Weekly Digest | September 27, 2026

Key Highlights:

Recent Case Law

Humanitarian and Compassionate – Singh v. Canada, 2026 FC 1178: Family from India sought H&C after refugee claims were refused on Internal Flight Alternative (IFA). Relied on establishment, conditions for women, children’s education/safety, pollution, food/healthcare concerns, and spouse’s depressive symptoms. Officer found positive establishment insufficient, gave moderate weight to conditions for women, found insufficient evidence of personalized food/healthcare hardship, and noted no mental-health diagnosis. Court upheld the BIOC analysis. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Start-up Business Class – Misrepresentation – Yousufzai v. Canada, 2026 FC 1187: Applicant retained a consultancy after a PFL but denied using an undeclared representative to prepare the original PR application. Officer relied on payment/contact records, document metadata showing materials written by others, open-source research, and similarities with other applications prepared by the same consultancy. Misrepresentation finding upheld; judicial review dismissed. Read more

Study Permit – Anokye v. Canada, 2026 FC 1179: Ghanaian senior midwife sought UBC bridging program after completing the online portion and paying nearly two-thirds of tuition. Officer questioned leaving stable employment for a costly program designed for practice in Canada, with little evidence of career benefit in Ghana. Significant funds shown, but source of investments, husband’s employment, and applicant’s income were not documented. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Misrepresentation – Chung v. Canada, 2026 FC 1195: Open work permit applicant found inadmissible after IRCC concluded his MBA was obtained through academic dishonesty, largely from interview answers. An earlier refusal had been quashed. On redetermination, IRCC confirmed the MBA was genuine but again relied on substantially the same interview evidence. Court found the renewed misrepresentation finding unreasonable. Judicial review granted. Read more

Spousal Sponsorship – Williams v. Canada, 2026 FC 1194: Applicant’s marriage found not genuine after interview inconsistencies about rent/household payments, siblings, lease/driver’s licence addresses, and each other’s mothers. Officer also considered timing of prior divorces, applicant’s children already in Canada, and the children calling the sponsor “Dad” despite contact with their biological father. Judicial review dismissed. Read more

Contractual Service Suppliers and Independent Professionals – September 21, 2026: IRCC updated its instructions for contractual service suppliers and independent professionals under CETA, CUKTCA and CKFTA to improve readability and clarify eligibility criteria and pre-arranged employment information. Read more

Study Permits – Guidelines on Minor Children – September 22, 2026: IRCC updated its guidance on recording custodian information from IMM 5646 in GCMS, minors travelling with only one parent, and the meaning of “custodianship.” Read more

Protected Persons – A70 Work Permits – September 22, 2026: IRCC updated its instructions for work permit applications by persons with protected status under A95(2), correcting biometric processing and fee information and revising related language and biometric links. Read more

Immigration Medical Examination Exemption – September 22, 2026: IRCC updated its instructions to clarify eligibility under the temporary public policy exempting certain foreign nationals in Canada from the immigration medical examination requirement. Read more

Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot – September 24, 2026: IRCC updated its instructions to add study permit renewal guidance, including financial requirements and acceptable proof of continued enrolment, and to clarify extensions and renewals for accompanying family members and continued FMCSP designation. Read more

Quebec CSQ Holders – A73 Work Permits – September 25, 2026: IRCC updated its instructions for certain CSQ holders in Quebec to add references to the PSTQ and reopened PEQ, provide further guidance for officer reviews, and improve clarity and formatting. Read more

September 28, 2026: Expiry of Canada’s temporary Ebola-related border measures affecting travellers and immigration processing linked to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Read more

October 7, 2026: Extended registration deadline for British Columbia’s Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative. Read more

October 8, 2026: Deadline to participate in Yukon’s public engagement on the Yukon Nominee Program review, which will inform program changes expected to begin in 2027. 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