1. New immigration-consultant rules take effect July 15, adding a fraud compensation fund
A series of new rules governing Canada's licensed immigration consultants formally took effect on July 15, 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the measures on May 6, marking the most significant regulatory strengthening since the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) was formally established in 2021. The CICC is the industry regulator for Canada's licensed immigration consultants; as of the end of June 2025, nearly 12,000 Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) were registered and in good standing.
The new rules strengthen oversight of consultants on several fronts. Complaints and discipline procedures have been reinforced, and the College now has the authority to impose substantially higher financial penalties on consultants who breach professional conduct standards. A newly created compensation fund will provide financial redress to clients who suffer losses due to a licensed consultant's dishonest conduct, with coverage applying retroactively to misconduct occurring on or after November 23, 2021 (the date the College was established). In addition, starting in April 2027, the CICC's public register will display more information about each licensed consultant, and the federal government gains stronger ministerial oversight powers, allowing direct intervention in the College's board affairs when necessary.
Notably, another immigration-related reform took effect the same day. Bill C-14, federal bail-and-sentencing reform legislation, received Royal Assent on June 15 and came into force on July 15. The bill itself falls within the criminal-justice domain, but through its interaction with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), it may carry immigration consequences for non-citizens convicted of indictable offences: harsher sentences could push more convictions over the "serious criminality" threshold, in turn affecting the status of permanent residents and temporary residents. IRCC reminds clients who are currently engaging an immigration representative to verify, before July 15, through the CICC public register whether their consultant is licensed and in good standing.
2. Public consultation on asylum-system reform closes July 20
In mid-June, the federal government published proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) in the Canada Gazette, accompanied by a 30-day public consultation that closed on July 20. The proposed regulations aim to streamline the intake, processing, and adjudication of asylum claims, working in tandem with the legislative reforms established under Bill C-12 (the Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act), which received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026.
Under the proposals, asylum claimants would be required to submit a complete application within a 60-day window, including the Basis of Claim form, identity documents, and all required declarations. The proposed regulations would also codify the practice of issuing open work permits earlier: eligible claimants could work once their claim is deemed "eligible to be referred," without having to wait for the actual referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). At the same time, the IRB published proposed amendments to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) rules in the Canada Gazette, also open for comment until July 20; under the new rules, claimants would be required to submit the personal documents they intend to rely on at a hearing within 30 days of their claim being referred, considerably earlier than the current "10 days before the hearing" deadline. These are proposed regulations rather than current rules, and IRCC has indicated they are expected to be implemented later in 2026 after the consultation period ends.
The reforms are advancing at a time when asylum-claim volumes have fallen sharply. IRCC data show that new asylum claims in the first four months of 2026 were down 42% from the same period in 2025 and down 63% from the same period in 2024; in absolute terms, claims over the period fell from roughly 61,000 in 2024 and roughly 39,000 in 2025 to roughly 23,000 in 2026. Even so, the backlog of accumulated cases remains heavy, with pending cases at the Refugee Protection Division briefly approaching a high of 300,000 at the end of 2025. Some analysts attribute the decline in volumes to Bill C-12's tightening of intake thresholds and the reinstatement of visa requirements for certain countries.
3. Ontario's OINP launches the Workforce Priority Stream, replacing eight previous streams
July marked the first full month for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) following the largest structural overhaul in its history. On June 26, Ontario closed all eight of its previously operating nominee streams and replaced them with the brand-new Ontario Workforce Priority Stream, the first phase of this round of reform. Earlier, at the end of May, Ontario had cleared the regulatory path for abolishing the old streams in one stroke through Ontario Regulation 47/26; the related provincial regulatory changes also granted the minister greater authority to establish or eliminate immigration selection streams at will.
The new stream comprises three pathways, targeting respectively higher-skilled workers in National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0 to 3 occupations, essential workers in TEER 4 and 5 occupations, and self-employed physicians. Apart from self-employed physicians, all applicants must hold a job offer from an eligible Ontario employer; self-employed physicians must hold valid registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and be eligible to bill through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). The main requirements for the three pathways in terms of language (measured against the Canadian Language Benchmark, CLB) and education are as follows:
| Pathway | Target group | Language | Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEER 0-3 | Higher-skilled workers | CLB 6 | Post-secondary |
| TEER 4-5 | Essential workers | CLB 4 | Secondary school |
| Self-employed physicians | Self-employed doctors | None | CPSO registration |
For now, the Expression of Interest (EOI) system has paused new registrations while Ontario upgrades its platform; officials have confirmed it will reopen later this summer but have not yet announced a specific date. All EOIs submitted under the old streams that did not receive an invitation will be automatically withdrawn over the coming weeks, while applications already submitted under the old framework will still be assessed according to the eligibility rules that applied at the time of submission. To encourage regional distribution, employers located in rural Ontario communities will be subject to a lower annual gross-revenue threshold under the new program. The second phase of the reform is reportedly expected to add pathways for health-care professionals, entrepreneurs, and exceptional talent, though Ontario has not yet announced a firm launch date. Ontario's 2026 nomination allocation stands at 14,119, the highest among all provinces.
4. B.C.'s rural and remote health-support initiative accepts applications in July
The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is accepting registrations for its Temporary Rural or Remote Health Support Initiative. The initiative opened on June 15 and closes on August 31, 2026; it is a one-time measure that will nominate a maximum of 250 candidates, with the first round of invitations expected to be issued within the coming weeks.
The initiative is aimed at workers already employed by public health organizations in B.C. who hold cleaning or security roles in rural or remote communities. It should be noted that eligibility extends to support roles such as cleaning and security, not clinical health-care positions. Three NOC groups qualify: cleaners, janitors, and heavy-duty cleaners (NOC 65312); light-duty cleaners (NOC 65310); and security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410). Registrations are submitted through the BC PNP Skills Immigration Expression of Interest system. Workers located in Metro Vancouver, the Central Okanagan, and most of the Capital Regional District are not eligible, with only a few of the Gulf Islands as exceptions. Given the hard cap of 250 nominations and strong application interest, candidates with a qualifying employment relationship should prepare their materials early and complete registration before the August 31 deadline.
5. Spouses of Quebec skilled workers can apply for open work permits
On June 5, 2026, IRCC expanded the scope of its public policy for Quebec workers, allowing the spouses or common-law partners of eligible applicants under the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ) to apply for open work permits.
Under the policy, the spouse must hold valid temporary resident status in Canada, or have had status that expired within the past 90 days; they must also be included as an accompanying family member in the principal applicant's permanent selection application (Demande de sélection permanente) submitted under the PSTQ. On the principal applicant's side, they must hold a valid or recently expired employer-specific work permit for a Quebec employer and have already been invited to apply for permanent selection through the PSTQ. IRCC has set a 30-day processing service standard for such applications, provided that both the employer and the applicant use the identifier code PPTR2PRQC2026. This is a temporary measure in effect until the end of 2026, and it may be revoked at any time without prior notice.
6. International students changing schools or programs must note new requirements
International students seeking to change their Designated Learning Institution (DLI) or program in July 2026 need to follow IRCC's updated guidance carefully, as the process now carries additional requirements. In mid-June, IRCC updated its program delivery instructions, strengthening scrutiny of unauthorized transfers.
Students transferring to a new post-secondary DLI may need to apply for a study permit extension and, in some cases, obtain a new Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL); however, this requirement applies conditionally: master's and doctoral students at public institutions, for example, are already exempt. IRCC has confirmed that students who follow the correct transfer process and meet all requirements can benefit from expedited processing within 60 days. Conversely, students who transfer without authorization, outside the correct process, risk having their study permit rendered invalid, which in turn could affect their eligibility to legally work, study, or remain in Canada. The study permit cap in place since 2024 remains in effect in 2026, making the PAL and TAL requirements especially important for any student changing programs or institutions.
7. Open work permits under the TR to PR pathway remain available
Eligible applicants still awaiting a decision under the 2021 Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TR to PR) pathway can apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026. This measure helps affected applicants maintain valid status and continue working while IRCC processes their permanent residence applications.
The open work permit is available to applicants who have submitted a complete TR to PR application but have not yet received a final decision on their permanent residence file. Launched in 2021, this pathway was originally intended to quickly admit roughly 90,000 essential workers and international graduates; extending the work permit application deadline to the end of 2026 (the extension was issued in October 2025) allows applicants still awaiting a decision to maintain status without having to reapply repeatedly. For the thousands of applicants who have been waiting for years, it is a niche but meaningful measure. Applicants approaching the December 31 deadline should submit their open work permit applications early to allow for IRCC processing time, as in-Canada work permit applications currently take several months to process on average.
8. What July means for Canada's next immigration plan
Public consultation on the 2027-2029 Immigration Levels Plan closed on June 30, 2026, moving IRCC into the phase of drafting admissions targets for the next three years. Federal, provincial, and territorial immigration ministers met in late June to discuss issues including sustainable immigration, regional priorities, labour shortages, and community absorptive capacity.
The current 2026-2028 Levels Plan sets the annual permanent resident admissions target at 380,000, a sharp pullback from recent peaks: under earlier plans, the targets for 2025 and 2026 once ran as high as 500,000 before being revised downward, while Canada's highest-ever actual admissions occurred in 2024, at roughly 484,000. On the provincial nomination side, the national allocation for 2026 totals 91,500, with each province receiving a defined share; Ontario leads with 14,119, while B.C.'s allocation falls to 5,254. Looking back, the national provincial nomination scale plunged from roughly 110,000 to 55,000 in 2025 (a 50% cut) before rebounding to 91,500 in 2026. The feedback IRCC receives during the consultation period will directly shape the government's decision on whether to maintain, increase, or further reduce admissions targets over 2027-2029. July marks the point at which this process shifts from gathering public input to internal policy drafting, becoming a pivotal juncture in determining the direction of Canadian immigration for years to come.
