BREAKING: Canada passes greatest immigration reforms in decades

Canada's immigration system has been subject to major reforms, including expansive executive powers over immigration applications, immigration documents, and temporary residents, under a new bill which has just become law.

Bill C-12, "An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures," received royal assent on March 26, 2026.

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The Act provides the Governor in Council with broad executive powers over immigration applications, immigration documents, and temporary residents.

These powers include the ability to issue orders

• to cease accepting for processing, suspend processing of, or terminate processing of immigration applications;
• to suspend, cancel, or vary immigration documents, such as work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas, and permanent resident visas; and
• to impose or vary conditions on temporary residents.

The Governor in Council is able to exercise these powers in situations deemed to be in the public interest, which the bill defines as matters pertaining to "administrative errors, fraud, public health, public safety or national security."

The effect of any such orders is subject to Parliamentary oversight, through mandatory reporting on the impact of these orders by the immigration minister.

The bill also contains reforms to Canada's asylum system.

It sets out two new grounds for ineligibility for asylum claims:

• claims made over a year after entering Canada; and
• claims made by claimants who have crossed into Canada from the Canada-United States border outside a port of entry ("irregular crossers").

Prior to the passing of C-12, under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, claims from irregular crossers had been allowed, provided that they were made at least 14 days after having entered Canada.

Now that the bill has become law, these two new grounds for ineligibility apply retroactively, to claims made on or after June 3, 2025, the day on which was introduced Bill C-2, the precursor bill to C-12.

The new one-year time limit on asylum claims applies only to claimants who entered Canada after June 24, 2020.

Ineligible claims cannot be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), but ineligible claimants can still apply for pre-removal risk assessments (PRRAs).

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Under amendments introduced by the Senate, the immigration department will be required to report to Parliament on the number of claims found ineligible on account of the one-year ban, along with the associated pre-removal risk assessments (PRRAs).

For eligible claims referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), the new law requires the IRB to determine claims to have been abandoned in cases in which a claimant has voluntarily returned to the country from which they are seeking protection.

The law also prevents the IRB from proceeding with claims in cases in which the claimant is not present in Canada.

Part five of the bill contains provisions that allow for increased sharing of individuals' personal information on the part of the immigration department.

Under the new law, the immigration department is authorized to share individuals' personal information with other government agencies, including government-owned corporations.

Subject to the permission of the immigration minister, these other government agencies and corporations are authorized to disclose this personal information to foreign entities.

The personal information that can be shared includes information relating to an individual's identity, an individual's status in Canada, and the contents or status of any document(s) issued to an individual under the authority of the immigration minister.

On March 13, the Senate had introduced an amendment that would have exempted Canadian citizens and permanent residents from these information sharing provisions, but the House of Commons rejected this amendment, and the Senate agreed to having it removed.

The adopted bill includes an amendment introduced by the Senate for increased oversight of the bill's effects, requiring that in five year's time a Parliamentary committee review the bill's impact and present any recommendations for changes.

This is a breaking news article. CIC News will update this article as details emerge.

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