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Borderlines
#192 - Preventing Study Permit Refusals
Steven and Deanna break down the rapidly shifting landscape of Canadian study permits amid IRCC’s newly released 2026 international student caps. With approval rates falling sharply in 2024–2025 and IRCC committing to fixed national intake numbers, study permits are now effectively being graded on a curve, making strong applications more critical than ever.
We discuss the most common refusal grounds they see in practice, including:
▸ Weak or incoherent study plans
Why study plans are now a top refusal ground, what officers look for, how jurisprudence has evolved, and what applicants must show to demonstrate a logical academic and career trajectory—even for minors.
▸ Dual intent, PGWP confusion, and long-term plans
How to candidly discuss the possibility of a PGWP without triggering a refusal, and how applicants can articulate return-home benefits while acknowledging genuine motivations.
▸ Financial sufficiency and unexplained deposits
Why bank statements are scrutinized more heavily than ever, how to document source-of-funds properly, and why even technical checklist omissions can sink an otherwise strong application.
▸ Family ties and home-country incentives
How IRCC evaluates “significant family ties” in and outside Canada, and why applicants should proactively explain their home-country obligations to address concerns about leaving Canada at the end of their stay.
▸ Underdocumented travel history and other overlooked factors
Simple omissions that lead to refusals—such as failing to include exit/entry stamps, prior visas, or proof of assets.
Whether you are an international student, an immigration professional, or someone following Canadian immigration reform, this episode offers practical guidance on how to build a more compelling study permit application in a challenging and tightening system.
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#210 - Would You Pass the Citizenship Test?
35:32|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.#209 - Huge Mandamus Decision by the Federal Court of Appeal
17:06|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.#208 - Proving Canadian Ancestry, with Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss
56:51|We are joined once again by Amandeep Hayer and Lisa Middlemiss, to discuss citizenship by descent post Bill C-3With 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 framework08:27 The main challenge: proving ancestry and lineage13:33 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 WWII35:26 What happened to the interim citizenship measures from 202439:36 Do families need separate citizenship proof applications for each generation?46:06 Where to start if your Canadian ancestor was born in the 1800s48:26 Translation requirements for Quebec civil records#207 - Mobility Rights Under the Charter
16:40|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.#206 - The Importance of the Canadian Senate, with Senator Paula Simons
38:09|In this impromptu episode, we get a first person account of how one social justice advocate made the leap from journalist to Senator. The conversation is full of insight into the role that Senate plays in protecting the democratic process -- in particular around challenging legislation such as Bill C-12, which is approaching third reading.#205 - Former CBSA Chief On Immigration Investigations & Removal Priorities
56:20|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 priorities15:05 Extortion investigations 25:03 Discretion43:34 Why CBSA ranked last among federal agencies in employee satisfaction#204 - Stop Bill C-12! With Sharry Aiken
41:17|This epsiode offers insight into Professor Aiken's ongoing efforts to raise concern with Bill C-12 (the Stronger Borders legislation currently before Senate) -- both with the Canadian government, and with the UN Human Rights Committee.#203 - New Express Entry Manager Category (2026): Who Actually Qualifies — and Who Doesn’t
07:08|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.#201 - IRCC’s Security Screening Delays: Causes, Timelines, and Legal Impacts
15:41|As of November 2025, internal IRCC projections reveal a stark reality about Canada’s security screening system. Based on recent processing times by partner agencies and current inventory levels, permanent residence applications referred for comprehensive security screening are projected to take approximately 64.8 months to complete. For temporary residence applications, the projected timeline is 30.3 months.Lev Abramovich joins to break down what these projections actually mean and current issues with security screening.