Canada’s refugee employment program struggles with extended processing delays

A federal initiative designed to help Canadian employers hire skilled refugees from overseas is facing serious challenges, with processing times ballooning from an initial six months to 54 months.

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, launched in 2018 to address labour shortages by connecting businesses with qualified refugee workers, has left more than 20 companies struggling with production cuts and lost revenue while applicants remain in precarious situations abroad.

Refugees with confirmed job offers are experiencing arrests, evictions, and food insecurity during the extended wait. Despite government assurances about sustainable immigration levels, the delays are affecting critical sectors, including healthcare, engineering, agriculture, and construction.

#canada_immigration, #refugees, #empp, #labour_shortage, #processing_delays, #skilled_workers

Ontario suspended the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream over fraud concerns

Ontario's Immigrant Nominee Program has suspended the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream following a comprehensive review that uncovered widespread compliance issues and fraudulent activity.

The investigation revealed systemic misrepresentation affecting applicants' eligibility assessments, prompting officials to halt new applications indefinitely.

All pending applications will be returned with full refunds as authorities work to address vulnerabilities in the current system.

The suspension reflects growing concerns that fraud is preventing the program from effectively addressing Ontario's labour market needs within its limited nomination allocation.

#ontario_immigration, #express_entry, #skilled_trades, #oinp, #immigration_fraud, #canada_immigration, #provincial_nominee_program

IRCC updates work permit eligibility rules for family members of military personnel

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has updated its operational guidelines for work-permit applications submitted by family members of military personnel, effective November 14, 2025.

The revision confirms that dependent children are no longer eligible for open work permits under codes C46 or C48 for applications filed on or after January 21, 2025, where no reciprocal agreement applies. It also clarifies that spouses of TEER 4 workers are no longer eligible for open work permits under code C47.

In addition, the update introduces new instructions related to acceptable documentary evidence, approval criteria, and refusal procedures for cases submitted outside reciprocal agreements, aligning these rules with broader changes to family-member work-permit policy implemented earlier this year.

#ircc, #canada_immigration, #work_permits, #military_personnel_families, #open_work_permits

Canada’s refugee protection claims reach nearly 300,000 pending cases as the immigration system faces growing pressure

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has released the latest monthly statistics, revealing that pending refugee protection claims hit 298,588 cases by October 2025.

This represents a steady climb from 139,540 pending cases in October 2023, marking a significant increase in backlog over the two-year period.

While monthly intake has fluctuated between roughly 7,500 and 19,800 new claims, finalizations have consistently lagged, averaging around 6,500 decisions per month.

The data, published on the IRB's statistics portal, also shows growth in both refugee and immigration appeals, with pending refugee appeals reaching nearly 4,000.

#canada_immigration, #refugee_protection_claims, #irb_statistics, #immigration_backlog, #refugee_appeals, #asylum_seekers