Meridian · Freshness tracker

What's changed.

Dated updates to visa, tax, residency, citizenship, housing, and labour policy across every country tracked. Every entry cites its primary source and the date we last verified it.

Subscribe via RSS ↗ · 24 entries shown

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Category All categoriesVisa & immigrationResidencyCitizenshipTaxationLabourHousingHealthcareOther
Announced 3 Apr 2026
Announced Visa & immigration

Proposed 2026 Express Entry reform — points shift toward earnings and Canadian job offers

IRCC proposed in April 2026 to reform the Comprehensive Ranking System to favour higher earnings and Canadian job offers over Canadian experience and language points. Currently in consultation; not yet enacted. Mover-relevant because it would materially rebalance who is invited through Express Entry.

Who it affects: All future Express Entry candidates if implemented.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · IRCC — Express Entry ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

Announced 19 Jun 2025
Announced Citizenship

Proposed Bill C-3 restores citizenship for "Lost Canadians"

The federal government introduced Bill C-3 in June 2025 to respond to the 2023 Ontario Superior Court ruling that struck down the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. The bill proposes restoring citizenship to certain Canadians born abroad to Canadian parents who also were born abroad, subject to a "substantial connection" requirement for future generations. Parliamentary passage in progress through late 2025.

Who it affects: Canadians born abroad to Canadian parents who were also born abroad; their children.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 27 Mar 2025
In force Visa & immigration

Arranged-employment CRS points for LMIA-based offers removed

IRCC removed, with immediate effect on 27 March 2025, the arranged-employment points (50 or 200 CRS points) previously awarded in Express Entry for most LMIA-supported job offers. The change responded to evidence of LMIA misuse in for-sale job-offer arrangements. The 50 CRS points for provincial-nominee holders and certain other categories remained.

Who it affects: Express Entry candidates who previously relied on LMIA-based job offers for their CRS score.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · IRCC — Express Entry ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 1 Mar 2025
In force Visa & immigration

2025 Express Entry pivots toward in-Canada applicants via CEC

59% of category-based 2025 Express Entry invitations went to Canadian Experience Class (in-Canada) candidates. Reflects the federal government's priority to convert temporary residents with strong Canadian ties to permanent residence over new overseas arrivals, in the context of housing-supply pressure.

Who it affects: Temporary residents with Canadian work experience; new overseas applicants face reduced invitation volume.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · IRCC — Express Entry ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Mar 2025
In force Visa & immigration

2025 priority categories: French, healthcare, trades, education (new)

IRCC's 2025 category announcement added an Education category (5 eligible occupations), sunset the Transportation category, and reworked all other categories with additions and removals. French language, healthcare and social services, trades, and education are the four active 2025 priority categories.

Who it affects: Prospective Express Entry applicants in the 2025 priority occupations.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · IRCC — Express Entry ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 7 Feb 2025
In force Visa & immigration

Post-Graduation Work Permit limited to specified fields

From 7 February 2025, Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility at public colleges and specified non-degree programs was limited to students graduating in listed fields of study tied to long-term labour-market shortages (agriculture, construction, healthcare, skilled trades, STEM, transport). University-degree graduates remained eligible regardless of field.

Who it affects: International students in non-university programs; universities remained unaffected.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 31 Jan 2025
Repealed Taxation

Proposed capital-gains inclusion-rate increase deferred indefinitely

The federal government's proposed increase in the capital-gains inclusion rate — from 50% to 66.7% for gains above $250,000 per year for individuals and on all corporate gains, first announced in Budget 2024 — was deferred and then formally withdrawn by March 2025. The inclusion rate remained at 50%. Relevant for new arrivals evaluating Canadian tax planning.

Who it affects: Individuals realising large capital gains; corporations with investment income.

Canada Revenue Agency ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 22 Jan 2025
In force Visa & immigration

Study-permit cap tightened further to 437,000 for 2025

IRCC announced a 10% reduction in the 2025 study-permit intake cap to 437,000 (from 485,000 in 2024), expanded PAL (Provincial Attestation Letter) requirements to graduate students, and further narrowed Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility. Effective from late January 2025.

Who it affects: International students planning to start studies in Canada in 2025; post-graduation work plans.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 1 Jan 2025
In force Visa & immigration

PNP provincial allocations reduced for 2025

Under the reduced 2025 Immigration Levels Plan, provincial PNP allocations were cut approximately 50% from 2024 levels. Individual provinces (Ontario, BC, Alberta in particular) immediately tightened their own PNP invitation criteria in response. Timelines for nomination invitations materially extended.

Who it affects: Prospective Provincial Nominee Program applicants across all provinces.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Jan 2025
In force Residency

Permanent-residence admission targets reduced for 2025–2027

The 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan reduced PR targets from 500,000/year (prior plan) to 395,000 (2025), 380,000 (2026), 365,000 (2027) — a material reduction driven by the federal government's response to housing-supply and infrastructure pressure following record post-pandemic admission volumes.

Who it affects: Future permanent residents; sectors dependent on immigration-driven labour growth.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 23 Dec 2024
In force Residency

"Flagpoling" — border-exit-and-re-entry work-permit activation — restricted

IRCC and CBSA restricted the long-standing informal practice of "flagpoling" (exiting at a US border and immediately re-entering to activate a new work permit) from December 2024. Most work-permit activations now must be processed at a Canadian port of entry via formal admission rather than same-day exit-re-entry. Materially changes the logistics of in-Canada status transitions.

Who it affects: Temporary residents in Canada seeking to activate new work permits without travelling abroad.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 29 Nov 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Québec PRTQ invitation criteria reformed

Québec's Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration reformed the Arrima invitation process from late 2024 — greater emphasis on francisation (French-language ability), targeted shortage-occupation streams, and streamlined processing for in-Québec CSQ applicants. Implementation continued through 2025.

Who it affects: Prospective Québec permanent-residence applicants.

Gouvernement du Québec — Immigration ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Oct 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Global Talent Occupations List refreshed

ESDC refreshed the Global Talent Occupations List in late 2024 — added several AI and cloud-engineering occupations (reflecting post-2022 hiring patterns), maintained 2-week LMIA and work-permit processing commitment. Occupation-list rotation continues annually.

Who it affects: Employers hiring under the Global Talent Stream and their prospective hires.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 26 Sept 2024
In force Labour

Temporary Foreign Worker Program tightened — low-wage stream restricted

In response to concerns about wage suppression, the government tightened the Low-Wage Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in September 2024 — cap lowered to 10% of a workforce for eligible regions (from 20%), and restrictions imposed on hiring in designated unemployment-rate regions. Additional changes through 2025 in the same direction.

Who it affects: Employers relying on low-wage TFWP hires; current TFWP workers.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 1 Sept 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Study-permit national cap introduced and Post-Graduate Work Permit tightened

From September 2024, a national cap on new study permits was implemented with provincial allocations (approximately 360,000 new study permits vs roughly 400,000+ pre-cap). Post-Graduate Work Permit eligibility tightened — not all public-college programs now qualify. Materially reduces the historic Canada-as-backdoor-PR pipeline for students at lower-tier private-public partnerships.

Who it affects: International students and educational institutions; indirect on future CEC pipeline.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 28 Aug 2024
In force Visa & immigration

In-Canada visitor-to-work-permit policy ended

IRCC ended, effective immediately on 28 August 2024, the temporary COVID-era policy that had allowed visitors in Canada to apply for an employer-specific work permit from within Canada upon receiving a job offer and LMIA. Applicants must now apply from outside Canada per the pre-pandemic rule.

Who it affects: Foreign nationals visiting Canada and receiving job offers; their employers.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 1 Jul 2024
In force Citizenship

Canadian citizenship process further digitalised

IRCC continued the multi-year modernisation of the citizenship application and test process through 2024 — online test booking, remote video citizenship-ceremony option, and streamlined document submission. Physical presence test (1,095 days in 5 years) and language/knowledge-test requirements unchanged.

Who it affects: Permanent residents applying for Canadian citizenship.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 21 May 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Spousal Open Work Permit eligibility tightened

From May 2024, spouses of international students can only obtain a Spousal Open Work Permit if the student is enrolled in a graduate or professional program. Spouses of temporary workers narrowed to those with sponsors in high-skill (TEER 0 or 1) occupations from March 2025. Materially narrows the historic family-work-permit pipeline.

Who it affects: Spouses of international students and temporary workers.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 30 Apr 2024
In force Labour

Temporary Foreign Worker Program median-wage threshold redefined

ESDC redefined the split between the Low-Wage and High-Wage streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on 30 April 2024 to use a 20%-above-median-wage cutoff by region, and applied successive further restrictions through late 2024 and into 2025 — including refusing low-wage LMIAs in regions with unemployment above 6%.

Who it affects: Employers hiring low-wage temporary foreign workers; prospective applicants in affected regions.

Employment and Social Development Canada ↗ · Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 30 Apr 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Employer compliance fee and work-permit fees uprated

IRCC updated work-permit and employer-compliance fees from 30 April 2024 under its periodic cost-recovery review. The main work-permit fee rose in line with the Service Fees Act adjustment mechanism; employer-compliance fee under the International Mobility Program remained CAD 230 but with updated processing standards.

Who it affects: Applicants for closed and open work permits; IMP-category employers.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 30 Apr 2024
In force Visa & immigration

Start-up Visa cap per designated entity introduced

IRCC capped each Designated Organization at 10 Start-up Visa endorsements per year and introduced points-based prioritisation among endorsed applicants, including for private-sector venture-capital-backed startups. The change was in response to backlog and file-quality concerns and materially reduced throughput.

Who it affects: Entrepreneurs and startup founders considering the Start-up Visa pathway.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 1 Apr 2024
In force Residency

Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) closed to new applicants

The CUAET emergency programme, launched in March 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion, closed to new applicants from 1 April 2024. Existing CUAET holders retained their three-year work/study authorisation. Replaced by standard humanitarian and general-immigration pathways for further Ukrainian applicants.

Who it affects: Ukrainian nationals seeking emergency travel authorisation to Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · Government of Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19

In force 14 Sept 2023
In force Housing

GST removed on new rental-apartment construction

The federal government removed the 5% GST on new purpose-built rental-apartment construction with effect from 14 September 2023 through 31 December 2030. Most provinces mirrored the change on their portion of HST. Intended to increase rental-housing supply at a time of rapid population growth.

Who it affects: Long-term rental supply; indirectly renters via future rental-market conditions.

Government of Canada ↗ · Canada Revenue Agency ↗ · verified 2026-04-21

In force 28 Jun 2023
In force Visa & immigration

Category-based Express Entry selection introduced

IRCC began operating category-based Express Entry draws from 28 June 2023 alongside general and program-specific draws. The Minister sets annual priority categories; a candidate must be in an eligible category AND meet the minimum CRS for that draw. Categories rotate annually.

Who it affects: All Express Entry candidates; signals priority occupations for the year.

IRCC — Express Entry ↗ · Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ↗ · verified 2026-04-19