1) Key development: “No-amendment” report on Feb. 25, third reading next
On February 25, 2026 (Ottawa), the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs (SECD) reported Bill C-12—formally 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”—back to the Senate without proposing any amendments, while attaching a set of observations.
Based on the Senate’s agenda and parliamentary tracking, the bill is now positioned for third reading. At third reading, senators may pass the bill as-is, propose and vote on amendments, and/or vote to reject it. If the Senate passes the bill without altering the text, the legislation moves to the final step—royal assent—after which it would come into force as law.
2) What the bill would do: expand “executive” powers over permits and processing
As described in the current framework, Bill C-12 would expand the authority of the Governor in Council (the Governor General acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). In cases deemed to be in the public interest, the proposed powers include:
- Varying, cancelling, or suspending immigration documents, such as work permits, study permits, and permanent resident visas;
- Ceasing intake, suspending, or terminating the processing of certain immigration applications; and
- Imposing conditions on temporary residents (potentially relating to status compliance or other administrative requirements).
3) Asylum system overhaul: suspending proceedings for claimants outside Canada, stricter eligibility, retroactive effect
Bill C-12 is also framed as a major reset of Canada’s asylum system, including:
- A requirement to suspend refugee-claim proceedings in cases where claimants are outside Canada; and
- Tighter ineligibility rules, including restrictions tied to how long after entry a claim is made and restrictions for those who entered Canada along the Canada–U.S. land border outside a port of entry.
The restrictions are described as retroactive to the date the bill was first introduced (while claims made before the bill’s introduction would not be affected).
4) Guardrails already added: defining “public interest” and reporting to Parliament
Although the Senate’s primary committee did not propose amendments in its latest report, Bill C-12 has already been amended earlier in the process. In December 2025, the House of Commons adopted changes that added guardrails to the use of the expanded powers, including:
- Defining “public interest” as limited to cases involving administrative errors, fraud, public health, public safety, or national security; and
- Requiring that after any order is issued under these powers, the immigration minister table a report in Parliament explaining the justification for each order and detailing its impacts.
5) Secondary committee urged major deletions, but those are recommendations only
As part of the Senate review process, the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI) also examined aspects of the bill and issued a report recommending substantial deletions—effectively removing most of the bill’s immigration reforms, including executive powers, asylum changes, and expanded information sharing.
However, because SOCI was not the primary committee tasked with reporting Bill C-12, its report contains recommendations, not amendments that automatically change the bill’s text. Any changes would still have to be moved and adopted by the Senate during third reading.
6) A central flashpoint: expanded information sharing and privacy concerns
Another major debate surrounding Bill C-12 concerns provisions that would allow increased sharing of individuals’ personal information by the immigration department. These provisions have attracted scrutiny over privacy and rights protections, alongside calls for clear limits and oversight mechanisms.
7) What happens next: three possible paths on Feb. 26
With third reading scheduled for the next Senate sitting (Thursday, February 26), Bill C-12 could proceed in one of three main ways:
- Pass as-is → proceed to royal assent and become law;
- Pass with amendments → return to the House of Commons to consider the Senate’s changes;
- Be rejected → the bill would not become law in its current form.
8) Committee observations: more resources, faster processing, crackdown on fraud
Even while recommending no textual changes, SECD attached observations urging the federal government to provide Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with additional resources to streamline processing, reduce inefficiencies, improve productivity, and address backlogs. The committee also encouraged the government to intensify enforcement against fraudulent immigration consultants.
Note: Public parliamentary trackers may still display the bill’s third-reading status as “pending/no activity recorded” depending on the timing of platform updates.
