"Immigration 2026: Are Parents and Grandparents Welcome in Canada?"

Trivia Question❓

In 1994, the Canadian government declared February 27th to be National Polar Bear Day to raise awareness about these majestic creatures. How many polar bear species are found in Canada?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

🍁 Newcomer Digest – Monday Edition

Canada’s immigration landscape is shifting quickly, and this week’s updates make one thing clear: in‑Canada applicants, graduates, and genuinely employed workers are getting the strongest momentum, while temporary pathways and enforcement are tightening around everyone else. Provinces are competing harder for talent, family options are narrowing, and strategy matters more than ever.

Today’s edition breaks down what these changes mean for your PR plans, your parents’ travel options, and your choice of province, with clear, outcome‑focused steps to help you stay ahead.

Happening now
Featured Story

The Future of Family Immigration: Bringing Parents and Grandparents to Canada in 2026

Canada will not accept new Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) applications for processing in 2026, a decision officially outlined in the government’s instructions and IRCC’s policies.

This leaves many newcomer families with only temporary options for bringing parents and grandparents to Canada.

The Super Visa remains the main route for extended stays, allowing parents and grandparents to visit for up to five years at a time.

However, this option comes with significant hurdles, particularly the cost of mandatory private medical insurance, which may stretch the budgets of many households.

For short visits, the standard Visitor Visa or eTA is available, but approval is unpredictable and hinges on showing strong ties to the home country.

With permanent residency on hold, long-term family reunification largely depends on a family’s financial resources, raising important questions about the future of meaningful family reunification in Canada.

What's happening This Week and What It Means for You

1. CEC Priority Expansion Confirmed

IRCC is reinforcing that the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) will carry a large share of 2026 permanent resident admissions, with frequent, program‑specific draws focusing on in‑Canada applicants. Early‑January activity underscored this direction, signaling clear priority for candidates already living and working in Canada.

Impact: More frequent CEC draws, lower volatility, and sustained priority for in‑land workers.

Actionable Advice: If you have one year of Canadian work experience, secure your Express Entry profile now. Your CRS doesn’t need to be perfect, timing matters more than perfection.

👉 Learn more: Canadian Experience Class eligibility (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/canadian-experience-class.html Express Entry rounds of invitations (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/rounds-invitations.html

2. Graduate Fast‑Track Processing Is Beating Every Other Stream

Graduate pathways continue to be a standout priority, with Master’s and PhD applicants in several streams seeing notably quick decisions, making graduate study one of the most reliable “PR insurance policies” available this year. Provinces continue to favour recent Canadian grads across nomination and worker pathways.

Impact: Graduate study is now one of the most reliable routes to PR, especially for candidates with mid‑range CRS scores.

Actionable Advice: If you’re stuck at 460–490 CRS, a Master’s degree isn’t optional, it’s strategic for 2026.

👉 Learn more: Post‑Graduation Work Permit (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/about.html

3. Ontario Expands Credential Mobility

Ontario’s credential reciprocity and labour‑mobility initiatives are making it easier for regulated professionals, including engineers, nurses, and skilled tradespeople, to transfer licences more quickly between provinces. This breaks longstanding barriers and increases leverage for job offers across Canada.

Impact: Your job offer and professional licence are no longer trapped by one province, mobility equals power.

Actionable Advice: Get licensed in one province, then use that credential to gain leverage nationally.

Tip: Each province’s regulatory body has its own process. Check the regulator for your profession (for example, the engineering association or nursing college in your province) for exact steps and timelines.

👉 Learn more: Regulated professions and trades in Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/regulated-professions-and-trades

4. Work Permit Enforcement Tightens

IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have been refusing applications where employers are non‑compliant, job offers are not genuine, or “maintained status” is misused. Audits and verifications are more stringent, and “paper pathways” are being sidelined.

Impact: “Paper pathways” are dying. Real jobs now matter more than ever.

Actionable Advice: Protect your status with real employment, real payroll, and real compliance. Avoid misclassification, false job offers, or employers not in good standing, these put your status and PR pathway at risk.

👉 Learn more: Employer compliance inspections (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/employer-compliance.html

5. Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) Keeps You Working While PR Processes

If you’ve submitted a qualifying permanent residence application, the Bridging Open Work Permit lets you keep working while you wait for a decision, reducing the risk of gaps in status or employment. This is especially useful for in‑Canada CEC and PNP applicants timing PR with expiring work permits.

Impact: Continuity of lawful work and status while PR is in progress, with fewer interruptions to income, payroll history, and eligibility.

Actionable Advice: Confirm you’re eligible (you’ve received your Acknowledgement of Receipt for an eligible PR stream), maintain valid status, and apply 3–4 months before your current permit expires. Keep proof of ongoing, genuine employment and ensure your Express Entry profile and PR application details are consistent.

👉 Learn more: Bridging open work permit (IRCC): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/bridging-open-work-permit.html

Getting ahead
Opportunities

High‑Opportunity Provinces for Newcomers in 2026

A quick, practical guide for choosing where to build your future in Canada

🇨🇦 Ontario

Why it’s hot: Canada’s largest, most diversified economy with deep demand in tech, finance, healthcare, construction, and advanced manufacturing. Massive employer base + strong newcomer networks.

Immigration angle: Multiple OINP streams (Human Capital, Employer Job Offer, Tech, Health) plus Master’s Graduate and PhD Graduate pathways that often don’t require a job offer.

Trade-offs: High housing costs in the GTA; strong competition. Secondary cities like Ottawa, London, Kitchener‑Waterloo, Hamilton, Windsor offer better balance.

Best for: Skilled professionals, STEM/health grads, and Francophones leveraging Ontario’s French-speaking streams.

🏔 Alberta

Why it’s hot: Strong job creation in energy, utilities, clean tech, logistics, construction, and healthcare. More affordable housing in Calgary/Edmonton and no provincial sales tax.

Immigration angle: AAIP pathways, including tech and rural/community streams, reward in‑demand jobs and Alberta work experience/job offers.

Trade-offs: Economy can track energy cycles; winters are harsh; regulated professions face strict licensing.

Best for: Engineers, trades, project managers, healthcare workers, and tech talent seeking salary + affordability.

🌲 British Columbia

Why it’s hot: Thriving BC Tech ecosystem, film/TV, clean energy, ports and trade, healthcare, and tourism. High quality of life and strong employer demand.

Immigration angle: BC PNP Skills Immigration with targeted tech/health draws and International Graduate pathways.

Trade-offs: Highest housing costs in Canada (Lower Mainland/Victoria). Interior cities like Kelowna, Kamloops, Nanaimo offer better affordability.

Best for: Tech, healthcare, digital media, and trade/logistics candidates who can command strong salaries or choose more affordable BC regions.

🌾 Manitoba

Why it’s hot: Stable demand in manufacturing, transportation/trucking, agrifood, and healthcare. Lower cost of living and strong settlement supports.

Immigration angle: MPNP favours local work experience, job offers, and community ties. International Education Stream is friendly to Manitoba grads.

Trade-offs: Smaller market than ON/BC; some programs adjust criteria frequently, stay updated.

Best for: Applicants who can secure a local employer, international students studying in-province, and families seeking affordability.

🌻 Saskatchewan

Why it’s hot: High demand in agriculture, mining, energy, manufacturing, construction, and utilities. Predictable employer needs and accessible housing.

Immigration angle: SINP points-based selection, Occupations In‑Demand and Express Entry sub‑categories (often no job offer if your NOC is targeted), plus Hard‑to‑Fill Skills options.

Trade-offs: Smaller cities, colder climate, and licensing requirements for many professions.

Best for: Skilled trades, power engineers, agri‑food professionals, technicians, and mid‑career applicants targeting clear, demand-driven lists.

🌊 Atlantic Canada

(Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island)

Why it’s hot: Employer-driven hiring, community lifestyle, lower housing costs, and demand in healthcare, ECE, hospitality, seafood/agri‑food, construction, and ocean tech (NL).

Immigration angle: Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) offers employer-backed PR pathways. Each province also runs PNP streams targeting shortages. Bilingual talent has an edge in NB.

Trade-offs: Smaller markets and salaries; job offers often essential; fewer large employers outside major hubs (Halifax, Moncton, St. John’s).

Best for: Candidates who can secure a designated employer, service/health/trades professionals, bilingual applicants, and families seeking community + affordability.

🧭 How to Choose Your Province in 5 Steps

Map your NOC to demand: Check targeted occupations + recent draw patterns; shortlist 2–3 provinces that actively invite your skill set.
Confirm licensing: If regulated (nurse, engineer, ECE, etc.), review the provincial regulator’s process and timelines before moving.
Validate the employer path: Identify designated employers (AIP) or PNP‑friendly companies; begin outreach early.
Balance cost vs. salary: Build a simple monthly budget for your target city; consider secondary cities for better ROI.
Align study/work:
- Studying? Choose PGWP‑eligible programs with strong co‑ops.
- Working? Target provinces with employer-driven streams that match your role.

⚡ Quick Takeaways

Ontario / BC: Biggest ecosystems + brand value, ideal if you can handle housing costs or choose secondary cities.
Alberta: Strong salaries + affordability, great for trades, energy, tech, and builders.
Manitoba / Saskatchewan: Clear employer-driven pathways + lower costs perfect for planners who can secure a job.
Atlantic Canada: Fast, employer-led PR routes, ideal for bilinguals and service/health/trades roles.

Freebies
Valuable Resources

Newcomer Services Across Canada 🇨🇦

Get free help with housing, jobs, healthcare, language training, and settlement.

These services are funded by the Government of Canada and are part of your PR strategy.

🇨🇦 Start Here (Canada-Wide)

🔹 Find Free Newcomer Services (IRCC)
https://ircc.canada.ca/english/newcomers/services/index.asp

📍 City Resource Hubs

🔹 Vancouver / Metro Vancouver
https://www.welcomebc.ca/start-your-life-in-b-c/find-newcomer-services

🔹 Toronto / GTA
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/moving-to-toronto/after-you-arrive-checklist/

🔹 Calgary
https://gatewayconnects.ca/

🔹 Edmonton
https://newcomercentre.com/

🇫🇷 Quebec

🔹 Accompagnement Québec
https://www.quebec.ca/en/immigration/integration-service-for-immigrants

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💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

There are two polar bear species found in Canada - the Arctic polar bear and the Western Hudson Bay polar bear.

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