Immigration
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July 24, 2025
Security concerns no excuse for treating all Chinese students as spies
A recent Law360 article argues that Canada should “enhance vetting” of students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) who are “linked to state actors.” It suggests that applicants with ties to government or military organizations, or even family connections to state entities, should face heightened scrutiny. On the surface, this appears to be a prudent national security policy. But scratch deeper and it reveals a dangerous, ill‑defined approach that risks painting an entire group with the same brush.
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July 23, 2025
Canada invests $3.2B to support newcomer integration
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has announced an investment of over $3.2 billion over three years to improve newcomer integration into the job market to reduce labour shortages.
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July 23, 2025
Changes to retention of draft pick rights under NHL, NHLPA’s new collective bargaining agreement
The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) recently announced the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement, the term of which commences on Sept. 16, 2026, and expires on Sept. 15, 2030. While a number of changes are included in the new agreement, this article focuses on the elimination of the distinction between negotiating with draft picks from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) or National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and standardizing the retention of rights to exclusively negotiate with draft picks.
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July 22, 2025
Federal Court affirms Ottawa can temporarily bar sex offenders from sponsoring immigrants
The Federal Court has affirmed that Ottawa acted within its scope of authority, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), when it issued a temporary regulatory ban on immigration sponsorship applications from Canadians or permanent residents convicted of sex crimes.
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July 22, 2025
Ontario court clarifies parental consent rules under child abduction convention
Ontario’s top court has clarified what it means for a parent to “consent” or “acquiesce” to a child’s retention in a foreign country under an international convention on child abduction that has been incorporated into provincial family law.
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July 22, 2025
U.S. consular vs. border immigration interviews: What’s the difference?
Consular interviews are conducted abroad by the United States embassy or consulate officers to determine whether a visa should be issued. These interviews focus on intent, eligibility and documentation.
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July 21, 2025
Canada must increase vetting of People’s Republic of China students linked to state actors
Canada is a target of espionage by the People’s Republic of China, and the study permits granted to many PRC students appear to be one gateway used by the Chinese authorities to accomplish their goals, taking advantage of lax security screening by Canadian visa officers, and their security apparatus’s ability to pressure and force collaboration by Chinese students abroad.
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July 18, 2025
Express Entry at the crossroads: How our immigration policies are redefining selection
Canada’s Express Entry system has undergone a fundamental recalibration in the first half of 2025, shaped by the federal government’s decision to sharply reduce overall immigration levels. What was once a predictable and steadily expanding pathway has become a far more selective and strategically targeted mechanism. This shift has had measurable consequences for candidates, provinces and the legal practitioners who advise them.
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July 18, 2025
Tehran’s strategic blindness: The political fallout of Iran’s 12-day war with Israel
In the early hours of June 13, 2025, the Islamic Republic of Iran was jolted into a geopolitical reckoning. What began as a sudden Israeli air and cyber campaign — Operation Rising Lion — rapidly escalated into a 12-day war that exposed critical weaknesses in Iran’s military command, foreign policy posture and internal political cohesion.
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July 17, 2025
Wide-open-door policy ‘is not how we roll,’ Federal Court of Appeal judge tells would-be interveners
The Federal Court of Appeal’s senior puisne judge says those applying to intervene at the national intermediate appellate court should ask themselves whether their presence “will advance our work.”