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.
Ontario to break interprovincial barriers for regulated professions (The Star)
The provincial government recently announced new measures to enhance interprovincial mobility for workers in regulated professions. Ontario has signed 10 agreements with other provinces and territories to expand access to employment opportunities in over 200 “in-demand professions,” including engineers, architects, early childhood educators, and electricians. Effective January 1, 2026, professionals in these regulated fields will be able to begin working within 10 days of having their credentials verified by the appropriate regulatory body. Previously, workers often faced delays of several months before they could register and start a new job. These new provisions are expected to significantly streamline the process, making it easier and faster for workers from Ontario and other regions of Canada to practice their professions across the country.
A full list of those in demand professions included in this announcement.
Poilievre calls for temporary foreign worker program to be scrapped (CBC News)
Pierre Poilievre has called for the termination of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), asserting that it has contributed to an influx of low-wage labour, thereby impeding employment opportunities for young Canadians. In 2025, the federal government announced a cap of 82,000 temporary foreign workers. However, Poilievre claims that 105,000 permits have already been approved. In response, Immigration Minister Lena Diab clarified that this figure includes permit extensions for individuals already residing in Canada, and that only an estimated 33,000 new entrants have arrived this year. Following consultations with business leaders nationwide, Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasized that U.S. tariffs and labour shortages are among the most pressing challenges currently facing Canadian businesses. With population growth slowing, and despite Poilievre’s concerns, further measures will be required to address the country’s escalating labour shortages.
REPORT| Foreign Students: Should We Restrict or Encourage Them? (Fraser Institute)
With the fluctuating number of international students in Canada, the Fraser Institute has released a report advocating for increased support for their inflow. The author argues that international students are a strategic asset to Canada’s immigration and economic policies, citing their economic contributions, positive impacts on the labour market, role in knowledge sharing and innovation, and their ability to foster global connectivity. Despite these benefits, concerns around fraud and brain drain in sending countries remain significant. The report concludes that rather than reducing the number of international students, the federal government should recognize their value within a strategic immigration framework and focus on strengthening oversight through fraud prevention and quality assurance measures.
Designed to fail? Palestinian-Canadians fault Ottawa’s refugee program for Gazans (Canadian Affairs)
In January 2024, IRCC introduced a temporary resident pathway for Palestinians with family in Canada (citizens or permanent residents). The program offers fee-free study or work permits, three months of health coverage, and access to settlement services. Although the program allows up to 5,000 applicants, by July 2025 only 1,750 had been approved and just 864 Gazan refugees had arrived. Many Palestinian Canadian families and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, say strict security requirements and slow processing have made it extremely difficult to qualify. Applicants must explain the origin of all scars and injuries, prove family ties, and provide detailed work histories. Biometric data is also required, but with no Canadian presence in Gaza, people must leave the region to complete this step. Critics point to the Canada-Ukraine emergency travel program, which approved over 990,000 applications and welcomed nearly 300,000 people between 2022 and 2024, highlighting a sharp contrast in Canada’s response to different crises.
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