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Author Archives: Francisca Samuel

Tamara News  /  Articles by: Francisca Samuel

Author: Francisca Samuel

Francisca Samuel is an editor at Tamara News, where she covers immigration, travel, business and technology news for readers across Africa and the Gulf.

05 Oct 2026
Express Entry trades draw

Canada Just Invited 3,500 More Tradespeople to Apply for PR

Categories Canada, Immigration

Skilled tradespeople looking to settle in Canada got a fresh batch of good news on October 1. The latest Express Entry trades draw issued 3,500 invitations to apply for permanent residence. The cutoff score for this round sat at 476 points on Canada’s Comprehensive Ranking System, the tool IRCC uses to rank every Express Entry candidate. It is the second draw this year dedicated specifically to the Trades category. It brings the total invitations issued through that category in 2026 to 6,500.

Inside the latest Express Entry trades draw

Candidates needed a few things to qualify. First, they needed to meet the minimum work experience requirements specific to the Trades category. Second, they needed a Comprehensive Ranking System score of at least 476. Third, they needed an Express Entry profile created before the draw’s cutoff timestamp. That cutoff was set at 12:47:55 UTC on October 1, 2026.

There is a wrinkle for candidates who scored exactly 476 points. Because so many people can land on the same score, IRCC uses a tie-breaking rule based on profile creation date. For applicants at exactly the cutoff score, timing mattered more. Their profile needed to exist on or before May 28, 2026, at 16:55:23 UTC. Anyone who created a profile after that moment, even with a score of 476, missed this round.

How this compares to the year’s first trades draw

This was not the first Trades-specific draw of 2026. An earlier round on April 2 issued 3,000 invitations at a slightly higher cutoff of 477 points. Combined, the two draws have now issued 6,500 invitations through the Trades category so far this year. That volume signals Canada treats skilled trades as a genuine, ongoing pathway within Express Entry, not a one-off experiment.

A tradesperson at work featured in the Express Entry trades draw story

The Trades category is relatively new within Express Entry’s broader structure. That structure has traditionally leaned toward white-collar professions and higher-scoring candidates overall. Its continued use throughout 2026 suggests something deliberate. Canada is trying to close gaps in its skilled trades workforce through immigration, alongside its more familiar tech-and-finance-focused draws.

What this reveals about Canada’s selection priorities

Canada’s broader Express Entry strategy in 2026 has leaned toward candidates with existing Canadian connections. Provincial nominees and candidates with Canadian work experience have been prioritized across multiple draw categories this year, not just Trades. That shift makes sense from a policy standpoint. Candidates already living and working in Canada tend to integrate faster. They face fewer unknowns than applicants arriving from abroad for the first time.

For tradespeople specifically, that prioritization matters. Many skilled trades roles already follow this pattern, including electricians, welders and construction specialists. Canadian employers sponsor temporary workers in these roles, who later transition to permanent residence through exactly this kind of targeted draw. The draw’s design rewards people already embedded in that pipeline.

Why trades draws look different from other Express Entry rounds

Most Express Entry draws reward points for education, language test scores and years of skilled work experience in professional occupations. The Trades category works differently. It recognizes hands-on occupations that do not always score well under the general point system, even when Canada faces real shortages in exactly those fields. Electricians, plumbers, welders and heavy equipment operators are common examples.

That design choice reflects a practical problem Canada has flagged for years. A candidate with a strong trades background and years of hands-on experience can still score lower overall than a candidate with a university degree and less hands-on work history, simply because of how the general points system weighs education. Category-specific draws like this one exist to correct for that gap.

What’s next for Express Entry trades

Two Trades draws are now complete for 2026. Candidates in the category should watch for whether a third round lands before year-end. IRCC has not announced a fixed schedule for Trades-specific draws. Some other categories run on a more predictable cadence, but this one does not. Candidates sitting below this round’s 476 cutoff should keep building their profile. Work experience, language scores and Canadian job offers can all raise a candidate’s ranking ahead of the next invitation round.

Common questions, answered

How many invitations did the October 1 Express Entry trades draw issue?
IRCC issued 3,500 invitations to apply for permanent residence, with a Comprehensive Ranking System cutoff of 476 points.

Was this the only Trades-specific draw in 2026?
No. An earlier draw on April 2, 2026, issued 3,000 invitations at a 477-point cutoff. Together, the two draws have issued 6,500 invitations this year.

What is the tie-breaking rule for candidates at exactly 476 points?
Those candidates needed their Express Entry profile created on or before May 28, 2026, at 16:55:23 UTC. Only then were they included in this round.

What qualifies someone for the Trades category?
Candidates need to meet minimum work experience requirements specific to skilled trades occupations. They also need the required Comprehensive Ranking System score.

Does Canada prioritize candidates already living in the country?
Yes. Canada’s 2026 Express Entry strategy has favored provincial nominees and candidates with existing Canadian work experience across multiple draw categories.

When will the next Trades draw happen?
IRCC has not announced a fixed schedule for Trades-specific draws, so the timing of the next round remains unconfirmed.

Further sources

  • CIC News — Canada invites 3,500 tradespeople to apply for permanent residence. cicnews.com
  • Government of Canada — Express Entry rounds of invitations. canada.ca

For more on Canada’s immigration system, see our coverage of September’s Express Entry draw. We also covered Canada’s processing times update.

05 Oct 2026
Canada work permit processing

Canada Will Now Tell You Exactly How Long Your Work Permit Wait Is

Categories Canada, Work Permits

If you are waiting on a Canadian work permit extension, there is good news. You can now see roughly how much longer that wait will last. Canada work permit processing estimates became personalized in late September 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada quietly updated its processing times webpage. Instead of a single generic estimate for everyone, applicants now see a wait time tailored to their own submission date.

How the new Canada work permit processing tool works

The update lives on the same processing times page IRCC has run for years, but the mechanics changed. Applicants select “Temporary residence” as their application type. Then they choose “Work permit extension in Canada” from a dropdown menu. From there, the tool shows three things. It shows the estimated remaining wait in weeks, personalized to the applicant’s own submission date. It shows how many applicants are ahead of them in the queue. It shows the total number of people currently awaiting a decision.

People who have not yet applied can still use the tool. It will show them what their wait would look like if they submitted today. As of September 26, 2026, the page listed 202,900 applicants awaiting decisions in this category. That gives a sense of just how large the queue actually is.

Who the new estimates cover

The personalized estimates apply to three groups. In-Canada work permit holders extending an existing permit qualify. International student graduates submitting their first Post-Graduation Work Permit application qualify too. So do work permit holders who are changing the conditions attached to their existing permit.

A desk with forms reflecting Canada work permit processing updates

One group is notably excluded. First-time work permit applicants applying from outside Canada do not get a personalized estimate. They still use the original “Work permit in Canada” option, which shows standard, non-personalized processing time estimates. IRCC has not explained why that group was left out of this round of updates. It may simply reflect which application streams were technically easiest to convert first.

Why this matters for applicants

A generic processing time estimate tells an applicant almost nothing useful. It averages everyone together, regardless of when they applied or how the queue has moved since. A personalized estimate is different. It tells someone whether their application is near the front of the line, or still has months to go. That is based on real queue position, not a rough average.

That distinction matters most for people making real decisions around their status. Someone whose work authorization is about to expire needs a clear answer. Is a renewal decision weeks away, or months away? An average figure that might not apply to their case is not good enough. Employers sponsoring workers face the same planning problem, and a more accurate estimate helps them plan staffing with more confidence.

Part of a wider shift at IRCC

This is not IRCC’s first move toward personalized processing estimates. The department first launched personalized processing times for citizenship and permanent residence applications back in October 2025. Extending the same approach to work permit extensions and PGWP applications a year later suggests IRCC sees real value in the tool. It may plan to expand it further to other categories over time.

The timing also lands amid broader scrutiny of Canada’s immigration processing capacity. Previous reporting this year has tracked both increases and decreases in wait times across different application streams. IRCC keeps adjusting staffing and policy in response to application volume. A personalized tool does not by itself reduce the underlying backlog. But it gives applicants a clearer, more honest picture of where they actually stand.

What IRCC watchers should track

Watch for whether IRCC extends personalized estimates to first-time applications from outside Canada. That remains the one major gap in the current rollout. Also watch the overall queue size. The 202,900 figure recorded in late September is worth tracking in the months ahead. It offers a running signal of whether Canada’s work permit backlog is growing or shrinking under current policy.

Frequently asked

What changed with Canada work permit processing estimates?
IRCC updated its processing times webpage in late September 2026. It now shows personalized wait estimates based on an applicant’s own submission date, instead of one generic figure for everyone.

How do I see my personalized estimate?
Select “Temporary residence” as the application type on IRCC’s processing times page. Then choose “Work permit extension in Canada” from the dropdown.

Who qualifies for a personalized estimate?
Three groups qualify: in-Canada work permit holders extending their permit, international student graduates applying for their first PGWP, and work permit holders changing their permit conditions.

Who is excluded from the personalized tool?
First-time work permit applicants applying from outside Canada do not qualify. They still see standard, non-personalized estimates under the original “Work permit in Canada” option.

How many people are currently in the queue?
As of September 26, 2026, IRCC listed 202,900 applicants awaiting decisions in the categories covered by the new tool.

Has IRCC done this before for other application types?
Yes. IRCC launched personalized processing times for citizenship and permanent residence applications back in October 2025. That came a full year before this work permit update.

Reporting sources

  • CIC News — Canada launches personalized processing times for work permit extensions and PGWPs. cicnews.com
  • Government of Canada — Check processing times. canada.ca

For more on Canada’s immigration system, see our coverage of Canada’s broader processing times update. We also covered a recent Canada work permit refusal case.

05 Oct 2026
Canada asylum Israel Palestine

Canada Reopens a Door for Israeli, Palestinian Claimants

Categories Canada, Immigration

Canada has quietly reopened a door for a specific group of failed asylum seekers. The new Canada asylum Israel Palestine measure waives a standard 12-month wait before someone can apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment. It covers nationals and former residents of Israel and Palestine. The change took effect September 29, 2026. For people facing deportation after a final negative decision, the waiver can mean the difference between removal and a fresh chance to make their case.

What the Canada asylum Israel Palestine waiver actually changes

Normally, a refused asylum claimant must wait a full year before applying for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, known as a PRRA. That blackout period exists to prevent repeated, duplicative applications. Canada’s immigration department has now waived it for a specific group. The waiver applies to Israeli and Palestinian nationals and former residents who received a final negative decision between September 28, 2025, and September 29, 2026.

That window is deliberate. It covers people whose claims, prior PRRAs, or Federal Court cases were rejected during roughly the past year. That period overlaps with the most intense phase of the conflict in Gaza and the wider region. Eligible people can now reapply for PRRA status as protected persons. This applies even to those refused before.

Who qualifies, and who does not

Only nationals and former residents of Israel and Palestine qualify, and only if their final negative decision fell inside that specific window. Anyone who receives a negative decision after September 29, 2026, gets no benefit from the waiver. Those applicants face the standard rules again, including the usual 12-month blackout.

Application documents tied to the Canada asylum Israel Palestine measure

Applicants who do qualify must follow instructions on the federal government’s website to submit their PRRA application. A successful PRRA grants protection to anyone who faces persecution, torture, or a risk to their life if deported. The waiver does not guarantee approval. It restores the chance to apply, for people who would otherwise have waited out the full year first.

Why Canada made this change now

The move fits a pattern. Canada has adjusted its immigration rules repeatedly since late 2023 in response to the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Earlier steps included temporary measures and work permit extensions for people from the region. This latest step targets a narrower group: people already inside Canada’s asylum system who hit a procedural wall at a difficult moment.

Immigration lawyers describe blackout-period waivers like this one as rare. Officials usually reserve them for cases where conditions in a claimant’s home region shifted significantly since their case was decided. Israeli and Palestinian nationals had their claims assessed during an active, fast-moving conflict. That argument carries real weight with immigration lawyers watching the case.

How this fits Canada’s broader response

Canada has leaned on narrow, targeted measures throughout this conflict rather than broad, open-ended policy changes. Earlier steps extended work permits for Israeli and Palestinian nationals already in Canada, without opening new pathways for people outside the country. This PRRA waiver follows the same logic. It helps a specific, already-identified group clear a specific procedural obstacle, rather than creating a new general immigration stream.

That narrow approach has both supporters and critics. Supporters say it lets Canada respond quickly to a changing situation without overhauling its asylum system. Critics argue it leaves out people facing similar risks from other conflicts, who get no equivalent waiver.

Canadian immigration lawyers note the waiver does not expand who can claim asylum in the first place. It only reopens a narrow procedural door for people already deep in the system. For a claimant staring down a removal order, that distinction matters less than the practical result: one more chance to present evidence of risk, reviewed under rules that normally would have made them wait another several months just to file.

What comes next for applicants

Canada has not released figures on how many people the waiver is expected to help. No public estimate exists yet. Immigration advocates will likely cite this measure as a precedent when they push for similar flexibility for people facing deportation to other active conflict zones. Eligible applicants should move quickly. The waiver applies only to this specific decision window, and nothing suggests Ottawa will extend it indefinitely.

A few questions answered

What does the Canada asylum Israel Palestine waiver do?
It removes the standard 12-month wait before someone can apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, specifically for Israeli and Palestinian nationals and former residents.

Who is eligible for the waiver?
Anyone from Israel or Palestine whose asylum claim, prior PRRA, or Federal Court case received a final negative decision between September 28, 2025, and September 29, 2026.

When did the measure take effect?
September 29, 2026.

Does the waiver apply to decisions made after September 29, 2026?
No. Anyone who gets a negative decision after that date faces the standard 12-month blackout period again.

What is a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment?
It is a review that can grant protection to someone facing deportation, if they can show a genuine risk of persecution, torture, or danger to their life back home.

Does a successful PRRA guarantee someone can stay in Canada?
Not automatically. But a successful assessment grants protected person status, which can prevent removal for applicants who prove a genuine risk.

Source material

  • CIC News — Canada gives second chance to asylum seekers from Israel and Palestine. cicnews.com
  • Government of Canada — Pre-removal risk assessment. canada.ca

For more on Canada’s immigration system, see our coverage of Canada’s processing times update. We also covered September’s Express Entry draw.

05 Oct 2026
mortgage rates three-year high

US Mortgage Rates Just Hit a Level Not Seen in Three Years

Categories Business

Anyone shopping for a home loan right now is facing the toughest borrowing conditions in years. The mortgage rates three-year high milestone arrived last Thursday, when the 30-year fixed rate hit 7.28%. That is up a full quarter point from the previous week alone. It is nearly a full percentage point higher than this time last year. Mortgage applications have responded exactly as you would expect. They fell 6% in a single week.

How we got to mortgage rates three-year high

Mortgage rates do not move in isolation. They track the 10-year Treasury yield closely. That yield has climbed more than 1.25 percentage points since February, when the Iran war broke out. War-driven uncertainty tends to push investors toward different assets and changes how markets price long-term risk. That shift has flowed straight through to what homebuyers pay.

The data comes from the Mortgage Bankers Association, which tracks application volume every week. For the period ending September 25, applications dropped 6% from the week before. That is not a one-off blip. It continues a pattern of softening demand that has built for weeks as rates climbed.

Borrowers are adapting, not disappearing

One clear shift shows up in loan type. Adjustable-rate mortgages made up 10.3% of applications, the highest share since October 2025. When fixed rates get too expensive, some borrowers switch to adjustable products instead. They are betting rates will fall before their initial fixed period ends. That bet carries real risk if rates stay elevated longer than expected.

Houses for sale as mortgage rates three-year high squeezes buyers

MBA chief executive Bob Broeksmit summed up the mood bluntly. “Affordability and borrower demand have weakened in recent weeks,” he said. “Higher rates continue pressuring homebuyers and refinancers.” Builders are feeling it too. KB Home has already adjusted pricing in response to softer demand and tighter affordability. That is a sign the pressure now reaches beyond individual buyers, into the construction industry itself.

Who feels the squeeze hardest

Higher rates hit first-time buyers especially hard. They typically have less equity to work with and tighter budgets overall. Every quarter-point increase adds meaningfully to a monthly payment on a typical home loan. That prices some buyers out of homes they could have afforded just months earlier. Refinancers face a different problem. Many locked in lower rates years ago. They have little incentive to refinance now, since that would mean trading a cheaper loan for a more expensive one.

Homebuilders sit somewhere in between. They need buyers to keep purchasing in order to keep building. That explains why a company like KB Home is cutting prices rather than waiting out the slowdown. That kind of price adjustment can ripple through local housing markets. It can affect resale values even for homeowners who are not currently buying or selling.

How this compares with the pandemic-era market

Borrowers who bought or refinanced during 2020 and 2021 locked in rates below 3%. Today’s 7.28% rate looks jarring by comparison, even though it remains below the peaks seen briefly in 2023. That history matters for refinancers in particular, since it explains why so many are choosing to sit tight rather than trade a historically cheap loan for a historically expensive one.

For first-time buyers with no existing mortgage to compare against, the calculation is different. They are weighing today’s rate against rents and against the risk that prices or rates climb even higher if they wait. That uncertainty is part of why application volume keeps falling even as some buyers remain eager to purchase.

What borrowers should watch for

Capital Economics, a research firm that tracks housing and rate trends, expects some relief eventually. The firm projects 30-year rates will average 6.25% by the end of 2027. That forecast assumes energy prices decline and the Federal Reserve eases its current tightening stance. Neither of those shifts looks imminent as of early October 2026. Until then, expect application volume to stay soft. Builders and sellers will likely keep adjusting prices to match what buyers can actually afford at today’s rates.

Questions people are asking

What is the current 30-year mortgage rate?
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.28% as of the last Thursday in September 2026. That is its highest level in nearly three years.

Why are mortgage rates three-year high right now?
Rates track the 10-year Treasury yield. It has climbed more than 1.25 percentage points since the Iran war began in February 2026, pushing borrowing costs higher across the board.

How much have mortgage applications fallen?
Applications fell 6% for the week ending September 25, 2026, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. That continues a pattern of weakening demand.

Are more borrowers choosing adjustable-rate mortgages?
Yes. Adjustable-rate mortgages made up 10.3% of applications, the highest share since October 2025. Some borrowers are chasing a cheaper initial rate.

Are homebuilders responding to the higher rates?
Yes. KB Home has already adjusted pricing due to softer demand and affordability pressure. Other builders are expected to follow similar strategies.

When might mortgage rates come back down?
Capital Economics projects 30-year rates could average 6.25% by the end of 2027. That assumes energy prices ease and the Federal Reserve moderates its current policy stance.

Cited reporting

  • Axios — Mortgage rates approach 3-year high as new applications plunge. axios.com
  • Mortgage Bankers Association — weekly mortgage applications survey. mba.org

For more business coverage, see our reporting on the September jobs report and the Fed’s rate decision. We also covered where Treasury yields ended September.

05 Oct 2026
India election commission protests

The ‘Cockroach’ Party Rattling India’s Election Commission

Categories World

A satirical protest party named after a cockroach has turned into one of India’s most persistent political headaches. The India election commission protests escalated on October 1, 2026. Police briefly detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, on Mumbai’s Marine Drive. He was holding placards. Officers took him to a nearby station, questioned him about his identity, then released him after senior officials got involved. A video of the detention spread quickly online. The episode is the latest flashpoint in a weeks-long standoff between the movement and India’s election authorities.

What sparked the India election commission protests

The Cockroach Janta Party, known as the CJP, is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The group points to reports of internal divisions inside the Election Commission. It says that is evidence something has gone wrong at the top. Its demands go further than a single resignation. The CJP wants criminal proceedings opened against Kumar. It wants the Special Intensive Revision process, a controversial review of voter rolls, paused entirely. It wants January 2025 voter lists restored. It also wants 2023 legislation covering the Election Commission repealed in favor of broader structural reform.

Those demands reflect a deeper distrust of how India updates its voter rolls. The Special Intensive Revision process has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups. They argue it risks removing eligible voters from the rolls without adequate safeguards. The CJP has turned that technical dispute into a street-level protest movement, something few voter-roll disputes manage to do.

A movement built on confrontation

The CJP first threatened mass protests in late September, giving the commission a short deadline to respond before escalating. Mumbai police denied the group permission to protest at Shivaji Park on September 27. Officials cited legal constraints, a lack of municipal clearance and noise concerns. The CJP pressed ahead regardless. It characterized the denial as, in its own words, “tactics to suppress voices.”

Crowds at an India election commission protests rally demanding reform

That framing pits a scrappy protest movement against an unresponsive bureaucracy. It has helped the CJP draw attention well beyond its core supporters. Dipke’s brief detention on October 1 only reinforced the narrative the group has been building. Supporters quickly held it up as proof. They say authorities would rather silence the movement than answer its concerns about the integrity of the voter rolls.

Why this matters beyond Mumbai

India is the world’s largest democracy, and its election machinery affects hundreds of millions of voters. Disputes over who controls that machinery carry weight well beyond any single protest group. So does the question of how voter lists get compiled and checked. The CJP is a new and unconventional player. But the questions it raises about the Special Intensive Revision process echo concerns that established opposition parties have also voiced.

The government has not responded publicly to the CJP’s specific demands. Kumar remains in his post as Chief Election Commissioner. Mumbai police have defended both the permit denial and Dipke’s brief detention. They call it routine law enforcement, not political suppression.

A protest movement built on satire

The Cockroach Janta Party’s name is deliberately provocative. Founder Abhijeet Dipke has framed the group as speaking for ordinary citizens who feel ignored by formal political institutions, the way a cockroach survives in the margins no matter how hard someone tries to stamp it out. That branding has helped the movement attract young, online-savvy supporters who might otherwise stay disengaged from traditional party politics.

Critics dismiss the CJP as a publicity stunt. Supporters say the satire is exactly what makes its message land. Either way, the group has managed something many more established opposition voices have struggled to do this year: keep the Special Intensive Revision process in the headlines, week after week.

Where the standoff goes from here

Watch for whether the CJP escalates further. That could include more “jail bharo,” or fill-the-jails, demonstrations designed to overwhelm police with mass voluntary arrests. The group has signaled it will keep pressing. It wants Kumar to resign, or the government to address its concerns about the voter-roll review process. Also watch whether larger opposition parties start coordinating more directly with the CJP. That could turn a fringe protest movement into a broader coalition ahead of India’s next election cycle.

Your questions answered

What is the Cockroach Janta Party?
It is a youth-led protest movement in India. It demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over concerns about the integrity of the country’s voter rolls.

What happened on October 1, 2026?
Mumbai police briefly detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Marine Drive while he held protest placards. He was questioned and released after senior officials intervened.

What does the CJP actually want?
It wants Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and criminal proceedings against him. It also wants a pause on the Special Intensive Revision process, restored January 2025 voter lists, and repeal of 2023 Election Commission legislation.

What is the Special Intensive Revision process?
It is a review of India’s voter rolls. Critics, including the CJP and opposition parties, say it risks removing eligible voters without adequate safeguards.

Why did Mumbai police deny the CJP’s protest permit?
Police denied the group permission to protest at Shivaji Park on September 27. They cited legal constraints, a lack of municipal clearance and noise concerns.

Has the Indian government responded to the CJP’s demands?
Not publicly. Gyanesh Kumar remains in his post. The government has not issued a direct response to the CJP’s specific demands as of this report.

Reporting and sources

  • Daily Jagran — Abhijeet Dipke briefly detained by Mumbai police ahead of CJP October 2 protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. thedailyjagran.com
  • The National — India’s “cockroach” movement pledges more protests if election chief does not resign. thenationalnews.com

For more world coverage, see our reporting on Serbia’s Vucic resigning ahead of an early election. We also covered Morocco naming its first woman prime minister.

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