 4-5), and self-employed physicians.

IRCC has introduced a new eligibility requirement under the Reciprocal Employment (C20) category, requiring foreign nationals to already have an employer-employee relationship with the organization outside Canada before qualifying. The updated guidance, effective July 29, 2026, applies to all C20 applications including those already in process.