Weekly Digest | April 27, 2025

Key Highlights:

Recent Case Law

Work Permit – Bhardwaj v. Canada, 2025 FC 736: Indian applicants denied TRVs to visit their adult daughter in Calgary. Officer found insufficient proof of financial resources and an inconsistent purpose of visit under IRPR s. 179(b). Applicants failed to provide detailed financial history or address concerns regarding the source of their funds. The Court upheld the refusals as reasonable. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Post-Graduate Work Permit – Degefu v. Canada, 2025 FC 738: Ethiopian applicant’s PGWP extension refused under the 2023 special policy. Officer found the applicant failed to request consideration under the policy and did not comply with specific application instructions. The Court agreed that failure to meet mandatory Minister-imposed conditions justified refusal under IRPA s. 25.2. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Self-Employed Class – Ghanitab v. Canada, 2025 FC 745: Iranian applicant’s PR application refused and found inadmissible for misrepresentation. Officer determined the applicant submitted fraudulent IELTS results and failed to credibly rebut discrepancies in his travel history. The Court found the decision reasonable, particularly given the conflicting evidence regarding alleged travel to Turkey. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Canada Experience Class – Huang v. Canada, 2025 FC 699: Chinese applicant’s PR application refused for criminal inadmissibility under IRPA s. 37(1)(a). Officer found reasonable grounds the applicant was a member of an organized criminal operation involving fraudulent language testing. The Court found the decision justified based on CBSA investigations and the employer’s criminal conviction. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Humanitarian & Compassionate – Mikhail v. Canada, 2025 FC 716: Iraqi-Kurdish applicant’s second H&C application refused for failing to establish identity. Officer discounted the Iraqi passport as unreliable without affording the applicant an opportunity to respond to authenticity concerns. The Court found a breach of procedural fairness and remitted the matter to a different officer for reconsideration. Judicial review granted. Read more

Study Permits – Off-Campus Work Update – April 23, 2025: IRCC has amended its instructions to reflect the regulatory increase in allowable off-campus work hours for international students—from 20 to 24 hours per week. References to the now-expired temporary public policy permitting work beyond 20 hours have been removed. Read more

Study Permits – April 23, 2025: IRCC has updated its guidance to reflect regulatory amendments effective November 8, 2024, under the International Student Program. Key changes include stricter Letter of Acceptance (LOA) confirmation requirements, mandatory new permits when changing DLIs, revised study permit conditions, and invalidity triggers upon unenrolment. New compliance rules and consequences now apply to DLIs, including the introduction of a suspension list. Read more

Refugee Protection Identity Document (RPID) – April 22, 2025: As of March 25, 2025, IRCC has replaced the Refugee Protection Claimant Document (RPCD) with the RPID to better reflect its function as identification. The RPID is bilingual, valid for six years, and excludes the claimant’s eligibility decision and sex/gender identifier. It is issued at claim promotion rather than referral. Existing RPCDs remain valid until expiry, at which time claimants may request an RPID. Read more

Newfoundland and Labrador – Skilled Trades Fee Elimination – April 22, 2025: Effective April 1, 2025, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has eliminated certification, application, and exam fees for apprentices and trade qualifiers to reduce financial barriers and support skilled trades careers. This includes waived fees for exams, logbooks, certificates, and Red Seal certification applications. Read more

Northwest Territories Survey on Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) – April 24, 2025: The Government of the Northwest Territories has launched an online survey (open April 24 to May 25) to gather information from IENs residing in the NWT who are not currently licensed to practise. The survey aims to identify barriers to licensure and understand respondents’ backgrounds and practice experience, to inform future recommendations for the territory’s Health and Social Services system. Read more

May 2, 2025: Deadline to apply for Newfoundland and Labrador Settlement and Integration Grants. Eligible applicants include non-profits, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, and Indigenous governing bodies. Read more