Most applicants for Canadian citizenship will have to complete a self-administered online citizenship test (with up to three attempts permitted), as new instructions from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicate this format is now the default. This information is part of the latest instructions for officers published on the immigration department’s website on March […]
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The UK government will soon be ceasing the issuance of study visas to nationals of four countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. This marks a first-of-its-kind implementation, following rocketing levels of asylum claims made by students of these nationalities between 2021 and 2025 (+470%) once in the UK. Canada, however, continues to welcome all eligible […]
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released its latest processing time estimates for all temporary residence, permanent residence, and citizenship applications. Most notably, in-land spousal sponsorship (within Quebec) wait times increased by one month, while Parent and Grandparent (PGP) sponsorship both within and outside Quebec decreased by one month. India-based dependent child sponsorship processing […]
The post Indian nationals see faster visitor visas and work permits in latest processing times update first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s passport continues its upward trajectory in the latest Henley Global Passport Rankings—now moving up from eighth to seventh place globally, since the start of the year. Canadians now enjoy visa-free travel to 182 destinations worldwide. The Canadian passport also remains the strongest in North America, soundly outranking the American passport, which has remained at […]
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The city of Kelowna has released the priority sectors and occupations being targeted under the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) in 2026. This year, Kelowna—located in south-central British Columbia on the east shore of the Okanagan Valley—has added an additional priority sector and eight new in-demand occupations. Consult with an experienced immigration representative To be […]
The post The jobs being prioritized in Kelowna, British Columbia under IRCC’s francophone PR pathway first appeared on CIC News.
A major immigration bill under its third reading by the Senate has been subject to amendments, including one to protect the privacy of permanent residents and Canadian citizens, and another to provide oversight oversight to the proposed limitations on asylum claims. Assess your eligibility for Canadian permanent residence The Senate adopted an amendment moved by […]
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For many newcomers and future immigrants to Canada, the CELPIP Test is a major milestone on the path to permanent residency, citizenship, or professional accreditation. While some test takers feel confident in listening and speaking, the writing component is often the most challenging part of the exam. Book a CELPIP Test Date Strong writing skills […]
The post 7 Key Strategies to Excel in the CELPIP Writing Test first appeared on CIC News.
As of 12 p.m. on March 9, the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) is officially opening its Employer-Driven and Francophone Streams for candidate consideration. This comes following the Program switching to an Expression of Interest (EOI) model for its Employer-Driven Stream in late February of this year. The NTNP will hold its first EOI draw […]
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Canada has launched two new work permit pathways for youth from Portugal and Taiwan, under the “Young Professionals” stream of the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. These are: The Young Professionals Taiwanese Global Pathfinder Initiative (TGPI) pathway (for Taiwanese nationals); and The Young Professionals Inov Contacto pathway (For Portuguese nationals). Schedule a Free IEC Work […]
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Canada has announced a temporary pause on the removal of select inadmissible Israeli and Lebanese nationals in Canada holding temporary or permanent residence status. Due to the current conflict in Israel and Lebanon posing a “generalized risk to the entire civilization population,” those deemed inadmissible and to be removed, as of March 7, will be […]
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Processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) have increased for nearly all streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)—despite a reduction in temporary foreign worker admissions in 2026. The most notable increase can be seen for the TFWP’s high-wage stream, which applies to jobs paying at or above the regional wage threshold. Schedule […]
The post LMIA processing times are on the rise first appeared on CIC News.
While Express Entry offers a fast-track route to Canadian permanent residence (PR), individuals must ensure that all information in their profile and application is accurate, verifiable, and consistent. Errors such as misaligned NOC codes, ineligible work experience, or outdated profile information can have serious consequences—from ineligibility and PR application rejection to a finding of fraud. […]
The post The top 5 mistakes Express Entry candidates make first appeared on CIC News.
The Government of New Brunswick issued invitations to provincial immigration candidates in a series of draws conducted between March 3 and March 6, 2026. Invitations were issued across three NBPNP streams (with draws under some streams featuring multiple pathways), as well as through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), targeting candidates with experience in several priority […]
The post New Brunswick invites over 600 PNP and AIP candidates in latest immigration draws first appeared on CIC News.
Prospective and current Express Entry candidates have multiple different avenues to build eligible work experience for a category—and more easily obtain an ITA in the process, since category-based draws feature some of the lowest cut-off scores of any selection type. See your eligibility for all Express Entry streams and categories Following the late February 2026 […]
The post The many different methods to build work experience for an easier ITA first appeared on CIC News.
Alberta has retroactively published its final draw of February, inviting workers holding job offers in rural in-province communities to apply for provincial nomination. This most recent draw (February 26) followed closely on the heels of a Tourism and Hospitality Stream draw taking place just two days earlier—and marks the province’s 13th draw of the year […]
The post AAIP invites workers intending to settle in rural communities first appeared on CIC News.
Moose Jaw has published its priority sectors and occupations for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), outlining who will be considered for permanent residence (PR) in 2026. This year, Moose Jaw—situated in south-central Saskatchewan about 77 kilometres of Regina—has added one new sector and seven new occupations to its priority list, reflecting an evolving regional […]
The post Moose Jaw RCIP facilitates PR for workers in these priority sectors and occupations first appeared on CIC News.
Foreign workers in Canada thinking of applying for permanent residence under the new temporary resident to permanent resident (TR to PR) pathway can prepare some documents in advance. Assess Your Eligibility for Canadian Permanent Residence Although the pathway has already launched, according to statements made by Canada’s immigration minister, the government has not published specific […]
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Canada’s immigration department has already launched its one-time measure to grant permanent residence to 33,000 foreign workers. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab said in an interview that the program had been launched quietly, with more details to come in April, as reported by the Toronto Star on March 6, 2026. Assess your Eligibility for Canadian […]
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Top-scoring profiles in Canada’s Express Entry pool continue to drop to their lowest levels in recent years, as larger, consistent draws help ease overall competition among candidates. Based on recent pool composition data and the run of draws that have taken place between March 2 and 5, the number of profiles in the 501-600 scoring […]
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Claresholm has released its updated list of priority sectors (one new), occupations (eight new) and designated employers for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) for 2026. Foreign nationals with a job offer from a designated Claresholm employer in a priority sector or occupation can pursue permanent residence (PR) through this rural immigration pathway—provided they meet […]
The post Here are the foreign nationals Claresholm is prioritizing for permanent residence under the RCIP first appeared on CIC News.
Pop singer Britney Spears may not be allowed to enter Canada. Spears could be criminally inadmissible, following her arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) in California on March 4, 2026. Anyone with a DUI—excepting Canadian citizens—could be denied entry to Canada, even if the incident took place decades ago, even if they were never charged […]
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued more invitations to apply (ITA) through the Express Entry system. The immigration department issued 250 ITAs in a draw for candidates in the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience. To be considered in this draw, candidates needed to have A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of […]
The post Canada holds first Express Entry draw under new category first appeared on CIC News.
Pictou County has released the sectors and occupations it will be prioritizing for permanent residence (PR) under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) in 2026. This year, Pictou County—situated in northern Nova Scotia along the Northumberland Strait—is prioritizing an additional sector and 14 new occupations. Assess your eligibility for the Rural Community Immigration Pilot To […]
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Iranians will be able to renew their work permits, under measures extended by the Canadian federal government. The revised and extended measures, published on the government website on March 4, 2026, are effective from March 1, 2026 through to March 31, 2027, under the Revised temporary public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada as […]
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On March 4, 2026, the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the appointment of a new deputy minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship, to “take effect in the coming weeks.” Ted Gallivan, who currently serves as interim deputy national security and intelligence advisor to the prime minister, will take over the role. At this […]
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