News. For Newcomers | September 10, 2026

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by our trusted partner, Rentals.ca

Hi there,

Before we get started on today’s newsletter, we’d love your help. We’re polling our audience to understand when they started searching a long-term rental in Canada, and we’d really appreciate you taking a moment to let us know.

Express Entry gets a lot of attention, but it may not always be your most realistic path to permanent residence.

If you’re already working in Canada, have a local job offer or have built ties to a province, it’s worth checking your Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) options too.

PNPs can give more weight to factors like your job, provincial work experience and where you live. This means someone with a CRS score that isn’t competitive for Express Entry could still have a strong PNP profile.

Before choosing a route, assess your chances of getting invited, processing times, fees, work permit situation and whether you genuinely plan to stay in that province.

Getting proof of Canadian citizenship is taking much longer than it did at the end of 2025. In December, IRCC estimated that new applications would take around five months. By September 2026, that had jumped to 33 months.

The backlog has also grown sharply, from around 22,900 applications to 136,000.

The growing backlog is raising questions about whether IRCC was prepared for increased demand and what needs to change to bring wait times back down.

Alberta has held three immigration draws so far in September, inviting 722 candidates through its health care, tech and Alberta Opportunity pathways.

36 applicants were invited through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP)

Manitoba issued 793 Letters of Advice to Apply.

A new Maclean’s article shares one international graduate’s experience of learning French after changes to Canada’s immigration system made their path to permanent residence less certain.

After arriving in Canada as an international student in 2019, the writer studied French intensively while working full-time. Passing the French test eventually added 71 points to their Express Entry score, helping them receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

The story highlights how important French has become in Express Entry, and the lengths some temporary residents are going to for a chance to stay in Canada.

Thinking about learning French for Express Entry? Read our guide to whether it could be worth it for your PR plans.

Eligible Ontario residents could receive their next Ontario Trillium Benefit (OTB) payment on September 10.

The OTB combines three provincial tax credits that can help with costs such as rent, property tax, energy bills and sales tax.

How much you receive depends on factors including your income, age, housing costs and where you live. You must also have filed an income tax return to qualify.

If you’re new to Ontario, it’s worth checking whether you could be eligible for this monthly payment. Read more about the benefits you could be eligible for this month.

Canadian workers who changed jobs saw bigger pay increases than those who stayed with the same employer in August, according to new ADP data.

Base pay for job-changers rose 5.6% compared with a year earlier, while job-stayers saw a 3.0% increase.

Pay growth also varied by age, industry and province. Workers aged 25 to 34 saw base pay rise 3.6%, while Prince Edward Island recorded the highest provincial increase at 4.2%.

For job seekers, the figures show that changing employers could come with a bigger pay boost, but salary is only one factor to consider when weighing a new opportunity.

Choosing where to live in Canada is a big decision. Your province can affect your job opportunities, rent, cost of living and day-to-day lifestyle.

Before you move, think about what matters most to you. Are there jobs in your field? How much is rent? Will you need a car? What are the schools and healthcare options like?

The latest Rentals.ca Rent Report shows just how much housing costs can vary. In August, average asking rent was $2,353 for apartments and condos in B.C., compared with $1,670 in Alberta and $1,373 in Saskatchewan. Nationally, average asking rent across all property types was $2,035, down 4.8% from a year earlier.

Our guide compares Canada’s provinces to help you find the right fit, while the latest report from our trusted partner Rentals.ca can help you compare rental costs before deciding where to settle.