The United Nations Human Rights Committee is sounding the alarm over Canada’s immigration and borders bill, C-12, saying its measures may weaken refugee protection and compromise the country’s compliance with international human rights obligations. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

Between 2023 & 2024, over 153,000 post-secondary international students were flagged as potentially non-compliant with study permit rules, but officials had funding to probe only 2,000 cases annually. Smaller provinces only saw students down 59% or more www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

He had all the documents to prove his relationship with his “anchor family member” in Canada to qualify for an exemption to Safe Third Country Agreement banning him from making the refugee claim. CBSA sent him back to the US cos his aunt was out of Canada www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

despite working in a care sector facing chronic staff shortages, Kapoor will have no choice but to stop on March 16, when her postgraduate work permit expires. She cannot extend it and has no clear path to permanent residency www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“He’s done nothing wrong. He just wants his reputation to be cleared. Just imagine you’re 18 & trying to find a job. You give your resumé & people type your name online. If they see you on the list, they will be scared”: lawyer for Mohamed Fares Trabelsi www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Canadians refusing to hand over or unlock a device can also face serious consequences; they will almost certainly be denied entry to the U.S., and the refusal could trigger a forensic search, said immigration lawyer Mario D. Bellissimo www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“That categorical refusal does not only affect the individual applicants. It affects Muslim families across Canada who adopt through foreign court-supervised guardianship processes,” court heard in Charter challenge of ban of adoption via kafala www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Many are reluctant to show their support publicly, some horrified by people thanking Trump and Netanyahu, waving American and Israeli flags. “Just going out and celebrating strikes on my country, what is that actually demonstrating?" www.thestar.com/news/gta/mul...

Transitioning temporary migrants to become permanent is one way to shrink the temporary resident population. Last year, more than half of the 395,000 people who were brought into permanent residency were in Canada on temporary permits www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“I personally didn’t think what this guy did was a problem. My visa was approved within 48 hours after he submitted the mandamus. I actually wrote him and thanked him because I was grateful. He provided a valuable service." www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The PBO analysis of Canada's annual immigration targets projects the government will hit its goal of reducing the population share of non-permanent residents from a peak of 7.6% in October 2024 to less than 5% by the end of 2027. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“This month is Ramadan and my mom is not with me. I wish that every time when I wake up, I can see my mom...I’m trying my best to speak English. I am trying to do everything to bring my mom. I wish Canada can help me. Please Canada, try your best to help." www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Immigration levels are only one part of several factors contributing to recent declines in rental prices. Experts say falling rents cannot be explained by immigration policy alone, pointing to rising rental supply and interprovincial migration trends. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The $98.1M cut will affect each province differently. BC, PEI and NS are hardest hit ⬇️ 20%+. Starting April, new eligibility criteria to access settlement services will phase in for economic immigrants, spouses and children from date they receive CoPR. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Lawsuit alleges SAWP migrant farm workers rights violated under “tied employment” provisions that restricted them to work for a named employer only, and “compelled” payments to Canada’s employment insurance despite their disqualification from the benefits. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Ottawa can’t just focus on repairing the nuts & bolts of our immigration system, but acknowledge the immigration culture war raging around us, find ways to respond to it that go well beyond promoting falling migration & restrictions on newcomers. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

Canada's new immig stream invited first batch of international physicians w/Cdn work experience. Cutoff score: 169. After 3 yrs struggling for PR, this American finally made it. "We are not the uninvited guests to the wedding. They really do want us here." www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Referendum will float immigration reduction to prioritize economic migration, ensure Albertans first priority for jobs + make health care, education & other social services available only to citizens, permanent residents/Alberta approved immigration status www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

While Ottawa has managed to reduce intakes of new international students & foreign workers, and make it more difficult for those already here to extend their stay, it can’t just banish these migrants with temporary refuge in Canada when it’s not safe to send them home www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“We’ve identified these sectors as areas in critical need. Strengthening those helps us move goods across the country and to new markets, supporting trade, supply chains and economic resilience,” @LenaMetlegeDiab www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The report estimates at least 310 layoffs between 2025-2028, representing more than four per cent of the workforce across the surveyed organizations. Some 44% of agencies also anticipated program closures & 56% indicated that programs would be disrupted. www.thestar.com/news/gta/imm...

“There are those people who come from countries where mental health isn’t even a thing and they just suffer through it. They don’t understand the trauma they’ve gone through and how that needs (trauma) counselling.” www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Canada saw an estimated 361,935 fewer arrivals of new students & temporary foreign workers compared to 2024. New students fell by 61%, while the number of foreign workers decreased by 47% to 153,880. Temp residents accounted for 6.4% of population www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

In recent years, Canada has offered temporary refuge to a growing number of migrants seeking protection & caught in wars and humanitarian crises. "The process (of repatriation) is both painful and unproductive. It helps nobody.” www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

ICE has established outposts in 5 Canadian cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. Experts say the offices are not authorized to carry out independent investigations or carry out immigration enforcement. www.thestar.com/news/gta/ice...

What international students get and must pay for can vary vastly based on geography. A patchwork of public/private insurance coverage can land them hefty medical bills. Some provinces have free public health coverage, others require costly private plans www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“The warning signs were there. If we’re losing people, how do they think we’re going to meet the processing times?” this veteran IRCC processing officer says of the backlogged immigration applications that have soared by 12.7% to 1,005,800 in a year. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Starting May 1, resettled refugees and asylum seekers must co-pay 30% of the costs of services such as dental, optometry and physiotherapy under its interim federal health plan. They will also be charged a $4 flat rate on each prescription. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Canadian immigration officials have stepped up efforts to detect the use of unauthorized agents in applications — and going after the applicants as a deterrent. They flagged 430 mandamus applications and asked Fed Court to dismiss them en masse. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

A Federal Court judge has rejected the Canadian government’s attempt to throw out a challenge by advocacy groups seeking greater transparency on how Ottawa decides to designate the United States as a safe country for refugees. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

"There’s a guy offering me a Canadian visa with a sponsor/invitation letter on behalf of the next FIFA World Cup 2026....the process is totally 'done base'... He’s asking me to apply through this route, but I’m confused about how legit this is." www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Sudanese applicants “are not here in Canada waiting for their permanent residence status. They’re in a war zone trying to get to safety. The government needs to act with the commensurate urgency in bringing those families to safety,” says NDP immig critic Jenny Kwan www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

French-speaking candidates made up 42% of the people invited for perm residence via EE in 2025. Prioritization of francophone immigration outside Quebec frustrates non-French speaking applicants/critics, especially now that Ottawa has slashed immig levels www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The Trump administration is nearly tripling the number of countries whose passport holders will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. The 38 countries are in Africa as well as Latin America and Asia www.thestar.com/news/world/u...

A year after new rule 4 int'l students' postgrad work permits, govt application portal still doesn't have direct upload field 4 language test results. "Now people are getting refused en masse for not uploading a document that you didn’t ask me to upload.” www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“When I worked there, you would give people your business card and you would meet with them face to face. I realized today people don’t even know the name of the officer and they’ll surely never meet the officer," says former IRCC officer/memoir author. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Ottawa has pushed to reduce immigration levels amid public backlash over Canada’s rapid population growth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if other (immigration) programs would be on the chopping board.” www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The biggest problem facing Canada's post-secondary education sector now is not the cap cos many schools haven't even met their allocated spots the past 2 years because interest in studying in Canada has plummeted. Time to think about "recovery": expert www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Now, the 1-generation limit to citizenship-by-descent is lifted, children born/adopted abroad to Canadians, or Canadians considering starting a family abroad, should know how it works to restore lost citizenship or if this may change their life plan. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

The new digital visa is an electronic version of the current physical visa or counterfoil placed in a traveller’s passport, and the secure and verifiable digital record can be stored in a digital wallet on Apple or Android mobile devices. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“Canada is certainly trying to make it more challenging for asylum seekers to seek refuge. Canada in the recent past has done a lot to make itself less attractive. To what extent will that play a role in possible demand? It’s hard to say at the moment.” www.thestar.com/news/gta/afg...

Interim injunction in place to halt the province fm enforcing minimum 2-year high school requirement till court decides if it's constitutional. International medical grads still eligible to apply for Ontario residency under old criteria until 5 pm Dec. 8. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“Maybe it’s just because of the bureaucracies or maybe it’s politics...I don’t know. But why are refugees being processed faster in other regions (than Africa)?” www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

In 2026, Ontario will receive 104,780 applications with a target of 70,074 actual study permits issued + yet-unknown share of 49,000 master’s & PhD student spots. In 2025, it got 149,011 study permit applications, with extra 32,579 for graduate students. www.thestar.com/news/gta/int...

Bill C-12 amended to prevent anyone subject to a removal order from accessing federal social services beyond emergency medical care & require requiring annual reporting on the types of benefits provided to asylum seekers and the cost of those benefits. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

In a rare move, American faith groups have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to rethink Canada’s proposed changes to asylum rules they say have “disturbing” parallels with restrictions south of the border. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

It took multiple bus rides over two days for Barbara Ngwenya to get to the Canadian embassy in South Africa from her village in Botswana to submit her fingerprints for a visitor visa application. At 67, she said that was just the start. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

As of August, permanent residence application processing for a protected person's overseas dependants took 50 months. Plus 37 months for the parent’s flight to Canada, wait for refugee hearing and decision = 87 months in reunification, class action claims www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

“The Policy imposes a significant and direct barrier to residency access...creates a disparate discriminatory impact tied to national origin or immigration status, disproportionately affecting international medical graduates": injunction application www.thestar.com/news/ontario...

IRCC is going to cap on PSR (private sponsorship of refugees: Canada Gazette. The number of new sponsorship applications that will be accepted for processing is set at zero for 2026. gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/202...