Weekly Digest | March 15, 2026

Key Highlights:

Recent Judicial Reviews
Quebec Skilled Worker Temporary Measure
College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants – Board Appointments
Settlement Services – Eligibility Limits for Economic Immigrants
Citizenship – Knowledge and Language Assessment
International Experience Canada – Young Professionals Stream – Portugal & Taiwan
Iranian Nationals – Temporary Special Measures
Start-Up Visa and Federal Self-Employed Programs
Permanent Resident Travel Documents
Temporary Foreign Worker Program – Rural Employer Measures
New Brunswick – Internationally Trained Physicians
Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Bill-C12 – Third Reading
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations – Miscellaneous Amendments
Latest PNP Draws
Important Upcoming Dates

Recent Case Law

Spousal Sponsorship – Boit v. Canada, 2026 FC 325: Sponsorship refused because the applicant was inadmissible for misrepresentation following a prior TRV decision finding he failed to disclose the use of a paid representative. The applicant challenged the earlier finding, but the Court held this was an impermissible collateral attack on a decision not before it. Given the five-year inadmissibility under IRPA s.40, the refusal was reasonable. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

LMIA Work Permit – Famugbode v. Canada, 2026 FC 348: Work permit and restoration refused after the applicant reused an LMIA-exempt offer of employment number from a prior refused application and did not submit a new employer compliance fee as required by IRPR s.200(3)(f.1). The Court found the officer reasonably applied the regulatory requirements and that no procedural fairness breach arose. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Temporary Resident Visa – Gill v. Canada, 2026 FC 320: TRV refused after the officer found the applicant lacked significant ties outside Canada and questioned the temporary purpose of the visit. The Court held the reasoning deficient because the officer failed to address evidence of the applicant’s parents, family assets, and ties to India. Judicial review granted. Read more

Self-Employed Permanent Residence – Havenga v. Canada, 2026 FC 328: Self-employed class application refused because the officer was not satisfied the applicant had sufficient financial capacity to establish herself economically in Canada, relying on bank records showing about $646 CAD. The applicant argued additional financial documents were submitted but not considered. The Court found the documents were provided after the decision and held the officer reasonably assessed the evidence before them. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Temporary Resident Visa – Kumar v. Canada, 2026 FC 333: TRV refused because the officer found the applicants had strong family ties in Canada and had not shown they would leave after their visit. The Court held the officer failed to address significant pull factors, including business and employment ties, caregiving responsibilities to elderly parents, and travel history showing compliance with visas. Judicial review granted. Read more

LMIA Work Permit – Peligrino v. Canada, 2026 FC 341: LMIA-based work permit application refused to process under Ministerial Instructions targeting caregiver applications. The applicant also requested restoration of status after her previous permit expired. The Court found the officer failed to consider how the restoration request under IRPR s.182(1) affected the application of the Instructions. Judicial review granted. Read more

Family Sponsorship – Saffa v. Canada, 2026 FC 343: Sponsorship refused after the IAD found the applicant failed to establish that the sponsored child was her biological son, rejecting the birth certificate and discounting DNA evidence due to credibility concerns. The Court held there was no procedural unfairness, as there was no legitimate expectation that DNA testing would be ordered and the applicant had notice of the concerns raised. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Common Law Partner Sponsorship – Thalisetti v. Canada, 2026 FC 332: Permanent residence refused after the officer found the applicant excluded from the family class under IRPR s.117(9)(d) because the sponsor failed to declare him as a non-accompanying partner during her own immigration process. The Court held the officer’s reasoning lacked justification and failed to properly assess whether the couple were common-law partners at the relevant time or meaningfully address the evidence. Judicial review granted. Read more

IRCC News Updates

Quebec Skilled Worker Temporary Measure – March 13, 2026: IRCC introduced a temporary policy allowing certain skilled workers invited by Quebec to apply for a 12-month employer-specific work permit under the International Mobility Program, enabling them to continue working while Quebec assesses their eligibility for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) prior to applying for permanent residence. Read more Backgrounder: Read more

College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants – Board Appointments – March 9, 2026: The Minister of Immigration appointed five directors to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Board of Directors for two-year terms beginning March 7, 2026, including two new members and three reappointments, bringing the board to nine members responsible for overseeing the college’s governance and regulation of immigration and citizenship consultants. Read more

Settlement Services – Eligibility Limits for Economic Immigrants – March 10, 2026: IRCC announced that federally funded settlement service eligibility for economic class permanent residents will be limited to 6 years after obtaining permanent residence starting April 1, 2026, and reduced to 5 years starting April 1, 2027, applying to both current and new economic immigrants, including accompanying spouses and dependents. Read more

Citizenship – Knowledge and Language Assessment – March 9, 2026: IRCC instructions updating procedures for citizenship knowledge testing, language evidence for citizenship grants, and language and knowledge hearings, replacing prior guidance on knowledge testing and adult language and knowledge hearings. Read more

International Experience Canada – Young Professionals Stream – March 9, 2026: IRCC updated instructions under R204(d) (C21) to add two initiatives to the Young Professionals stream, including Inov Contacto (Portugal) and the Taiwan Global Pathfinder Initiative (Taiwan). Read more

Iranian Nationals – Temporary Special Measures – March 11, 2026: IRCC updated instructions clarifying eligibility for crisis measures supporting Iranian nationals in Canada, including arrival requirements (on or before February 28, 2025), temporary resident status conditions, the ability to apply for restoration of status concurrently with extensions, and updated officer guidance and refusal language. Read more

Start-Up Visa and Federal Self-Employed Programs – Intake Pause – March 12, 2026: IRCC updated instructions confirming the intake pause for the Start-Up Business Class and Federal Self-Employed Persons Class under new Ministerial Instructions effective January 1, 2026, clarifying that existing applications will continue to be processed, while no new SEP applications are accepted and SUV intake will cease at the Centralized Intake Office after June 30, 2026. Read more

Permanent Resident Travel Documents – March 13, 2026: IRCC updated guidance on permanent resident travel documents (PRTDs), reorganized instructions related to PR cards and PR status, deleted OP 10: Permanent Residency Status Determination, introduced a new refusal letter template notifying clients of appeal rights following negative residency determinations, and removed the consent form previously used to waive appeal rights. Read more

ESDC News Updates

Temporary Foreign Worker Program – Rural Employer Measures – March 13, 2026: The Government of Canada announced temporary measures allowing participating provinces and territories to permit rural employers to increase the cap on low-wage temporary foreign workers from 10% to 15% of their workforce, while maintaining their existing number of foreign workers from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 to address labour shortages in rural regions. Read more

Provincial Government News

New Brunswick – Internationally Trained Physicians – March 13, 2026: The Province of New Brunswick announced that the second cohort of internationally trained physicians is completing the Practice Ready Assessment New Brunswick program, a 12-week supervised clinical assessment pathway to licensure, after which successful candidates begin practising as family doctors under a three-year return-of-service agreement. Read more

Parliament of Canada

Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Bill-C12 – Third Reading – March 12, 2026: The federal government advanced the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Bill to third reading, the final stage in the House of Commons before consideration by the Senate, as part of proposed legislative reforms aimed at enhancing immigration system integrity, border enforcement authorities, and program oversight. Read more

Canada Gazette Updates

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations – Miscellaneous Amendments – March 11, 2026: Technical amendments align discrepancies between the English and French versions of the Regulations and clarify wording related to seized documents, including confirming that documents not returned must be retained only as long as necessary and then returned to the issuing authority or disposed of in accordance with Canadian law. Read more