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The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian immigration and citizenship that have taken place over the past couple of weeks.

Our Canadian briefs bring you the latest news as it happens. When published, these articles are posted across our social media channels, including , , ,Ìý and . Follow us across these channels to get the latest news as it occurs.

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February 1,Ìý2017

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the government department which oversees immigration and refugee affairs in Canada, has introduced a temporary public policy concerning certain foreign nationals who are affected by an Executive Order signed by U.S. President Trump on January 27, 2017. Under the temporary public policy, the government of Canada may allow foreign nationals affected the by the U.S. Executive Order to apply for temporary status in Canada, or to extend their stay. 

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January 31, 2017

A widespread rumour that Canada is due to begin a new immigration lottery, similar to the DV visa lottery in the United States, is untrue. The story stems from an article published online that citizens from 16 countries could apply as of March 1, 2017. The government of Canada has not made any public announcement that such a lottery will open, and there is no reason to believe that such a program will be launched. The story being circulated appears to be fraudulent. 

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January 30, 2017

The has performed the first 'Expression of Interest' (EOI) draw for skilled immigrants of 2017, the 26th since the system was first launched in 2015. The draw took place on January 27, when a total of 189 candidates who had previously submitted an EOI to the program were invited to apply based on their credentials under Manitoba's unique immigration points system. These candidates were issued a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA), more informally known as an invitation. 

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January 27, 2017

The government of Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for applicants under the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) and Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC). Candidates who receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are not required to show settlement funds. In addition, candidates authorized to work in Canada and who have a valid job offer from an employer in Canada are not subject to the settlement funds requirement. 

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January 25, 2017

The latest draw has continued two trends that have marked the recent history of the federal Canadian immigration selection system: the draws keep growing in size, and the number of points required in order for a candidate to receive an continues to decrease. The latest draw, which took place the morning of January 25, issued ITAs to 3,508 candidates with 453 or more CRS points. 

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January 24, 2017

The province of Ontario has announced a new online application process for the of the . The government of Ontario states that the new process will make it easier to apply to the stream and help to improve processing times for applicants. 

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January 18, 2017

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) is experiencing delays in the processing of applications. The delays are attributed to a "significant number of applications," the province explained on its website. The update added that the program continues "to prioritize applications from individuals who are working in New Brunswick or have a local job offer."

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