Ontario revives controversial medical residency rule — but with key changes Government had quietly rescinded a policy that would have severely restricted international medical graduates in the first round of residency matching.

Advocates welcomed the move, saying a legislative process that involves committee hearings and public consultation allows more transparency and is the proper way to introduce changes to Ontario's medical residency matching affecting so many IMGs
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Canada to cut 53 jobs from board that oversees asylum claims — sparking fears of further delays and backlogs Job cuts are happening despite significant delays in refugee and asylum claim processing times, warned the Canada Employment and Immigration Union.

Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board finalized 79,462 such claims last year, and it currently has 295,522 outstanding cases in the system awaiting a decision. At this rate, it would take more than three and a half years just to clear the backlog.
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U.S. leads spike in applications for Canadian citizenship by descent OTTAWA - Interest in Canadian citizenship by descent among citizens in a handful of countries — especially the United States — surged after the federal government passed a new law

Canada's Immigration Department received more than 12,000 citizenship by descent applications btw Dec. 15, 2025 and end of January. Meanwhile it approved 6,300 citizenship by descent applications, 1,480 of them under C-3.
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Canada is overhauling its signature skilled immigration system. Here’s what is changing Among the proposed changes to the country’s signature “point system” for economic immigrants is prioritizing higher wages and earning potential.

Factoring in wages and earning potential; restoring points for job offers in high-wage occupations; downplaying the need for a Canadian education + significance of family ties are part of proposed changes to Canada's Express Entry immigration points grid
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Foreign workers rescued in human-trafficking raids in Simcoe County Barrie Police, Canada Border Services Agency officers, and the OPP rescued more than 40 foreign workers in what authorities are calling a “labour human-trafficking investigation.”

Foreign nationals brought from Ontario to Alberta to work illegally in hospitality in Banff by employment agency One Team. Kevin Kielty got a combined sentence of two years probation, 50 hours of community service and was fined $70,000, said CBSA
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Tamil refugee who arrived on MV Sun Sea granted stay of deportation Federal Court judge says Canadian authorities have not yet assessed the risk the man would be facing upon returning to Sri Lanka after 16 years.

The court decision affirms MV Sun Sea passengers continue to face risks in Sri Lanka 16 years after their arrival in Canada, acknowledging how the Harper government's response at the time contributed to the risk of persecution against these Tamil refugees.
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The number of new study permits approved for post-secondary international students in Canada dropped by 64% in 2025 while study permit extensions made up 3/4 of all study permits issued in college and university studies.
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"It remains deeply concerning that such a discriminatory policy was implemented in the first place, particularly during an active match cycle, & required legal action and sustained advocacy to reverse," said the Internationally Trained Physicians of Canada
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Canada is repealing these three immigration programs and changing some work permit rules. Here’s what we know Three core federal skilled immigration programs will be streamlined, the department announces as part of a string of coming regulatory changes.

Ottawa is going to cancel 3 core federal skilled immigration programs — federal skilled workers, Canadian experience class & skilled trades — streamline them into 1 high-skilled immigration class. Changes cover study/work authorizations, asylum reforms
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These Ontario immigration programs are being hit hard by federal budget cuts. Here’s what they are losing "It's been a nightmare," one agency said. "We still have more people to serve."

From trying to close locations to bargaining for reduced rents, scaling back programs and shovelling clients to provincially-funded services, orgs that help newcomers integrate say they are scrambling to serve more with less.
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Supreme Court seems poised to reject Trump’s birthright citizenship limits as he attends arguments The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed the first day of his second term, is part of his Republican administration’s broad immigration crackdown.

Conservative and liberal justices questioned whether Trump’s order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens comports with either the Constitution or federal law.
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He survived war in Sri Lanka and arrived in Canada on a rickety ship packed with Tamil refugees. 16 years later, he’s still fighting for protection here Part of voyage that made international headlines, Kugatheeswaran Thuraisinkam didn’t have the dangers of his return submitted or assessed as evidence.

The mass arrival of Tamil refugees on the MV Sun Sea in Canada in 2010 received a lot of attention, prompting Ottawa to introduce law to crack down on human smuggling, detaining its passengers & aggressively contesting their asylum claims at hearings
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This American moved to Canada to start a business. Here’s why immigration backlogs will cost him a chance to get $600,000 repaid Ontario had a tax on foreign homebuyers when he and his wife bought a house, figuring they’d get permanent status and qualify for a tax rebate in time.

Another unintended consequence of reduced immigration, growing backlog and processing time: permanent resident hopeful who have bought homes here as assets but are running out of time for 4-year eligibility to get foreign homebuyer tax rebates back
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Canada will cancel thousands of refugee claims under new retroactive law Immigration and borders legislation known as Bill C-12 has received royal assent. It will mean thousands of asylum seekers have their claims terminated.

Those who have come to Canada after that date and made their claims since June 3, 2025 — when the proposed eligibility rule was initially announced — will have claims cancelled under new retroactive eligibility. At least 19,000 current claimants affected.
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This college has the most international student spots in Ontario for 2026 — while this university saw the biggest cut In third year of federal cap, Ontario’s allocation, obtained by the Star, reveals how spots for new international students are split among schools.

Ottawa allotted a quota of 104,780 provincial attestation letters to Ontario this year. This DLI got 9,092 spots — significantly more than any other public college or university, but down from the nearly 20,000 it received two years ago.
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Canada rejected her permanent residence application. Her job duties were made up — by Immigration’s AI reviewer Immigration Department decision, which openly said it used Generative AI, cites job duties of applicant that bear no relation to her actual tasks.

The immigration refusal letter said her job duties didn't match the Canadian work experience she claimed. They didn't cos those skills aren't hers or what she submitted in her application. But a disclaimer at the bottom of the letter might be a hint for the mess-up
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Canada’s immigration bill may compromise rights, UN committee says Report takes issue with Bill C-12, says Canada should ensure asylum seekers have “unfettered access” to its territory.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee is sounding the alarm over Canada’s immigration and borders bill, C-12, saying its measures may weaken refugee protection and compromise the country’s compliance with international human rights obligations.
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Canada’s international student program blasted by auditor for failing to address ‘integrity concerns’ A report released Monday by the auditor general found that the immigration department began 4,057 investigations, but 41 per cent of these cases could not be closed because of a lack of response from ...

Between 2023 & 2024, over 153,000 post-secondary international students were flagged as potentially non-compliant with study permit rules, but officials had funding to probe only 2,000 cases annually. Smaller provinces only saw students down 59% or more
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Pushed into ICE detention: Canada sent this Haitian man back to the U.S. despite his claim he qualified for asylum The 25-year-old had all the documents to prove his relationship with an "anchor family member" — his aunt — in order to make the refugee claim. But she was out

He had all the documents to prove his relationship with his “anchor family member” in Canada to qualify for an exemption to Safe Third Country Agreement banning him from making the refugee claim. CBSA sent him back to the US cos his aunt was out of Canada
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Immigration cuts have left her no path to stay in Canada — even though she’s exactly the type of worker the country needs Even with a shortage in the sector, foreign care workers already working in the country are facing steep barriers to staying amid immigration cuts.

despite working in a care sector facing chronic staff shortages, Kapoor will have no choice but to stop on March 16, when her postgraduate work permit expires. She cannot extend it and has no clear path to permanent residency
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At age 4, he was placed on Canada’s corrupt foreign officials list. Now 19 and a citizen, he wants to clear his name Mohamed Fares Trabelsi, related to Tunisia’s ex-dictator, was granted asylum in Canada but faces severe restrictions. “I just want to live my life.”

“He’s done nothing wrong. He just wants his reputation to be cleared. Just imagine you’re 18 & trying to find a job. You give your resumé & people type your name online. If they see you on the list, they will be scared”: lawyer for Mohamed Fares Trabelsi
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U.S. border officials ramp up electronic device searches, data shows The searches raise privacy concerns among some travellers.

Canadians refusing to hand over or unlock a device can also face serious consequences; they will almost certainly be denied entry to the U.S., and the refusal could trigger a forensic search, said immigration lawyer Mario D. Bellissimo
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This woman is suing Canada for its ban on adoption under Muslim law Immigrant from Pakistan says she’s being denied the right to reunite with her adopted kids because of 2013 Canadian policy on Islamic “kafala” rules.

“That categorical refusal does not only affect the individual applicants. It affects Muslim families across Canada who adopt through foreign court-supervised guardianship processes,” court heard in Charter challenge of ban of adoption via kafala
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In Toronto, a multicultural city feels the impact of war in the Middle East: ‘As a human, it hurts me to see’ Hundreds of thousands with ties to the region call the GTA home. Beyond an opposition to the Iranian regime, views can get complicated.

Many are reluctant to show their support publicly, some horrified by people thanking Trump and Netanyahu, waving American and Israeli flags. “Just going out and celebrating strikes on my country, what is that actually demonstrating?"
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Canada launches new program to grant 33,000 foreign workers permanent residence, immigration minister reveals Lena Metlege Diab says in an interview that the program has been soft-launched as large numbers of migrants are running out of status in Canada.

Transitioning temporary migrants to become permanent is one way to shrink the temporary resident population. Last year, more than half of the 395,000 people who were brought into permanent residency were in Canada on temporary permits
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These immigration applicants were accused of cheating in court. Now they’re telling their side of the story Ottawa dismissed the cases of 430 people who were trying to speed processing but were caught with too many similarities in their court applications.

“I personally didn’t think what this guy did was a problem. My visa was approved within 48 hours after he submitted the mandamus. I actually wrote him and thanked him because I was grateful. He provided a valuable service."
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Budget watchdog predicts zero population growth this year OTTAWA - The parliamentary budget officer predicts Canada's rate of population growth will remain flat in 2026, mainly due to cuts to non-permanent resident admissions in the latest federal Immigratio...

The PBO analysis of Canada's annual immigration targets projects the government will hit its goal of reducing the population share of non-permanent residents from a peak of 7.6% in October 2024 to less than 5% by the end of 2027.
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Girl, 8, pleads with Ottawa to help reunite with her mother, stuck in Gaza: ‘Please Canada, try your best to help me’ The Carney government is being urged to speed up the special immigration program to provide temporary refuge to Palestinians with relatives in Canada.

“This month is Ramadan and my mom is not with me. I wish that every time when I wake up, I can see my mom...I’m trying my best to speak English. I am trying to do everything to bring my mom. I wish Canada can help me. Please Canada, try your best to help."
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Reality check: Did Trudeau and Carney’s immigration cuts make housing cheaper? Here’s what actually happened The immigration minister said Canada is seeing positive impacts and rents are trending down. But experts and some data point to other factors.

Immigration levels are only one part of several factors contributing to recent declines in rental prices. Experts say falling rents cannot be explained by immigration policy alone, pointing to rising rental supply and interprovincial migration trends.
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Canada will slash millions in spending meant to help immigrants. Here’s how hard Ontario is being hit Across-the-board funding cuts are expected to affect all services, including employment counselling and other supports to assist newcomer integration.

The $98.1M cut will affect each province differently. BC, PEI and NS are hardest hit ⬇️ 20%+. Starting April, new eligibility criteria to access settlement services will phase in for economic immigrants, spouses and children from date they receive CoPR.
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