On New Year’s Day, Immigration changes took effect in Canada, including closing a pathway for entrepreneurs wanting to stay in Canada permanently and introducing new provincial labour rules.
Take a look at these changes recently implemented and who was affected the most:
Graduate Students Don’t Need a Territorial or Provincial Attestation Letter
Who this affects: Foreign nationals planning to get a master’s or doctoral degree in Canada.
In 2024, the government required all foreign nationals wanting to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree to submit a Provincial or Territorial Attestation (PAL/TAL), making it a little difficult for them to acquire a permit. It’s also costly because you need to deposit money to get the PAL or TAL. However, with the recent changes, all students enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program in a qualified institution no longer need to submit a letter to get a study permit.
This is definitely good news since all students will no longer be subjected to the permit cap, allowing more foreign nationals to study in Canada. If you want to pursue your master’s or doctoral degree in Canada, you can get an expedited permit in as little as two weeks. It’s a lot easier now since all students are no longer subject to the IRCC’s processing limits. So, even if the study permit cap is reached, students interested in pursuing another course in Canada can get a permit.
Foreign nationals can save money when pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in Canada, since they no longer need to deposit into a DLI to confirm their intent to enroll in a university.
Canada Ends New Applications for the Start-Up Visa Program
Who this affects: Foreign entrepreneurs planning to stay in Canada permanently. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has closed new applications under the new Start-Up Visa program introduced in the new year. They stopped accepting applications on the last day of the year, at 11:50 pm.
The only exception is when the foreign national acquired a commitment certification from a qualified organization that confirmed to support their business. If you got the commitment last year, make sure to apply before June 30, 2026. Otherwise, you will no longer be able to go for the start-up visa route.
Note that starting this year, you can no longer get a work permit with the start-up route. However, those who already hold a work permit can still extend their stay while they wait for the permanent residency visa to be approved.
New Pilot:
Why did the government change the start-up visa program? They plan to transition to an even better program, a targeted program for immigrant entrepreneurs. However, the details for this new visa route will be announced sometime in 2026.
