Canada bill C‑12 advances
Bill C‑12, the 'Strengthening Canada's Immigration System and Borders Act,' passed third reading and promises tougher border controls and new procedures for temporary status holders — a major legislative overhaul with cross‑border practice implications announced.
The Senate adopted amendments on March 12, 2026 [], and those changes must now be voted on by the House of Commons before the bill can proceed toward Royal Assent []. The bill would give the Governor in Council explicit authority to vary, cancel or suspend immigration documents — naming work permits, study permits and permanent resident visas in the text []. Part 1 of the draft law amends the Customs Act to permit the Canada Border Services Agency to use facilities free of charge and to access goods destined for export at specified locations for enforcement purposes []. Amnesty International and a coalition of over 300 civil-society groups warned in November 2025 that the bill would block many asylum claims for people who have been in Canada more than a year and risk breaching international law []; the Senate’s recent package of amendments included measures expressly framed as privacy and oversight fixes []. The measure was first tabled in the House of Commons on October 8, 2025, and the government published the bill text and legislative package in the official parliamentary collection for legal and operational review [].
