Official Updates
Policy changes, processing-time shifts, and new visa categories, tracked per destination and linked back to the government agency that announced them. Select a destination to see what's changed.
Official source
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
October 13, 2026
IRCC issued 752 invitations to provincial nominees on October 13, at a CRS cutoff of 772 — 47 points higher than the September 28 round.
Read at source: IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations →October 1, 2026
IRCC issued 3,500 invitations in a category-based draw for trades occupations on October 1, at a CRS cutoff of 476. It is the second trades-focused round of 2026.
Read at source: IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations →September 29, 2026
IRCC invited 2,000 candidates in a Canadian Experience Class draw on September 29, with a CRS cutoff of 518 — one point below the September 15 round.
Read at source: IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations →September 28, 2026
IRCC issued 733 invitations to provincial nominees on September 28, at a CRS cutoff of 725.
Read at source: IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations →September 17, 2026
In an address to the European Parliament, Prime Minister Carney welcomed the EU leadership's suggestion of moving beyond CETA and opening the door to Canada becoming the EU's first "associate member," and proposed letting young people live, work and study on either side of the Atlantic, with Canadian participation in Erasmus+ and Horizon. These are early-stage discussions only — nothing has been agreed and current Canadian immigration rules are unchanged.
Read at source: Prime Minister of Canada →September 16, 2026
IRCC invited 250 candidates in a category-based draw for senior managers with Canadian work experience, at a CRS cutoff of 389 — far below the 519 needed in the Canadian Experience Class draw the day before, showing how much category-based rounds now shape who gets invited.
Read at source: IRCC — Express Entry rounds of invitations →September 15, 2026
IRCC issued 2,000 invitations in a September 15 Canadian Experience Class draw at a CRS cutoff of 519, after a September 14 Provincial Nominee Program draw invited 576 candidates at a cutoff of 734 — 37 points higher than the previous PNP round. PNP invitations for 2026 are running about 23% ahead of the same point in 2025.
Read at source: IRCC Newsroom →September 4, 2026
IRCC issued 3,500 permanent residence invitations in a category-based Express Entry draw focused on 37 healthcare and social services occupations, with a CRS cutoff of 475 — the most recent occupation-targeted category draw so far this year alongside an earlier physicians-only round.
Read at source: IRCC Newsroom →September 1, 2026
The citizenship certificate processing estimate climbed to 33 months, and the Federal Skilled Worker Program returned to a 7-month estimate after a brief improvement, while its application backlog grew.
Read at source: IRCC Processing Times →September 1, 2026
Study permit applications submitted on or after September 1, 2026 must show a higher minimum for living costs — a single applicant studying outside Quebec now needs at least CAD $23,448 in available funds, up from $22,895.
Read at source: IRCC →These summaries are provided for general awareness and are not a substitute for the official announcement. Always confirm current requirements directly with the linked government source before relying on them.