Cristin Schmitz

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced the 2025 Express Entry categories, which include a new education category, with the aim of better aligning the selection of federal economic immigrants with Canada’s long-term labour shortages.

Asserting his new administration is “ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued controversial executive orders banning diversity, equity and inclusion policies and hiring at the federal level in America. But in Canada, the most recent demographic statistics on federal judicial appointments and the professional competence and character assessments made by the Trudeau government’s non-partisan judicial advisory committees (JACs) indicate that diversity has gone hand in hand with “merit.”

The federal Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference has recommended new prohibitions, fines and stiffer administrative monetary penalties (AMPs), as well as other legislative changes, to strengthen Canada’s defences against foreign interference in the country’s democratic processes.

In his swansong before ending his seven-year term this week, federal Commissioner of Official Languages Raymond Théberge celebrated his office’s litigation victories in support of language rights, while cautioning Canadians against complacency.

Ottawa says that it is prepared for a possible surge of migrants and asylum claimants if and when incoming U.S. president Donald Trump implements his mass deportation pledge — but federal officials did not say how many people they anticipate might arrive at the Canada-U.S. border.

A judge has disagreed with — and declined to follow — an established principle that is arguably “settled law” in Federal Court, which holds that evidence of a foreign national’s “establishment” in Canada cannot by itself be determinative of humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) applications for permanent residence.