Weekly Digest | August 16, 2026

Key Highlights:

Mandamus – Andriendo v. Canada, 2026 FC 1054
Humanitarian and Compassionate – Deen v. Canada, 2026 FC 1059:
Mandamus – Hazea v. Canada, 2026 FC 1058
Canadian Experience Class – Joshi v. Canada, 2026 FC 1049
Permanent Resident Status – Nunes v. Canada, 2026 FC 1051
Humanitarian and Compassionate – Razegh Panah Jahromi v. Canada, 2026 FC 1041
Start-Up Visa – Sharif v. Canada, 2026 FC 1039
Work Permits: Permanent Resident Applicants in Canada
Work Permits: Family Members of Foreign Workers
Terms and Definitions Related to Permanent Residence
Reciprocal Employment [C20]
Designation of Officers and Delegation of Authority
Alberta Entrepreneur Streams Eligibility Guidance
British Columbia PNP Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative
Ontario Social Assistance Eligibility
First Conviction Under Saskatchewan Foreign Worker Protection Legislation
New Brunswick Foreign Credential Recognition Funding
Proposed Immigration Detention Regulations
Updated Forms and Checklists
Latest Draws: Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador
Important Upcoming Dates

Recent Case Law

Mandamus – Andriendo v. Canada, 2026 FC 1054: OINP Employer Job Offer nominee applied for PR in August 2020. Ontario requested an application hold from February 2021 to February 2024; IRCC never notified the applicant. After the hold was lifted, medical, police and military documents were completed, but security remained pending and criminality had not started. Processing exceeded 70 months. Generic references to “security screening” and a “non-routine” application did not justify the delay. Mandamus granted; decision within 90 days. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Deen v. Canada, 2026 FC 1059: Principal applicant had terminal stage-four breast cancer; her spouse and caregiver was included as a dependent. IRCC confirmed expedited processing in March 2024, but no meaningful action followed. A July 2024 medical update gave her a 3–6 month prognosis without treatment. H&C refused in February 2025 after a mandamus application was perfected; the principal applicant died in September 2025. Minister conceded the refusal was unreasonable; Court found the officer had minimized extensive medical evidence. Judicial review granted. Read more

Mandamus – Hazea v. Canada, 2026 FC 1058: Protected person applied for PR in October 2022. His spouse was added in 2024, then removed after they separated in 2026; the applicant said prolonged IRCC delays contributed to the marriage breakdown. Security screening appears to have commenced in April 2025; processing exceeded 44 months. Generic security and “non-routine” explanations were insufficient, and later family changes could not justify further delay. Mandamus granted; decision within 60 days. Read more

Canadian Experience Class – Joshi v. Canada, 2026 FC 1049: Applicant claimed Rogers work experience under NOC 62100, Technical Sales Specialist – Wholesale Trade. Officer treated the role as retail because he worked in a retail store and was paid hourly plus commission. Employment letter described technical duties and sales to commercial and government clients. Court found the officer did not explain why those duties constituted retail work and failed to consider the job title against the NOC’s illustrative examples. Judicial review granted. Read more

Permanent Resident Status – Nunes v. Canada, 2026 FC 1051: Applicant lived in Canada since age nine. After forgetting his PR card during a 2018 trip to Florida, he applied from the airport to renounce PR status so he could obtain an eTA and return to Canada. He later asked IRCC to reconsider the 2018 renunciation decision and issue a new PR card. IRCC refused the card but did not address the reconsideration request. Court found IRCC had to refer the request to the proper decision-maker or notify the applicant if it had been sent to the wrong office. Judicial review granted. Read more

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Razegh Panah Jahromi v. Canada, 2026 FC 1041: 71-year-old applicant from Iran had two sons and a grandson in Canada and no immediate family in Iran. H&C application relied on family ties, her grandson’s interests, country conditions and hardship as an older divorced woman living alone. Evidence of hardship to the child and of any medical or mental health condition causing hardship was limited; applicant had lived in Iran for about 70 years with established community ties. Officer’s limited reference to a possible Super Visa was also reasonable. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Start-Up Visa – Sharif v. Canada, 2026 FC 1039: Three applicants proposed DetectFresh, a mobile-app business incorporated in BC in 2022. Evidence included office arrangements, an administrator job offer, tax return, networking, mentorship and LinkedIn planning. However, there was no proof of progress on the mobile app, implementation of the planned social-media strategy or meaningful Canadian business operations. Officer reasonably considered both current activity and future intent under IRPR 98.06(2). Judicial review dismissed. Read more

IRCC News Updates

Work Permits: Permanent Resident Applicants in Canada – August 10, 2026: IRCC updated instructions for A70 work permits available to eligible in-Canada permanent residence applicants. The guidance is now reorganized into class-specific pages for spouses and common-law partners, protected persons, H&C applicants and in-Canada family members, with clarified instructions, standardized formatting and updated language and links. Read more

Work Permits: Family Members of Foreign Workers – August 11, 2026: IRCC updated guidance for family-member open work permits under codes C41, C46, C47, C48 and C49. Changes include new consolidated instructions for family applications, added guidance for spouses of workers under free trade agreements, self-employed workers on open work permits, workers transitioning to permanent residence, and new renewal and facilitation measures. Read more

Terms and Definitions Related to Permanent Residence – August 12, 2026: IRCC made administrative updates to its program delivery instructions on terms and definitions related to permanent residence. Read more

Reciprocal Employment [C20] – August 13, 2026: IRCC updated its reciprocal employment guidance by removing the requirement that a foreign national already be employed by the organization abroad before applying under C20. The previous instruction requiring an existing employer–employee relationship abroad to establish reciprocity has been deleted. Read more

Designation of Officers and Delegation of Authority – August 13, 2026: IRCC revised Instrument of Designation and Delegation to reflect recent organizational changes and redistribute decision-making authority. Updates include renamed branches, expanded delegations for processing and frontline staff, standardized authorities across domestic and international operations, broader Client Support Centre functions, and clarified program responsibilities for areas including Express Entry, PR cards and travel documents. Read more

Provincial Government News

Alberta Entrepreneur Streams Eligibility Guidance – August 12, 2026: Alberta Advantage Immigration Program updated its Rural Entrepreneur, Graduate Entrepreneur and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream guidance to clarify how the existing economic establishment requirement is assessed. Eligibility criteria have not changed, but applicants now have additional guidance on the information and supporting documents expected with business proposals and applications, as well as during post-approval monitoring. Read more

British Columbia PNP Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative – August 13, 2026: British Columbia extended the registration period for the Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative to October 7, 2026, to account for potential wildfire-related impacts. Eligibility and application instructions remain available through the BC PNP Skills Immigration guides. Read more

Ontario Social Assistance Eligibility – August 13, 2026: Ontario amended its Ontario Works and ODSP regulations to exclude individuals who are in Canada without legal status, as well as most temporary residents, including visitors, students and work permit holders, from receiving social assistance. The changes took effect immediately and require applicants to demonstrate their citizenship or immigration status. Read more

First Conviction Under Saskatchewan Foreign Worker Protection Legislation – August 13, 2026: Saskatchewan employer pleaded guilty to illegally charging a foreign worker $12,000 to maintain employment connected to a pathway to permanent residence. The court imposed a $5,000 fine, a $2,000 victim fine surcharge and $12,000 in restitution, marking the province’s first conviction under its former foreign worker protection legislation. Saskatchewan’s replacement Immigration Services Act, 2024 now provides significantly higher penalties for immigration-related misconduct. Read more

New Brunswick Foreign Credential Recognition Funding – August 11, 2026: New Brunswick secured nearly $10 million in federal funding to reduce barriers to foreign credential recognition and help internationally trained professionals and tradespeople enter the labour market more quickly. Funding will support initiatives including wage subsidies for internationally educated nurses, teacher placements and bridging programs, apprenticeship system improvements, and employer engagement for engineers and geoscientists. Read more

Canada Gazette Updates

Proposed Immigration Detention Regulations – August 15, 2026: CBSA proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations requiring officers and IRB members to consider whether a person is a victim or survivor of, or at risk of, gender-based violence when making detention or release decisions. The proposed rules would also require consideration of available evidence and the person’s care, protection, safety and well-being, and would come into force upon registration. Public consultation is open until September 14, 2026. Read more

Updated Forms and Checklists

CIT 0007: Document Checklist: Application for Canadian Citizenship under Subsection 5(1) – Adults (18 years of age and older): Read more
CIT 0008: Document Checklist: Application for Canadian Citizenship under Paragraph 5(2) – Minors (under 18 years of age): Read more
CIT 0560: Document Checklist: Application for Canadian citizenship under subsection 5(1) – Minors (under 18 years of age): Read more
CIT 0560: Document Checklist: Application for Canadian citizenship under subsection 5(1) – Minors (under 18 years of age): Read more

Latest Draws

Important Upcoming Dates

August 24, 2026: Deadline to submit an Expression of Interest profile for the Northwest Territories Employer-Driven Stream August draw. Read more

August 26, 2026: Scheduled Northwest Territories Employer-Driven Stream Expression of Interest draw. Read more

September 1, 2026: Deadline to respond to IRCC’s public consultations on proposed Express Entry economic priorities and categories for 2027. Read more

September 1, 2026: Nova Scotia Nominee Program application fees take effect: $1,000 for worker streams and $2,000 for the Entrepreneur stream. Read more

September 22, 2026: Deadline to submit an Expression of Interest profile for the final Northwest Territories Employer-Driven Stream draw of 2026. Read more

September 25, 2026: Final scheduled Northwest Territories Employer-Driven Stream Expression of Interest draw for 2026. Read more

September 25, 2026: Scheduled Northwest Territories Employer-Driven Stream Expression of Interest draw. Read more

October 27, 2026: Expiry of IRCC’s temporary measures for individuals affected by the conflict in Sudan. Read more Sudan Nationals Public Policy: Read more Sudan Family Members Public Policy: Read more

October 31, 2026: Closing date for Quebec’s temporary reopening of the Quebec Experience Program for eligible Quebec graduates and temporary foreign workers. Read more