On January 15, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams.\
Based on statistics from all processing centres, the current average LMIA processing time has increased for the Agricultural, Permanent Residence, and High-wage streams while maintaining the same processing times for the remaining streams.
Global Talent Stream - 10 business days Agricultural stream – 15 business days (+1 day) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10 business days Permanent Residence Stream - 274 business days (+8 days) High-wage Stream - 50 business days (+4 days) Low-wage Stream - 44 business days #esdc, #service_canada, #lmia #tfwp, #work_permit, #agricultural_workers, #caregivers
January 16, 2026
Ontarians are increasingly concerned about the direction of healthcare and cost of living, with nearly half believing it is time for a government change.
Housing affordability, medical wait times, and access to family doctors have emerged as critical pain points affecting both long-term residents and newcomers to the province.
The strain on healthcare infrastructure has been particularly acute for immigrant families, who often face additional barriers in navigating an already stretched system.
While the Ford government maintains a strong electoral lead at 48%, public sentiment reveals deep frustration with affordability issues that transcend political allegiance.
Even Progressive Conservative supporters express pessimism about housing costs and healthcare access, signalling that these kitchen-table concerns could reshape Ontario's political landscape heading into 2026.
#ontario, #healthcare_crisis, #affordability, #cost_of_living, #housing_affordability, #immigration_canada, #healthcare_access, #newcomers_canad
January 15, 2026
Statistics Canada reports that population growth in major urban centres slowed dramatically between July 2024 and July 2025, marking a significant shift from recent trends. Canada's 41 census metropolitan areas grew by just 1.0%, down sharply from 3.5% the previous year.
The decline stems primarily from a reduction in the number of non-permanent residents following new federal immigration policies.
Toronto saw virtually no population change, while Montreal and Vancouver experienced minimal growth. Meanwhile, Edmonton, Moncton, and Calgary maintained stronger expansion rates near 3%.
Permanent immigration has now overtaken temporary residents as the primary growth driver, with newcomers increasingly choosing smaller cities over traditional hubs such as Toronto and Montreal.
#canada_population_growth, #census_metropolitan_areas, #immigration_canada, #statistics_canada, #non_permanent_residents, #population_trends
January 15, 2026
New data shows Ontario's distribution of international student permits has created significant imbalances across the province's post-secondary landscape.
In 2024, colleges received 189,416 Provincial Attestation Letters but utilized only 55 percent, while universities used 82 percent of their smaller 35,460 allocation.
The disparity widened further within sectors—Humber College distributed nearly its entire allotment, yet Northern College used just 28 percent.
The fallout has been severe: over 10,000 faculty and staff positions eliminated, 600 programs suspended, and Northern College forced to close a private partnership. For 2025, Ontario's total allocation dropped to 181,590 permits, now including graduate students for the first time.
#international_students, #ontario_colleges, #pal_allocation, #provincial_attestation_letters, #study_permits, #ontario_universities
January 14, 2026
