Immigration

  • July 27, 2026

    Yukon eases licensing for family doctors from 4 countries

    Yukon is fast-tracking the licensing of family doctors from a group of countries outside Canada in a bid to address a physician shortage in that northern region.

  • July 24, 2026

    Court orders writ of mandamus, finds 3.5-year study permit delay unjustified

    The Federal Court has ordered Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to decide an Iranian citizen’s long-delayed study permit application, finding that the roughly 3.5-year wait was unjustified and far exceeded the department’s 60-day service standard.

  • July 23, 2026

    Immigration solutions for entrepreneurs

    Many entrepreneurs seeking to establish or expand a business into the United States encounter the same unexpected challenge: that while there are a variety of options, there is no dedicated U.S. startup visa. Rather than being applicable to a single immigration category designed for founders, entrepreneurs must determine which of the several immigration options best fits their business goals, qualifications and long-term objectives.

  • July 20, 2026

    Temporary border measures implemented over Ebola outbreak in Congo

    Canada is implementing new temporary border measures in response to the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to reduce the risk of the disease entering and spreading across the nation.

  • July 20, 2026

    Canada’s talent problem is not attraction — it’s retention

    Canada has become very good at recruiting skilled immigrants. It has not become nearly as good at rewarding them. That distinction matters. A country that selects engineers, physicians, software developers, researchers, finance professionals and entrepreneurs on the promise of economic opportunity — but then delivers lower wages, credential barriers, punishing housing costs and weaker career mobility — should not be surprised when some of those same people leave.

  • July 17, 2026

    Feds announce projects to advance Canada-Mexico Action Plan with $12M fund

    Canada has announced several projects and $12.1 million in funding to advance the Canada-Mexico Action Plan, including to combat human trafficking.

  • July 16, 2026

    Ottawa halts new parent, grandparent sponsorship applications

    The federal government has paused new applications under a program that allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence, according to a July 15 release.

  • July 14, 2026

    CUSMA review: Cross-border mobility now a planning risk for Canadian employers

    The formal Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA /USMCA) joint review process officially started on July 1, 2026. Leading up to this date, governments accepted public comments and held hearings through late 2025, and the United States and Mexico officially launched bilateral preparatory discussions on March 5, 2026.

  • July 13, 2026

    Somalian refugee with mental illness eyeing Supreme Court in fight against deportation

    Lawyers for a Somalian refugee with schizophrenia may turn to Canada’s highest court in a bid to keep their client from being deported due to a sex assault conviction — citing potential dangers awaiting him in his native land because of his mental illness.

  • July 13, 2026

    100K backlog: Forcing timely Bill C-3 citizenship decisions

    When Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025), took effect last December, the federal government took a predictable victory lap. By passing the legislation, Ottawa permanently dismantled the “first-generation limit” that stripped Canadian citizenship from thousands of children born abroad to Canadian parents. Politicians hailed it as the ultimate remedy for the “Lost Canadians.”

  • July 10, 2026

    Many trial judges overworked and stressed — but not as much as lawyers: new national survey

    Many federally appointed trial judges report stress from excessive workloads, limited control over their time in the workplace and too few support resources, according to a new national survey of judges’ physical and psychological health. On July 9, the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) reported on extensive research commissioned from the Université de Sherbrooke between 2024 and 2026 by the council of 44 chief and associate chief justices.

  • July 10, 2026

    Express Entry evolution: Fundamental shift in how Canada selects economic immigrants

    Canada is contemplating the most significant restructuring of the Express Entry system since its introduction in 2015. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched consultations on proposed reforms that would fundamentally change both eligibility requirements and the way candidates are ranked for permanent residence.

  • July 10, 2026

    REFUGEE PROTECTION - Persecution - Persons in need of protection

    Appeal by appellant from a judgment dismissing her application for judicial review of an Immigration Division decision finding her inadmissible to Canada for serious criminality. The appellant, a Colombian refugee claimant, pleaded guilty in Colombia to trafficking or carrying illegal drugs, received a 48-month sentence, and did not appeal.

  • July 09, 2026

    Feds note doubling of compliance penalties under Temporary Foreign Worker Program

    Employment and Social Development Canada has released compliance inspection numbers for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, noting that between 2025-2026 more than $10.2 million in penalties were issued to non-compliant employers.

  • July 08, 2026

    P.E.I. library hotspots could help residents access virtual court: province

    Prince Edward Island is bringing internet access to those who lack it with portable hotspot devices available through the library — and there is “no reason” they could not be used for virtual court appearances, says a government spokesperson.

  • July 08, 2026

    The U.S. O-1 visa: Best paths for extraordinary foreign nationals

    Many professionals assume that United States immigration law reserves the O-1 visa category for globally recognized figures whose accomplishments are widely known outside their respective fields. This perception is often supported by the public attention given to entertainers, athletes and outstanding entrepreneurs who have obtained O-1 classification.

  • July 07, 2026

    B.C. college eases licensing rules for some foreign-trained doctors

    The body regulating B.C.’s doctors has updated its bylaws to streamline the process of allowing internationally trained physicians to practise in the province. The amendments approved by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC) include changes to licensure eligibility requirements, which allow internationally trained physicians from select jurisdictions to be eligible for the full class of licensure if they meet certain requirements.

  • July 07, 2026

    AI and accountability: Recent cases reshaping Canadian immigration law

    Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging issue in Canadian immigration law. It is now firmly embedded in both immigration administration and the practice of immigration litigation.

  • July 06, 2026

    Prime minister appoints new chief justices of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice & Federal Court

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed new leaders to head two of Canada’s major trial courts. On July 6, Justice Alan Diner was appointed chief justice of the Federal Court, the national superior trial court that decides disputes in the federal domain. He succeeds Paul Crampton, who retired from the post Oct. 31, 2025.

  • July 03, 2026

    Advisory board chair defends failure to shortlist at least 3 bilingual jurists for western SCC seat

    The chair of the advisory board that recommended ex-Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal and one other unnamed jurist for appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada defended the board’s decision not to shortlist three to five names, which was contrary to the mandate from Prime Minister Mark Carney.

  • July 02, 2026

    Faster criminal & child welfare cases, more family law settlements among reforms led by new SCC judge

    The Supreme Court of Canada’s newest judge says his key areas of legal expertise are constitutional and criminal law, including the rules of evidence and procedure, though he has also presided over many civil and administrative law cases in his generalist trial court. Glenn Joyal, a former federal and Manitoba prosecutor and the longtime chief justice of the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, was elevated by the prime minister to the top court on June 30, succeeding Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin of Alberta, the highly respected constitutional and criminal law litigator, academic and judge who retired from the bench May 30.

  • June 30, 2026

    Women now a majority in legal profession, but barriers to equality persist: international report

    The ranks of Canada’s bench and bar numbered slightly more women than men last year, yet many female jurists still reported gender-based and sexual harassment at work and don’t “feel seen as equals to their male colleagues,” according to a new report from the International Bar Association (IBA). The IBA’s investigation into the state of gender parity in Canada’s legal profession reported on June 30 that women make up 53 per cent of lawyers overall — with half of these working in senior positions as lawyers and partners, among the organizations surveyed.

  • June 29, 2026

    McInnes Cooper expands into Ontario through acquisition

    Atlantic Canada’s McInnes Cooper is expanding into Ontario with the acquisition of Toronto-based corporate immigration firm Kranc Associates, the firm says.

  • June 29, 2026

    U.S. birthright citizenship: The meaning of ‘and subject to the jurisdiction thereof’

    In July 1868, when the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment was adopted into the Constitution of the United States, it declared: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” While initially incorporated into the Constitution to overturn the Scott v. Sandford, 1856 U.S. LEXIS 472 decision and guarantee citizenship to formerly enslaved individuals, the Citizenship Clause has since become the foundation of birthright citizenship in the United States.

  • June 26, 2026

    Federal Court notes ‘historic backlog’ in update to immigration case guidelines

    The Federal Court has announced that as of June 26, a special order will extend the deadline to file an applicant’s record from 45 to 90 days in immigration proceedings. The court said it was “required to take this additional step in light of increasing caseload, budget restrictions, and insufficient resources.”

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