In this episode of the Borderlines Podcast, Amandeep Hayer and Steven Meurrens break down the latest Express Entry reforms under consideration by IRCC, and what they could mean for applicants, lawyers, and Canada’s immigration system as a whole.

We walk through newly released consultation materials (shared with permission from the Canadian Bar Association), including:

• a complete overhaul of Express Entry, including merging the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Class into a single program;
• a shift toward high-wage occupations as a key selection factor;
• the potential removal or reduction of points for spouses, French language ability, Canadian study, and siblings in Canada; and
• changes to language thresholds, work experience requirements, and ranking criteria.

We also explore the broader policy implications, including whether these reforms will actually improve outcomes. As it turns out, when it comes to predicting earnings in Canada the points do matter.

IRCC's powerpoint can be found here:

https://meurrensonimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CBA-Consult.pdf

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Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff are again joined by retired CSIS analyst Phil Gurski, this time to unpack the growing issue of transnational repression in Canada.

Drawing on Phil’s recent report for the Montreal Institute for Global Security, the conversation explores how foreign states monitor, intimidate, and coerce individuals on Canadian soil, often targeting diaspora communities through surveillance, threats, and pressure on family members abroad.

The discussion focuses on how these activities intersect with Canadian immigration law, including:

Whether transnational repression fits within existing inadmissibility categories like espionage and subversion

The challenge of defining “national security” in immigration decisions

The tension between protecting victims and finding them inadmissible

The role of proxies, including organized crime, in carrying out foreign state objectives

Why police responses often fall short when conduct doesn’t clearly meet national security thresholds

Key Topics & Timestamps:

01:30 – What is transnational repression?

10:00 – Immigration law and inadmissibility challenges

26:00 – What is “national security” in law?

30:30 – When repression becomes a national security issue

Further Reading: https://migsinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transnational-repression-in-Canada_MIGS.pdf

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In this lighter episode of Borderlines, we take a break from the usual deep dives into immigration law to tackle something every new Canadian faces: the citizenship test.

We start with a quick overview of how the test works. Format, requirements, and recent procedural updates. We then put ourselves on the spot with real sample questions. What follows is a mix of correct answers, educated guesses, and a few humbling moments.

Along the way, we also discuss whether the citizenship test actually measures anything meaningful, the challenges faced by applicants seeking waivers, and whether knowledge-based testing should play a role in determining who becomes Canadian.

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A discussion of the Federal Court of Appeal's decision in Benison v. Canada (Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee), 2026 FCA 53.

The decision opens with the following Supreme Court of Canada quote - "The common law system has always abhorred delay. In our system’s development of the courts’ supervisory role over administrative processes through mandamus, we see a crystallizing potential to compel government officers to do their duty and, in so doing, to avoid delay in administrative processes."

And it really drives home that allocation of resources in of itself justify delays, open ended delays are unacceptable, significant prejudice is not required, queue jumping does not in of itself preclude mandamus, and more.

Previous Borderlines podcast episodes where we discussed mandamus include episodes 57 and 117.

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We are joined once again by Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss, to discuss citizenship by descent post Bill C-3

With thousands of people, particularly Americans, now exploring whether they qualify for Canadian citizenship through a distant ancestor, we discuss how the law works, how to prove eligibility, and the practical challenges involved.

We also discuss the genealogy research often required to prove citizenship, archival birth records, IRCC processing issues, the interim measures, and the broader policy implications of expanding citizenship while immigration pathways tighten.

03:01 Quick recap: who qualifies for Canadian citizenship by descent under the new framework

08:27 The main challenge: proving ancestry and lineage

13:33 Situations where someone may think they qualify but actually don’t (e.g., adoption issues)

27:43 Can someone apply for a study permit or work permit if they might already be Canadian?

Audience Questions:

33:14 British subjects in Canada during WWII

35:26 What happened to the interim citizenship measures from 2024

39:36 Do families need separate citizenship proof applications for each generation?

46:06 Where to start if your Canadian ancestor was born in the 1800s

48:26 Translation requirements for Quebec civil records

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Do Canadians have the right to travel throughout the country?

A discussion of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Taylor v. Newfoundland and Labrador, 2026 SCC 5.

Topics discussed include the decision, s. 6 of the Charter, whether Canadians and permanent residents have a right to travel between provinces, how section 1 of the Charter can justify limits on rights, provincial nominee programs and post-landing mobility, misrepresentation concerns when intended province of residence changes and Bill C-12.

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Former CBSA Chief Christian Lane explains how CBSA immigration investigations and deportations work in Canada.

Topics discussed include CBSA investigative priorities, removals, organized crime investigations, misrepresentation, Bill C-12, refugee claims, intelligence work, the political pressure shaping immigration enforcement, whether immigration enforcement agencies sometimes pursue “low-hanging fruit” when removing individuals from Canada, and agency culture.

Christian Lane hosts the Team 1080 podcast, which features interviews with professionals working in public safety, law enforcement, healthcare, and military roles.

2:00 Immigration investigations

6:00 Enforcement priorities

15:05 Extortion investigations

25:03 Discretion

43:34 Why CBSA ranked last among federal agencies in employee satisfaction

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This was originally intended to be a YouTube only episode but several podcast listeners asked that we add it to the audio-only feed as well.

A break down the new Express Entry categories announced on February 18, 2026, with a particular focus on the senior managers with Canadian work experience category.

Key topics include:

Why this category generally does not help entrepreneurs or owner-operators.

How IRCC assesses self-employment.

What it really means to be a senior manager (NOC 00).

Federal Court cases discussed on what constitutes "senior management" include Recursive Craft Inc. v. Canada (Employment and Social Development), 2022 FC 1206, and Merijohn v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2025 FC 1003.

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