Entries by Katrina

Update to Rules for Dogs Entering the United States from Countries with Low Risk of Rabies

After feedback and lobbying from various countries, veterinarians, industry partners, and the public, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”) has walked back from some of its requirements for dogs from countries that are rabies-free or with a low risk of rabies, including Canada. Specifically, dogs entering or returning to the United States from such […]

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement – New Avenues for Ukrainians to Work in Canada

Effective July 1, 2024, the immigration provisions of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (“CUFTA”) came into effect. This now brings new avenues for citizens and permanent residents of Ukraine to work in Canada or enter Canada as business visitors. The CUFTA’s immigration provisions contain similarities with other free trade agreements- like the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement, the […]

Discretionary Grant, ss. 5(4) Citizenship Act

An individual is a Canadian citizen under section 3 of the Citizenship Act[1] (the “Act”) by right (ie. typically by birth or decent) or by a grant of citizenship under section 5, (ie. typically to a permanent resident after certain conditions are met). In addition to these usual paths to Canadian citizenship, subsection 5(4) provides […]

No More Port of Entry Applications for Post-Graduation Work Permits

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) has announced that international student graduates can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (“PGWP”) at a port of entry when entering Canada. This also means an end to applying for PGWP by way of flagpoling – a legal practice of leaving Canada and re-entering in order to […]

Some Major and Minor Updates in May 2024

End of the Second-Generation Born Abroad Rule and Lost Canadians Following the Ontario Superior Court’s ruling in Bjorkquist et al. v. Attorney General of Canada, 2023 ONSC 7152 (CanLII), in which the Court deemed unconstitutional the ineligibility to Canadian citizenship of those born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent who had been born outside […]

Parent-Grandparent Sponsorship 2024

Over the course of two (2) weeks, starting on May 21, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) will invite 35,700 potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents or grandparents. However, only those who submitted an interest to sponsor form in 2020 are eligible to be invited. The intake for new expressions of interest […]

Stop Work Order for International Students

End of Policy Allowing Work Over 20 Hours Per Week During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government implemented a public policy allowing full-time international students to work off-campus for over 20 hours a week during regular academic sessions. This policy was intended to alleviate labour shortages and facilitate the staffing of many low-wage, low-skilled jobs during […]

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Updates – End of Workforce Solutions Road Map Special Measures and Recognized Employer Pilot

End of Workforce Solutions Road Map Special Measures As part of the government’s continuing efforts to limit the number of temporary residents coming to Canada due to increased pressures from the housing and cost-of-living crises, as of May 1, 2024, the following changes will occur: Labour Market Impact Assessments (“LMIAs”) will only be valid for […]

March Immigration Madness – Multiple Immigration Developments

Update to Public-Private College Partnerships for Students The government previously announced that it would cancel the eligibility for post-graduation work permits (“PGWPs”) for students attending programs at private colleges that are subject to public-private curriculum licensing agreements. As part of the its ongoing efforts to limit the number of international students amidst increasing public opposition […]