Weekly Digest | March 29, 2026

Key Highlights:

Recent Judicial Reviews
Bill C-12 (Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act)
International Students – Auditor General Report Response
Citizenship – Right of Citizenship Fee Increase
Permanent Residence – Fee Increases
Open Work Permits for Ineligible Asylum Claimants
Spouses of Significant Investment Projects Workers
Intercountry Adoptions
Self-Employed Persons Class
Innovation Stream Pilot (C88)
Refugee Claim Ineligibility Grounds
Removals – Administrative Deferral: UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar
Saskatchewan – Immigration Fraud Enforcement
Latest Draws
Important Upcoming Dates

Recent Case Law

Temporary Resident Visa – Farajollahi v. Canada, 2026 FC 390: TRV refused based on findings that the applicants would not leave Canada due to family ties in Canada, lack of ties abroad, and inconsistent purpose of visit. The Court found the officer failed to justify the assessment of family ties and did not engage with key evidence, including the applicants’ professional, economic, and travel history ties to Iran. The decision lacked justification and intelligibility. Judicial review granted. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Kaur v. Canada, 2026 FC 389: H&C application refused despite the applicant’s age, family ties in Canada, and claimed hardship in India. The Court found the officer reasonably assessed and weighed the evidence, including insufficient objective hardship evidence and lack of demonstrated interdependence with family in Canada, and adequately considered establishment and mental health factors. The Court declined to reweigh the evidence. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Kteich v. Canada, 2026 FC 384: H&C application refused where the officer found insufficient establishment, hardship, and BIOC factors. The Court found the decision lacked transparency and justification, including failure to explain the weight assigned to the BIOC and to meaningfully engage with hardship evidence, including ADR conditions, in the global assessment. Judicial review granted. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Roberts v. Canada, 2026 FC 397: H&C application refused involving a minor with mental health concerns. The Court found the officer reasonably concluded that the evidence did not establish an ongoing mental health risk, noting a single isolated psychotic episode and lack of supporting medical evidence, and that the evidence did not demonstrate an inability of the applicant’s parents to provide care. The BIOC analysis was not unreasonable. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Spousal Sponsorship – Rusakov v. Canada, 2026 FC 370: Sponsorship appeal dismissed by the IAD for lack of jurisdiction following a prior misrepresentation finding triggering the statutory bar under IRPA s.40(3). The Court found the IAD reasonably interpreted its jurisdiction, including consideration of conflicting jurisprudence, and properly concluded that the statutory bar could not be circumvented by a subsequent H&C application. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Temporary Resident Visa – Shaterhosseini v. Canada, 2026 FC 391: TRV refused based on findings of insufficient ties outside Canada, significant family ties in Canada, and concerns regarding the purpose of visit. The Court found the officer reasonably assessed the evidence and did not fail to consider alleged contradictory evidence, and that brief, boilerplate reasoning did not render the decision unreasonable where the conclusion was supported by the record. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

IRCC News Updates

Bill C-12 (Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act) – March 26, 2026: Bill C-12 received royal assent, introducing new asylum eligibility restrictions (including a one-year bar from first entry and a 14-day limit for irregular border crossings), a modernized asylum process to streamline and expedite claims, expanded domestic information-sharing authorities within IRCC and with government partners, and new powers to manage immigration documents and applications in the public interest, including suspension or cancellation mechanisms with Governor in Council oversight. Read more Public Safety Canada: Read more Parliament of Canada: Read more

International Students – Auditor General Report Response – March 23, 2026: IRCC acknowledged the Auditor General’s findings, confirming reduced volumes, improved program integrity (including the letter of acceptance verification system), and greater student diversification, while committing to enhanced fraud and non-compliance follow-up, maintaining controls to reduce the temporary resident population below 5% by 2027, and continuing multi-year reforms to strengthen sustainability, oversight, and public confidence. Read more

Citizenship – Right of Citizenship Fee Increase – March 27, 2026: IRCC will increase the adult right of citizenship fee from $119.75 to $123 effective March 31, 2026, under the Service Fees Act; the $530 processing fee remains unchanged and the new fee applies to applications received on or after that date. Read more

Permanent Residence – Fee Increases – March 27, 2026: IRCC announced fee increases effective April 30, 2026, including the right of permanent residence fee ($600), Provincial Nominee Program ($990), business class ($1,895), family class ($570), protected persons and H&C/public policy ($660), and permit holders ($390), pursuant to biennial adjustments under the IRPR, with new fees applying to applications received on or after that date. Read more

Open Work Permits for Ineligible Asylum Claimants – March 26, 2026: IRCC introduced a temporary public policy allowing foreign nationals with asylum claims deemed ineligible for referral to the IRB to obtain or maintain open work permits prior to PRRA eligibility, including exemptions from work permit application requirements and cancellation upon enforceable removal orders, to ensure timely access to employment and reduce reliance on provincial supports amid new “one-year” and “14-day” ineligibility rules under Bill C-12. Read more

Spouses of SIP Workers – March 23, 2026: IRCC expanded open work permit eligibility for spouses of workers under Significant Investment Projects in British Columbia, allowing spouses at all TEER levels to apply under C41 (high-skilled) or C47 (low-skilled), removing prior occupation restrictions, with the change applying to applications received on or after March 23, 2026. Read more

Intercountry Adoptions – March 23, 2026: IRCC integrated OP3 into Program Delivery Instructions, updating guidance for intercountry adoption PR applications, including adoption types, adoptability, habitual residence, best interests of the child, provincial notification, guardianships, and related procedural requirements. Read more

Self-Employed Persons Class – March 23, 2026: IRCC clarified that applications received on or before May 2, 2017, are processed under OP8, while applications received after that date are processed under the Self-Employed Program Delivery Instructions. Read more

Innovation Stream Pilot (C88) – March 23, 2026: IRCC extended the Innovation Stream pilot under the International Mobility Program, allowing LMIA-exempt employer-specific work permits for foreign nationals working for Global Hypergrowth Project employers, to March 22, 2028. Read more

Refugee Claim Ineligibility Grounds – March 27, 2026: IRCC updated instructions following amendments to the IRPA introducing new grounds for ineligibility of refugee claims for referral to the IRB, along with minor updates to A101(1)(c.1) and general guidance improvements. Read more

CBSA News Updates

Removals – Administrative Deferral (ADR) – March 24, 2026: CBSA imposed a temporary halt on removals to the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar due to generalized risk conditions affecting civilians, pursuant to IRPR s.230(1)(c), with exceptions for serious inadmissibility cases and removals to resume once conditions stabilize. Read more

Provincial Government News

Saskatchewan – Immigration Fraud Enforcement – March 23, 2026: Saskatchewan reported strengthened enforcement under the Immigration Services Act, including four charges, five administrative penalties ($27,000), and four compensation orders (one collected at $96,000), targeting unlicensed immigration and recruitment services to protect newcomers and system integrity. Read more

Latest Draws

Important Upcoming Dates

March 31, 2026: Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) temporary public policy expires. Read more and Read more and Read more

March 31, 2026: Northwest Territories Nominee Program work permit eligibility extension expires under the updated program guidelines. Read more

March 31, 2026: Passport fees increase. Read more

April 1, 2026: IRCC limits federally funded settlement service eligibility for economic class permanent residents to 6 years after obtaining permanent residence. Read more