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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its guidance for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an international trade agreement under the International Mobility Program, to include the United Kingdom as an eligible country.
Key takeaways:
Effective Sept. 1, 2026, foreign nationals from the United Kingdom are eligible to receive Canadian work permits under the CPTPP Professionals category. According to the government update, all instructions have been amended to reflect the addition of the United Kingdom.
IRCC lists eligibility requirements and eligible occupations under the Professionals category for U.K. nationals on its CPTPP instruction webpage.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.
Copyright © 2026 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 United Kingdom announced new skilled worker visa initiatives, including an expanded pathway for academics and researchers under the Global Talent visa, and an upcoming expansion of the Future Technology Research and Innovation (FTRI) scheme.
Over 100 commercial research businesses in high-growth sectors are now eligible to hire global researchers under the Global Talent visa scheme, an addition to previously approved higher education, academic and independent research institutions. The expanded pathway is one of four endorsement pathways for researchers and academics under the Global Talent visa, alongside Individual Fellowships, Endorsed Funders and Peer Review.
Additionally, the U.K. government is expected to broaden the FTRI scheme under the Government Authorized Exchange route to companies working in the artificial intelligence, quantum and engineering biology sectors. According to the announcement, the expansion would allow eligible companies to host international researchers, scientists, interns and technical specialists for research, training and work placements of up to two years.
Employers may review eligibility criteria for the Global Talent visa and a full list of newly approved businesses and host research organizations on the U.K. government website.
The Home Office announced it is ending sponsored study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, and ending skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
The “emergency brake” on visas is due to a surge in asylum applications by students from these four countries. Also, Afghan nationals on work visas are claiming asylum at a higher rate than new work visas are being issued.
The visa brake will be introduced March 5, 2026, and come into force on March 26, 2026.
The Home Office reported that, effective Feb. 25, 2026, visitors from 85 nationalities who do not need a visa will not be able to legally travel to the U.K. without an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
Key Points:
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.
Effective Oct. 21, the U.K. Visas and Immigration office increased fees for certain expedited immigration services related to worker sponsorships.
Additional Information: These increases continue a broader trend of rising immigration-related costs in the U.K., including recent hikes to fees for certificates of sponsorship, skilled worker and visit visa applications and the immigration health surcharge.
The U.K. government presented several changes to immigration rules, including changes to foreign nationals requiring a visit visa and English language requirements for certain foreign national workers. A Statement of Changes was presented to Parliament on Oct. 14, 2025.
The following outlines a few key changes:
The Home Secretary introduced sweeping immigration reforms aimed at reducing net migration, tightening controls and prioritizing higher skills.
The Home Office published a white paper titled “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” on May 12, sharing new policies to reduce migration and strengthen the U.K.’s borders.
The Home Office is increasing certain immigration and nationality fees, effective April 9.
Additional Information: In addition, for skilled worker applications, worker sponsor license fees for medium or large sponsors will increase from £1,476 to £1,579. For visit visas, short visits up to six months will be £127, long visits up to two years will be £475, long visits up to five years will be £848 and long visits up to 10 years will be £1,059. Optional premium services (both inside and outside the U.K.) will largely remain unchanged. Businesses sponsoring employees and education institutions sponsoring students should be aware of the fee increases and take them into account in their 2025 budgets.
As BAL reported, the fee increases come after Parliament recently proposed changes to raise immigration and nationality products and service fees to generate additional revenue as part of the government’s Plan for Change and reduce reliance of the migration and borders system on taxpayer funding. Increases to the upfront immigration health surcharge were introduced last year and coincide with the Home Office removing the requirement to renew sponsor licenses for organizations automatically extending all licenses due to expire on or after April 6 for an additional 10 years. Sponsor licenses due to expire before April 6 must still apply for renewal and pay the non-recoupable fee before the expiration date.
The Home Office recently issued a statement of changes in Immigration Rules and are expected to release an Immigration White Paper soon to set out the government’s future border and immigration system core objectives. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.
The Home Office issued a statement of changes in Immigration Rules outlining key changes to the Skilled Worker route, as well as important updates to the electronic travel authorization (ETA) program and EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
Additional Information: In addition, the Home Office is making changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, including eligibility expansion to children under 18 who were previously granted Leave Outside the Rules, aligning their status with their families as well as updating the quotas of Youth Mobility Scheme partner countries for 2025.
In their statement concerning the new rules prioritizing recruiting care workers, the government elaborated that the rules come as the government continues implementation of a series of measures to reduce the potential for abuse of visa routes and coincides with their plan to reduce the high levels of legal migration seen in recent years. The Home Office is expected to release an Immigration White Paper soon to set out in the government’s future border and immigration system core objectives. BAL will continue to monitor developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.