Canada Freezes New Parent & Grandparent Sponsorships for 2026, Pushes Families Toward Super Visa
Protesters Converge on Parliament Hill Over Canada’s Lower Immigration Targets and Program Pauses
Graduate Students Exempt from Study-Permit Cap as IRCC Drops Provincial Attestation Letter Requirement
Latest News
Canada resumes low-wage LMIA processing in eight key cities as unemployment rates fall
Service Canada has lifted its freeze on low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments in eight CMAs—including Vancouver, Winnipeg and Kingston—after local unemployment fell below 6 %. Employers in these regions can again sponsor low-wage foreign workers, while current permit-holders gain renewal options. The move eases staffing pressure on hospitality and service sectors but demands renewed compliance attention.
Parent and Grandparent sponsorship remains closed for 2026; Super Visa promoted as main option
IRCC will not run a 2026 intake for the Parents and Grandparents Program, citing a need to clear lingering backlogs. Canadian citizens and permanent residents must use the five-year renewable Super Visa to bring parents or grandparents temporarily. The decision affects family-support planning for employers and continues a trend of prioritising economic streams.
Record-setting Express Entry draw invites 8,000 Canadian Experience Class candidates
IRCC’s 7 January CEC draw invited 8,000 candidates—its biggest CEC-only round in nearly three years—at a CRS cut-off of 511. The influx helps employers convert temporary workers to permanent staff but requires swift document gathering within a 60-day window.
New year, new rules: Five Canadian immigration and labour reforms now in force
Multiple changes effective 1 January 2026—ranging from study-permit relief for graduate students to the shutdown of the Start-Up Visa and Ontario’s new labour-mobility rules—are already influencing recruitment, higher education and entrepreneur pathways.
Super Visa vs. Visitor Visa: IRCC outlines practical options while PGP remains shut
IRCC’s 9 January guidance compares the five-year, renewable Super Visa with standard six-month visitor visas as practical ways to reunite with parents and grandparents while the PGP stays closed. Employers may need to assist staff with insurance and leave planning.
IRCC reorganises Temporary Resident Program Delivery Instructions; stakeholders urged to update links
IRCC has re-structured its Temporary Resident PDIs, creating two new headings and relocating content. The changes are administrative but require employers, counsel and vendors to update internal SOPs and web links to avoid referencing obsolete guidance.