Despite pledges to double housing construction to 500,000 homes annually, Canada managed only 259,028 housing starts last year, according to data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Toronto saw a sharp 31% decline in starts compared to 2024, while other major Ontario cities experienced a 13% drop.
With CMHC estimating that 430,000 to 480,000 units per year are needed to address demand, the shortfall remains significant.
High development charges – exceeding $130,000 per apartment in Toronto and $180,000 per home in some municipalities – continue to strain affordability. Meanwhile, Metro Vancouver home sales hit a 20-year low, and renters face mounting pressure as average two-bedroom rents climbed 5.1%.
#canada_housing_crisis, #housing_crisis, #affordable_housing, #housing_affordability
January 21, 2026
The Northwest Territories Nominee Program has officially closed its 2025 intake after receiving sufficient applications to meet the federal nomination cap of 300 candidates.
Prospective applicants will receive email notifications regarding whether their submissions will proceed to assessment or be withdrawn.
The program is scheduled to reopen in 2026, with further details to be announced.
Employers seeking to fill workforce gaps can explore alternative pathways, including the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Francophone Mobility Program. Meanwhile, the Business Stream remains open for new applications despite the closure of the Employer-Driven and Francophone streams.
#northwest_territories, #immigration_canada, #provincial_nominee_program, #nwt_immigration, #temporary_foreign_workers, #business_immigration, #labour_shortages
January 20, 2026
Jun Su faces charges under Saskatchewan's Immigration Services Act for allegedly operating without proper licensing in Saskatoon between January and July 2025.
This marks the first prosecution of an unlicensed immigration consultant in the province since the Act came into force last July.
The legislation, which replaced previous frameworks, establishes Canada's strictest penalties for violations and aims to safeguard immigrants and foreign workers. Saskatchewan's Program Compliance Branch encourages anyone with concerns about immigration services to come forward, guaranteeing confidential handling of all complaints and inquiries.
#immigration_law, #saskatchewan, #immigration_consultants, #immigration_services_act, #worker_protection, #canada_immigration, #immigration_compliance
January 19, 2026
On January 15, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams.\
Based on statistics from all processing centres, the current average LMIA processing time has increased for the Agricultural, Permanent Residence, and High-wage streams while maintaining the same processing times for the remaining streams.
Global Talent Stream - 10 business days Agricultural stream – 15 business days (+1 day) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10 business days Permanent Residence Stream - 274 business days (+8 days) High-wage Stream - 50 business days (+4 days) Low-wage Stream - 44 business days #esdc, #service_canada, #lmia #tfwp, #work_permit, #agricultural_workers, #caregivers
January 16, 2026
