Blue Bird Blog

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that is implanting a temporary cap on the number of international students who are issued study visas. A release from IRCC shows that for 2024, the cap is "expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023."
Further, IRCC is introducing caps for each province and territory. The department says the caps will be weighted by population, and will result in significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth.

MediaCorp has released its list of winners for 2024's “100 top employers in Canada” competition.
The annual event (which has been running since the year 2000) continues to not just garner wide-spread attention in Canada, but also shapes the employment searches of Canadians and newcomers alike. The competition aims to recognise employers that lead their industries in “offering exceptional workplaces for their employees”.

On January 15th, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced $86 million in funding to 15 organizations across Canada.
The funding will go towards speeding up the accreditation for internationally educated health professionals (IEHP), since long wait times and difficulty finding a family physician are increasingly common issues across the country.

Canada, with its breathtaking landscapes and diverse cultural heritage, is a sought-after destination not only for its natural beauty but also for its world-class education.
In this extensive investigation, we reveal the top 20 Canadian universities that serve as academic lighthouses, supporting innovation, research, and a varied learning environment.
These institutions represent the pinnacle of scholastic distinction in the Great White North, from the dynamic cities of Toronto and Montreal to the magnificent landscapes of Vancouver and beyond.

Henley & Partners—a global immigration consultancy firm—has ranked the Canadian passport as the 7th most recognised in the world, putting it alongside passports of the United States, Poland, Greece, and Czechia.
According to the report, a Canadian passport allows visa-free travel access to 183 countries, making it one of the foremost in the world. This year the distinction of most recognised passport went to the Singaporean passport (granting access to 193 countries), with Japan trailing closely behind (granting access to 192 countries). The Afghanistan passport scored last this year, allowing access to 27 countries without a visa.