Blue Bird Blog

On June 29, the Government of Ontario announced it would cap rent increases for 2023 at 2.5%.
Each year, Ontario releases a rent increase guideline that landlords can then use to raise the cost of tenants’ rent by a specific percentage to align with the cost of living. The province typically uses Ontario’s Consumer Price Index as a baseline for inflation. However, the recent high rate means that by this standard, landlords would have been able to raise rents by 5.3% for the year, which is not sustainable for most tenants.

Family reunification is a core pillar in Canada’s immigration strategy and a new measure by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to make it possible for more families to be together. Spouses, partners, and dependents of permanent residents, Canadian citizens, temporary workers, and students already in Canada may now be eligible for an Open Work Permit.

Three of Canada’s provinces have nominated candidates through streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
A candidate that receives nomination by a province becomes much more likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This is because the federal and provincial governments share responsibility for immigration in Canada and being nominated by a province means you are considered a good fit for the provincial labour force.