CANADA

Processing times rise for permanent residence and citizenship applicants

Canada’s immigration department released updated permanent residence (PR) and citizenship processing times on September 3, showing lengthening wait times for several application types.Three categories saw processing times rise by one month—the largest increase recorded in the update
By contrast, processing times shortened by one month for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) and for spousal sponsorshi...Read More

Government of Canada extends temporary border measures in response to Ebola disease outbreak

The Government of Canada is extending the existing temporary border measures for another 30 days in response to the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The temporary border measures are now in place until September 28, 2026.

Travellers entering Canada who have been in these areas within the previous 21 days and have symptoms of Ebola disease will be isolated at a medical facility upon arrival. People who do not have symptoms will continue to receive a health assessment upon arrival and will be required to q...Read More

Government abruptly suspends citizenship certificates issued under 'lost Canadians' law

The federal government has suddenly suspended a number of Canadian citizenship certificates issued to people around the world who became eligible for citizenship late last year.

In a notice emailed Saturday to an unknown number of people who successfully applied for and obtained citizenship certificates based on having a Canadian ancestor, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ordered them to return their certificates pending a review of their files.

"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that I have information in my possession that indicates that you may not be entitled to hold a Canadian certificate of citizenship," reads the notice signed Peggy Sun, registrar of Canadian citizenship....Read More

Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued the following statement on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 SCC 17:

“The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the constitutional validity of the designation of the United States as a safe third country in that it meets the principles of fundamental justice under section 7 of the Charter. The Safe Third Country Agreement regime continues in place. We will respond to the section 15 Charter issues as the Federal Court process gets underway.

“Under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), Canada and the United States share a responsibility to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We will continue to work with the United States to ensure that the STCA reflects our commitment with respect to our domestic and international obligations in its application...Read More

Alberta Invites 367 Candidates in New AAIP Draws in August 2026

Alberta has issued invitations to 367 candidates through selection rounds under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) in August 2026.The AAIP functions as the province's primary economic immigration vehicle, nominating workers and graduates who meet regional labour market demands for Canadian permanent residence. ...Read More