Immigration Update

Canada to raise citizenship and permanent residence fees starting March 31 and April 30

Ottawa will raise key immigration fees this spring as it adjusts charges for inflation and program costs.

As of March 31, 2026, the right of citizenship fee for adults will increase from $3.25 to $123, while the $530 processing fee for adult citizenship grants remains the same.

A second increase follows on April 30, 2026, affecting permanent residence programs, including the right of permanent residence fee ($600) and higher rates for provincial nominees, business applicants, family class, protected persons, humanitarian cases, and permit holders.

#canada_immigration, #citizenship_fee, #permanent_residence, #ircc, #immigration_fees

Bill C-12 becomes law, reshaping Canada’s asylum and immigration regulations

Bill C-12 received royal assent on March 26, 2026, bringing new measures to Canada’s immigration and asylum system.

The law tightens eligibility by barring referrals to the IRB for claims filed more than one year after a first entry, and for certain irregular border entrants who claim after 14 days.

Ottawa will also modernize processing through regulatory updates aimed at simpler online applications and faster, schedule-ready hearings.

New information-sharing powers come with privacy safeguards, while broader authorities allow the government to pause or adjust documents and intake through orders in council.

#canada_immigration, #bill_c12, #asylum_seekers, #refugees, #ircc, #irb, #border_measures, #immigration_law

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program undergoes major regulatory changes

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced significant regulatory changes, affecting Ontario Regulation 421/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015.

These amendments grant the Minister authority to redesign the OINP by creating or removing selection streams, a power approved through the Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025.

The updates streamline application processing, refine program streams to address provincial labour market demands, and strengthen program integrity through enhanced notice delivery methods and expanded administrative penalties.

These changes aim to ensure the OINP selects qualified applicants who can contribute to Ontario's economy while protecting Canadian workers and maintaining program standards.

#ontario_immigrant_nominee_program, #oinp, #immigration_canada, #ontario_immigration, #labour_market, #working_for_workers_act, #provincial_nomination

Ottawa announced measures to support rural employers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

The Government of Canada announced temporary measures allowing rural employers to increase the proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers they can hire from 10% to 15% of their workforce.

The change is intended to help rural businesses address persistent labour shortages and will apply from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, following a request from a province or territory.

At the same time, sector-specific rules will remain in place: employers in the health care, construction and food processing sectors will continue to be subject to a 20% cap on their low-wage temporary foreign workforce, while seasonal sectors such as fish and seafood processing and tourism will continue to benefit from the existing exemption from the TFW Program cap for seasonal positions.

#canada_immigration #temporary_foreign_workers #tfw_program #rural_employers #labour_shortage #work_permits #esdc #canada_jobs #rural_economy