Weekly Digest | June 28, 2026

Key Highlights:

Federal Court Immigration Practice Guidelines Updated
Anonymity Order – AB v. Canada, 2025 FC 1791
Start-Up Visa Work Permit – Alaba v. Canada, 2026 FC 865
Humanitarian and Compassionate – Kumar v. Canada, 2026 FC 849
Spousal Sponsorship – Phan v. Canada, 2026 FC 860
Temporary Resident Permit – Singh v. Canada, 2026 FC 835
Federal–Provincial–Territorial Immigration Ministers Meeting
Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations
British Columbia Newcomers’ Guide
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Redesign
Quebec Family Class Undertaking Applications
CBSA Enforcement Actions on Extortion
Updated Forms and Checklists
Latest Draws: Express Entry
Important Upcoming Dates

Federal Court of Canada

Federal Court Immigration Practice Guidelines Updated – June 26, 2026: The Federal Court updated its Consolidated Practice Guidelines for Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Proceedings, including amendments to paragraphs 4, 43–45 and Annex C. Effective June 26, 2026, a Special Order extends the Applicant’s Record filing deadline from 45 to 90 days due to immigration file volumes, Registry processing delays, and increased urgent stay motions. Read more

Recent Case Law

Anonymity Order – AB v. Canada, 2025 FC 1791: Anonymity granted in judicial review of a Russian software engineer’s work permit refusal based on inadmissibility under IRPA 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(f). Officer found prior UAE employment connected to surveillance activities and intelligence-gathering/espionage tools contrary to Canada’s interests. At interview, the applicant denied espionage and made strong anti-Putin statements. Court found publication of his identity with those statements could create serious risk to the applicant and his family, and anonymization was a limited restriction on the open court principle. Motion granted. Read more

Start-Up Visa Work Permit – Alaba v. Canada, 2026 FC 865: Start-up visa work permit extension and restoration refused for Nigerian family due to missing required documents. Principal applicant’s spouse and children had related work and study permits, and one child’s study permit extension was granted. Family filed judicial reviews of the extension and restoration refusals and raised former representative incompetence. Court found matter moot because the principal applicant’s start-up business class PR application had since been refused, there was no evidence before the Court that judicial review had been filed of that PR refusal, and a pending start-up business class PR application was required for the related work permit. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Kumar v. Canada, 2026 FC 849: H&C refused for Indian applicant in Canada since 2018, working as a truck driver and part-time support worker, with establishment evidence and alleged new risk/hardship in the IFA after sending funds for farmer protests. Officer gave establishment positive weight but found it was not determinative, gave significant weight to prior RPD/RAD findings that an IFA in Mumbai remained viable, and gave minimal weight to the best interests of the children in India. Court found the applicant mainly disputed the officer’s weighing of evidence. Describing establishment as “typical” did not impose a higher legal test where the officer conducted a fact-specific assessment. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Spousal Sponsorship – Phan v. Canada, 2026 FC 860: Sponsored family class PR refused for Vietnamese applicant married to a Canadian spouse after IRCC raised concerns about limited proof of cohabitation and relationship genuineness. Applicant provided evidence showing the couple’s joint address, including driver’s licences, joint bank statement, marriage certificate, CRA notice of assessment, IRCC correspondence, and immigration forms, plus dated photos, wedding photos, relationship timeline, and joint travel proof. Court found officer misapprehended the evidence by calling it limited or sparse and failed to explain how the applicant’s five years in Canada, the length of the relationship, or original study purpose undermined genuineness. Judicial review granted. Read more

Temporary Resident Permit – Singh v. Canada, 2026 FC 835: TRP and open work permit refused for Indian applicant who entered as a visitor in 2017, later held a farm worker work permit, lost status after a 2020 work permit refusal, had a prior TRP refused in 2023, and remained in Canada without status for years. Applicant relied on work history, establishment, Sikh community support, psychological stress, hardship in India or Greece, Sikh identity concerns, and the best interests of his children in India. Court found H&C factors may be relevant to a TRP request, but a TRP is not an H&C application under IRPA 25. Officer reasonably considered immigration history, lack of status, and concern about future compliance with TRP conditions, found insufficient particularized hardship and BIOC evidence, and found a TRP was not justified. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

IRCC News Updates

Federal–Provincial–Territorial Immigration Ministers Meeting – June 23, 2026: Immigration Ministers met to discuss the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan, sustainable immigration levels, regional labour market needs, PNP and AIP allocations, Express Entry improvements, temporary-to-permanent residence pathways, international students, settlement funding, foreign credential recognition, and Francophone immigration. Ministers emphasized continued federal, provincial, and territorial collaboration, including the federal commitment to stabilize permanent resident admissions below 1% of Canada’s population beyond 2027 and reduce the temporary resident population below 5% by the end of 2027. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate Considerations – June 25, 2026: IRCC updated several H&C program delivery instructions, including guidance on in-Canada processing, Stage 1 assessments, applicants with family relationships, applicants under removal orders, concurrent or consecutive H&C applications, approval in principle, CSQ requests, Stage 2 processing, and negative decisions. IRCC also deleted two instructions relating to interim documentation and applicants who leave Canada after a positive Stage 1 assessment. Read more

Provincial Government News

British Columbia Newcomers’ Guide – June 24, 2026: The Government of British Columbia published the 2025 B.C. Newcomers’ Guide in six additional printed languages: Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Tagalog. The guide provides settlement information on health care, housing, education, employment, driver’s licences, and other services, with online translation also available in more than 200 languages. Read more

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Redesign – June 26, 2026: Ontario amended Regulation 422/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015, closing the existing eight OINP streams and introducing the new Ontario Workforce Priority stream, with the EOI system expected to reopen later in summer 2026. No further invitations will be issued under the former streams, and EOIs and job offers that have not resulted in an invitation will be automatically withdrawn over the coming weeks. The new stream will include TEER 0-3, TEER 4-5, and self-employed physician pathways, with updated work experience, language, education, employer revenue, and program integrity requirements. Read more News Release: Read more O. Reg. 422/17: Read more

Quebec Family Class Undertaking Applications – June 23, 2026: Quebec published a ministerial order introducing new intake rules for family reunification undertaking applications, allowing MIFI to receive up to 15,700 applications between July 2, 2026, and June 30, 2028. Intake periods will depend on the date of IRCC’s sponsor eligibility letter, or the IRCC acknowledgement of receipt for spouse or common-law partner in Canada class applications, and applications must be submitted by mail only in accordance with Quebec’s intake schedule and rules. Read more Ministerial Order: Read more

CBSA News Updates

CBSA Enforcement Actions on Extortion – June 25, 2026: CBSA provided an update on immigration enforcement cases with potential links to extortion and organized crime, reporting 484 immigration investigations, 139 removal orders, and 81 removals as of June 18, 2026. Enhanced tracking began in the Pacific and Prairie regions in August 2025 and expanded to the Greater Toronto Area in November 2025, with CBSA continuing investigations and removals in coordination with law enforcement partners. Read more

Updated Forms and Checklists

IMM 0199: Document Checklist – Provincial Nominee Class: Read more
IMM 0246: Document Checklist – Rural Community Immigration Pilot: Read more
IMM 0250: Document Checklist – Francophone Community Immigration Pilot: Read more
IMM 5690: Document Checklist – Quebec Skilled Workers: Read more
IMM 5760: Document Checklist – Start up Business Class: Read more
IMM 5784: Document Checklist – Quebec Selected Self-employed and Federal Self-employed Persons: Read more
IMM 5987: Document Checklist – Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: Read more

Latest Draws

Important Upcoming Dates

June 30, 2026: Deadline to provide input on IRCC’s consultations for the 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan. Read more

June 30, 2026: The end of IRCC’s Start-Up Visa intake at the Centralized Intake Office, while existing applications continue to be processed and no new Federal Self-Employed Persons Class applications are accepted. Read more

July 2, 2026: Quebec temporarily reopens the Quebec Experience Program for both Quebec graduates and temporary foreign workers, with no intake cap. Read more

July 2, 2026: Opening of Quebec’s new reception period for family reunification undertakings, with application caps for spouses, partners, parents, grandparents, and certain other relatives, and exemptions for dependent children, certain minor children, and additions to existing undertakings. Read more

July 6, 2026: Opening of Yukon Nominee Program’s second 2026 Expression of Interest intake period under its points-based system, with priority for health care professionals, rural employers, and candidates with Yukon ties. Read more and Read more

July 15, 2026: Effective date of new regulations strengthening oversight of immigration and citizenship consultants. Read more Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 160, Number 9: Read more

July 20, 2026: Deadline to comment on proposed IRPR amendments to operationalize asylum reforms under the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act. Read more

July 20, 2026: Deadline to comment on proposed amendments to the Refugee Protection Division Rules, which would align RPD procedures with new asylum reforms. Read more

July 20, 2026: End of IRCC’s FIFA 2026 public policy exempting certain FIFA-invited TRV applicants from the biometrics requirement. Read more

July 31, 2026: End of Canada’s FIFA 2026 work authorization exemption allowing select FIFA-invited foreign nationals to perform time-limited work in Canada without a work permit. Read more

July 31, 2026: Expiry of IRCC’s temporary public policy for certain Palestinian nationals in Canada, which allows eligible applicants to apply for fee-exempt temporary status extensions, open work permits, or study permits. Read more

July 31, 2026: Expiry of IRCC’s in-Canada temporary special measures for foreign nationals affected by the crisis in the State of Palestine. Read more