Canada Issues Labour Guidance Restricting Temporary Help Agency Fees and Mandating Equal Treatment

What changed

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has initiated a proposed rulemaking to introduce substantial new fees for Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 nonimmigrant students. This measure, announced on 8 October 2026, aims to enhance the integrity of the immigration system by deterring fraud and protecting the interests of U.S. workers. Under the proposal, an initial OPT application would incur a fee of $70,000, while any subsequent OPT would cost $30,000. Stakeholders have until 9 November 2026 to submit comments on these proposed changes.

What changed

Japan's Immigration Services Agency updated the operational guidelines for its Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programme on 19 October 2026, alongside revisions to official guidance on the documentation required for certain applicants under the Specified Skilled Worker (ii) category. The most clearly documented change concerns how applicants and employers demonstrate that a worker's duties include supervising or instructing other workers. The revision addresses situations in which an employer temporarily lacks the required number of people to be supervised, as well as circumstances in which appropriate supervision may take place across different departments or work locations.

What changed

On 19 October 2026, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISA), in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), published an operational update detailing the examination status and strict processing thresholds for the Specified Skilled Worker (i) (Food Service Industry Field) residency status. Under the updated framework, authorities are prioritising domestic changes of status over overseas entrants, processing Certificates of Eligibility (COE) sequentially only for applications submitted up to 6 February 2026. All COE applications accepted on or after 13 April 2026—the commencement date of the temporary suspension measure—will, in principle, not be issued. For domestic changes of status, authorities are granting standard permissions for job transitions within the sector, as well as transitions from specified Technical Intern Training programmes and preparatory Designated Activities submitted up to 30 September 2026. However, change of status applications from all other visa categories submitted on or after 13 April 2026 face refusal in principle, compelling affected individuals whose permissions are nearing expiry to bridge their legal stay through designated transitional procedures.

What changed

The UK Home Office updated its public guidance on permission to work for asylum claimants on 19 October 2026 and published a new version of the Permission to Work application form, PTW1. The revised guidance clarifies who may apply while their asylum claim or relevant further submissions remain undecided, particularly the distinction between waiting for an initial decision and waiting for the outcome of an appeal after a decision has already been made. The update does not establish a new general right to work for asylum seekers.