Nicholas Keung

In Toronto, a multicultural city feels the impact of war in the Middle East: ‘As a human, it hurts me to see’ Hundreds of thousands with ties to the region call the GTA home. Beyond an opposition to the Iranian regime, views can get complicated.

Many are reluctant to show their support publicly, some horrified by people thanking Trump and Netanyahu, waving American and Israeli flags. “Just going out and celebrating strikes on my country, what is that actually demonstrating?"
www.thestar.com/news/gta/mul...

Canada launches new program to grant 33,000 foreign workers permanent residence, immigration minister reveals Lena Metlege Diab says in an interview that the program has been soft-launched as large numbers of migrants are running out of status in Canada.

Transitioning temporary migrants to become permanent is one way to shrink the temporary resident population. Last year, more than half of the 395,000 people who were brought into permanent residency were in Canada on temporary permits
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These immigration applicants were accused of cheating in court. Now they’re telling their side of the story Ottawa dismissed the cases of 430 people who were trying to speed processing but were caught with too many similarities in their court applications.

“I personally didn’t think what this guy did was a problem. My visa was approved within 48 hours after he submitted the mandamus. I actually wrote him and thanked him because I was grateful. He provided a valuable service."
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Budget watchdog predicts zero population growth this year OTTAWA - The parliamentary budget officer predicts Canada's rate of population growth will remain flat in 2026, mainly due to cuts to non-permanent resident admissions in the latest federal Immigratio...

The PBO analysis of Canada's annual immigration targets projects the government will hit its goal of reducing the population share of non-permanent residents from a peak of 7.6% in October 2024 to less than 5% by the end of 2027.
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Girl, 8, pleads with Ottawa to help reunite with her mother, stuck in Gaza: ‘Please Canada, try your best to help me’ The Carney government is being urged to speed up the special immigration program to provide temporary refuge to Palestinians with relatives in Canada.

“This month is Ramadan and my mom is not with me. I wish that every time when I wake up, I can see my mom...I’m trying my best to speak English. I am trying to do everything to bring my mom. I wish Canada can help me. Please Canada, try your best to help."
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Reality check: Did Trudeau and Carney’s immigration cuts make housing cheaper? Here’s what actually happened The immigration minister said Canada is seeing positive impacts and rents are trending down. But experts and some data point to other factors.

Immigration levels are only one part of several factors contributing to recent declines in rental prices. Experts say falling rents cannot be explained by immigration policy alone, pointing to rising rental supply and interprovincial migration trends.
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Canada will slash millions in spending meant to help immigrants. Here’s how hard Ontario is being hit Across-the-board funding cuts are expected to affect all services, including employment counselling and other supports to assist newcomer integration.

The $98.1M cut will affect each province differently. BC, PEI and NS are hardest hit ⬇️ 20%+. Starting April, new eligibility criteria to access settlement services will phase in for economic immigrants, spouses and children from date they receive CoPR.
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Migrant farm workers’ class-action suit against Canadian government certified Ontario court clears major hurdle for the suit that claims systemic racism and discrimination on behalf of 75,000 current and former migrant workers.

Lawsuit alleges SAWP migrant farm workers rights violated under “tied employment” provisions that restricted them to work for a named employer only, and “compelled” payments to Canada’s employment insurance despite their disqualification from the benefits.
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John Lorinc: This is the real crisis of Canadian immigration Focus on policy and data won’t solve this cultural problem

Ottawa can’t just focus on repairing the nuts & bolts of our immigration system, but acknowledge the immigration culture war raging around us, find ways to respond to it that go well beyond promoting falling migration & restrictions on newcomers.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

This American doctor in Toronto has been seeking permanent residence for nearly 3 years. He finally got an invitation ‘It sounds silly, but it means they want us and we belong here,” said the family doctor from North Carolina. “We are not the uninvited guests.”

Canada's new immig stream invited first batch of international physicians w/Cdn work experience. Cutoff score: 169. After 3 yrs struggling for PR, this American finally made it. "We are not the uninvited guests to the wedding. They really do want us here."
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Danielle Smith announces fall referendum that avoids question of Alberta separatism, instead focusing on immigration cuts In a televised speech to Albertans Thursday night, the premier announced nine questions related to cutting immigration and “strengthen(ing)” the province’s position within a “united Canada” that will ...

Referendum will float immigration reduction to prioritize economic migration, ensure Albertans first priority for jobs + make health care, education & other social services available only to citizens, permanent residents/Alberta approved immigration status
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

Canada has issued 575,000 temporary resident permits to people affected by wars, natural disasters since 2022, but few have made refugee claim Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion formed the largest group getting temporary humanitarian resettlement. Many migrants find themselves stuck here.

While Ottawa has managed to reduce intakes of new international students & foreign workers, and make it more difficult for those already here to extend their stay, it can’t just banish these migrants with temporary refuge in Canada when it’s not safe to send them home
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Canada to add three new permanent residency streams to Express Entry immigration program The new streams are part of what the immigration minister calls a federal strategy to attract “top talent” to the country.

“We’ve identified these sectors as areas in critical need. Strengthening those helps us move goods across the country and to new markets, supporting trade, supply chains and economic resilience,” @LenaMetlegeDiab
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Canada’s immigration department cuts are triggering layoffs at groups that help newcomers settle in Toronto area, report says Survey of 48 agencies in Toronto, Peel and York that deliver services including language training and housing support shows program cuts are expected.

The report estimates at least 310 layoffs between 2025-2028, representing more than four per cent of the workforce across the surveyed organizations. Some 44% of agencies also anticipated program closures & 56% indicated that programs would be disrupted.
www.thestar.com/news/gta/imm...

This refugee to Canada got free therapy to help recover from violence. Now, critics say new co-pay fees will cut that line for others Starting on May 1, sponsored refugees and asylum claimants will be asked to pay 30% of the costs of services including counselling and physiotherapy.

“There are those people who come from countries where mental health isn’t even a thing and they just suffer through it. They don’t understand the trauma they’ve gone through and how that needs (trauma) counselling.”
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Here’s what Canada’s immigration data reveals about the drop in international students and temporary foreign workers In total, there were about 2,660,000 temporary residents in the country as of December, accounting for 6.4 per cent of the overall population.

Canada saw an estimated 361,935 fewer arrivals of new students & temporary foreign workers compared to 2024. New students fell by 61%, while the number of foreign workers decreased by 47% to 153,880. Temp residents accounted for 6.4% of population
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These migrants escaped war and disaster to come to Canada. Should they go home or be offered permanent residence? It’s not that simple The federal government has so far been renewing their stays, delaying the inevitable. But advocates and migrants are calling for durable solutions.

In recent years, Canada has offered temporary refuge to a growing number of migrants seeking protection & caught in wars and humanitarian crises. "The process (of repatriation) is both painful and unproductive. It helps nobody.”
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ICE has offices in five cities across Canada. What are they doing here? While ICE did not respond to the Star's inquiries about Canadian operations, experts say the field offices are not authorized to carry out independent investigations or carry out immigration enforceme...

ICE has established outposts in 5 Canadian cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. Experts say the offices are not authorized to carry out independent investigations or carry out immigration enforcement.
www.thestar.com/news/gta/ice...

International students in Canada face vastly different health-care access depending on where they live. Here’s what researchers found A national study found what students get and must pay for can vary vastly based on geography, despite what’s required in the Canada Health Act.

What international students get and must pay for can vary vastly based on geography. A patchwork of public/private insurance coverage can land them hefty medical bills. Some provinces have free public health coverage, others require costly private plans
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Canada’s immigration backlogs and processing times grow a year after job cuts. Now, 300 more positions face the axe As plans to eliminate 3,300 positions work their way through the system, backlogged applications for temporary and permanent residence grow.

“The warning signs were there. If we’re losing people, how do they think we’re going to meet the processing times?” this veteran IRCC processing officer says of the backlogged immigration applications that have soared by 12.7% to 1,005,800 in a year.
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Canada will require refugees and asylum seekers to co-pay for health care starting in May They will have to pay 30 per cent of the costs of services such as dental, optometry and physiotherapy and a $4 flat rate on each prescription.

Starting May 1, resettled refugees and asylum seekers must co-pay 30% of the costs of services such as dental, optometry and physiotherapy under its interim federal health plan. They will also be charged a $4 flat rate on each prescription. www.thestar.com/news/canada/...

Canada is asking the court to dismiss hundreds of immigration cases. Here’s why Hundreds of applicants are appealing to the courts to review delays for permits. But the government says many have a suspicious similarity.

Canadian immigration officials have stepped up efforts to detect the use of unauthorized agents in applications — and going after the applicants as a deterrent. They flagged 430 mandamus applications and asked Fed Court to dismiss them en masse.
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How does Canada decide if the U.S. is safe for refugees? This federal ruling may pull back the curtain The judge’s ruling means the proceeding returns to the applicants’ original push to compel the Canadian government to disclose information covered by cabinet confidences in reviewing and confirming th...

A Federal Court judge has rejected the Canadian government’s attempt to throw out a challenge by advocacy groups seeking greater transparency on how Ottawa decides to designate the United States as a safe country for refugees.
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How fake World Cup fans are trying to game Canada’s visa system Some agents are misrepresenting rules about work permit exemptions to clients, adding to worries about visitors entering under false pretences.

"There’s a guy offering me a Canadian visa with a sponsor/invitation letter on behalf of the next FIFA World Cup 2026....the process is totally 'done base'... He’s asking me to apply through this route, but I’m confused about how legit this is."
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Their loved ones died waiting for Canada to let them in. Now they’re pleading on behalf of others from Sudan Federal government urged to prioritize the resettlement of displaced Sudanese amid competition from Ukrainians, Hong Kongers.

Sudanese applicants “are not here in Canada waiting for their permanent residence status. They’re in a war zone trying to get to safety. The government needs to act with the commensurate urgency in bringing those families to safety,” says NDP immig critic Jenny Kwan
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Canada’s immigration system is favouring these kinds of applicants — even over others who score higher After rule changes in recent years, prioritization of francophone immigration outside Quebec has angered non-French-speaking candidates and critics.

French-speaking candidates made up 42% of the people invited for perm residence via EE in 2025.
Prioritization of francophone immigration outside Quebec frustrates non-French speaking applicants/critics, especially now that Ottawa has slashed immig levels
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U.S. nearly triples list of countries whose citizens must post bonds up to $15,000 to apply for visas More than 35 countries — most in Africa but some in Latin America and Asia —are now on the list, which makes the process of obtaining a U.S. visa unaffordable

The Trump administration is nearly tripling the number of countries whose passport holders will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States. The 38 countries are in Africa as well as Latin America and Asia
www.thestar.com/news/world/u...

These international students in Canada didn’t submit test scores because they weren’t asked to. Now, their work permits are refused Immigration Department portal didn’t mention that the test showing language proficiency was needed. “It may sound stupid, but I trusted the system.”

A year after new rule 4 int'l students' postgrad work permits, govt application portal still doesn't have direct upload field 4 language test results. "Now people are getting refused en masse for not uploading a document that you didn’t ask me to upload.”
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A look at the workings of Canada’s immigration system — through the eyes of a longtime insider Neil Cochrane’s memoir describes a time when dealing with applicants was often very personal — especially when marriage fraud was suspected.

“When I worked there, you would give people your business card and you would meet with them face to face. I realized today people don’t even know the name of the officer and they’ll surely never meet the officer," says former IRCC officer/memoir author.
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Canada cancels intake for two economic immigration programs Ottawa says it will stop accepting new applications for the Start-Up Visa program beginning on Jan. 1, and pause the Home Care Worker pilots.

Ottawa has pushed to reduce immigration levels amid public backlash over Canada’s rapid population growth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if other (immigration) programs would be on the chopping board.”
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