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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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May 4, 2017

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May 3, 2017

As of October 24, 2017, the maximum age of dependent children who may be included in an application for immigration to Canada will rise to include children under the age of 22, who are not themselves married or in a common-law relationship. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed the change in its official Gazette of May 3, 2017. Currently, the definition of a dependent child covers children under the age of 19 — a regulation that the Canadian government has criticized for being 'too restrictive'.

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May 2, 2017

Certain citizens of Brazil, Bulgaria, and Romania are now able to fly to Canada without first obtaining a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV, also known as a visitor visa). Instead, these individuals must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), a quicker and cheaper process, before boarding their flight. 

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May 2, 2017

The International Masters Graduate of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) reached its intake limit the same day that it opened, on May 1, 2017. The International PhD Graduate stream, which also opened on May 1, remains open. 

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May 1, 2017

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has again begun accepting applications to the International Masters Graduate and International PhD Graduate streams. This represents the second time in 2017 that these two streams have opened to receive applications. Both streams are popular with international graduates, and offers a route to Canadian permanent residence for eligible individuals. 

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April 28, 2017

Sponsored spouses and common-law partners will no longer pass through a period of conditional permanent resident status,Ìýafter the Liberal government of Canada, as expected, removed the provision, which was first introduced in 2012 by the previous Conservative government. 

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April 28, 2017

Foreign workers currently employed in the province of New Brunswick have a fresh opportunity to obtain Canadian permanent residence, after the provincial government reopened its Express Entry Labour Market stream (EELMS) to these workers only. This enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream is part of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), through which the province welcomes new permanent residents who can settle quickly. 

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April 27, 2017

Nova Scotia welcomed nearly 5,500 new immigrants in 2016, more than at any time in the last seven decades. The province's Minister of Immigration, Lena Diab, stated in the provincial legislature that the results show that Nova Scotia is well on the way to achieving its goal of welcoming 7,000 immigrants per year by 2024. 

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April 27, 2017

In a surprising update, the government of Ontario has announced that over the next week it will be issuing targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to Express Entry candidates who work in one of many religious occupations. The province states that the move aims 'to improve the responsiveness of the program to labour market demands.' 

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