Australia Announces Changes to Immigration Policies for 2026

Key Takeaways

• The Canadian government has introduced new ministerial instructions requiring provincial or territorial attestation letters for study permits to cap foreign student applications at approximately 310,000 in the new year.
• The government plans to admit 155,000 international students in the upcoming year under the annual immigration levels plan.
• The intake of permanent residency applications for startups and self-employed individuals has been paused as of January 1, with no specified end date.
• Permanent residency applications for migrant professional caregivers will not reopen until March 30, 2030, unless new direction is given by the minister.
• The Migrant Rights Network is calling on the government to reverse the pause on caregiver permanent residency applications, citing the need for a permanent residency option for these workers.

Introduction to New Ministerial Instructions
The Canadian government has announced new ministerial instructions aimed at managing the influx of foreign student applications and permanent residency requests. Immigration Minister Lena Diab has introduced these instructions, which were published in the Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of the federal government. The new instructions require provincial or territorial attestation letters for study permits, which must include a prospective student’s name, date of birth, and address. This move is intended to cap foreign student applications at just under 310,000 in the new year. The federal government has also announced plans to admit 155,000 international students in the upcoming year under the annual immigration levels plan.

Pausing Permanent Residency Applications
In addition to the new requirements for study permits, the government has also announced pauses on certain permanent residency applications. As of January 1, the intake of permanent residency applications for startups and self-employed individuals has been paused, with no specified end date. Furthermore, permanent residency applications for migrant professional caregivers, including those for home support and childcare, will not reopen as planned on March 31. Instead, these applications will remain closed until March 30, 2030, unless the minister issues new direction. The government has cited the volume of applications still waiting to be processed as the reason for these pauses.

Impact on Migrant Care Workers
The pause on caregiver permanent residency applications has been met with criticism from the Migrant Rights Network, which has issued a media release calling on the government to reverse this decision. The network argues that this is the only stream available for these types of workers and that the last application window, which opened on March 31, 2025, was closed within 4.5 hours, leaving 40,000 migrant care workers without a permanent residency option. The processing times for caregivers vary from 21 to 33 months, depending on the type of work, amount of experience, and when the application was made. This has left many caregivers in limbo, waiting for their applications to be processed.

Backlog of Economic Immigration Applications
The government’s decision to pause certain permanent residency applications is also driven by the significant backlog of economic immigration applications. There are currently over 44,000 applications in the queue for the startup visa stream, with wait times varying significantly depending on when the application was submitted. For example, applications submitted in January 2020 were expected to be completed in about a month, while applications submitted in the last year have a listed wait time of more than 10 years. This backlog has resulted in significant delays and uncertainty for applicants, highlighting the need for the government to find a solution to manage the volume of applications.

Conclusion and Future Directions
The Canadian government’s new ministerial instructions and pauses on permanent residency applications are intended to manage the influx of foreign student applications and permanent residency requests. While these measures may help to reduce the backlog of applications, they have also been met with criticism from advocacy groups, such as the Migrant Rights Network. The government must find a balance between managing the volume of applications and providing a fair and efficient process for those seeking to immigrate to Canada. As the government moves forward, it will be important to monitor the impact of these changes and make adjustments as needed to ensure that the immigration system is working effectively and efficiently.