Weekly Digest | October 18, 2026

Key Highlights:

Recent Case Law

Canadian Experience Class – Badana v. Canada, 2026 FC 1252: Applicant’s CEC application was refused after IRCC excluded his gas station supervisor experience, finding payroll records did not support his claimed supervisory duties. The PFL questioned the employer’s legitimacy and his employment status, but not his supervisory duties. Although IRCC accepted the employer was legitimate and his full-time employment, it relied on a new credibility concern without providing an opportunity to respond. The Court found a breach of procedural fairness. Judicial review granted. Read more

Mandamus – Temporary Resident Visa – Hyder v. Canada, 2026 FC 1253: Applicant sought mandamus to compel a decision on his TRV, which took nearly four years to process. IRCC approved the visa before judgment, rendering the application moot. The Court rejected his request for costs, finding the delay justified by security screening requirements. IRCC’s conduct did not constitute bad faith or establish special reasons warranting costs. Mandamus application dismissed as moot; no costs awarded. Read more

Express Entry – High-Wage Occupations – October 16, 2026: IRCC announced major CRS changes effective November 3, 2026. Candidates may receive additional points for eligible Canadian work experience in high-wage occupations (20–70 points) or qualifying job offers (50–100 points), whichever provides the higher score. LMIAs will no longer be required for qualifying job offers to receive CRS points or satisfy FSWP and FSTP job offer requirements, subject to applicable conditions. Existing profiles will be automatically recalculated, but candidates seeking job offer points must update their profiles before November 3. Express Entry draws will be paused for up to two weeks during recalculation. Read more Backgrounder: Read more

Express Entry Reforms – Consultation Report – October 15, 2026: IRCC published its final report on proposed Express Entry reforms, incorporating feedback from approximately 17,500 survey respondents. Proposals included merging federal high-skilled immigration programs and revising CRS points for age, Canadian work experience, high-wage occupations, education, job offers and family-related factors. Stakeholders generally supported simplifying the system and removing sibling and spousal points, but raised concerns about skilled trades, essential workers and mid-career candidates. Feedback on wage-based scoring and Canadian education points was mixed. The findings will inform potential regulatory and policy changes. Read more

2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan – Supplementary Information – October 13, 2026: IRCC published supplementary details confirming annual permanent resident targets of 380,000 through 2028, with economic immigration reaching 64% by 2027. Temporary resident arrival targets decrease from 385,000 in 2026 to 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. Additional measures include transitioning approximately 115,000 protected persons and up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residence over two years. Francophone admission targets outside Quebec will reach 10.5% by 2028. Read more

IRCC Application Status Tracker – October 16, 2026: IRCC relaunched its Application Status Tracker, allowing applicants to monitor the progress of eligible immigration applications. Applicants must first receive an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) and can access the tracker using GCKey or a Sign-In Partner. Read more

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program – REDI Initiative – October 16, 2026: Ontario launched a new round of the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) initiative, running until the end of 2027. The initiative allocates OINP nomination spaces to communities with critical labour needs, including Greater Sudbury, Kenora District, Nipissing District, Rainy River District, Renfrew County and Thunder Bay. REDI provides a pathway to permanent residence for eligible skilled foreign workers intending to settle in these communities. There is no separate application process; candidates must meet existing OINP eligibility requirements. 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

November 27, 2026: Expiry of Ebola-related immigration restrictions affecting foreign nationals residing outside Canada in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. Read more