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Bank of Canada Holds at 2.25% — What the Fine Print Means for You

  July 15, 2026  |  Canadian Money Brief The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% today, exactly as every economist surveyed expected. The number didn't move — but the story underneath it did. Between renewed oil-market chaos, a stubbornly hot inflation reading, and an economy that's finally showing signs of life, this "boring" hold decision was anything but simple. If you've been following our preview piece from earlier this week , this is the follow-up: what actually happened, and what it means for your mortgage, your savings, and your grocery bill. The Decision, in Plain English This marks the sixth consecutive hold since the Bank's last cut back in October 2025. The overnight rate stays at 2.25%, the Bank Rate at 2.5%, and the deposit rate at 2.20%. Bank prime — the number that actually determines your variable mortgage or line of credit rate — stays put at 4.45%. Governor Tiff Macklem has described this level as sitting near the bottom of the Bank...
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Canada Pauses Private Refugee Sponsorship Applications Until 2026


The Canadian government has announced a temporary pause on private refugee sponsorship applications from groups of five or more people and community organizations. This measure, effective immediately, will last until December 31, 2025. The decision aims to address the growing backlog of applications and improve processing times for both refugees and sponsors.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that the number of applications received annually far exceeds the available spaces for private refugee sponsorships. The government has set a target of admitting 23,000 privately sponsored refugees in its 2025-27 immigration plan, while the total refugee target for next year is just over 58,000 people. As of the end of October, there are over 85,000 pending refugee claims.

IRCC recognizes that this measure will impact the refugee sponsorship community and has pledged to work closely with partners and stakeholders to adjust to these changes and explore long-term improvements to the program. The pause will allow the system to catch up with the existing workload and ensure a more efficient and predictable refugee sponsorship process in the future.

For more information, visit the [IRCC website](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/temporary-pause-intake-refugee-sponsorship-applications-groups-five-community-sponsors.html).







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