World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Mark Carney elected as new Liberal leader. What’s next? (Global News)
Mark Carney has been elected as the new leader of the federal Liberal Party of Canada. After winning a nationwide leadership contest by nearly 86 percent, Carney a former central banker, will lead the federal liberals and replace Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister of Canada. Mark Carney steps into power during a critical political and economic era for Canadians, with the most pressing concerns including trade and border negotiations with the Trump Administration, reduced domestic productivity, record immigration, housing insecurity, high costs of living, and strained social services. As shared throughout his campaign, priorities under the Carney Government will include eliminating the carbon tax and reversing the capital-gains tax hike. He also promises to reinvigorate the country’s economy through boosted productivity and balancing immigration levels with economic needs as well as national capacity. Carney is expected to be sworn in over the coming days and parliament set to resume on March 24.
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High study visa refusal rates disrupting the international education landscape (ICEF)
Impacts related to federal caps on temporary migration are becoming more prominent. Universities and colleges across Canada are adapting to a new era of international student programming considering higher refusal rates, including revamped international student recruitment strategies, program closures, staffing cuts, and campus consolidation. Nearly 52 percent of study permit applications were refused in 2024, a significant increase from 38 percent in 2023, while the overall refusal rate for prospective temporary migrants was 54 percent. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) notes that along with caps on study and work permits, enhanced measures to combat fraud have also led to increased refusal rates. Advocacy groups including the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association argue that there is a lack of transparency regarding rationale for refusing or accepting an application. Migrant rights representatives say the government stands to profit from either decision, and that students and families are being left to weather negative consequences. In 2024, the federal government generated an estimated CAD707.9 million in fees, including CAD354 million from refused applications. These in tandem, have contributed to growing uncertainty about Canada’s future as a choice study destination.
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Canada to grant legal status for thousands of undocumented construction workers (Toronto Star)
IRCC announced plans to launch a sweeping regularization program for undocumented construction workers. Up to 6,000 undocumented construction workers living and working in Canada may be granted access to a pathway that will enable legal status. In addition to the forthcoming regularization program, effective March 7, IRCC has introduced a temporary measure to allow foreign apprentices to complete their studies without a study permit. Ottawa will also establish a “tripartite advisory council”, comprised of federal government, union officials, and sectoral leaders, to continue to monitor needs and develop workforce solutions for the industry. These announcements arrive nearly two years after pledges from the federal government to expand efforts to offer permanent residence for non-status construction workers. While hailed by some industry leaders as a significant milestone, migrant rights advocates are saying that hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers are still to be in limbo due to program limitations. Research from both RBC and BuildForce Canada articulate that the construction industry currently faces a worker shortage of 64,000 jobs, with this number forecasted to exceed more than 85,000 by 2033. Additional details are expected in the coming weeks regarding launch of the regularization program and implementation plans.
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Farm certification could make Canada’s farms fairer for migrant workers (The Conversation)
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program has increasingly gained scrutiny due to claims of human rights abuses. A recent report form Amnesty International examines Canada’s labour migration policies particularly for agricultural workers, where worker exploitation has been prevalent on farms. In order to more adequately safeguard against potential harms, experts are recommending measures including farm certification. With similar models existing globally, farm certifications could be a viable strategy for Canadian policymakers to recognize farms that foster fair working conditions and compliance with higher employment standards. For such a model to thrive in Canada, cross-sector collaboration is needed, powered by strong alliances between migrant workers and advocacy coalitions, consumer groups, employers, and government officials. Advocates are also calling on government bodies to adopt practices in addition to farm certification including open-work permits and pathways to permanent residence to protect and prioritize worker needs.
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