There is an immense of information on the web about Canadian immigration. The Canadian government’s web presence for immigration alone contains a plethora of web pages and portals which only highlights the ease of becoming lost in the maelstrom of information.
Below is a repository of links to key sources and tools that I keep bookmarked to help navigate Canadian immigration matters. I have included brief remarks for each link to provide a sense of how it may be of assistance. Links are updated periodically so updating of links will be monitored but may not always be quickly attended to. If a link is not working, then it may still be possible to find the same webpage at the new link by using a web search engine or IRCC’s own internal website search engine.
Tools
IRCC Web Form: This is the general IRCC webform that is used to communicate with IRCC about matters ranging from case specific enquiries to notices about technical problems. It is primarily divided into two streams: one for applications being processed in Canada and another for those processed outside Canada.
Check Processing Times: This is IRCC’s published information about processing times for different types of applications and for different regions where an application may be processed, as applicable. Processing time data is currently based on 80% of cases for a particular type of application.
Physical Presence Calculator: This tool is often used for applicants for Canadian Citizenship to calculate their physical presence.
Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Tool: This is IRCC’s own free tool to obtain a projection of a person’s Comprehensive Ranking System score for an Express Entry profile.
Biometrics Status Tool: This is IRCC’s tool for people to check the status of previously provided biometrics information.
Electronic Travel Authorization Status Tool: This tool can check the status of a previously obtained Electronic Travel Authorization (“eTA”).
Application Status On-Line Service (cic.gc.ca): This tool can obtain status information about some applications. This tool is best used for paper-based applications for permanent residence, permanent resident card renewals or citizenship applications. Status information and details of an application are limited in this tool, but it can be used to see if correspondence was sent out by IRCC, or if a decision has been made (but not information about an approval or refusal).
IRCC Designated Learning Institutions List: To obtain a study permit for post-secondary study in Canada, most students must have an acceptance letter from a Designated Learning Institution (“DLI”). This link is to IRCC’s published list of DLIs in Canada, and includes information about whether the DLI provides Post-Graduation Work Permit eligible programs.
Find an IRCC application package or form: IRCC publishes a searchable tool that can make it easy to find a specific form, checklist, or group of forms or checklists for specific types of applications.
Find an Institution - BC: This is a BC government website that provides a searchable database of educational institutions in BC. It is useful in determining what schools are considered public versus private, which can impact an international student’s eligibility to work while studying or for a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
Police Certificates: IRCC publishes helpful information about police certificates needed for immigration, including a country-by-country database of information about how and where to obtain police certificates from a particular country.
Panel Physicians: Immigration Medical Exams (“IMEs”) are required for applications for permanent residence and may be required for temporary residence applications. IMEs must be conducted by a Panel Physician and IRCC helpfully publishes a database of Panel Physicians in every country.
Immigration Legislation and Quasi Law
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act: This is the current foundational source of law for Canadian immigration matters.
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations: These are the regulations to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and have the force of law.
Immigration Appeal Division Rules: These are Rules related to the operation of the Immigration Appeal Division.
Citizenship Act: This is the current foundational source of law for Canadian citizenship matters. The assessment of some grounds for claims to Canadian citizenship will require referring to older acts regarding Canadian citizenship which may no longer be publicly available.
Citizenship Regulations: These are the regulations to the Citizenship Act and have the force of law.
Federal Courts Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection Rules: These are the Federal Courts’ rules for Immigration and Refugee Protection matters.
Federal Courts Rules: These are the Federal Courts’ general rules.
Ministerial Instructions: Ministerial Instructions are quasi law as they are issued directly from the Minister’s office but do not undergo debate, royal assent, or proclamation into law. In practice however, Ministerial Instructions set out rules and instructions that operate similarly to an act or regulations. Below are Ministerial Instructions that may be commonly referred to:
Ministerial Instructions respecting the Express Entry System: These are the Ministerial Instructions that govern the Express Entry system.
Ministerial Instructions 7 (MI7): Start-Up Visa Program: These are the Ministerial Instructions that govern the Start-Up Visa program.
Trade and Investment Agreements: Canada has numerous international trade agreements, many of which have immigration related provisions which provide certain pathways for immigration. For example, many free trade agreements have provisions for certain Professionals to obtain Canadian work permits. Trade agreements have varying degrees of legal enforceability so while it is helpful to refer to them and to be familiar with them, their use for immigration purposes is always in connection with Canada’s governing laws specific for immigration.
Provincial Immigration Programs Act: This is the BC government’s law that governs the BC PNP.
Provincial Immigration Programs Regulation: These are the regulations to the Provincial Immigration Programs Act.
Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act: BC employers who wish to access the Temporary Foreign Worker Program must register with the BC Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Unit and otherwise comply with this act.
Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Regulation: This is the regulation to the BC Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act.
Immigration Policy Guidance
Public Policies: This is an IRCC published list of public policies regarding various immigration matters.
Publications and Manuals: This is an IRCC list of publications about various immigration related matters.
Operational Instructions and Guidelines: This is a list of IRCC’s published operational instructions and guidelines for various aspects of their internal operations. This ranges from assessing inadmissibility to assessing a dependent family member’s inclusion in an application. Please note that this is not a complete list of operational instructions or guidelines and there are many internal instructions and guidelines that may only be available by way of an Access to Information Act (“ATIA”) request. Even an ATIA request may not yield full access to international operations and guidelines as the results are often heavily redacted.
Permanent Residence: IRCC publishes its guidelines for permanent residence programs on a collection of webpages accessible through this primary webpage.
Economic Classes: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines regarding its Economic Class permanent residence programs including but not limited to those managed under the Express Entry system.
Non-Economic Classes: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for non-economic permanent residence programs including but not limited to family sponsorship and cases based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations.
Permanent Resident Card and Status: This webpage contains information relevant to IRCC’s guidelines for evaluation Permanent Resident card renewals and maintenance of permanent resident status.
Citizenship: This is a link to IRCC’s webpages containing guidance about requests for proof or a grant of Canadian citizenship.
Temporary Residents Guidance: IRCC publishes its guidelines for temporary residence related matters on a collection of webpages accessible through this initial webpage.
Visitors: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for evaluating matters regarding visitors to Canada including but not limited to requests for Temporary Entry Visas by people from visa-required countries, Super Visas for Parents and Grandparents, and applications to extend visitor status.
Electronic Travel Authorizations: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for evaluating Electronic Travel Authorizations.
Students: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for evaluating matters regarding International Students including but not limited to applications for a Study Permit, On and Off Campus Work Eligibility, and Post Graduation Work Permit eligibility.
Temporary Workers: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for evaluating matters regarding Temporary Workers including but not limited to rules for applying for a work permit, considerations for employer compliance, and criteria for specific work permit pathways.
Temporary resident permits (TRPs) - Canada.ca: This webpage contains links to further webpages that provide IRCC’s guidelines for evaluating matters regarding visitors to Canada including but not limited to requests for Temporary Entry Visas by people from visa-required countries.
BC PNP Forms and Guides: The BC PNP publishes detailed guides as well as forms that used for the evaluation of its programs. This is the first place to look for questions about requirements for BC PNP programs.
BC PNP Forms and Guides Archive: The BC PNP maintains an archive library of past guides and helpfully provides the effective periods for past guides. This is useful for referring to the rules that were in effect for an application that was submitted before a particular change in rules occurred.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program: This is a link to the online guidance for the Temporary Foreign Worker program, its various streams, and its requirements.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program Forms List: This is a link to a database of forms related to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Portals
IRCC
LinkTree IRCCportals: This is a privately published website unassociated with mine that provides a summary of portals currently used by IRCC and links to those portals. It is a good starting point to finding a portal.
BC PNP
BC PNP Online: This is a link to BC PNP Online, the portal used by the BC PNP for registrants and applicants of its programs.
Labour Market References
National Occupational Classifications: Canada’s economic immigration programs and work permit programs often require identification of a particular occupational code related to a person’s work experience or job offer. This is a link to Canada’s current National Occupation Classification (“NOC”) database which has an easy-to-use search function to help find relevant occupational codes.
Job Bank – Occupational Wage Search: This is a key tool for researching wage information for an occupation by code. This is especially critical for Temporary Foreign Worker Program applications.
Labour Market Information Explore: This is a related took for researching wage information which is more interactive than the basic wage search tool.
WorkBC: This is the BC government’s occupation database. Its data largely follows Federal NOC data, but on occasion there are differences. This tool is used more often in the context of a BC PNP application, or for an alternative source of occupation data.
Education Credential Assessments
Educational Credential Assessment: This is a primary set of webpage guidelines about Education Credential Assessments (“ECA”) published by IRCC. ECAs are often an important part of establishing a person’s eligibility for permanent residence and for navigating the Express Entry system. It contains links to recognized ECA agencies such as:
Medical Council of Canada (specifically for those relying on experience as a physician)
Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (specifically for those who require a license to practice)
Language Testing
Language Requirements: This is a link to IRCC policy guidance regarding language requirements for immigration programs.
CELPIP: This is the website for CELPIP, one of IRCC’s designated English language testing organizations. Only CELPIP-General tests are accepted for most immigration programs (CELPIP-LS is only accepted for citizenship applications).
IELTS Canada: This is the website for IELTS, one of IRCC’s designated English language testing organizations. Only IELTS-General tests are accepted for most immigration programs.
Test d'évaluation de français (TEF): This is the website for TEF, IRCC’s designated French language testing organization. It is important to ensure that the correct TEF test for Canadian immigration purposes is taken.
Language Test Equivalency Charts: This is a link to a handy IRCC took to better understand how the results of an accepted language test interacts with IRCC’s measures of language proficiency.
Other Government Sources
Open Government Portal: This is a portal with open access to some Government of Canada data, including but not limited to immigration data for monthly permanent resident intake, temporary residence applications, etc.
IRCC Help Centre: IRCC maintains a library of different topics that have received specific public comment from IRCC. Comments correspond directly with IRCC’s Police Guidance documents most of the time, but sometimes the language can be different or more illuminating.
IRCC (@CitImmCanada) / Twitter: IRCC’s dedicated Twitter account. It can be a useful source for public announcements or notices for various IRCC related programs.
Employment and Social Development Canada (@ESDC_GC) / Twitter: ESDC’s dedicated Twitter account. It can be a useful source for public announcements or notices about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (Labour Market Impact Assessments) and Employer Compliance matters.
Canada Border Services Agency (@CanBorder) / Twitter: CBSA’s dedicated Twitter account. It can be a useful source for public announcements or notices about Canadian port of entry matters and considerations.