1. Global Talent visa for designers:

• a CV;
• three letters of recommendation; and
• supporting evidence demonstrating that they meet at least two of the three assessment criteria: media recognition, professional appearances, and awards.

• Graduate Route: Children born in the UK during a parent's Graduate visa can now apply as dependants, closing a gap in the Immigration Rules that previously left them without a clear immigration route.
• Immigration bail technical amendment: The Home Office has standardised how immigration bail is treated across multiple visa routes. Where the relevant exceptions apply, an application will no longer be refused solely because the applicant is on immigration bail and can instead be considered on its merits.
• Electronic Travel Authorisation - amendment to criminality provisions: ETA applications may now be refused, and existing ETAs cancelled, not only where an individual has been convicted of a criminal offence resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, but also where they have received a suspended custodial sentence.

• At the federal level, IRCC’s July processing-time updates showed some important relief in permanent residence and citizenship categories. On 7 July, processing times improved for Canadian Experience Class, base PNP, Quebec Business Class, Parent and Grandparent sponsorship, and citizenship grants, while Express Entry-aligned PNP and spousal sponsorship outside Quebec edged up by a month.
• The month also brought major operational and regulatory changes. On 15 July, reforms to the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants took effect, strengthening regulatory oversight, increasing penalties, granting new ministerial oversight powers, and establishing a compensation fund for victims of consultant misconduct.
• Asylum policy was another major point of attention. Ottawa’s proposed asylum-system regulations moved through consultation, with the public comment window closing on 20 July. The draft regulations would shorten filing timelines while allowing eligible asylum claimants to access work permits earlier in the process.
• At the provincial level, Ontario continued implementing its redesigned OINP (Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program) by publishing eligibility criteria for the new Workforce Priority Stream, which will replace the previous eight streams. British Columbia launched a Rural and Remote Health Support Initiative targeting health-sector workers outside major urban centres. Quebec expanded eligibility for open work permits for spouses of Quebec Skilled Worker applicants.

• The administration introduced a temporary travel concession allowing eligible foreign residents to use recently expired Irish Residence Permit cards for international travel while renewal backlogs were being addressed. The permit backlog was significant: official reporting described processing times of more than 17 weeks for some renewal categories at the Burgh Quay registration office in Dublin. The temporary concession was designed to protect legally resident non-EEA nationals whose renewals were still pending.
• On the asylum side, Ireland continued pushing a faster claims process. Media reporting in early July suggested that around 9 in 10 applicants were being refused under the new accelerated procedure, highlighting the government's tougher approach to asylum processing.
• There was also broader debate around protection and family reunification. The Law Society also raised concerns that recent policy changes could limit child refugees’ ability to sponsor siblings through family reunification.

This immigration digest is for informational purposes only. If you have any specific questions regarding relocation or a particular country program, please reach out to us at beyondborders.relocation@gmail.com or book a free consultation with us