Weekly Digest | December 21, 2025

Key Highlights:

Recent Judicial Reviews
Entrepreneurs: Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Program Paused
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Paused
Citizenship by Descent Rules in Force
International Migrants Day Statement
PRRA Eligibility Expanded for Iranian Nationals
C14 Film and Television Essential Workers
Hong Kong PR Pathway Work Experience
TRP Guidance: Former Youth in State Care
British Columbia PNP 2025 Final Nomination Allocation
British Columbia PNP 2026 Nomination Allocation Announced
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Nomination Allocation Reached
Ontario 2026 International Student Allocation
Prince Edward Island Office of Immigration Relocation
Québec International Student Program Caps Implemented
Québec Immigration Fee Increase
IRCC Remits Uncollected Inadmissibility Fee Increases
2026 Study Permit Cap and Attestation Letter Requirements Set
Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Intake Set to Zero
Start-Up Business and Self-Employed Classes Intake Set to Zero
Latest Express Entry and PNP Draws
Updated Forms and Checklists
Important Upcoming Dates

Recent Case Law

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program – Work Permit – Batta v. Canada, 2025 FC 1976: The officer refused the work permit and OINP application for misrepresentation after finding inconsistent characterizations of the applicant’s employment across prior applications, namely business owner versus salaried employee, resulting in a five-year ban. The Court found the officers reasonably engaged with the record and were under no obligation to assess innocent mistake where none was conceded. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Citizenship – Alrazak v. Canada, 2025 FC 1974: The Citizenship Judge refused the application after finding the applicant was seven days short of the statutory physical presence requirement. The Court held that the Citizenship Act provides no discretion to waive the minimum number of days and found the decision reasonable. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Study Permit – Mustaqeem v. Canada, 2025 FC 1983: The officer refused the study permit after finding the proposed studies were not a logical progression and the applicant failed to establish temporary intent. The Court found no reviewable error and noted the applicant failed to appear at the hearing. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Study Permit – Misrepresentation – Duarte Gomes v. Canada, 2025 FC 1982: The officer refused the study permit and found misrepresentation for failing to disclose a prior US visa refusal. The Court held the officer reasonably rejected the innocent mistake explanation and properly applied IRPA section 40. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Study Permit – Farshid v. Canada, 2025 FC 1998: The officer refused the study permit with conclusory reasons regarding program benefit and temporary intent. The Court found the reasons failed to meaningfully engage with the evidence and lacked justification. Judicial review granted. Read more

Open Work Permit – Shahzad v. Canada, 2025 FC 1999: The officer refused the open work permit due to strong family ties in Canada and insufficient evidence of ties abroad. The Court found the balancing of push and pull factors reasonable under the International Mobility Program. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Bethune v. Canada, 2025 FC 1996: The officer refused H&C relief, minimizing the best interests of the applicant’s grandchildren. The Court found the best interests analysis unreasonable despite other negative factors and granted relief. Judicial review granted. Read more

Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship – Devgon v. Canada, 2025 FC 2005: IRCC returned the sponsorship application as incomplete due to alleged CV gaps. The Court held the return decision was justiciable and unreasonable given the statutory right to apply after invitation. Judicial review granted. Read more

Study Permit – Taji v. Canada, 2025 FC 1993: The officer refused the study permit based on program relevance and temporary intent despite the applicant’s advanced credentials. The Court found the reasons failed to engage with material evidence, including ties to Iran and employer support, rendering the decision unreasonable. Judicial review granted. Read more

Canadian Experience Class – Su v. Canada, 2025 FC 2001: The officer rejected the application as incomplete based on an incorrect interpretation of the police certificate chronology. The Court found the error material and determinative, as the certificate was issued after the applicant’s last residence. Judicial review granted. Read more

IRCC News Updates

Entrepreneurs: Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Program Paused – December 19, 2025: IRCC has ended intake of new optional Start-Up Visa work permit applications, will stop accepting most new SUV permanent residence applications as of December 31, 2025, and has extended the pause on the Self-Employed Persons Program, with a new targeted entrepreneur pilot to follow in 2026. Read more

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Paused – December 19, 2025: IRCC has paused intake under the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots until further notice due to high demand and inventory levels, and the programs will not reopen in March 2026. IRCC will continue processing applications already received in line with the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan. Read more

Citizenship by Descent Rules in Force – December 15, 2025: Bill C-3 is now in effect, extending Canadian citizenship by descent beyond the first generation. Individuals born or adopted abroad before December 15, 2025, who were previously excluded can now apply for proof of citizenship, while future cases require the Canadian parent born or adopted abroad to demonstrate three years of prior physical presence in Canada. Read more Backgrounder: Read more

International Migrants Day Statement – December 18, 2025: The Minister of Immigration reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to safe, orderly and regular migration, recognizing the contributions of migrants, supporting international cooperation to address displacement and exploitation, and emphasizing a balanced immigration approach that aligns economic needs with community capacity. Read more

PRRA Eligibility Expanded for Iranian Nationals – December 19, 2025: IRCC has waived the 12-month PRRA waiting period for Iranian nationals who received a final negative asylum decision between December 20, 2024 and December 19, 2025, due to deteriorating human rights conditions following the June 2025 escalation. Eligible individuals may apply for a PRRA or, where applicable, a secondary PRRA, with decisions assessed on a case-by-case basis. Read more

C14 Film and Television Essential Workers – December 16, 2025: IRCC has updated program delivery instructions for essential workers in the production stage of film and television under R205(a) C14, revising structure, language, links, and guidance on eligibility, evidence, assessment, and decision-making to align with International Mobility Program formatting. Read more

Hong Kong PR Pathway Work Experience – December 18, 2025: IRCC has amended work experience calculations for permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents. Stream B applicants must now have at least 1,560 hours of authorized Canadian work within the three years before application and must have held a Canadian work permit for at least one year during that period. Read more

Temporary Resident Permit: Former Youth in State Care – December 19, 2025: IRCC has updated Temporary Resident Permit instructions with clarifying guidance specific to foreign nationals who were previously in state care. Read more

Provincial Government News

British Columbia PNP 2025 Final Nomination Allocation – December 15, 2025: British Columbia received an additional 960 nominations, bringing the BC PNP’s 2025 allocation to 6,214. Nominations are applied to priority groups, including healthcare, entrepreneurs, high economic impact candidates, and some waitlisted International Post-Graduate applications, with the full allocation to be used by December 31, 2025. Read more

British Columbia PNP 2026 Nomination Allocation Announced – December 18, 2025: IRCC has set British Columbia’s 2026 BC PNP nomination allocation at 5,254, below the province’s requested 9,000. The BC PNP is assessing how to allocate the reduced intake and will announce 2026 priorities in the new year. Read more

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Nomination Allocation Reached – December 17, 2025: The OINP has reached its 2025 nomination allocation after issuing 10,750 nominations across all streams. New and pending applications will continue to be accepted and assessed under the 2026 nomination allocation. Read more

Ontario 2026 International Student Allocation – December 17, 2025: Ontario has been allocated 104,780 PALs for 2026, capped at 70,074 study permits, a 42 per cent reduction from 2025. Allocations prioritize labour market needs, with 96 per cent directed to publicly assisted institutions and PAL exemptions for master’s and doctoral students at public colleges and universities. Read more

Prince Edward Island Office of Immigration Relocation – December 15, 2025: The PEI Office of Immigration in Charlottetown will relocate to the Atlantic Technology Centre, Suite 308, 176 Great George Street, effective December 22, 2025. Read more

Québec International Student Program Caps – December 17, 2025: Québec has set institution-specific caps on applications for temporary selection for studies under the International Student Program for December 17, 2025 to December 16, 2027, maintaining 2024-level intake for public institutions, reducing private vocational and non-protected ACS intakes, exempting CAQ renewals, and slightly increasing regional French-language vocational caps. Read more

Québec Immigration Fee Increase – December 18, 2025: Québec will index immigration-related service fees by 2.05% effective January 1, 2026, in line with CPI adjustments under the Québec Immigration Act, with the rate also applying to financial capacity scales. Read more

Canada Gazette Updates

IRCC Remits Uncollected Inadmissibility Fee Increases – December 17, 2025: A Governor in Council remission order forgives uncollected CPI-based increases to five inadmissibility-related fees under the IRPR for the period December 1, 2019 to November 30, 2023, including ARC, rehabilitation, restoration, and TRP fees, deeming recovery unreasonable. Read more

2026 Study Permit Cap and Attestation Letter Requirements Set – December 20, 2025: Ministerial Instructions establish a 2026 cap of 309,670 study permit applications accepted for processing nationwide and require a provincial or territorial attestation letter for most study permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, with specified exemptions and province-specific allocation limits. Read more

Home Care Worker Immigration Pilots Intake Set to Zero – December 20, 2025: New Ministerial Instructions set the annual intake at zero for new permanent residence applications under the Home Care Worker Immigration (Child Care) and Home Support classes submitted on or after March 31, 2026, repealing prior instructions and maintaining processing only for applications already received, with excess applications returned and fees refunded. Read more

Start-Up Business and Self-Employed Classes Intake Set to Zero – December 20, 2025: New Ministerial Instructions set the annual intake at zero for new permanent residence applications under the Start-Up Business Class and the Self-Employed Persons Class effective January 1, 2026, with narrow exceptions for Start-Up Business applications supported by qualifying commitment certificates issued before January 1, 2026, and introduce prioritization criteria for existing SUV applications, while non-compliant applications will not be accepted and fees will be returned. Read more

Updated Forms and Checklists

CIT 0555: How to calculate physical presence in Canada for a Canadian parent: Read more
CIT 0556: Addendum A: Applicant’s Additional Parent(s) Information and Authorization: Read more
IMM 0017: Letter of explanation – Open work permit for vulnerable workers: Read more

Latest Draws

Important Upcoming Dates

December 29, 2025: Consultations close on proposed IRPR amendments for international air transit, including new “designated holding area” rules. Read more

December 31, 2025: Ministerial Instructions setting the 2025 study permit intake cap and attestation letter requirements expire. Read more

December 31, 2025: Yukon’s temporary measure for foreign nationals to obtain support letters for Yukon-specific work permits expires. Read more

December 31, 2025: Public policy allowing open work permits for foreign workers with provincial or territorial support letters (including Manitoba PNP) expires. Read more and Read more

December 31, 2025: Temporary pause on private refugee sponsorship applications from Groups of Five and Community Sponsors under the PSR Program ends. Read more and Read more

December 31, 2025: Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) extension ends. Read more and Read more

December 31, 2025: Public policy allowing open work permits for foreign nationals in Provincial Nominee Program expression of interest pools expires. Read more