Canadian Immigration News

The 25,000th Syrian refugee to land in Canada since the current government took office in November touched down in Montreal on February 27, 2016 — two days ahead of schedule. This important milestone represents a key success for the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC), and its Minister, John McCallum.

As has been widely expected, the number of applications to be accepted annually for the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) has been doubled from 5,000 to 10,000. Through the PGP, Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada permanently.

As has been widely expected, the number of applications to be accepted annually for the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) has been doubled from 5,000 to 10,000. Through the PGP, Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada permanently.

Quebec's Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Kathleen Weil, has announced that online applications for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) will be suspended until June 13, 2016.

As expected, the Liberal government of Canada has introduced a bill that would repeal many parts of the former Conservative government’s citizenship legislation, known as Bill C-24. With a majority government in place, significant amendments to the Citizenship Act are widely expected to come into force in the near future.

Major changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act are expected to be announced over the coming days, with Canada's Immigration Minister stating that the Liberal government will soon follow through on its election pledge to repeal the controversial Bill C-24, which was brought in by the previous Conservative government.

The latest draw from the Express Entry pool has seen a total of 1,484 candidates being issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. The 28th draw took place on February 24, 2016, and each candidate who received an ITA had 453 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This latest draw is good news to prospective applicants, as it marks the second time this year that the CRS point requirement has been as low as 453.

The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued a program delivery update concerning temporary entry to Canada. This update notes that multiple-entry visas should now be considered the standard, and any single-entry visa issuance requires officers to provide an explanation recorded in the application notes.

The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum, has said that Ottawa is looking to make changes to how immigrants to Canada may become citizens.

A full-scale review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill labour shortages in Canada, appears imminent. MaryAnn Mihychuk, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour in the Liberal government of Canada, has said that she will ask a parliamentary committee for proposals to optimize the program.