Canada's Auditor General told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration that IRCC successfully reduced the number of new study permits issued under recent International Student Program reforms but failed to address several critical integrity weaknesses.
According to the audit, more than 153,000 potential cases of study permit non-compliance were identified in 2023 and 2024, yet only about 4,000 investigations were launched.
The report also found that 800 cases of fraud were detected after study permits had already been approved, but no follow-up action was taken. In many cases, those individuals later applied for other temporary or permanent immigration programs, with more than half of those applications ultimately approved.
The Auditor General called for stronger risk management, more effective fraud investigations, and better oversight to protect the integrity of Canada's international student system.
#canada_immigration, #international_students, #study_permits, #ircc, #auditor_general, #student_program, #immigration_compliance, #immigration_fraud
July 15, 2026
Statistics Canada reported that the national unemployment rate fell to 6.5% in June 2026, marking its second consecutive monthly decline. The economy added a modest 18,000 jobs during the month, which helped lift the overall employment rate to 60.8%.
Labour market gains were concentrated primarily among core-aged workers and youth, while employment fell for Canadians aged 55 and older.
On a year-over-year basis, employment increased by 99,000 positions, driven by a strong rise in full-time jobs. Additionally, average hourly wages grew by 3.3% over the past year to reach $37.20.
#canada_employment, #unemployment_rate, #statistics_canada, #labour_force_survey, #job_market_trends, #wage_growth, #full_time_jobs
July 15, 2026
Over the past month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From June 6 to July 10, Canada invited 6,442 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit.
As of July 10, 36,940 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 2 ITAs for Andorra, 1,186 ITAs for Australia, 9 ITAs for Austria, 71 ITAs for Belgium, 62 ITAs for Chile, 10 ITAs for Costa Rica, 21 ITAs for Croatia, 93 ITAs for the Czech Republic, 43 ITAs for Denmark, 11 ITAs for Estonia, 18 ITAs for Finland, 809 ITAs for France, 630 ITAs for Germany, 35 ITAs for Greece, 30 ITAs for Hong Kong, 1 ITA for Iceland, 121 ITAs for Ireland, 424 ITAs for Italy, 75 ITAs for Japan, 1,234 ITAs for Korea, 7 ITAs for Latvia, 37 ITAs for Lithuania, 4 ITAs for Luxembourg, 6 ITAs for the Netherlands, 318 ITAs for New Zealand, 34 ITAs for Norway, 89 ITAs for Poland, 97 ITAs for Portugal, 57 ITAs for Slovakia, 143 ITAs for Spain, 65 ITAs for Sweden, 37 ITAs for Switzerland, 136 ITAs for Taiwan, and 527 ITAs for the United Kingdom. In total, Canada invited 83,013 IEC candidates in 2026.
#ircc, #iec, #ita, #working_holiday, #young_professionals, #international_coop, #work_permits, #work_in_canada
July 14, 2026
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigation led to the conviction of Saskatoon resident Balvir Singh for counselling immigration misrepresentation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The investigation revealed that Singh advised foreign nationals to falsify employment documents, including pay stubs and job offers, for non-existent positions.
He charged individuals up to $40,000 for fraudulent immigration sponsorships, which allowed many to enter Canada and work without authorization. Singh received a conditional sentence of two years less a day, a 10,000-dollar fine, and 40 hours of community service after pleading guilty in court.
#canada_immigration, #cbsa, #immigration_fraud, #saskatchewan_immigration, #sinp, #immigration_misrepresentation, #irpa
July 13, 2026
