32 pages of internal IRCC training questions and answers. A good refresher or CPD resource. meurrensonimmigration.com/wp-content/u...

IRCC procedures for when the Federal Court orders that the Department pays part of an applicant's legal fees for judicial review.

In 2023, approximately 1.1 million work permits were issued under the International Mobility Program, while 184,237 were issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Below is a breakdown of the categories under each program.

IRCC REP Q&A 2024-1406 Can an employer "outsource" a foreign worker on a closed work permit?

Template IRCC letter for applicants ineligible under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class but who requested H&C consideration as an alternative. In such cases, IRCC transfers the application to its H&C unit.

Borderlines Podcast #149 - Deanna and I discuss IRCC's practice of returning incomplete applications. shows.acast.com/659f464c3f69...

The Hitchhikers Guide to Misrepresentation Findings Training Material for IRCC's Risk Assessment Unit meurrensonimmigration.com/wp-content/u...

Internal 2024 IRCC e-mail about how current policy guidelines regarding inadmissible family members are "not clear for frontline officers" and that there is confusion as to how the law works on this topic.

From January 31, 2015 to August 26, 2024, IRCC rejected 6.4% of Express Entry applications for incompleteness.

IRCC 2024 internal correspondence on verifying Indian tax documents and procedural fairness.

Posting without comment, although I have many.

I continue to think that IRCC IT issues can explain many delayed applications. Here, the GCMS team flagged an issue in Dec 2023 where eDocs were being misassigned. Visa offices were instructed to pause processing. By March 2024, the problem remained unsolved, and the applications sat.

An internal IRCC email from November 2022 raised a troubling issue: 42 family sponsorship files with successful appeals were left unprocessed for up to 2 years. The delay was caused by a "coordination gap" between visa offices and a "lack of clear guidance."

In July 2022, in an effort to streamline resources, IRCC's Litigation Management Branch decided that it would no longer monitor most cases sent back for redetermination after judicial review and would leave the responsibility to processing offices.

The @liberal_party is reportedly allowing international students and foreign workers to vote in their leadership race. With over 1M temporary residents expected to leave under IRCC’s plan, this group could form a significant voting bloc and potentially change that plan. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

IRCC Manager Guidance for officers processing visitor visa applications states that when assessing an applicant's salary, their socioeconomic status, purchasing power and the existence of multigenerational wealth should also be considered.

August 2024 IRCC Memo to the Minister on Options for Managing Work Permits Issued to Family Members of Temporary Foreign Workers meurrensonimmigration.com/wp-content/u...

Federal Court rules applicants can be found inadmissible for misrepresentation if their education isn’t legitimately obtained, even with a WES report. decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisi...

Borderlines Podcast #138 - Options for Trumpugees looking to relocate to Canada. embed.acast.com/659f464c3f69...

IRCC REP Q&A on banking overtime.

IRCC REP-2024-0956 on Arranged Employment points and switching occupations on ICT work permits.

IRCC REP-2024-0908 on whether the new study permit guidelines apply to extensions.

Between June 2022 and December 2023, the inventory of CBSA security assessments surged from 11,595 to 103,005. This chart highlights a growing gap: the number of referrals for security screening has significantly outpaced the number of assessments completed by CBSA.

The number of IRCC misrepresentation findings in temporary residence applications has gone parabolic. In 2014 it was 4,973. In 2018 it was 16,538. By 2023 it had increased to 45,904. In the first half of 2024 it was 52,292.

IRCC 2023 Rep Q&A on remote work.

In 2015, there were 775 asylum claims made by individuals holding study permits. This number increased significantly to 11,815 claims in 2023. By September 2024, the total number of asylum claims surpassed the figure recorded for all of 2023.

Federal Court upholds the refusal of an H&C application for a Ukrainian, agreeing with a visa officer that the current Administrative Deferral of Removals means that the person is not in danger of removal. decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisi...

Number of work permits issued through flagpoling from 2022 - 2024 (May 31) based on work permit category.

Borderlines Podcast #135 - Deanna and I discuss what we think are Canada's most baffling immigration policies, as well as CILA's statements that consultants should only be permitted to practice under the supervision of lawyers. embed.acast.com/659f464c3f69...

IRCC International Network 2023 powerpoint on the admissibility sections of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. This is a great overview that should benefit both new and experienced practicioners. meurrensonimmigration.com/wp-content/u...

Many people are commenting in the media that Canada does not track when people leave. This has not been the case for some time. Information on Canada's Entry / Exit Program can be found here. www.canada.ca/en/immigrati...

Federal Court creates exception to the rule that visa officer determinations that PGP applications are incomplete can't be judicially reviewed: if returning the application results in a dependent child no longer being eligible for sponsorship because of age. decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisi...

Federal Court rules it is unreasonable for visa officers assessing compassionate applications to state when considering the best interests of a child that physical relationships can be maintained "through media such as cell phones and through the internet." decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisi...

In 2023, IRCC explored measures to help religious workers under vows of poverty qualify for economic immigration programs. The idea stalled, as it clashed with the focus on economic establishment. Should there be more support for religious workers?

Internal IRCC correspondence notes that in the citizenship application context acceptable reasons for expedited removal of derogatory flags includes fingerprint expiry, mandamus applications, MP requests, and other discretionary situations.

Federal Court rules that it was reasonable for a visa officer to refuse a Restaurant Supervisor work permit application because the Applicant got a 4.5 in Reading on the IELTS.https://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/526855/index.do

Internal January 2023 IRCC correspondence shows that the Ankara visa office refused at least 77 Start-Up Business Class work permit applications because officers assessed the applications under the wrong program.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer states that the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan may reduce the housing gap by 45% by 2030, but this depends on the accuracy of the government’s forecast that 93% of temporary workers and students who don’t gain permanent residence in the next few years will leave.

So far only Alberta, Manitoba and Yukon appear to have entered into agreements with IRCC to facilitate two-year open work permits for foreign workers in their respective provinces. Other provinces have until December 31, 2024. www.canada.ca/en/immigrati...

Restoration of status approval rates 2018 - 2023 (January), sorted by visitor, student and worker.

Federal Court grants mandamus in a study permit application that was submitted on July 13, 2022, and remained stuck in a background check for more than 15 months. Justice Gascon ordered IRCC to finish processing within 30 days. decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisi...

Internal Service Canada guidance on when a new Labour Market Impact Assessment is required in the case of mergers and acquisitions.

A September 2022 IRCC Memo states that after 2023 in order to increase Francophone immigration IRCC is exploring doing more French-only Express Entry rounds of invitation, establishing a French-only TRPR pathway and working with provinces to incorporate Francophone migration into their programs.

February 2023 IRCC Memo states inventory levels and processing times in the Parent and Grandparent Program have risen yearly since 2019. No draws in 2023 are needed to hit #immi levels in 2024 and 2025. Any applications received in 2023 will take 2 to 3 years to be processed.

June 27, 2023 e-mail to officers at the Case Processing Center Edmonton explaining when to assess English or French abilities for work permit applications, how to assess them and why language abilities are assessed.

The following two charts show that while irregular asylum claims in Canada decreased following the amending of the Safe Third Country Agreement overall asylum claims have not.