Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced it will extend certain work permit exemptions to select foreign nationals coming to Canada to perform time-limited work associated with the 2026 FIFA Congress and World Cup.

Key Points:

  • Delegated officers may grant an exemption from certain work permit requirements if the foreign national:
    • Requests to enter and depart Canada between Dec. 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026
    • Holds a letter of invitation from FIFA certifying they are either an employee of FIFA or one of its affiliates, or they are contracted for goods and services
    • Is performing work that is directly related to and critically supports an official FIFA-organized event
  • The exemption will apply until July 31, 2026.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced it is suspending the Express Entry: Skilled Trades Stream and will return all outstanding applications.

Key Points:

  • In reviewing the Skilled Trades Stream, OINP identified systemic compliance and enforcement concerns relating to the stream, specifically with regard to eligibility criteria.
  • OINP determined the Skilled Trades Stream is vulnerable to misrepresentation or fraud, undermining its ability to meet immediate labor market needs in Ontario.
  • OINP has suspended receiving Skilled Trades Stream applications and will return outstanding applications and their corresponding fees.
  • Skilled Trades Stream applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for one of the other OINP streams may submit a new Expression of Interest to be considered for future draws.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration announced the Québec Immigration Levels Plan for 2026-2029, which aims to limit the overall volume of temporary and permanent immigration.

Key Points:

  • The Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ) (Skilled Worker Selection Program) will be the only available stream for skilled workers to gain permanent residence in Québec.
    • The Programme de l’expérience québécoise (Québec Experience Program) will end on Nov. 19, 2025, and the three permanent immigration pilot programs will end on Jan. 1, 2026.
  • The suspension of the acceptance of applications in the Program for Refugees Abroad (Collective Sponsorship) is extended to Dec. 31, 2029.
  • The suspension of the acceptance of some LMIA applications for jobs located in the Montréal and Laval regions is extended to Dec. 31, 2026.
  • Temporary foreign workers are now required to have a level 4 knowledge of spoken French when applying for a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) (Québec Acceptance Certificate) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program after having accumulated three years in Québec to work. The regulation goes into effect Dec. 17, 2025, but there is a three-year transitional measure for those currently employed in Québec.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) published the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, continuing to reduce temporary resident arrivals and permanent resident admissions while filling critical labor gaps in high-demand occupations.

Key Points

  • Targets for new temporary resident arrivals, which include temporary workers and students, are set at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028.
  • Overall permanent resident admissions will stabilize at 380,000 from 2026 to 2028.
  • The share of economic migrant admissions under the Federal High Skilled and Provincial Nominee Program will increase from a projected 59% to 64% for 2026.
  • The target for Francophone admissions destined for outside Quebec will increase, reaching 10.5% by 2028.
  • The overall proportion of family class admissions will remain stable to support family reunification.
  • Canada will continue to dedicate a percentage of admissions to refugees and protected persons, as well as additional admissions spaces to fulfill the country’s humanitarian commitments.
  • In addition to the permanent resident admission targets, Canada is implementing a one-time initiative over a two-year period to streamline the transition of approximately 115,000 Protected Persons who are already on a pathway to permanent residence and in alignment with their protected status under domestic and international law. The government will also accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced an extension of measures that allow certain Palestinians to apply for permits and status extensions to stay in Canada.

Key Points:

  • These measures, first introduced by the Canadian government in December 2023, allow qualifying individuals to apply for a fee-exempt study permit, open work permit, temporary resident permit or extension of their temporary resident status.
  • Qualifying individuals include Palestinians in Canada, foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Gaza on or after Oct. 7, 2023.
  • As of July 8, 2025, IRCC has received 970 applications under the special measures for Palestinians in Canada.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin issuing invitations to apply under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) starting July 28, 2025.

Key Points:

  • As BAL reported, IRCC plans to accept up to 10,000 complete applications for sponsorship under the PGP this year.
  • Invitations will be sent over the course of approximately two weeks.
  • Due to the number of forms still remaining from 2020, IRCC will not open a new interest to sponsor form in 2025. Only individuals who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 and have not yet received an invitation will be considered.

Additional Information: IRCC recommends that those not selected consider applying for a super visa, which allows multiple entries for up to 10 years and stays of up to five years at a time, with the option to extend by two additional years without leaving Canada.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

Copyright © 2025 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries, please contact copyright@bal.com.

The Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development made regulatory changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), enabling the program to better respond to labor market needs.

Key Points:

  • Changes to the OINP include:
    • A new electronic Employer Portal for employers to directly register their business details and submit information about employment positions
    • Required in-person interviews for employers and foreign national applicants to address concerns about the credibility of certain applications
    • The authority to return applications before issuing a nomination, with a full refund of the application fee
    • Reduced education requirements for early childhood educators, making it easier for qualified candidates to immigrate
  • Changes to OINP are in effect as of July 1, 2025.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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Employment and Social Development Canada announced an increase in the wage threshold under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, impacting whether an application for a Labor Market Impact Assessment is submitted under the high-wage stream or low-wage stream.

Key Points:

  • If the wage being offered to a temporary foreign worker is at or above the provincial or territorial wage threshold, the employer must apply under the stream for high-wage positions.
  • If the wage being offered to a temporary foreign worker is below the provincial or territorial wage threshold, the employer must apply under the stream for low-wage positions.
  • Updates to the wage thresholds by province or territory are available to review here.
  • These changes were effective as of June 27, 2025.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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Effective June 25, 2025, the list of eligible fields of study for post-graduation work permits (PGWP) has been updated to reflect jobs in long-term shortages.

Key Points:

  • The updated list includes 920 fields of study eligible for a PGWP, including the following changes:
    • 119 new fields were added in key sectors like healthcare, social services, education and certain trades.
    • 178 fields were removed as they are no longer linked to occupations in long-term shortages.
  • The updated list reflects the 2025 Express Entry priorities to address labor shortages in key sectors.
  • Students who submitted their study permit applications before June 25, 2025, will remain eligible for a PGWP if their program was on the approved list at the time of application, even if it has been removed since.
  • The full list of eligible fields of study can be viewed here.

Additional Information: In 2024, the International Student Program updated its eligibility criteria for post-graduation work permits and started requiring international students in non-degree programs to complete a program in an eligible field of study linked to jobs in long-term shortages. This rule applies to students who applied for a study permit on or after November 1, 2024.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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The government of Canada extended the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) until Dec. 31, 2025, to offer safe, legal immigration pathways and work opportunities to refugees and persons with similar protection needs.

Key Points:
  • The EMPP helps skilled refugees and other displaced people apply for permanent residence in Canada while supporting employers in critical sectors facing labor shortages.
  • Since the EMPP’s inception, more than 970 people have been admitted to Canada and have filled labor market needs in in-demand sectors such as healthcare, construction and food service.
  • The government extended the federal stream of the EMPP through the end of the year, with an annual intake cap of 950 applications in 2025.
  • More information about EMPP can be found here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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