Immigration

  • March 06, 2026

    Exclusion of refugee claimants from subsidized childcare violates women’s Charter s. 15 rights: SCC

    In a Charter s. 15(1) equality rights milestone, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec’s exclusion of refugee claimants from eligibility for subsidized childcare in the province unconstitutionally discriminates against women based on their sex.

  • March 06, 2026

    Canada, Japan announce new partnerships in trade, critical minerals, technology

    Canada and Japan are introducing a new strategic partnership across the areas of critical minerals, defence, energy, trade and technology.

  • March 06, 2026

    Constitutional issues and legislation - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Equality rights

    Appeal by Attorney General of Quebec (AGQ) from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal which declared that s. 3 of the Reduced Contribution Regulation (RCR) constituted discrimination based on sex contrary to s. 15 of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) and the infringement was not justified under s. 1.

  • March 05, 2026

    Class action certified for foreign workers alleging systemic denial of EI, ‘racist’ contract terms

    The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has certified a class action for certain temporary workers challenging their contract terms including residence requirements, termination provisions, enforced seasonality and denial of employment insurance (EI) benefits despite paying into it. They argued the terms stemmed from motives to disadvantage racialized workers.

  • March 04, 2026

    How to show legal U.S. immigration status and avoid problems with ICE

    The news is full of stories about foreign nationals running into problems with the agencies that are tasked with immigration enforcement, issuing immigration benefits and border concerns. While there have been some changes to the priorities and the policies utilized by these agencies, the recommendations about how to maintain status, avoid apprehension and demonstrate legal status if apprehended have largely not changed.

  • March 03, 2026

    Judge warns against routine ‘do-not-hear’ requests in stay motions

    The Federal Court has sent a message to the immigration bar that “do-not-hear” letters by federal government lawyers, which seek to block special court hearings to stay the removal of foreign nationals from Canada, should be reserved for abuse of process and other “clear” cases because such requests risk “miscarriages of justice and may be a waste of scarce judicial resources.”

  • March 03, 2026

    Ontario law society mandates Indigenous cultural competency course

    Law Society of Ontario (LSO) benchers have narrowly approved a mandatory Indigenous cultural competency course for all lawyers and paralegals, despite concerns it could lead to a repeat of the statement of principles drama that engulfed the law society several years ago.

  • March 03, 2026

    OECD updates permanent establishment guidance for remote and hybrid work

    On Nov. 19, 2025, the Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) released updates to the Model Tax Convention and its commentary, introducing an express analytical framework for assessing when a remote employee’s home office may constitute a “permanent establishment” (PE) of their employer in another jurisdiction. These changes are particularly relevant for organizations with cross-border remote or hybrid work arrangements.

  • March 02, 2026

    PBO’s analysis of immigration plan forecasts flat population growth in 2026

    Canada’s population won’t grow this year under the federal government’s current immigration levels plan, but the number of temporary residents in Canada remains at historically high levels, according to the latest analysis by the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), which provides independent economic and financial analysis to Parliament.

  • March 02, 2026

    Court grants judicial review of rejected LMIA applications

    The Federal Court has allowed a judicial review of decisions refusing a company’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications, finding that the officer failed to address relevant documents and fettered discretion.