Canada saw a plunge in new study permit approvals. Here’s what that could mean

2026/04/13 Leave a comment

Given that much of the increase and thus decrease happened in colleges with over aggressive recruitment practices and considerable fraud, the necessary correction will likely “dry out” the talent pipeline less than ApplyBoard estimates:

The number of new study permits approved for post-secondary international students in Canada dropped by 64 per cent last year — a crash that came amid a push to reduce the population of temporary residents in this country.

It’s a development that experts say risks drying out a much-needed pipeline of foreign talent with Canadian education and work experience.

According to the analysis, the Immigration Department processed 211,000 new post-secondary study permit applications in 2025 and approved just over 75,000, a drastic decline from 209,023 in 2024 and the peak of 435,345 in 2023.

It represented the lowest total in the past decade, even compared to the 92,132 new permits issued in 2020, when the system was upended initially by the COVID pandemic. Meanwhile, study permit extensions made up almost three-quarters of all permits approved for colleges and universities in 2025.

The drop in new post-secondary international enrolment will dry out the pipeline of talent, warned Meti Basiri, CEO of ApplyBoard, which released the report Thursday. A lack of Canadian education and work experience will reduce the number of candidates for permanent residence when students currently on extensions ultimately graduate….

Source: Canada saw a plunge in new study permit approvals. Here’s what that could mean

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Deputy minister found breaching ethics rules says she was following diversity mandate

2026/04/13 Leave a comment

Sigh… Given the breach and how it undermines trust, arguably a resignable offence to demonstrate accountability:

Deputy minister of national defence Christiane Fox says she was trying to bring in outside perspectives when she influenced her former department to hire an acquaintance.

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein published an investigation on Wednesday finding that Fox pressed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to hire Björn Charles when she was deputy minister of that department in March 2023. 

Fox had known Charles since they were both athletes at university together, according to the report.

She said in a statement posted on the Defence Department’s website on Friday that she was “motivated by a genuine desire to bring in outside perspectives.”

“My efforts were focused on advancing diversity and inclusion across the public service, an objective explicitly set for deputy ministers,” she said.

“I approached that mandate with care and intent, including a focus on bringing in outside perspectives and voices that could help drive meaningful change. This included removing barriers that limited how talent was recognized both inside and outside government.”

Explanation not credible, report says

Von Finckenstein’s report noted that IRCC — which has reported problems with racism in the past — was ” focused on anti-racism, diversity and inclusion” while Fox was the deputy minister. But he didn’t find Fox’s explanation credible.

Source: Deputy minister found breaching ethics rules says she was following diversity mandate

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NDP’s Leah Gazan calls MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ critics ‘bigots’

2026/04/13 Leave a comment

Understandably mocked for a ridiculously long acronym that throws everything in. Time for plain language rather than this alphabet soup:

NDP MP Leah Gazan is standing by her use of the initialism MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ and denouncing those who are mocking her online for using the term.

A clip of the Winnipeg Centre MP saying “the ongoing genocide of MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+” during a news conference in Ottawa went viral this week and sparked backlash, including insults from Elon Musk and U.S. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

“Bigots are bigots,” Gazan told CBC News in response.

“I certainly am really happy that bigots are offended by my positions around equality. What I am concerned about and certainly motivated — continue to be motivated about — is ending systemic racism in this country.”

MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ stands for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual+. It’s derived in part from the more commonly used initialisms MMIWG (missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls) and 2SLGBTQ+.

Gazan calls the pushback a distraction from the continued violence facing Indigenous women and girls, two-spirit and gender diverse people, along with federal funding cuts to programming aimed at prevention.

“My concern is the fact that Prime Minister [Mark] Carney has gutted funding to deal with something that was recognized as a Canada-wide emergency in the House of Commons unanimously across party lines,” Gazan said. …

Source: NDP’s Leah Gazan calls MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ critics ‘bigots’

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Canada is repealing these three immigration programs and changing some work permit rules. Here’s what we know

2026/04/10 Leave a comment

Of note. While appears to be an effort at streamlining and simplification, devil will be in the details:

Ottawa is going to cancel Canada’s three core federal skilled immigration programs and streamline them into a single high-skilled immigration class.

The repeal of the existing programs — federal skilled workers, Canadian experience class and federal skilled trades — is among the six anticipated regulatory notices the Immigration Department posted online this week. They cover subjects ranging from streamlining study and work authorizations to asylum reforms and modernizing federal economic immigration.

Although these notices offer scant detail on the actual proposed amendments, they set out the direction of the changes under consideration by the federal government.

According to the latest annual immigration report to Parliament, 92,795 permanent residents were admitted under the three federal immigration programs in 2024. They made up almost a third of the 281,615 newcomers admitted under the economic class.

Although the programs each have their own eligibility criteria, candidates are managed in a talent pool where they receive points for education, work experience and language skills among other personal attributes. They are then ranked against one other and invited to submit permanent resident applications through periodic draws for respective programs.

In repealing the programs, the department’s regulatory notice said it will introduce a new “federal high skilled immigration class” with streamlined eligibility requirements.

“The proposed regulatory changes could positively impact the Canadian economy broadly, and businesses seeking skilled workers, by establishing a more diverse pool of international talent to fill a variety of labour market needs,” it said without elaboration.

“Streamlined requirements would also ensure that the system is easier for clients, employers and partners to understand and navigate.”

In addition, immigration officials would streamline study and work authorizations for foreign nationals in Canada by removing the co-op work permit requirement for international students and the study permit requirement for foreign apprentices….

Source: Canada is repealing these three immigration programs and changing some work permit rules. Here’s what we know

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“Want to be a Canadian? It’s never been easier.”

2026/04/10 Leave a comment

Latest numbers and demand resulting for C-3, suggesting possible higher numbers than presented by IRCC and PBO, and a reminder how overly generous it is compared to other countries. From Washington Post, indicating interest given large numbers of American residents affected:

….Late last year, the Canadian government amended the Citizenship Act to grant Canadian citizenship to a wider pool of people seeking dual citizenship through their family lineage. Before the revised law went into effect on Dec. 15, the country limited Canadian citizenship to the first-generation children of a Canadian parent. Now, all generations who were born outside of Canada and have direct Canadian ancestry can become Canadian citizens, as long as they possess the correct documents andfall within the correct legal provisions.

“The grandkids can get citizenship, and the great-grandkids can get citizenship from Canada, even if they never set foot in Canada,” said Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing partner at Henley & Partners, a firm that specializes in residency and citizenship planning.

The rule stems from a December 2023 decision by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that deemed the first-generation cutoff unconstitutional. The law restores citizenship to those beyond the first generation born abroad….

A surge of applications

Since the change in qualifications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has experienced a bump in applications. In January, the agency said it received 8,897 applications, up from 5,940 a year ago. Between Dec. 15, 2025, and Jan. 31, it processed about 6,280 applications, out of 12,430 received, and confirmed 1,480 new citizens by descent under the new act.

“The IRCC said the processing period is about 10 months. Bart said more complicated cases, such as ones requiring DNA testing and assistance from the firm’s staff genealogist, can stretch for years. A straightforward application takes about a year or more, unless it is expedited, in which case it can take as little as a few weeks. Bart warned, however, that the wait time could grow exponentially with the recent high demand.

“Processing is really becoming backlogged because so many people are wanting to qualify,” she said.

The government agency, which posts the estimated processing time online, also shares the number of people awaiting a decision — 56,300 on April 7.

If Canadians are worried about an influx of new citizens, they shouldn’t be. Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, does not anticipate a rush of newly minted Canadians crossing the border.

Spiro, who specializes in international, immigration and constitutional law, describes dual citizenship as a form of insurance. You may never have to use your second citizenship, he said, but in case you need it, Canada will always welcome you home.”

Source: “Want to be a Canadian? It’s never been easier.”

Filed under Citizenship, C-3 Tagged with , , , , , ,

Millions of Americans can now claim Canadian citizenship by descent. But they have to prove it

2026/04/10 Leave a comment

…In Quebec, official documents dating back to 1621 and up to 100 years ago are kept by the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), with more recent records available through the Directeur de l’état civil.

Sarah Hanahem, an archivist with the BAnQ office in Montreal, said while there’s always been an interest from Americans looking into their ancestry, requests for certified copies have exploded.

“In January 2025, we had 32 requests for certified copies of vital records and this year in January 2026, we’ve had over 1,000,” she said, adding most of those requests were made by Americans.

In statements to CBC, other archives across the country, including New Brunswick, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Ontario, have also seen a sizable increase in requests from the same time last year.

Because of the sudden surge in demand, Hanahem warned that international applicants should expect delays. 

The priority, she said, is to fulfil requests by Quebec residents.“BAnQ is a government entity and we are paid with Quebec tax dollars.”

But more than that, Hanahem said the process itself is lengthy and can involve a lot of research. 

There are sometimes discrepancies with the spelling of names, some of which might have changed over time, she said. Other times, critical information like which parish someone was born in, is unknown or key dates are approximate when actual dates are required.

“We have to go back to the original register,” Hanamen said, explaining some of the bound volumes are very old and need to be handled carefully. …

Source: Millions of Americans can now claim Canadian citizenship by descent. But they have to prove it

Filed under C-3, Citizenship

Globe editorial: An immigration shortcut that’s short-circuited

2026/04/09 Leave a comment

Agreed but will require an effective minister with strong PM support. Good to see Vineberg’s suggestions:

…The IRB should scrap the file review policy. Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab should take a broader look at the system, with a particular focus on tightening up the approval of asylum claims and international student permits.

Robert Vineberg, a former immigration department director-general, has sensibly suggested that the initial determination of refugee status be moved over to the immigration department. Staff there could do in-depth interviews with claimants, which would be faster than the quasi-judicial hearings at the IRB. 

The IRB could still be used to appeal disputed decisions. However, there needs to be limits on further appeals. The current system that offers multiple avenues to challenge decisions – mapped out in an elaborate flow chart by the Parliamentary Budget Officer – needs to be simplified. 

The asylum system does need to be streamlined, but removing questioning to vet for truthfulness is going too far. For Canada’s asylum system to hold up in the coming years, it needs to operate efficiently, balancing compassion with wide-eyed realism. This will allow Canada to continue offering a safe haven to vulnerable people from around the world. 

Source: An immigration shortcut that’s short-circuited

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Tasha Kheiriddin: Bill C-12 will not solve Canada’s immigration problems

2026/04/09 Leave a comment

More commentary:

…When a system breaks down, so does public confidence. It’s no accident that most Canadians now say there is too much immigration, want to restrict access to social programs for newcomers, and want newcomers to pay for their own healthcare.

C-12 does address some of these concerns, requiring copays on some health costs, but it isn’t enough. Rempel-Garner points out that there are still 3 million people whose visas will expire this year, with no plan to remove them from the country. Some of these people will no doubt claim asylum before their year is up, buying time while the overburdened system adjudicates their cases, at the expense of both taxpayers and legitimate refugees now stuck in the back of an endless queue.

No one blames foreigners who want to stay in Canada. People will do whatever the system allows them to do, to make a better life for themselves: it’s human nature. But if you allow the system to break down, you end up failing everybody, newcomers and Canadian citizens alike. This is not compassionate or humanitarian — it is an irresponsible recipe for social unrest.

Source: Tasha Kheiriddin: Bill C-12 will not solve Canada’s immigration problems

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Immigration officers don’t have latitude to probe refugee claims, experts say

2026/04/09 Leave a comment

Sigh…:

…But immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said current rules prevent those officers from probing the truth of asylum seekers’ stories.

“A person can show up at the border, give a written story prepared with AI, and the officer is instructed to not ask questions that will verify the credibility of the story. Even if officers want to question, and ask permission to so do, they can’t,” Mr. Kurland wrote in an e-mail. 

Internal documents Mr. Kurland obtained from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada under access to information law, which were reviewed by The Globe and Mail, show that immigration officers have been instructed not to block people’s access to the IRB only because they doubt their stories.

The documents include an e-mail sent in October of last year from an immigration official to a senior IRCC colleague asking, in response to questions from another officer, “if we believe the client is not being truthful, can we withhold our eligibility decision until they provide a reasonable story?”

The senior IRCC official, Gianfranco Bonofiglio, responded: “Our role is not to verify the credibility of their story/entry. The IRB (and R&I) will assess that. The declaration/interview we hold is just collecting facts/information.” …

James Yousif, a former IRCC policy director and IRB adjudicator, said such interviews alone are not sufficient.

“The questions asked by IRCC or CBSA officials before the file is referred to the IRB are intended to establish eligibility,” he said. “For example, if a person already has refugee status in another country, they may be ineligible to make a claim in Canada,” he said. 

“Fraud and national security issues often do not emerge until the claimant is questioned. If that happens, the IRB is required by law to halt the hearing and notify the relevant Minister.”…

Source: Immigration officers don’t have latitude to probe refugee claims, experts say

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AI being used to add fake details in immigration, asylum applications, federal officials say

2026/04/08 Leave a comment

Unfortunate but not surprising:

Artificial intelligence is being used to bolster immigration and asylum cases in Canada by generating fake narratives, including references to fabricated court decisions.

Both the federal department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), an independent tribunal that rules on asylum applications, say they have detected the use of AI in applications containing fake or inaccurate information.

The IRB said that the use of AI in applications to stay in Canada as a refugee is creating a fresh challenge for its employees. 

“Recently, we have observed that memoranda of appeal are becoming lengthier, yet this increase in volume does not necessarily translate to stronger arguments. In fact, occasionally these documents include references to case law that do not exist or cite legal precedents for propositions they do not actually support,” the IRB in a statement. “This adds unnecessary complexity and time to our work.”…

Source: AI being used to add fake details in immigration, asylum applications, federal officials say

Filed under Immigration, Refugees Tagged with ,

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