Canada immigration bill moves ahead without changes for vote, i.e., a bill that proposes major changes to Canada’s immigration system is moving forward to the next stage, and no amendments have been formally added.

If the bill becomes law in its present form, it will give broad executive powers over the immigration system to the Governor in Council. This refers to the governor general acting on the advice of the prime minister and cabinet.

The proposed powers would allow authorities to change, cancel, or suspend immigration documents. These include work permits, study permits, and permanent resident visas. The government would also be able to stop accepting new immigration applications, pause processing, or end applications already in progress. In addition, it could place new conditions on temporary residents.

According to the draft legislation, these powers could be used only in situations considered to be in the public interest.

The bill also plans major changes to Canada’s asylum system. One key measure would require refugee claim proceedings to be suspended if claimants are outside Canada.

Bill C-12, officially titled “An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada’s borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures,” was earlier sent by the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs for review.

During a meeting of the Senate of Canada on February 25, 2026, the committee reported the bill back to the Senate without any amendments.

The Senate is now expected to move to the third reading of the bill at its next sitting on Thursday, February 26.

If the Senate passes the bill at third reading with no changes, the legislation will only need royal assent to become law.

At the third reading stage, senators still have options. They may pass the bill as it is, suggest and vote on amendments, or reject it entirely.

If the Senate approves any amendments, the bill would be returned to the House of Commons for further consideration.

Although the main Senate committee did not propose amendments, another committee did suggest many changes. The Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI) recommended removing most of the immigration reforms in C-12.

SOCI suggested eliminating the provisions that would give new executive powers to the Governor in Council. It also recommended removing the proposed asylum system changes and the rules that would allow increased sharing of personal information by the immigration department.

However, because SOCI was not the primary committee reviewing the bill, its report only contains recommendations. It does not automatically change the legislation.

Bill C-12 has already gone through some amendments earlier in the process.

In December 2025, the House of Commons of Canada approved amendments that added limits on the use of the new executive powers. These changes defined “public interest” more clearly. The term was restricted to situations involving administrative errors, fraud, public health, public safety, or national security.

The December changes also required the immigration minister to present a report to Parliament after any order is issued under these powers. The report must explain the reason for each order and describe its impact.

These safeguards were adopted after being introduced by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

The bill’s asylum reforms include new rules on who can make a refugee claim. Under the proposal, people who entered Canada after June 24, 2020 would become ineligible for asylum if they file their claim more than one year after arrival.

The bill would also make ineligible those who crossed into Canada from the United States at land borders. These crossings are outside official ports of entry.

Under current law, foreign nationals are not automatically barred from claiming refugee protection for crossing outside a port of entry, as long as they wait at least 14 days before making the claim.

In a speech at the Canadian Club Toronto on February 18, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab defended the proposed restrictions. She suggested that some temporary residents had been misusing Canada’s asylum system.

“If you have been in Canada for over a year, you should not be claiming asylum,” Diab said.

If the bill becomes law, the new asylum limits would apply to the date when the bill was first introduced. Claims submitted before that introduction date would not be affected.

Bill C-12 replaces the earlier Bill C-2 and carries forward many of the same provisions.

For any federal bill to become law in Canada, it must pass third reading in the same form in both the House of Commons and the Senate. After that, it must receive royal assent.

Even though the main Senate committee did not amend the bill, it included several observations in its report. The committee urged the federal government to provide more resources to the immigration department. The goal, it said, should be to streamline application processing, remove inefficiencies, improve productivity, and reduce backlogs.

The committee also encouraged stronger action against fraudulent immigration consultants.

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