NEWS AND PROMOTIONS

June 24, 2020

 392 Express Entry candidates who have received provincial nominations have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 153^rd Express Entry draw on June 24th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 696.

Draw Number: 153
Draw Date: June 24, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 392
Minimum CRS: 696
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program
Tie-breaking rule: April 23, 2020

Canada held Express Entry draw on June 24, inviting candidates who had provincial nominations.

This draw issued 392 invitations to candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of 696 and above.

A tie-break rule was applied in this draw.

All candidates with a CRS score of at least 696 who submitted their profile before April 23, 2020, at 10:39:30 UTC, received an ITA in this round.

A total of 46,392 invitations have been issued to Express Entry candidates so far this year.

 

May 28, 2020

 3,515 Express Entry candidates in the Canadian Experience Class program will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 150th Express Entry draw on May 28th, 2020.

The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 440.

Draw Number: 150
Draw Date: May 28th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,515
Minimum CRS: 440
Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class
Tie-breaking rule: March 7, 2020

The May 28^th Express Entry draw issued 3,515 invitations to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of 440 or higher.

The cut-off score of 440 is a decrease of 7 points from the previous CEC draw on May 15, which had a minimum score of 447.

Canada’s Express Entry system manages the profiles of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

In the 150th Express Entry draw, the IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates with active profiles in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. Candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs were not considered in this draw.

In order to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time and skilled work experience in Canada.

Additionally, CEC candidates must show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

IRCC applied its tie-break rule in this draw and the date and time used was March 7, 2020 at 10:36: 59 UTC.

This draw brings the total ITAs issued in 2020 to 42,100.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Express Entry system is still operational and candidates can submit a profile.

May 27, 2020

385 Express Entry candidates who received provincial nominations have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 149th Express Entry draw on May 27th, 2020.

The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 757.

Draw Number: 149
Draw Date: May 27th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 385
Minimum CRS: 757
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program
Tie-breaking rule: March 27th, 2020

In the 149th Express Entry draw, the IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates who have already received a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

This draw saw 385 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to PNP candidates with a CRS score of 757 points or higher.

Each province, with the exception of Quebec, operates several PNP streams. These streams are designed by the provinces to help meet their unique immigration goals, so the eligibility criteria and application procedures vary.

However, PNPs are a popular option because they can be the fastest pathway to Canadian permanent residence.

This is the sixth PNP only draw from the federal Express Entry system since special coronavirus measures went into place on March 18. Canada has been alternating between Express Entry draws targeting PNP and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates.

A tie-break rule was applied in this draw. All candidates with a CRS score of at least 757 who submitted their profile before April 27, 2020 at 10:19:01 UTC, received an ITA in this round.

 

May 15, 2020

3,371 Express Entry candidates in the Canadian Experience Class program will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 148th Express Entry draw which held on May 14th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 447.

Draw Number: 148
Draw Date: May 14th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,371
Minimum CRS: 447
Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class
Tie-breaking rule: December 23, 2019

IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates with active profiles in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program.

Candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs were not considered in this draw.

Today’s draw saw 3,371 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to CEC candidates with a CRS score of 447 points or higher, down five points since the last CEC-specific draw.

In order to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time and skilled work experience in Canada.

Additionally, CEC candidates must show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

This draw brings the total ITAs issued in 2020 to 38,200.

 

May 14, 2020

 529 Express Entry candidates who have received provincial nominations have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 147th Express Entry draw on May 13th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 718.

Draw Number: 147
Draw Date: May 13th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 529
Minimum CRS: 718
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program
Tie-breaking rule: March 19th, 2020

In the latest draw, the IRCC invite candidates who have received a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

A total of 529 Invitations issued to PNP candidates with a CRS score of 718 points or higher.

Each province operates several PNP streams which are designed by the provinces to help meet their unique immigration goals, so the eligibility criteria and application procedures vary.

PNPs are a popular option because they can be the fastest pathway to Canadian permanent residence.

May 1, 2020

 

3,311 Express Entry candidates who met eligibility criteria under Canadian Experience Class program will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 146th Express Entry draw on May 1st, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 452.

Draw Number: 146
Draw Date: May 1st, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,311
Minimum CRS: 452
Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class
Tie-breaking rule: October 10, 2019

The Invitations were issued to Express Entry candidates under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for these candidates was 452.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada applied its tie-break rule in this draw and the date and time was October 10, 2019 at 19:15:28 UTC.

In order to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time and skilled work experience in Canada. Additionally, CEC candidates must show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

Due to COVID-19, Express Entry draws are currently being limited to PNP and CEC candidates only.

Today’s draw brings the total ITAs issued in 2020 to 34,300.

April 30, 2020

 

589 Express Entry candidates who have received provincial nominations have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 145th Express Entry draw on April 29th, 2020.

Draw Number: 145
Draw Date: April 29th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 589
Minimum CRS: 692
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program
Tie-breaking rule: March 11th, 2020

Express Entry candidates invited in the April 29 draw were required to have a provincial nomination.

Canada invited a total of 589 candidates in this Express Entry draw with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement of 692.

With an additional 600 points from having a provincial nomination that means the basic human capital point requirement was only 92.

This is the lowest CRS requirement for a provincial nominee program (PNP) – specific Express Entry draw so far this year. It is six points under the April 9 draw, which invited provincial nominees with a CRS of at least 698.

 

April 25, 2020

 

LATEST UPDATION | CANADA ALLOWS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO WORK FULL TIME

 

Canadian government is removing restrictions for certain international students, allowing them to work full-time even if classes are still in session.

International students in Canada will now be allowed to work full time if they are employed in an essential service.

International students in Canada are usually restricted to work 20 hours per week during the school year.

The government is lifting this restriction as many of these students are studying in health and emergency services related programs, and could help to support Canada in their fight against COVID-19.

Marco Mendicino, Canada’s immigration minister said that “Immigrants, temporary foreign workers and international students are making important contributions as frontline workers in health care and other essential service sectors. We know and value their efforts and sacrifices to keep Canadians healthy and ensure the delivery of critical goods and services.”

The change applies to study-permit holders who are working in industries that are considered to be critical in ensuring the health, safety, security, or economic well-being of Canadians and the government.

International Students whose study comes under the following 10 sectors are considered essential workers:

1. Energy and utilities
2. Information and Communication Technologies
3. Finance
4. Health
5. Food
6. Water
7. Transportation
8. Safety
9. Government
10. Manufacturing

International students can consult the government’s guide by clicking the below link to determine if they are considered an essential worker.

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/crtcl-nfrstrctr/esf-sfe-en.aspx

This new measure will be in effect until August 31, 2020.

 

April 22, 2020

 

CANADA IMMIGRATION UPDATE | COVID-19 VISA PROCESSING CHANGES | CANADA’S SPECIAL IMMIGRATION MEASURES

 

Canada has restricted the entry of most foreign nationals. In order to allow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to focus on essential services, Canada is suspending the processing of non-essential visitor visa applications.

Canada has implemented travel restrictions and modified immigration policies to help contain the spread of the coronavirus and at the same time serving the needs of immigrants, foreign workers, international students, and Canadian employers.

Here are the changes.

The following are the list of people allowed to enter Canada by land or air while the travel restrictions are in place until June 30, 2020;

• Canadian citizens
• Permanent residents
• Immediate family of Canadian citizens and permanent residents
• Permanent resident applicants who had been approved for permanent residence prior to March 18 and who had not yet travelled to Canada
• Temporary foreign workers
• International students who held a valid study permit or who had been approved for one before March 18
• Transiting passengers

It is also mandatory for all travelers to self-isolate for 14 days after their arrival to Canada.

 

IRCC has confirmed that Express Entry draws will continue, and they will also continue to process applications for permanent residence. However, IRCC has indicated there may be delays in processing for those who are approved for permanent residence after March 18. These applicants will likely not have their application processed within six months.

 

Immediate family members of citizens and permanent residents are still allowed to enter the country, spousal and common-law sponsorship applications are being processed as usual, with IRCC allowing some flexibility in submitting incomplete applications. Canada has postponed the 2020 parents and grandparents immigration program.

The following will come under immediate family members:

• spouses and common-law partners
• dependent children
• dependent grandchildren
• parents or step-parents
• a parent’s or step-parent’s spouse or common-law partner
• a guardian or tutor (same legal concept)

Travelers must identify them by presenting documented proof of their relationship to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

 

Canada has temporarily paused its refugee resettlement programs.  Canada will no longer interview refugee claimants in person or process refugee protection claimant document renewals in person. IRCC will contact refugee claimants, who had scheduled interviews, to let them know when the new interview will be. Refugee claimants who need to update their contact information can use the IRCC web form.

 

Foreign nationals are still allowed to travel to Canada for work, even with the travel restrictions. The worker may not be required to obtain a work permit if they are:

• Providers of emergency or medical services for the protection or preservation of life or property (such as firefighters);
• Students in a health field, including as a medical elective or clinical clerk at a Canadian medical teaching institution, if they have written approval from the body that regulates that field;
• Foreign nationals seeking to enter and remain in Canada solely to become a member of a transportation crew, including a vessel engaged in international transportation.

These foreign nationals must identify them by presenting documents such as a letter of invitation from a relevant Canadian organization.

 

International students who were approved for a study permit on or before March 18 are exempt from travel restrictions. If in-class courses were moved to an online-only format, students will still be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program.

 

April 21, 2020

 

CANADA INCREASING FEES | IMMIGRATION PROCESSING FEES GOING UP ON APRIL 30 | ADJUSTING IMMIGRATION FEES FOR NEXT TWO YEARS

 

For the first time since 2002, Canada’s immigration department is increasing processing fees for foreign nationals who wish to become permanent residents. The fees include operational, processing and service delivery costs.

The increase will take effect as of 9:00 a.m. EDT on April 30, 2020, for some types of immigration applications.

Completed applications received before this time will be processed in accordance with the current fee schedule. Any application received after this time with the old processing fees will be returned to the applicant.

Updated fees are as follows:

• Principal applicants of the Economic business class (self-employed, start-up visa, Quebec investor, Quebec entrepreneur, and Quebec self-employed) will increase from $1,050 to $1,575;
• Principal applicants in the economic non-business class will go up from $550 to $825. This increase will not apply to principal applicants and their families in the Caregivers programs, which will remain unchanged;
• Fees for spouses or common-law partners of all economic classes will go up from $550 to $825;
• Fees for dependent children of all economic classes will go up from $150 to $225;
• The right of permanent resident fee will increase from $490 to $500, which is an increase of two per cent.

Fees for permanent resident cards, permanent resident travel documents and certification or replacement immigration documents will not increase.

The purpose of these changes is to address the significant imbalance between the cost of providing services to potential newcomers to Canada and the fees paid by them. This imbalance results in Canadian taxpayers heavily subsidizing the process.

Fees for permanent residence applications will change again in 2022 in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

 

April 16, 2020

 

3,782 Express Entry candidates in the Canadian Experience Class program will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 144th Express Entry draw on April 16th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 455.

Draw Number: 144

Draw Date: April 16th, 2020

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,782

Minimum CRS: 455

Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class

Tie-breaking rule: January 20, 2020

In the 144th Express Entry draw, the IRCC invited only candidates with active profiles in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program.

3,782 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to CEC candidates with a CRS score of 455 points or higher.

Today’s draw is the second draw this week. The previous Express Entry draw was also program-specific which invited candidates with a provincial nomination.

In order to qualify for the Canadian Experience Class program, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time and skilled work experience in Canada.

Additionally, CEC candidates must show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

Canada has now issued 30,400 ITAs so far in 2020. The latest draw used tie-breaking rule on January 20, 2020, at 15:20:02 UTC.

 

April 15, 2020

 

118 Express Entry candidates who have received provincial nominations have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 143rd Express Entry draw on April 15th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 808.

Draw Number: 143

Draw Date: April 15th, 2020

Number of Invitations Issued: 118

Minimum CRS: 808

Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program

Tie-breaking rule: March 18th, 2020

Canada has held another round of Express Entry invitations, inviting candidates who had provincial nominations. In the 143rd Express Entry draw, the IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates who have already received a nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The April 15th draw saw 118 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to PNP candidates with a CRS score of 808 points or higher. This means without the provincial nomination the candidate would have had a CRS of 208. The April 15 Express Entry draw brings the total number of ITAs issued this year to 26,618.

 

March 24, 2020

 

3,232 Express Entry candidates in the Canadian Experience Class will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the latest Express Entry draw held on March 23rd, 2020.

The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 467.

Draw Number: 140
Draw Date: March 23rd, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,232
Minimum CRS: 467
Program Specified: Canadian Experience Class
Tie-breaking rule: November 25th, 2019

In the 140th Express Entry draw, the IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates with active profiles in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. The Canadian Experience Class-specific Express Entry draw is the second of its kind since 2015, which is open to foreign nationals with at least one year of work experience in Canada. CEC candidates must also show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

A total of 3,232 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to candidates with a CRS score of 467 points or higher. The previous Express Entry draw held on March 18 only included candidates that had provincial nominations and issued 668 invitations.

The tie-break used by IRCC in the March 23 draw was November 25, 2019, at 14:00:35 UTC. This draw brings the total number of ITAs issued this year to 22,600.

 

March 21, 2020

 

668 candidates were invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the latest Express Entry draw held on March 18th, 2020 with a minimum CRS cut-off score of 720.  Candidates with a provincial nomination were invited in this program specific draw.

Draw Number: 139
Draw Date: March 18th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 668
Minimum CRS: 720
Program Specified: Provincial Nominee Program
Tie-breaking rule: March 19, 2020

Official details of this draw were released on March 20 as invitations were received on March 18.

This draw brings the total number of invitations to apply (ITAs) issued this year to 19,368.

Candidates with profiles in the Federal Skilled Trades, Federal Skilled Worker, and Canadian Experience Class programs were not considered for this draw.

 

March 17, 2020

 

Canada is taking exceptional measures to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and help immigrants and travelers affected by service disruptions.

The following is a summary of policies that were just announced by the federal government:

Restrictions on foreign travel to Canada

On March 16, Canada announced it is closing its borders to most people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Exceptions will be made for immediate family members of Canadians, U.S. citizens, aircrew members, and diplomats.

The restrictions will not apply to cargo and goods transportation.

Airlines have been instructed to check all passengers for COVID-19 symptoms, and who show no symptoms will be allowed to fly to Canada.

From March 18, only four Canadian airports will be open to international flights: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Calgary International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

Special IRCC measures

On March 15, Canada’s immigration department released new instructions for officials and immigrants affected by COVID-19.

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be cancelling all citizenship ceremonies, citizenship tests and retests, and itinerant service trips until further notice.

In-person permanent resident landing appointments and in-person refugee claim appointments will be closed until April 13.

IRCC applications will not be refused for non-compliance and all those currently in progress at IRCC offices abroad at case processing centres will continue to be processed. There may be delays as some visa application centres are closed, and some IRCC offices are operating with essential staff only.

When additional documentation is required, immigration officers will send a request letter allowing the applicant 90 days to respond. The biometric instruction letter will continue to say that applicants have 30 days to give biometrics, they will actually be allowed to complete this step in 90 days instead.

More time for permanent residence applications

IRCC is allowing an additional 90 days in some cases for those unable to submit a complete application for permanent residence before the deadline.

They must include an explanation and must also pay associated fees in order to have their deadline extended an additional 90 days.

Temporary residents may apply for extensions

Foreign nationals who are in Canada and whose temporary resident status will soon expire may apply for an extension to maintain their status.

Temporary residents wishing to extend must apply online, meet all requirements, and pay fees.

Those who have extension applications currently in progress will receive implied status and can stay in Canada until a decision is made on their application.

Citizenship ceremonies and knowledge test cancelled

Canada is temporarily cancelling all citizenship ceremonies, as well as knowledge testing and retesting events until further notice.

Those who are affected by cancellations will be provided with a new date and time in the coming weeks.

For more information from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada click here; https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-special-measures.html

 

 

March 5, 2020

 

3,900 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 138th Express Entry draw on March 4th, 2020. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 471.

Draw Number: 138
Draw Date: March 4th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,900
Minimum CRS: 471
Tie-breaking rule: February, 24th 2020

Canada conducted a new Express Entry draw on March 4.

3,900 candidates were issued invitations with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut off of 471. This cut-off score is an increase of one point than the previous draw on February 19, which was 470.

This draw is the 5^th draw of 2020 and brings the total number of ITAs issued this year to 18,700.

The tie break applied in this draw is February 24, 2020 at 06:02:57 UTC.

 

March 4, 2020

 

FIGHT FRAUD THIS MARCH! | STATEMENT ON FRAUD PREVENTION MONTH

The Honorable Marco E.L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued statement on Fraud Prevention:

He stated that, every year, millions of people are applying to visit or to immigrate to Canada for enjoying the many opportunities that Canada offers.

There are some dishonest people who take advantage on these individuals.

Recent statistics from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre shows that in 2019 alone, Canadians lost over $98 million to fraud.

Government of Canada is committed to preventing applicants from becoming victims of fraud.

No one can promise your application will be given special treatment or guarantee that it will be approved. All applications are assessed fairly and on the same merit.

Hiring a representative or consultant to complete your application is not a requirement. If you decide to hire a representative, always ensure that they are authorized to do business with the government.

You can check on how to find an authorized representative by clicking on the below link;

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigration-citizenship-representative/choose/authorized.html

You can check if a person is licensed to represent immigrants or to give advice.

Citizenship or immigration consultants must be a member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council.

You can check if a person is licensed to represent you by clicking the below link;

https://iccrc-crcic.ca/find-a-professional/

“March is Fraud Prevention Month.

To prevent immigration fraud, we must all remain vigilant. Remember: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

 

February 29, 2020

 

MANITOBA IMMIGRATION | LATEST MPNP DRAW | ISSUES 217 INVITATIONS TO CANDIDATES WITH EOI PROFILES

MPNP under the Expression of Interest System

EOI Draw #84

Draw Date: February 27, 2020

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 161
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 499

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 32

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 24 who were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 707

Of the 217 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 20 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

A total of 1075 Letters of Advice to Apply have been sent out since the start of 2020.

 

February 19, 2020

 

4,500 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 137th Express Entry draw on February 19th, 2020, which is the largest Express Entry draw ever. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 470.

Draw Number: 137
Draw Date: February 19th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 4,500
Minimum CRS: 470
Tie-breaking rule: January, 13th 2020

Latest Express Entry draw issued 4,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates. This is the largest number of ITAs issued since the launch of Express Entry on January 1st, 2015.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest invitation round was 470, a decrease of 2 points over the previous draw held February 5.

 

February 9, 2020

 

Alberta has released the results of its latest two Express Entry Stream draws.

1. January 29: 150 candidates got invited with a minimum CRS score of 300 or higher.
2. January 22: 201 candidates got invited with a minimum CRS score of 350 or higher.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the AINP to select eligible candidates with a valid profile in the Federal Express Entry system.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination from Alberta will receive an additional 600 points toward their overall CRS score.

Alberta Express Entry Stream usually invites Express Entry candidates with lower CRS scores to obtain Canadian permanent residence through Provincial Nomination.

The CRS cut off score will be less than that of Federal Express Entry CRS requirement, which was 472 on February 5.

Alberta have invited a total of 501 Express Entry candidates in January 2020.

In order to be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, candidates needs to be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s “economic development and diversification priorities.”

In order to receive an invitation, a job offer in Alberta is not required. The AINP will prioritize the candidates who have:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in the province.

 

February 6, 2020

 

MPNP | LATEST EXPRESSION OF INTEREST DRAW | ISSUES 181 INVITATIONS

 

The 82nd Manitoba Expression of Interest draw took place on January 30.

A total of 181 invitations has been issued to immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

The draw details are as follows:
MPNP under the Expression of Interest System

EOI Draw #82

Draw Date: January 30, 2020

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 124
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 548

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 18

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 39
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 679

Of the 181 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 11 were issued to candidates who had a valid Express Entry profile.

 

February 5, 2020

 

3,500 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 136^th Express Entry draw on February 5, 2020.

Draw Number: 136
Draw Date: February 5, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,500
Minimum CRS: 472
Tie-breaking rule: January 30, 2020

In the latest Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada, 3,500 candidates will be issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 472 points in the latest draw. In the previous draw, on January 22, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 471 points. An increase of 1 point has seen in latest draw.

Tie-breaking rule was applied for the February 5 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 472 points will receive an ITA.

As multiple candidates have 472 points, those who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before January 30, 2020 at 07:36:26 UTC will be prioritized.

The February 5 invitation round brings the total number of ITAs issued this year to 10,300.

 

January 26, 2020

 

QUEBEC EDUCATION MINISTRY INTRODUCES NEW CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT FOREIGN TEACHERS.

The education ministry is seeking foreigners who are not teachers in their own country and providing information on how they can become teachers in Québec.

The launch of this campaign will largely target newcomers, as well as teachers in other provinces, to address the current shortage of teachers in Quebec schools.

Quebec’s Education Minister Jean-François Roberge made a statement that the “shortage of teachers in the province is the biggest challenge his ministry faces in 2020”.

The campaign’s website “Devenir enseignant” (Becoming a Teacher) is targeted towards immigrant professionals and students who are either working in teaching or are thinking about changing the direction of their studies or career.

In addition to basic information on the teaching profession, this new website contains a description of the teacher’s duties, instructions on how to obtain a teaching license, resources for finding a job in the field, as well as practical information for teachers who wish to immigrate to Québec.

According to information provided on the site, many training courses are internationally recognized for teaching in Quebec and many professional and educational pathways lead to this profession.

Foreign teachers who are interested in immigrating to Quebec can find a list of the internationally recognized programs that will allow them to teach in Quebec from various countries. They can verify whether their training is recognized and, if so, the procedure to apply.

The ministry expressed that even if potential overseas candidates are not working as teachers at the moment, it is possible for them to become one in Quebec.

Schools in Quebec are facing a critical shortage of teachers, the need for skilled workers to fulfill these roles has never been greater. If you are a foreign teacher or a newcomer looking to go into the teaching sector in Quebec, now is the best time to get the process started.

 

January 25, 2020

 

Alberta issued 150 invitations to candidates in the federal Express Entry Pool to apply for a provincial nomination on January 9.

Candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 350 were given NOIs.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) to select eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool.

A job offer or previous work in Alberta is not required to be eligible for this draw, the AINP says it may give priority to candidates with:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta.

 

January 22, 2020

 

Canada invites 3400 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence in the 135^th Express Entry draw on January 22^nd, 2020. Cut-off score drops two points in this invitation round

Draw Number: 135
Draw Date: January 22, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,400
Minimum CRS: 471
Tie-breaking rule: May 9, 2019

The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in today’s draw was 471, which is 2 points less than the previous Express Entry draw on January 8.

IRCC has now issued a total of 6800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2020 through the Express Entry system.

The Express Entry system manage the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates are assigned a score under Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which calculate points for factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible under the Express Entry system, but will be awarded additional points to candidates who have one.

IRCC applied a tie-break time and date of May 9, 2019 at 01:16:02 UTC in this draw. This means that all candidates with a score of 471 who submitted their profile before this date and time received an ITA.

 

January 18, 2020

 

Ontario held a draw that targeted candidates in the Express Entry system who had experience in specific jobs in the tech industry on January 15 and 954 candidates got invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residency.

Those who received a Notification of Interest (NOI) in the January 15 draw had Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores between 460 and 472.

Candidates selected in this draw also needed work experience in one of the following six occupations:

1. Software engineers and designers – NOC 2173
2. Computer programmers and interactive media developers – NOC 2174
3. Computer engineers – NOC 2147
4. Web designers and developers – NOC 2175
5. Database analysts and data administrators – NOC 2172
6. Computer and information systems managers – NOC 0213

In order to be considered for a Tech Draw, candidates must have an eligible Express Entry profile registered under the Federal Skilled Worker Class or Canadian Experience Class and the candidates in the Express Entry pool are assigned a score under the CRS that is based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

OINP Tech Draws are conducted through the Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities immigration stream, which allows the OINP to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream’s eligibility requirements.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

 

January 14, 2020

 

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) issued 234 invitations to candidates in the province’s Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams on Monday, January 13.

The province had issued 308 invitations to candidates in the same sub-categories on January 10.

To be selected, interested candidates must create an EOI profile and will be assessed on the factors such as work experience, education, language ability, age, and connections to the province.

Candidates are then given a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The highest-scoring candidates are then issued an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

No job offer is required in order to receive an invitation from Saskatchewan. Candidates needed at least one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Saskatchewan issued 125 invitations to candidates who had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool and 109 invitations to Occupations In-Demand candidates.

The minimum score required in the January 13 draws was 69 for both sub-categories.

The January 13 draw issued invitations to candidates in 65 occupations, such as financial managers, human resource professionals, and university professors and lecturers among others.

 

January 13, 2020

 

Saskatchewan invited 308 candidates from both the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams to apply for a provincial nomination in its first draw of 2020 on January 9.

Candidates need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP and a job offer is not required. They also need one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

SINP will assesses the EXPRESSION OF INTEREST profiles on the basis of factors such as age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan once they are submitted and then awards a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply through regular draws.

In both categories, candidates needed a minimum score of 69 in order to be invited in the latest SINP selection round.

The SINP issued 142 invitations to candidates who had valid Express Entry profiles.

If candidates in the Express Entry pool filled out an EOI for Saskatchewan and scored 69 on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid, then they may have been selected in the latest invitation round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points.

There were 166 Occupations In-Demand candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a score of 69 in order to be eligible to receive invitation.

The January 9 draw issued invitations to candidates in 82 occupations.

Some of these in-demand occupations include managers in agriculture, administrative officers, and electronic service technicians for household and business equipment.

 

January 11, 2020

 

Ontario issued its first Express Entry-linked invitation of 2020 on Friday, inviting 242 candidates to apply for a nomination through its French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream.

The stream is one of three Ontario immigration pathways that are aligned with the Express Entry.

A provincial nomination give an additional 600 CRS points, guaranteeing an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream allows the province’s immigrant nominee program, the OINP, to search the Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream’s eligibility requirements.

Candidates must be able to understand, read, write and speak French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher and must also be able to understand, read, write and speak English at CLB level 6 or higher.

242 Express Entry candidates who received a Notification of Interest (NOI) in the January 9 draw had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores ranging from 433 to 472.

 

January 8, 2020

 

3,400 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 134th Express Entry draw.

This is the first Express Entry draw of 2020.

Draw Number: 134
Draw Date: January 8th, 2020
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,400
Minimum CRS: 473
Tie-breaking rule: December 27th, 2019

Canada’s first Express Entry draw of 2020 issued 3,400 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of this draw was 473.

Today’s draw was slightly larger than the previous invitation round held December 19, which issued 3,200 ITAs.

The CRS score was high compared to the December 19 draw, which is of 469.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie-break time and date of December 27, 2019, at 13:35:09 UTC in this draw.

 

January 6, 2020

 

UPDATE ON 2020 PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM | PARENT AND GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM ON HOLD

The Canadian government has decided to postpone the parents and grandparents program in order to find a better system to admit applicants.

This will give all interested sponsors the same opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form and a fair chance to be invited to apply.

The popular immigration program usually opens to new applicants in January, but with huge response over the last few years, the government decides to take a step back and rethink about the approach.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino informed that the program will reopen sometime next year.

Government’s plans for the future intake system might be updated by April 2020.

The program admits about 20,000 people annually, but current processing times are around two years.

There are many requirements and lengthy application processes for Family sponsorship to Canada. Allow FAST TO CANADA to help you through this process and help your family reunite in Canada quickly.

Book a consultation today to speak with an immigration professional about your case!

 

January 5, 2020

 

EXPRESS ENTRY 2019 REVIEW

Canada invited 85,300 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in 2019 through its main immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers.

This was the second-highest invitation total since the Express Entry system was introduced in 2015. The highest was the record 89,800 ITAs that were issued the year before.

Express Entry manage the pool of candidates for Canada’s three Federal High-Skilled immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class — and a portion of its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), held a total of 26 draws from the Express Entry pool in 2019 ranging from 3,200 to 3,900 ITAs in each draw.

The last three months of 2019 were a case in point as draw sizes increased to 3,900 ITAs in October. Then it dropped to 3,600 in November and finished the year with two December invitation rounds of 3,200 ITAs each.

ITAs are issued to Express Entry candidates based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is determined by their age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French, among other factors.

Over the 24 all-program draws held in 2019, the cut-off score ranged from 438 on January 30 to 475 on October 30.

Another factor that could help explain the higher minimum required CRS scores in 2019 is the growing number of Express Entry candidates who are receiving a provincial nomination.

Canada is setting higher admissions targets for its PNP and the various provinces and territories that participate in the program are taking advantage of this to issue nominations to Express Entry candidates.

Ontario alone issued 8,996 invitations to Express Entry candidates in 2019, up from 6,978 the year before.

The target for new permanent resident admissions through the three Federal High-Skilled programs is slated to rise to 85,800 in 2020 and 88,800 in 2021.

The target for Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program is also set to rise to 67,800 in 2020 and 71,300 in 2021.

 

January 4, 2020

 

Canada has updated the settlement funds requirement for two Express Entry programs.

The federal government has increased the amount of funds that certain skilled workers needs to possess for immigrating to Canada.

Immigrants need to prove that they have a certain amount of savings in order to qualify without a job offer in the Express Entry-managed Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

If you are invited to apply, you must give written proof that you have the required money with you.

Note that you do not need proof of funds if you are currently authorized to work in Canada and have a valid job offer or if you are applying under the Canadian Experience Class – CEC (this includes provincial nominees who are part of the CEC stream).

The amount of money you need to support your family is set by the size of your family.

According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the following family members can be included in an application for Canadian permanent residence:

• the principal applicant;
• their spouse or partner;
• their dependent children; and
• their spouse’s dependent children.

Spouses and dependent children must be included on the application even if they are already permanent residents or Canadian citizens, or if they are not coming to Canada with the applicant.

You will need to show proof that you have enough money when you apply to immigrate.

 

December 26, 2019

Saskatchewan invited 595 Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) held the draws on December 20. Candidates needed to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP. No job offer is required to qualify.

Candidates also needed to have one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Candidates with eligible EOI profiles are awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid. This scoring system considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French, and connections to Saskatchewan.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the SINP’s EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued invitations to apply through regular draws.

A total of 304 invitations issued on December 20 went to candidates who had valid Express Entry profile.

Express Entry candidates with the minimum score of 69 points in the SINP assessment grid, were issued the invitations in the latest round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

A total of 291 Occupations In-Demand candidates were invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a score of 69 in order to receive invitation.

The SINP has now issued 6,284 invitations to candidates in both sub-categories.

The December 20 draw issued invitations to candidates in 96 occupations. Some of these in-demand occupations include: corporate sales managers; supervisors, finance and insurance office workers; and paralegals.

 

December 23, 2019

 

Nova Scotia invited 144 Express Entry candidates who work in advertising, marketing or public relations for Canadian permanent residence through its Labour Market Priorities Stream.

Selected candidates should have National Occupation Code (NOC) 1123 to apply for a provincial nomination.

Selected candidates need to provide reference letter from employers to show that they have two or more years of full-time or equivalent part-time experience in advertising, marketing or public relations within the five years preceding the application.

Candidates also needed to have English as their first language and need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 9 or higher in all four language skills.

The candidates needed a master’s degree, and should provide proof of education through Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

They also needed to have submitted an Expression of Interest to the Express Entry pool on or after Jan 1, 2019.

Those who were selected have a chance to receive a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia. Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points.

Selected candidates, who has received a Letter of Invitation in the latest draw must submit a complete application to NSNP before Jan 19, 2020.

 

December 21, 2019

 

3,200 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian P R in the latest Express Entry draw held on December 19th, 2019. The CRS cut-off score drop by three points to 469.

Draw Number: 133
Draw Date: December 19th, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,200
Minimum CRS: 469
Tie-breaking rule: November 14th, 2019

Canada has now issued 85,300 invitations to apply for permanent residence to Express Entry candidates in 2019.

The minimum CRS cut-offs had been high in the past few draws, this draw saw a three-point drop to 469 compared to last week’s 472.

 

December 18, 2019

 

QUEBEC INCREASED SPONSORSHIP, SETTLEMENT, APPLICATION FEE FOR 2020 | CHANGES WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM JANUARY 1

Quebec will be increasing its financial support requirements and application fees for 2020.

The settlement funds and financial capacity amounts required for sponsors in Quebec will increase on January 1. Application processing fees will also increase on the same day.

The change in consumer prices in Quebec was of 1.72 per cent this year excluding alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.

The new rate will affect the following scales:

• The financial capacity of Quebec residents wishing to undertake family reunification within the group sponsorship program;
• The financial requirements for foreign nationals wishing to study in Quebec and their accompanying family members;
• The financial resources needed to assess the financial self-sufficiency of Quebec Skilled Worker Program candidates, self-employed workers, entrepreneurs in Streams One and Two, and the Quebec Experience Program.

In order to apply for a permanent selection from Quebec, the principal applicant will have to pay $812 in processing fees. They must also pay $174 for each additional family member included in the application.

 

December 11, 2019

 

3,200 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the latest Express Entry draw on December 11, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 472.

Draw Number: 132
Draw Date: December 11, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,200
Minimum CRS: 472
Tie-breaking rule: December 6th, 2019

The new Express Entry draw on December 11 invited 3,200 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score draw was 472.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie-break time and date of December 6, 2019, at 03:03:49 UTC in this draw. This means that all candidates with a score of 472 who submitted their profile before this date and time received an ITA.

IRCC has now issued 82,100 ITAs in 2019. This is 7,700 ITAs short of the 89,800 that were issued in 2018, which stands as the most ITAs issued in a single year through the Express Entry system.

 

December 7, 2019

 

Alberta issued 132 invitations to candidates in the federal Express Entry pool in a draw held December 5.
The invitations went to Express Entry candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of 400 and up.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) to select eligible candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry system.

The cut-off score of 400 in this latest invitation round is significantly lower than the cut-off scores for draws conducted through the Express Entry system itself this year.

Job offer or previous work experience in Alberta is not required in order to be eligible. But having a job offer or work experience in Alberta, a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer, or a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta may give priority to candidates.

A total of 6752 express entry candidates got invited this year by Alberta through this program.

 

November 30, 2019

 

Saskatchewan held an Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw on November 28, inviting 460 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal government’s Express Entry system.

A total of 200 Express Entry candidates and 260 Occupations In-Demand candidates were invited to apply in the November 28 draw. This draw issued invitations to candidates in 97 eligible occupations.

Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories does not require a job offer in Saskatchewan, but, must have one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation that is related to their field of study.

The SINP has now issued a total of 5,689 invitations to candidates through 15 draws since September 25.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan through either sub-category, candidates must first register an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP.

Eligible EOI profiles for both sub-categories are awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid, which considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Saskatchewan.

 

November 28, 2019

 

Latest Express Entry draw invited 3,600 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence on November 27th, 2019.

The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 471, less than one point from the previous draw on November 13th.

Draw Number: 131
Draw Date: November 27th, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,600
Minimum CRS: 471
Tie-breaking rule: November 11, 2019

This draw brings the total number of Express Entry candidates who have received an ITA this year to 78,900.

As Canada has committed to welcoming over one million newcomers in the next three years, the minimum requirements for receiving an ITA will fall, and number of invitations will rise.

 

November 23, 2019

 

The latest Alberta’s Express Entry-aligned immigrant nominee stream draw invited 148 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on November 6 draw with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 400.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Alberta, candidates must have a profile in the federal Express Entry system.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) manages the Alberta Express Entry Stream, which allows the AINP to search the Express Entry pool for eligible candidates.

The AINP says Express Entry candidates who can demonstrate strong ties to Alberta, or who can support the province’s economic development and diversification objectives, may be asked to submit an application for a provincial nomination.

A job offer is not required in Alberta to be considered.

 

November 23, 2019

 

Quebec issued a total of 162 invitations to apply for selection under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, after holding two draws in October.

Details of the October 23 and October 29 draws have been released.

On October 23, Quebec invited 89 people to apply for permanent selection. These candidates were chosen based on Quebec’s labour market needs.

Candidates invited in this latest selection round were among the roughly 16,000 Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) candidates who had their original applications to the program cancelled by the passage of reforms to Quebec’s Immigration Act. These changes were passed into law on June 16, 2019.

Additionally, they were either exempt from the cap that had been in place when they first applied to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program or were residing in Quebec on a study or work permit on June 16, 2019.

All those invited on October 23 had an Expression of Interest in Quebec’s online registration portal, Arrima.

Then on October 29, 2019, Quebec invited 73 candidates to submit an application for permanent selection.

Those invited in that draw needed to have a valid offer of employment. Invitations were also sent to foreign nationals staying in Quebec carrying out official duties. Among other occupations, these officials included diplomats, consular officers, and representatives of an intergovernmental organization such as the United Nations.

Quebec has invited 1757 QSWP candidates with an Arrima profile since July 4.

What is Arrima?

Arrima was introduced in 2018 to manage the bank of candidates for the QSWP after the program was switched from a paper-based “first-come, first-served” application approach to an Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

Quebec’s EOI system manages the bank of candidates for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ), which is required in order to apply for permanent residence in the province through the QSWP.

Candidates express their interest by creating a profile in Arrima, which is then placed in the pool of candidates and ranked based on either a score or other criteria.

Quebec’s Immigration Ministry issues invitations to apply for a CSQ based on either a candidate’s score or other factors such as labour needs in the province’s rural areas.

Candidates who receive a CSQ can apply for permanent residence with Canada’s federal immigration ministry, which verifies medical and criminal admissibility.

 

 

November 22, 2019

 

On November 21, Prince Edward Island (PEI) issued 171 invitations to immigration candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories.

This is the second-largest draw in 2019 after February 21 draw, which issued a total of 199 invitations.

157 candidates were invited through the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories and 14 invitations to candidates with an EOI profile in the province’s Business Impact: Work Permit Stream.

PEI’s Express Entry Category is linked to the federal Express Entry system. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination will be awarded 600 additional points.

In order to be invited for a PEI provincial nomination, Express Entry candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the PEI PNP. EOI profiles are awarded a score and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply through monthly draws.

The PEI PNP did not provide a breakdown of how many Express Entry candidates were invited or the minimum EOI score required. Those invited through Work Permit stream needed a minimum EOI score of 130.

The PEI PNP has now issued 1,336 invitations to apply through the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories in 2019 and a total of 182 invitations have been issued to foreign entrepreneurs through business impact category – work permit stream.

 

November 21, 2019

 

MARCO MENDICINO APPOINTED AS NEW CANADIAN IMMIGRATION MINISTER

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named Marco Mendicino as Canada’s next Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

The 46 year old Mendicino represents the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence in Toronto, Ontario and has a background in law and worked for nearly 10 years as a federal prosecutor.

Mendicino will be replacing Ahmed Hussen who led Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) since 2017. Hussen will be taking over the role of Minister of Families Children and Social Development.

In 2017, Mendicino served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

Mendicino will now be responsible for making the case for immigration policies promised by the Liberal Party of Canada during the recent federal election.

The Liberals won a minority government, meaning they will have to rely on opposition votes to implement their pledges to raise immigration levels, create a Municipal Nominee Program, waive citizenship fees and make the Atlantic Immigration Pilot a permanent program.

 

November 16, 2019

 

Saskatchewan held another Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw November 12, and invited 525 skilled workers to apply for a provincial nomination.

A total of 303 Express Entry candidates were invited to apply in the November 12 draw.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points.

The Occupation In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile.

In this selection round, 222 Occupation In-Demand candidates were invited to apply for a nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The SINP’s Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories are popular because they do not require a job offer in Saskatchewan.

Both sub-categories require that candidates have one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation that is related to their field of study, among other criteria.

The SINP has now issued 5,229 invitations to candidates in both sub-categories since September 25.

The November 12 draw issued invitations to candidates in 94 occupations such as human resource managers, database analysts and administrators, drafting technologists and technicians, and power engineers and power systems operators.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan through either sub-category, candidates must first register an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP.

Eligible EOI profiles for both sub-categories are awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid, which considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Saskatchewan.

This score determines a candidate’s rank in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued an invitation to apply through regular draws conducted by the SINP.

All eligible Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates with a score of 69 points or higher were invited to apply in the November 12 draws. Invited candidates needed to have educational credential assessments for degrees and diplomas obtained outside of Canada.

 

November 14, 2019

 

3,600 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 130th Express Entry draw on November 13th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 472.

Draw Number: 130
Draw Date: November 13th, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,600
Minimum CRS: 472
Tie-breaking rule: October 8th, 2019

The 130th draw has issued 3,600 invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates under the Federal Express Entry system. After the previous round’s minimum CRS increase to 475, the CRS score has dropped by 3 points this week.

This draw brings the total number of ITAs issued this year to 75,300.

The Express Entry 2018 report revealed that there has been a continued increase in the number of ITAs issued since the launch of Express Entry in 2015, with the number of invitations reaching an all-time high last year.

 

November 11, 2019

 

Manitoba invited 180 skilled workers, international student graduates and Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in the latest draw held on November 7.
The draw details are as given below;

MPNP under the Expression of Interest System

 

EOI Draw #76

Draw Date: November 7, 2019

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 133
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 560

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 23

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 24 who were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 719

Of the 180 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 23 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

 

November 10, 2019

 

Details of the latest two Alberta Express Entry draws has been released.

Alberta invited 401 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in its last two draws in October.

A draw held on October 24 selected 372 candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry system, and the draw held on October 30 invited 29 candidates.

Express Entry candidates invited by Alberta in its October 24 draw had CRS scores of 300 and the second draw held on October 30 send invitations to candidates with a CRS score of 350 and above.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, candidates must be eligible for one of the three Express Entry-managed programs and have a valid profile in the Express Entry pool.

Alberta may select profiles from the Express Entry pool belonging to candidates who can demonstrate strong ties to Alberta. The selected candidates will be invited to submit an application for a provincial nomination through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, which is managed by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).

A job offer in Alberta is not required. But the AINP says it is more likely to issue invitations to an Express Entry candidate who has an Alberta job offer or work experience Chances are high if the candidate is a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution and/or has a relative living in Alberta such as a parent, child, or sibling.

The chances may decrease if the candidate’s Express Entry profile expires within three months and/or the candidate is working in an occupation on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list, as well as the list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta, and any occupation that already has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams.

 

 

November 4, 2019

 

QUEBEC SUSPENDS IMMIGRANT INVESTOR PROGRAM | ENTREPRENEUR & SELF-EMPLOYED WORKER PROGRAMS TO BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

The province of Quebec has recently made updates to three of its business immigration programs. The Quebec Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Worker programs will both start accepting applications as of November 1st, 2019, while the Quebec Investor Program will be suspending intake of applications until next year.

The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, which allows investors to obtain Canadian permanent residence with a $1.2 million investment, has been suspended until July 1, 2020.

The suspension took effect from November 1, 2019.

Nearly 20,000 applications for permanent residence through the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program have yet to be processed. The department will use the suspension period to review the program.

To participate in the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, individuals invest $1.2 million, which is returned interest-free after five years.

In order to be eligible, investors need at least $2,000,000 in legally acquired net worth and a minimum of two years of management experience within the past five years, among other criteria.

Quebec has announced new application intake periods for its entrepreneur and self-employed programs. The Quebec Entrepreneur Program will accept a total of 60 applications from November 1st, 2019 to September 30th, 2020. Of the 60 applications, a maximum of 25 applications will be accepted in stream 1 and 35 applications in stream 2.

Stream 1 is a pathway for individuals who score more than 41 on the Quebec Economic Class selection Grid.

They must also intend to settle in Quebec to operate an enterprise that the entrepreneur creates, alone or with other persons.

Stream Two applicants need a score of 81 and have a net worth of at least $900,000, among other criteria.

The Self-Employed Worker Program will also begin accepting applications from November 1st, 2019 to September 30th, 2020. The program will accept a total of 50 applications during this time period.

 

November 2, 2019

 

Saskatchewan invites 858 Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates on October 31.

The SINP’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, and Occupation In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile.

The SINP has now held six selection rounds through its Express Entry sub-category and five for Occupation In-Demand candidates since September 25.

A total of 4,704 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination have been issued to candidates in both sub-categories through 11 invitation rounds.

The October 31 draw issued invitations to candidates in 58 occupations such as human resource professionals, Information systems analysts and consultants, Database analysts and data administrators, Drafting technologists and technicians, and Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan through either sub-category, candidates must register an Expression of Interest, or EOI, with Saskatchewan.

Eligible candidates for both sub-categories are awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid, which considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Saskatchewan.

The highest-ranked candidates are issued an invitation to apply through regular draws conducted by the SINP.

All eligible Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates with a score of 69 points or higher were invited to apply in the October 31 draws. The SINP also selected eligible candidates with 68 points who had 10 years of work experience and language proficiency in English or French of CLB 7 or higher.

 

October 30, 2019

 

3,900 candidates will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the October 30 Express Entry draw.

Draw Number: 129
Draw Date: October 30th, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,900
Minimum CRS: 475
Tie-breaking rule: August 29th, 2019

The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 475 points.

In the previous all-program draw, which occurred on October 2, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 464 points.

The tie-breaking rule was applied for the October 30 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 475 points will receive an ITA. As multiple candidates have 475 points, those who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before August 29, 2019 at 03:50:24 UTC will be prioritized.

 

October 26, 2019

 

Quebec issued 169 new invitations under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program in its latest draw.

Details of the September 25 draw were released.

All candidates who got invited on September 25 had an Expression of Interest in ARRIMA, Quebec’s online registration portal.

Quebec has now invited 1,595 QSWP candidates with an Arrima profile since July 4.

What is Arrima?

Arrima was introduced in 2018 to manage the bank of candidates for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ), which is required in order to apply for permanent residence in the province through the QSWP.

Candidates express their interest by creating a profile in Arrima, which is then placed in the pool of candidates and ranked based on either a score or other criteria.

Quebec’s Immigration Ministry issues invitations to apply for a CSQ based on either a candidate’s score or other factors such as labour needs in the province.

Candidates who receive a CSQ can apply for permanent residence with Canada’s federal immigration ministry, which verifies medical and criminal admissibility.

 

October 26, 2019

 

Saskatchewan conducts another draw for Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates on October 24, issuing 922 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination.

SINP has now issued almost 4,000 invitations since September 25.

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) sub-categories, neither requires a job offer in Saskatchewan or Canadian work experience in order to be eligible.

The Occupation In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile.

The SINP has now held five selection rounds through its Express Entry sub-category and four through Occupation In-Demand, since September 25 and a total of 3,846 invitations have been issued to candidates in both sub-categories through these nine invitation rounds.

Occupations in this latest draw includes managerial, professional and technical/skilled trades’ professions.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan through either sub-categories, candidates must register an Expression of Interest (EOI), with Saskatchewan.

Eligible candidates for both sub-categories are awarded a score out of 100 considering the factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French and ties to Saskatchewan, based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The highest-ranked candidates are issued an invitation to apply through regular draws conducted by the SINP.

Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates invited on October 24 draw had a minimum score of 69.

Express Entry candidates who apply and receive a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan will get an additional 600 points to their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

 

October 26, 2019

 

MPNP under the Expression of Interest System

EOI Draw #75

Draw Date: October 24, 2019

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 117
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 567

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 16

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 24 who were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 685

 

Of the 157 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 12 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

 

October 26, 2019

 

The province of Alberta invited 115 federal Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in a draw held on October 9.

Previous Alberta Express Entry Stream draws have selected federal candidates with CRS scores as low as 300.

A provincial nomination results in an additional 600 CRS points and guarantees an invitation to apply in a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

Express Entry candidates who can demonstrate strong ties to Alberta, or who can support the province’s economic development and diversification objectives, may be invited to submit an application for a provincial nomination through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, which is managed by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).

The AINP says it is more likely to issue invitations to an Express Entry candidate who:

• has an Alberta job offer and/or work experience; and/or
• is a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution; and/or
• has a relative living in Alberta such as a parent, child, and/or sibling.

The following factors may decrease a candidate’s likelihood of being selected:

• the Express Entry profile expires within three months
• Express Entry candidates are working in an occupation on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list, as well as the list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta, and any occupation that already has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams.

 

October 22, 2019

 

Justin Trudeau will be returning to 24 Sussex Drive as Canada’s prime minister, but this time he will be leading a Liberal minority government.

Liberal immigration policies will continue, but they’ll now need opposition support

The Liberal minority led by Justin Trudeau will face an opposition led by the Conservative Party of Canada.

Polls had both parties effectively tied for most of the campaign period and each earned around 34 per cent of the popular vote Monday night.

Bloc Québécois took the third-most seats, followed by the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Green Party.

Minority status means they will now have to find common ground among their opponents in Parliament in order to pass legislation.

However, given that all five parties represented in the House of Commons campaigned on essentially pro-immigration policies, obtaining majority support for immigration policies may be possible.

 

October 20, 2019

 

The province of Saskatchewan has announced details of their largest draw ever.

October 17^th draw issued 986 invitations to eligible candidates under Saskatchewan’s Express Entry stream, under the International Skilled Worker category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program.

The 986 invitations went to candidates in the federal Express Entry system who had registered a separate profile with the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

The SINP allows Saskatchewan to nominate immigration candidates with skills required in the province’s labour market.

The 986 invitations were the most issued in a single draw through the SINP’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system, which was introduced in July 2018.

Express Entry candidates are not required to have a job offer from a Saskatchewan employer in order to be eligible for a nomination from the SINP. However, work experience in an eligible occupation that is aligned with their field of study is necessary, among other requirements.

The October 17 draw issued invitations to Express Entry candidates with work experience in the following 12 occupations.

1. Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 0621)
2. Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 0631)
3. Construction managers (NOC 0711)
4. Managers in agriculture (NOC 0821)
5. Other financial officers (NOC 1114)
6. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311)
7. Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171)
8. Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
9. Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 4214)
10. Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade (NOC 6221)
11. Heavy-duty equipment mechanics (NOC 7312)
12. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (NOC 7321)

Express Entry candidates invited in the SINP’s October 17^th draw had a minimum score of 67 under the SINP’s EOI points grid.

This score is based on factors including age, education, work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Saskatchewan.

 

October 20, 2019

 

Prince Edward Island issued a total of 158 new invitations to immigration candidates in a draw held on October 17.

The invitations went to candidates in Prince Edward Island (PEI)’s Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories.

Out of 158 invitations, 146 went to the Express Entry and Labour Impact categories.

In order to be considered for a nomination, Express Entry candidates must submit a separate Expression of Interest (EOI) to the PEI PNP.

EOI profiles are awarded a score, based on PEI’s unique point grid and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply through monthly draws.

The PEI PNP did not provide a breakdown of how many Express Entry candidates and Labour Impact Category Candidates were invited or the minimum EOI score required.

The Labour Impact Category is for foreign nationals with a valid job offer in the province and is divided into three streams: Skilled Worker, Critical Worker and International Graduate.

Submitting an EOI profile is also required in order to be considered for a provincial nomination through the Labour Impact Category.

The PEI PNP has now issued a total of 1,177 invitations to apply through its Express Entry and Labour Impact categories in 2019.

The remaining 12 invitations were issued to candidates with EOI profile in PEI’s Business Impact: Work Permit Stream category, who had a minimum EOI score of 122.

The Work Permit Stream is for individuals who are interested in owning and operating a business on PEI.

 

October 17, 2019

 

Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited a total of 500 candidates to apply for Canada PR in the express draw held on October 16th. This is a program-specific draw, only issuing ITAs to candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades program. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off was 357 points.

Draw Number: 128
Draw Date: October 16th, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 500
Minimum CRS: 357
Program Specified: Federal Skilled Trades
Tie-breaking rule: March 4th, 2019

This is the second time in the year 2019 that a program-specific express draw was held that targeted Federal Skilled Trades Class. This program is for the immigrants with a certificate of qualification that prove that they are qualified to work in an eligible skilled trade in Canada OR have an eligible offer of employment in Canada, and among other major criteria.

In order to qualify for this program, candidates need to have at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade, in addition to a valid job offer and a minimum language requirement of CLB level 4.

IRCC used their tie-break rule and was March 4, 2019, at 20:36:42 UTC.

This draw is the second Federal Specific Trades draws that have conducted in 2019. The previous Federal Skilled Trades specific draw occurred on May 15th, 2019.

 

October 13, 2019

 

Manitoba invited 193 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in October 10 draw.

Invited candidates had a profile registered under Manitoba’s Skilled Worker in Manitoba, Skilled Worker Overseas, or International Education Stream.

Manitoba has now issued a total of 6,574 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) this year.

Latest draw details are as follows:

MPNP under the Expression of Interest System

Draw #74

Draw Date: October 10, 2019

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 147
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 567

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 24

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 22 
•  Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 718

Of the 193 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 24 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

 

October 12, 2019

 

Alberta has released the details of the provincial draw that was held on September 25th where a total of 374 express entry candidates invited with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score as low as 400 points to apply for provincial nomination for Canada Permanent Residence status.

The AINP allows participating provinces and territories to nominate an allotted number of candidates for Canadian permanent residence each year.

All provinces and territories that take part in the PNP have at least one stream that is linked to Canada’s Express Entry system.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the AINP to search the federal Express Entry pool for skilled foreign workers with strong ties to Alberta or who are working in an occupation that supports the province’s economic development and diversification priorities.

Candidates are not required to have a job offer in Alberta, but having one will give an upper hand.

The lowest-ranked Express Entry candidate invited in the AINP’s September 25 selection round had a CRS score of 400.

With this provincial draw, the number of express entry candidates invited by the province of Alberta in 2019 has risen to 6,088.

 

October 10, 2019

 

Saskatchewan conducts its third invitation round on October 8, inviting 559 Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

SINP has issued a total of 1,938 invitations from three draws after expanding the Occupation in demand list on September 18.

At least one year of work experience in an eligible occupation related to one’s field of study is required under both the Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories.

A job offer in Saskatchewan or Canadian work experience is not required to become eligible.

In the October 8th draw, a total of 16 eligible occupations were represented through the invitations issued to the candidates.

Following is the occupation with the National Occupation Classification (NOC) code:

1. Financial managers (NOC 0111)
2. Human resource managers (NOC 0112)
3. Other administrative services managers (NOC 0114)
4. Banking credit and other investment managers (NOC 0122)
5. Managers in agriculture (NOC 0821)
6. Other financial officers (NOC 1114)
7. Administrative officers (NOC 1221)
8. Administrative assistants (NOC 1221)
9. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 1311)
10. Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171)
11. Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
12. Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
13. Architectural technologists and technicians (NOC 2251)
14. Financial sales representatives (NOC 6235)
15. Bakers (NOC 6332)
16. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairs (NOC 7321)

Previously, the October 2 draws invited a total of 610 candidates and September 25 draws issued 769 invitations.

Invited candidates have 60 days to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence. If nominated by Saskatchewan, candidates are guaranteed an opportunity to apply for permanent residence.

Of the 559 people invited to apply on October 8, 231 were Express Entry candidates who have also registered an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the SINP. Other 328 invitations were issued to the Occupation in-demand subcategory registered candidates.

Under this sub-category, candidates with work experience in an eligible occupation and meet other major requirements can apply. The minimum EOI score required for this round of provincial draw was 69 points.

 

October 9, 2019

 

Canada will be making changes at visa application centres (VACs) around the world in the coming weeks.

Two new VACs will open in the Caribbean:

• Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays starting from Oct. 9.
• Castries, Saint Lucia: will be open from Monday to Friday starting from Oct. 10.

In addition, current contracts with VACs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will expire next month and new contracts will result in changes to fees, services, locations and websites.

Starting November 2, VACs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will charge a separate fee to submit applications and send documents.

Other services and fees may also be introduced at these locations.

Also, they will no longer collect biometrics on a walk-in basis.

An appointment will be required and can be made on their new webpages.

New VACs are scheduled to open in:

1. Manama, Bahrain
2. Helsinki, Finland
3. Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
4. The Hague, Netherlands
5. Novosibirsk, Russia
6. Rostov-on-Don, Russia
7. Yekaterinburg, Russia

VACs in Sofia – Bulgaria, and Podgorica – Montenegro will close permanently on Nov. 29, 2019.

The following are important dates for the Sofia and Podgorica centres:

November 1 is the last day they will accept applications and collect biometrics;

November 4 to 29, the centres will let applicants know when they can pick up their documents;

After November 29, documents will be returned directly to applicants and they will get all the services they’ve paid for until this date.

All VACs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will keep their existing service provider, according to the Government of Canada webpage. Service providers will launch new websites for all VACs in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The new websites come online November 2 and will allow users to book appointments to submit biometrics. These appointments are mandatory.

The new websites will also contain updated location information. Existing VAC websites will remain functional until November 1.

 

October 7, 2019

 

Immigration authorities in the province of British Columbia has added eight new communities to participate under the Entrepreneur Regional Pilot of its Entrepreneur Immigration stream.

Over 60 participating communities will now be eligible to accept experienced entrepreneurs who want to set up and manage a new business in a rural community in BC.

The most recently added communities are:

1. Akisqnuk First Nation
2. Canal Flats
3. Invermere
4. Radium Hot Springs
5. Shuswap Indian Band in the Kootenay Region
6. Area F, Area G of the Regional District of East Kootenay
7. Parksville on Vancouver Island
8. Peachland in the Okanagan Valley

The eight new additions bring the number of communities taking part in the regional pilot program to 66.

The Regional Pilot is for foreign entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business in a regional community in B.C.

To be eligible for the BC PNP Entrepreneur Regional Pilot, communities must have a population of less than 75,000, be located beyond 30 km of a municipality of more than 75,000, and demonstrate their capacity to support foreign entrepreneurs through an established network of settlement and business support agencies.

Immigration authorities in British Columbia have set eligibility criteria for applicants and communities alike.

Participating communities must prove that they can offer eligible entrepreneurs a network of settlement and business agencies. Community representatives must attend immigration and pilot-specific training in order to host exploratory visits for interested candidates.

In order to be eligible candidates must:

• have a minimum of $100,000 in eligible business investments;
• have a minimum personal net worth of $300,000;
• conduct an exploratory community visit;
• have 3+ years of experience as an active business owner-manager or 4+ years as a senior manager within the last five years;
• take on a minimum of 51 per cent ownership;
• create a minimum of one new job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• have a minimum proficiency in English or French equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4;

As part of the exploratory visit, international entrepreneurs must present their business idea to the community’s designated contact person.

The contact person will prepare a referral form for submission as part of the applicant’s BC PNP registration.

When registering, candidates must submit details about their work and/or business experience, education, language ability, net worth, and information on the proposed business, among other details.

Candidates will receive a score upon registration. Those with the highest scores will be invited to submit a full application to the BC PNP through monthly invitation rounds.

Applications are assessed within four months, and candidates may invited to attend an in-person interview in Vancouver to discuss the details of their application.

If approved, applicants must sign a performance agreement, which includes all the process that needed to receive a nomination for permanent residence.

Successful applicants receive a work permit support letter from the BC PNP. Afterwards, they can apply to the Government of Canada for a two-year temporary work permit.

 

October 6, 2019

 

British Columbia issued new invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence to Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC candidates. A total of 402 Skills Immigration and Express Entry candidates were invited.

The invitations were issued to the Skilled Workers, International Graduates and Entry level and Semi-skilled Worker categories of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

The minimum scores for this draw for each category are;

EEBC – Skilled Worker: 97 points

EEBC – International Graduate: 101 points

SI – Skilled Worker: 92 points

SI – International Graduate: 97 points

SI – Entry Level & Semi-Skilled: 78 points

EEBC categories are open to candidates with an active profile in Express Entry pool.

Candidates in the Skilled Worker, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled and International Graduate categories are required to register with the BC PNP Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) after completing a profile with the BC PNP’s online system.

SIRS is a points-based system used by the BC PNP to evaluate candidates scores based on factors such as education, work experience and proficiency in English and French.

All invited Skills Immigration and Express Entry candidates must have an indeterminate, full-time job offer with an employer in B.C.

 

October 6, 2019

 

Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration has released details of September 4 invitation round. 32 candidates with an Arrima profile were invited.

The invitations went to candidates who had an Expression of Interest profile and a valid job offer, as well as foreign nationals working as diplomats, consular officers, or representatives of an intergovernmental organization such as the United Nations in Quebec.

The number of people invited dropped compared to previous draw. The July 17 draw, which had similar eligibility requirements, invited 259 candidates.

EOI is a way for candidates to notify Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration that they would like to be considered for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).

A CSQ allows a candidate to apply for permanent residence in Quebec.

Arrima replaced the previous first-come-first-served approach to accepting applications to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

Under the EOI system, candidates create a profile in Arrima and are given a score based on their age, education, area of training, work experience and French proficiency.

Candidates are invited to apply for a CSQ based on their scores or other factors such as labour shortages in the province.

If candidates receive a CSQ they can then apply for permanent residence through Canada’s federal immigration ministry.

 

October 3, 2019

 

Saskatchewan invited 610 candidates, including 396 Express Entry candidates and 214 Occupations In-Demand candidates on October 2 draw.

This is second Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw in two weeks.

This is the second major draw since the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) expanded the number of high-skilled occupations that are eligible under its popular Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories.

Invited candidates represented 77 occupations including human resource professionals, engineers, computer network technicians, legal assistants, educational counsellors, natural and applied science researchers as well as cleaning supervisors.

Candidates need to have one year of work experience in an eligible occupation related to their field of study in order to be considered for a provincial nomination through either sub-category. There are also other eligibility requirements.

A job offer in Saskatchewan and Canadian work experience are not required.

A total of 214 invitations went to Occupation In-Demand candidates and another 396 invitations were issued through the SINP’s Express Entry sub-category.

 

October 2, 2019

 

The October 2 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has resulted in 3,900 candidates being issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 464. In the previous draw, which occurred on September 18, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 462 points.

Draw Number: 127

Draw Date: October 2nd, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,900

Minimum CRS: 464

Tie-breaking rule: September 20th, 2019

Today’s draw saw a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 464, a slight increase from last round’s 462. Although the points are increased, 3,900 candidates were issued an invitation to apply (ITA) in this round, which is largest since January 23rd, 2019, which invited 3900 candidates. Tie-breaking rule was applied for this draw, meaning that not all candidates with 464 points will receive an ITA. Candidates who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before September 20, 2019 at 15:05:04 UTC will be prioritized.

This draw now brings the total numbers of ITAs issued in 2019 to 67,300.

 

October 1, 2019

 

The province of Manitoba invited 224 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in a draw held on September 25. The province’s 73rd Expression of Interest (EOI) draw focused on candidates who had a profile under one of three Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) pathways; i.e.  Skilled Worker in Manitoba, Skilled Worker Overseas, and the International Education Stream.

Draw #73

Draw Date: September 25, 2019

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 140

Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 537

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 25

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 59 who were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative

Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 703

Of the 224 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 15 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

 

September 28, 2019

 

Alberta invited Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as 302 in one of two draws held this month. The Alberta Express Entry Stream is a popular provincial option because it selects Express Entry candidates with scores that are usually well below federal cut-off scores.

Details of the draws held September 11 and September 18 through the Alberta Express Entry Stream were published Thursday.

September 11 draw invited 339 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 302 points or higher and September 18 draw invited 139 candidates to apply with score of 350 and higher.

Candidates are not required to have a job offer in Alberta, but the AINP informs having one may increase the chance of a candidate.

Selected candidates are issued a Notification of Interest from the AINP and are invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The lowest score considered by Alberta draws this year was 300. So far, in 2019, Alberta has issued 4,378 nominations.

 

September 28, 2019

 

The province of Saskatchewan invited 769 Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in a draw held on September 25.

This was the first draw after the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) expanded the number of eligible high-skilled occupations last week, from 19 to 218.

Those invited in this draw represented 100 occupations, including civil and chemical engineers, medical radiation technologists, psychologists, information systems analysts and consultants.

One year of work experience in an eligible occupation related to the candidate’s field of study is required in order to be considered for a provincial nomination.

A job offer in Saskatchewan and Canadian work experience are not required.

A total of 365 invitations went to Occupation In-Demand candidates and another 404 invitations were issued to Express Entry candidates.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan, Express Entry candidates must register a separate Expression of Interest with the SINP.

The minimum scores in this SINP draw were, 70 for Express Entry sub-category candidates and 79 for Occupation In-Demand candidates.

 

September 26, 2019

 

Ontario invited 15 candidates with an expression of interest registered under its Entrepreneur Stream to apply, in a draw conducted on September 20, 2019.

The minimum required score in this draw was 127 out of a maximum score of 200 and only those whose expression of interest was scored by September 12, 2019 where considered.

The Entrepreneur Stream of Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is for foreign entrepreneurs who would like to start a new business or buy an existing one in Ontario.

Interested entrepreneurs need to submit an expression of interest to the OINP and the eligible candidates are entered into the pool of candidates, where they are ranked based on the Entrepreneur Stream’s scoring grid.

Scores contains two components — a self-declared score that is worth up to 126 points and a business concept score that is worth up to 74 points.

Candidates approved through the Entrepreneur Stream receive a letter of support from the OINP that they can use to apply for a temporary work permit from Canada’s federal government.

Candidates approved for a temporary work permit have 20 months to establish their business in Ontario and submit a final report to the OINP, which determines if the terms of their performance agreement have been met.

Approved candidates can then apply for a nomination from the OINP for Canadian permanent residence.

 

September 25, 2019

 

SASKATCHEWAN EXPANDS OCCUPATION IN-DEMAND LIST FOR SINP

Saskatchewan has opened its immigration program to a wider range of occupations, giving more people around the world a shot at settling in a province that offers plenty of job opportunities and high living standards.

The Saskatchewan Occupations In-Demand sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) International Skilled Worker category targets skilled workers in key occupations.

If you have recent work experience in a high-skilled occupations that is not on the SINP Excluded Occupations List below, Saskatchewan’s Occupations In-Demand sub-category could be your route to Canadian immigration.

In September, 2019, Saskatchewan changed the eligibility requirements for the Occupations In-Demand sub-category. Previously, candidates had to have work experience in an occupation listed on Saskatchewan’s in-demand list. Now, candidates must have work experience in a high-skilled occupation that is not listed on Saskatchewan’s Excluded Occupations List.

 

Occupations that will not be eligible under these streams are listed below:

0011       Legislators

0012       Senior government managers and officials

0015       Senior managers – trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.

0311       Managers in health care

0411       Government managers – health and social policy development and program administration

0412       Government managers – economic analysis, policy development and program administration

0413       Government managers – education policy development and program administration

0414       Other managers in public administration

0431       Commissioned police officers

0432       Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers

0433       Commissioned officers of the Canadian Forces

0511       Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers

0512       Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts

0513       Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors

0823       Managers in aquaculture

1111       Financial auditors and accountants

1113       Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers

1227       Court officers and justices of the peace

1228       Employment insurance, immigration, border services and revenue officers

1312       Insurance adjusters and claims examiners

1314       Assessors, valuators and appraisers

1315       Customs, ship and other brokers

2111       Physicists and astronomers

2113       Geoscientists and oceanographers

2114       Meteorologists and climatologists

2115       Other professional occupations in physical sciences

2122       Forestry professionals

2145       Petroleum engineers

2146       Aerospace engineers

2152       Landscape architects

2153       Urban and land use planners

2271       Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors

2273       Deck officers, water transport

2274       Engineer officers, water transport

2275       Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators

3011       Nursing coordinators and supervisors

3012       Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

3111       Specialist physicians

3112       General practitioners and family physicians

3113       Dentists

3114       Veterinarians

3121       Optometrists

3124       Allied primary health practitioners

3125       Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

3131       Pharmacists

3132       Dietitians and nutritionists

3141       Audiologists and speech-language pathologists

3142       Physiotherapists

3144       Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment

3213       Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

3221       Denturists

3222       Dental hygienists and dental therapists

3231       Opticians

3232       Practitioners of natural healing

3233       Licensed practical nurses

3236       Massage therapists

4012       Post-secondary teaching and research assistants

4031       Secondary school teachers

4032       Elementary school and kindergarten teachers

4111       Judges

4112       Lawyers and Quebec notaries

4154       Professional occupations in religion

4155       Probation and parole officers and related occupations

4168       Program officers unique to government

4217       Other religious occupations

4311       Police officers (except commissioned)

4312       Firefighters

4313       Non-commissioned ranks of the Canadian Forces

5111       Librarians

5112       Conservators and curators

5113       Archivists

5121       Authors and writers

5122       Editors

5123       Journalists

5125       Translators, terminologists and interpreters

5131       Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations

5132       Conductors, composers and arrangers

5133       Musicians and singers

5134       Dancers

5135       Actors and comedians

5136       Painters, sculptors and other visual artists

5211       Library and public archive technicians

5212       Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries

5221       Photographers

5222       Film and video camera operators

5223       Graphic arts technicians

5224       Broadcast technicians

5225       Audio and video recording technicians

5226       Technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts

5227       Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts

5231       Announcers and other broadcasters

5232       Other performers, n.e.c.

5241       Graphic designers and illustrators

5242       Interior designers and interior decorators

5243       Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers

5244       Artisans and craftsperson

5245       Patternmakers – textile, leather and fur products

5251       Athletes

5252       Coaches

5253       Sports officials and referees

5254       Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness

6231       Insurance agents and brokers

6232       Real estate agents and salespersons

6311       Food service supervisors

6314       Customer and information services supervisors

6341       Hairstylists and barbers

6343       Shoe repairers and shoemakers

6346       Funeral directors and embalmers

7233       Sheet metal workers

7247       Cable television service and maintenance technicians

7253       Gas fitters

7303       Supervisors, printing and related occupations

7316       Machine fitters

7318       Elevator constructors and mechanics

7331       Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics

7361       Railway and yard locomotive engineers

7372       Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction

8232       Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers

8261       Fishing masters and officers

8262       Fishermen/women

9214       Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing

9217       Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing

9221       Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling

9222       Supervisors, electronics manufacturing

9223       Supervisors, electrical products manufacturing

9224       Supervisors, furniture and fixtures manufacturing

9227       Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly

9235       Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators

9243       Water and waste treatment plant operators

 

 

September 23, 2019

 

Nova Scotia held its second draw this month through its Labour Market Priorities Stream inviting eligible carpenters with an active Express Entry profile to apply for Provincial Nomination. Nova Scotia’s Labour Market Priorities Stream selects candidates in occupations facing shortages.

This stream helps the NOVA SCOTIA NOMINEE PROGRAM to search the Express Entry pool for eligible applicants with work experience in occupations that are facing a shortage of domestic workers.

Selected applicants are required to provide letters of reference from employers to demonstrate that they have skilled trades experience as a carpenter for two or more years.

Self-employed carpenters were also eligible. They need to provide documents from third parties showing the service provided, and payment details.

The selected applicants must also have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 5 or higher in English or French in all four language abilities.

In addition, they must demonstrate enough funds for themselves and their families to establish in Nova Scotia and to pay immigration costs and travel expenses.

The carpenters selected from the September 20 draw now have 30 days to apply for a provincial nomination.

 

September 20, 2019

 

Quebec has invited 444 foreign workers to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate in a draw held August 19.

The draw targeted Quebec Skilled Worker Program candidates with an EOI in Arrima system.

Candidates had to meet the following criteria in order to receive an invitation in the August 19 draw:

• their application for selection submitted under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program was terminated, pursuant to Section 28 of Quebec’s Act to increase Québec’s socio-economic prosperity and adequately meet labour market needs through successful immigrant integration (the Act); and
• they filed an EOI with the Minister before December 17, 2019; and
• their application, which was terminated under the Act, was submitted to the Minister under Section 5.01 of the Regulation respecting the selection of foreign nationals; or
• they were staying in Québec on June 16, 2019, while they held a study or work permit issued pursuant to Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Arrima was introduced last year to receive EOIs for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program and manage its candidates.

An EOI is not an application but a way for candidates to show Quebec’s Immigration Ministry that they would like to be considered for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).

A CSQ allows a candidate to apply for permanent residence in Quebec.

Under the EOI system, candidates create a profile in Arrima and are awarded a score based on factors including their age, education, area of training, work experience and proficiency in French.

Candidates are invited to apply for a CSQ based on either their scores or other factors such as labour shortages in the province’s outlying regions.

Those who apply for and receive a CSQ then apply for permanent residence through Canada’s federal immigration ministry, which verifies medical and criminal admissibility.

 

September 19, 2019

 

3,600 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 126th Express Entry draw which was held on September 18th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw was 462 which is one point lower than the previous draw, which was held on September 4 with a cut-off score of 463.

Draw Number: 126

Draw Date: September 18th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,600

Minimum CRS: 462

Tie-breaking rule: August 29th, 2019

The September 18 invitation round brings the total number of invitations to apply (ITAs) issued this year to 63,400. In 2018, IRCC had issued 58,600 ITAs by this same point and finished that year with a record of 89,800 ITAs.

Tie-break rule was used in the September 18 draw meaning that not all candidates with 462 points will receive an ITA. As multiple candidates have 462 points, those who submitted their Express Entry profile to the pool before August 29, 2019 at 07:57:13 UTC will be prioritized.

The fact the minimum score dropped one point may be due to IRCC maintaining a two-week interval between today’s draw and the previous invitation round on September 4.

In the previous draw, which occurred on September 4, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 463 points. As exactly two weeks have passed between the last draw and this one, there was less time between draws than in the previous round, likely accounting for the slight decrease in the cut-off.

Candidates with scores below today’s cut-off who want to improve their ranking have a number of potential options, the most valuable being a provincial nomination through an enhanced nomination stream.

 

September 19, 2019

 

The 2019 Canadian federal election is scheduled to take place on October 21, 2019, to elect members of the House of Commons to the 43rd Canadian Parliament.

Two of the three major parties will contest this election under new leaders.

Andrew Scheer will lead the Conservative Party and Jagmeet Singh will lead the New Democratic Party.

It is widely believed that immigration could emerge as an issue in this election. Canada’s main federal political parties all stand in favor of immigration. Even though the past four years have seen some conflicts on some issues, such as refugees and Immigration levels.

Since 2017, nearly 50,000 people have crossed into Canada from the United States via unofficial ports of entry to claim asylum.

The sharp rise in asylum applicants surmount Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board and that forced them to discard its 60-day requirement for protection hearings. The same now face an estimated wait time of two years.

The Conservative party depicted this situation as “a crisis” that disturbed public confidence in Canada’s borders and damaged public support for immigration.

The Liberals fought back and accused the Conservatives of spreading misinformation about the situation and using it to stoke public fears for political gain.

Canada’s left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), which is running a distant third in opinion polls, claims that they will allow asylum claimants to make safe, orderly entries into Canada at authorized ports of entry to make an asylum claim.

Elizabeth May, leader of Canada’s Green Party, has opposed Liberal efforts to close the loophole and prevent irregular crossings, saying they do not reflect Canadian values of hospitality and protection.

Public opinion polls released over the course of this year have shown a growing partisan divide on refugees and immigration more generally, with Conservative voters expressing greater concerns than supporters of the Liberals and Canada’s other mainstream federal parties.

Immigration levels

Since coming to power in 2015, the Liberal Party have significantly raised the Immigration Levels.

In 2017, the Liberal government introduced a three-year approach. The multi-year plan saw a gradual increase in the number of immigrants admitted from 310,000 in 2018 to 340,000 in 2020.

This was followed last year with an updated plan through 2021 that could see the number of newcomers admitted to Canada reach 350,000.

Conservative party said if they are elected, they will set immigration levels consistent with what is in Canada’s best interests,” but he has not provided specific targets.

The NDP, meanwhile, has called for more ambitious immigration targets that reflect a more balanced and diverse range of newcomers, including a greater number of privately sponsored and government-assisted refugees.

 

July 24, 2019

 

3,600 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 122^nd Express Entry draw on July 24^th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 459, which is one point lower than the previous draw.

Draw Number: 122
Draw Date: July 24, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,600
Minimum CRS: 459
The July 24 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has resulted in 3,600 candidates being issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold was 459.

In the previous draw, which occurred on July 10, the CRS score cut-off threshold was 460 points. This is the fourth consecutive draw in which the CRS requirement has decreased, having now dropped below 460 points for the first time since May.

This was the 15th Express Entry draw of 2019 and the 122nd since the launch of Express Entry in 2015. With 48,500 ITAs issued so far this year and with Canada’s most ambitious immigration targets on record, the rest of 2019 is shaping up to be big for Express Entry. This could result in continued reductions in the CRS score cut-off at the year progresses.

The record low Express Entry cut-off threshold ever for an all-program draw is 413.

 

July 22, 2019

 

Prince Edward Island issued 135 new invitations to immigration candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories in a new draw held July 18.

The invitations were issued by the province’s immigrant nominee program, PEI PNP.

PEI’s Labour Impact Category is not aligned with the Express Entry system and is divided into three streams — Skilled Workers (in PEI and outside Canada), International Graduates and Critical Workers.

Candidates for these streams must be working in PEI or have an eligible full-time, long-term job offer from an employer in the province, among other criteria.

Candidates in the PEI PNP’s Express Entry and Labour Impact categories who received an invitation can now apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Business candidates invited through the province’s Entrepreneur: Work Permit Stream first apply for a letter of support from the PEI PNP for a temporary work permit. Candidates who fulfil the terms and conditions of their business performance agreement then receive a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

In order to be considered for immigration to PEI through its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories, interested candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest to the PEI PNP.

An Expression of Interest is not an application but is instead a way of notifying the PEI PNP that you would like to be considered for a provincial nomination.

Eligible candidates for each category are entered into a pool where they are ranked based on a score determined by the unique point grid for each category.

The highest-ranked candidates are then invited to apply through monthly draws from each pool.

The PEI PNP does not provide the minimum score for Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates in the July 18 draw. The minimum score for Business Impact candidates was 112.

 

July 21, 2019

 

The MPNP issued invitations in all 3 streams, the Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas and International Education streams.

In Manitoba, the invitation is known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs).

Draw details are as follows:

Draw #70 – July 18, 2019

SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 110
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 539

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STREAM

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 23

SKILLED WORKERS OVERSEAS

• Number of Letters of Advice to Apply issued: 40 who were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative
• Ranking score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 718

Of the 173 Letters of Advice to Apply issued in this draw, 29 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry ID and job seeker validation code.

 

July 19, 2019

 

Alberta has released the details of the latest draw through its Express Entry-linked provincial nomination stream, which took place July 5.

A total of 180 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) were issued to Express Entry candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 425.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream’s eligibility criteria.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence (ITA) from the Government of Canada.

A job offer or previous work experience in Alberta is not required in order to be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, but candidates must demonstrate strong ties to Alberta and be working in an occupation that supports the province’s economic development and diversification priorities. Alberta does not provide a list of eligible occupations.

The AINP also says it may give priority to candidates with:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta.

The AINP has held 17 draws through the Alberta Express Entry Stream so far this year and issued a total of 3,996 NOIs.

The minimum score of 425 was the highest so far for an Alberta Express Entry Stream draw. However, it was well below the most recent cut-off score for a federal Express Entry draw, which was 460.

The lowest cut-off score in the 13 all-program federal Express Entry draw so far in 2019 was 438.

Alberta has selected Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as 300 through the Alberta Express Entry Stream on four occasions in 2019. Three draws had a minimum CRS score of 301 and one other had a cut-off CRS score of 302.

 

July 17, 2019

 

ONTARIO ANNOUNCES NEW IMMIGRATION PILOT FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

On July 15th, the government of Ontario revealed plans to welcome a new immigration pilot program, the Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot. The program intends to attract and retain skilled workers smaller communities within the province. This pilot is anticipated to begin in 2020.

Earlier this year, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot was launched at the federal level with the goal of attracting newcomers to smaller communities across Canada, east of Quebec.

The province of Ontario receives more newcomers than any other, with the majority landing in major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa. Similar to the Rural and Northern Pilot, the upcoming Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot will focus on drawing skilled workers to fill labour gaps in its rural communities; concentrating efforts on addressing the specific needs of Ontario employers and communities.

Ontario is currently gathering feedback from a sample of communities across the province, and is accepting applications from prospective communities who want to participate in the pilot.

At this time, the pilot is not open to individual applicants, as it is in the community selection process. We can expect the Ontario Regional Immigration Pilot to enter into effect in 2020.

 

July 16, 2019

 

Ontario conducted its first Tech Draw on July 12, inviting 1,623 Express Entry candidates with eligible work experience to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Those invited in the July 12 draw had Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores ranging from 439 to 459 and created their Express Entry profiles between July 12, 2018, and July 12, 2019.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced earlier this month that it would begin holding Tech Draws to meet the growing labour needs of the province’s tech sector.

Ontario is home to several of Canada’s major tech hubs, notably those in the cities of Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo.

In order to be considered for a Tech Draw invitation, candidates must have an eligible profile registered under the Federal Skilled Worker Class or Canadian Experience Class, both of which are managed by the federal Express Entry system.

OINP Tech Draws are conducted through the province’s Human Capital Priorities immigration stream, which allows the OINP to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream’s eligibility requirements.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

Tech Draws search specifically for Express Entry candidates who meet the Human Capital Priorities Stream’s eligibility requirements and have at least one year of continuous paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in paid part-time work) in one of the following six tech occupations:

• Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
• Computer engineers (NOC 2147)
• Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
• Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
• Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)

NOC stands for National Occupational Classification, which determines an occupation’s skill level and skill type.

 

July 12, 2019

 

CANADA ANNOUNCES 3-YEAR PERMANENT RESIDENCE PILOT FOR ELIGIBLE AGRI-FOOD WORKERS | ACCEPT FIRST APPLICATIONS IN EARLY 2020 | 16,500 POSSIBLE NEW PERMANENT RESIDENTS OVER THE THREE-YEAR DURATION OF THE PILOT.

Temporary foreign workers with experience in Canada’s agri-food sector will have a new pathway to Canadian permanent residence starting in early 2020.

The three-year Agri-Food Immigration Pilot will help retain experienced, non-seasonal foreign workers with eligible job offers in Canada’s agricultural and agri-foods industry.

The Government of Canada says the industry exported a record $66.2 billion in products in 2018 and supports 1 in 8 jobs across the country, but industries such as meat processing and mushroom production have experienced ongoing difficulty in finding and keeping new employees.

Currently, migrant farm workers who come to Canada through its Temporary Foreign Worker program for seasonal agricultural workers receive only limited-term work permits and have no pathway to permanent residency.

The occupations and industries eligible under the new Agri-Food Immigration Pilot include:

• meat processing

• • retail butcher
  • industrial butcher
  • food processing labourer
• harvesting labourer for year-round mushroom production and greenhouse crop production
• general farm worker for year-round mushroom production, greenhouse crop production, or livestock raising
• farm supervisor and specialized livestock worker for meat processing, year-round mushroom production, greenhouse crop production or livestock raising.

A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants will be accepted for processing each year under the pilot. With family members, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the pilot could welcome approximately 16,500 new permanent residents to Canada over the course of the pilot’s three-year duration.

The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot follows other recent initiatives by the Government of Canada that aim to help temporary foreign workers transition to permanent residence.

These initiatives include new pathways for caregivers and the dedication of 2,000 additional Provincial Nominee Program spaces to eligible intermediate-skilled temporary foreign workers.

Eligibility requirements

The eligibility requirements for the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot are:

• 12-months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, in an eligible occupation in processing meat products, raising livestock, or growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops;
• a Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French;
• the foreign equivalent of a Canadian high school education or greater;
• an indeterminate job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in Canada, outside of Quebec, at or above the prevailing wage.

The federal government says details on how individuals can apply for the pilot will be available in early 2020.

2-year LMIA for employers

Eligible employers in the meat processing sector who use the pilot will be issued a two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

In order to be eligible, meat processors will be required to outline their plans to support the temporary foreign worker in obtaining permanent residency.

Unionized meat processors will require a letter of support from their union and non-unionized meat processors will have to meet additional requirements to ensure the labour market and migrant workers are protected, IRCC says.

 

July 11, 2019 

 

ONTARIO TO BEGIN CONDUCTING DRAWS TARGETED TO TECH WORKERS | ONTARIO TECH DRAWS WILL PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR TECH WORKERS IN 6 OCCUPATIONS

The province of Ontario has announced they will begin conducting targeted draws for tech workers with work experience in one of six designated NOC codes. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program will be issuing invitations to candidates with an active Express Entry profile who meet the criteria of the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

The province of Ontario receives more newcomers than any other, and boasts a thriving tech sector that draws international talent to Canada. In April 2019, the province announced an upcoming stream of the OINP for workers in tech industries. As of yesterday, the province has shifted its plan to conduct tech-specific draws under the Human Capital Priorities Stream aligned with the Federal Express Entry system for international skilled workers.

6 Tech Occupations In-Demand:

• Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
• Computer engineers (NOC 2147)
• Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
• Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
• Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)

Ontario will be issuing Notifications of Interest (NOI) to eligible applicants with work experience matching one of the following NOC codes:

Those who receive an NOI will be invited to submit an online application to the province. If successful, applicants will earn a nomination from Ontario and 600 additional points added to their Comprehensive Ranking System score in Express Entry. With recent Express Entry draws targeting profiles with a CRS cut-off around 450, these additional points will put you in an excellent position to receive an invitation to apply for permanent resident status in Canada!

 

July 11, 2019

 

EXPRESS ENTRY DRAW 121 | MINIMUM CRS SCORE 460 | 3600 ITA ISSUED

3,600 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 121th Express Entry draw on July 10th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 460, which is slightly lower than the previous draw.

Draw Number: 121
Draw Date: July 10, 2019
Number of Invitations Issued: 3,600
Minimum CRS: 460
Tie-breaking rule: June 11, 2019

Largest Express Entry Draw since January 2019

Today, the 121st draw has issued 3,600 invitations to apply to candidates under the Express Entry system. This is the biggest draw since January 23, 2019. In each of the 10 draws since then, 3,350 candidates received ITA, with the exception of a draw in May that was limited to candidates eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program

Despite the increase in ITAs issued, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score has only slightly decreased, from 462 points in June to 460 in today’s draw. Last week’s year-end report for Express Entry 2018 revealed that the number of candidates invited to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry has continued to increase every year since the system was launched in 2015.

So far, about the same number of ITAs have been issued this year as they had been at this time last year. However, since Canada plans to continue to welcome more immigrants through Express Entry, we should expect to see more ITAs issued soon!

 

July 9, 2019 

 

EXPRESS ENTRY CANDIDATES WITH CRS SCORES AS LOW AS 300 INVITED IN LATEST ALBERTA DRAW | 262 NOTIFICATIONS OF INTEREST ISSUED IN JUNE 21 ALBERTA EXPRESS ENTRY STREAM DRAW

Alberta has released the details of the latest draw through its popular Express Entry-aligned provincial nomination stream.

The June 21 draw issued 262 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to Express Entry candidates with scores as low as 300.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the Government of Alberta to select eligible candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry system.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination from Alberta receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

One of the Alberta Express Entry Stream’s key advantages is the fact it provides Express Entry candidates who have lower CRS scores with an opportunity to obtain Canadian permanent residence.

The cut-off score of 300 in Alberta’s June 21 invitation round is significantly lower than the cut-off scores for draws conducted through the Express Entry system itself this year.

The lowest score drawn so far in 2019 through the Express Entry system was 332 in a Federal Skilled Trades-only draw on May 15 and the lowest cut-off score in an all-programs draw was 438.

Other eligibility criteria for the Alberta Express Entry Stream include the requirement that candidates be working in an occupation that supports “Alberta’s economic development and diversification priorities.”

The Government of Alberta has not listed the occupations that are eligible.

While a job offer or previous work in Alberta is not required in order to be eligible, the AINP may give priority to candidates with:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta.

The June 21 draw brings the total number of Express Entry candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence through the Alberta Express Entry Stream this year to 3,816.

 

July 9, 2019 

 

CANADA UPDATES LIST OF ELIGIBLE GLOBAL TALENT STREAM OCCUPATIONS | COMPUTER NETWORK TECHNICIANS ADDED TO LIST | ENGINEERING MANAGERS, ARCHITECTURE AND SCIENCE MANAGERS REMOVED

The Government of Canada has updated the list of occupations that are eligible under its popular Global Talent Stream.

The update saw two professions removed from the Global Talent Occupations List and the addition of computer network technicians (NOC 2281).

The occupations removed were:

• ENGINEERING MANAGERS  (NOC 0211)
• ARCHITECTURE AND SCIENCE MANAGERS (NOC 0212)

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), said that the update was necessary to ensure the list continues to reflect the Canadian labour market and the needs of innovative companies.

The occupations list applies to Category B of the Global Talent Stream. ESDC said it has been determined that there is both a high demand for workers in the occupations listed and an insufficient supply of domestic workers with the required skills.

Canadian employers looking to hire foreign workers on the list benefit from work permits that can be issued in as little as two weeks in exchange for a commitment to increase skills and training investments for Canadians and permanent residents.

Employers using Category B can submit a facilitated Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that waives the requirement to prove they first tried recruiting Canadians and permanent residents of Canada.

LMIAs can also be processed in as little as two weeks.

ESDC said submissions for occupations being removed from the list will be accepted until August 4, 2019. Those received after August 4, 2019, will not be processed.

GLOBAL TALENT STREAM

The Global Talent Stream provides Canadian employers in the fields of Information Technology and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with easier access to temporary foreign workers with experience in the listed occupations.

Canadian employers have used the stream to hire approximately 24,000 highly skilled foreign workers since its launch in 2017 as a two-year pilot program.

The Global Talent Stream was made permanent in March 2019.

 

July 8, 2019 

 

INTERIM PATHWAY FOR CAREGIVERS REOPENS TO NEW APPLICATIONS | SHORT-TERM PATHWAY TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR ELIGIBLE CAREGIVERS WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THREE MONTHS

Canada’s Interim Pathway for Caregivers is once again open to new applications.

The short-term program provides a pathway to permanent residence for individuals who have acquired work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, as a home childcare provider, home support worker or a combination of both.

Work experience must match the initial description and list of main duties for Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) Group 4411 or 4412.

The pathway’s July 8 opening is its second since it was first unveiled by the Government of Canada earlier this year and it will accept applications for the next three months.

The Interim Pathway for Caregivers is open to those who intend to reside outside of Quebec and who have:

• authorization to work in Canada on a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit (at the time of applying); or
• applied for a renewal of a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit; or
• applied and is eligible for restoration of status, and held a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit as their most recent work permit; and
• language skills of at least a CLB/NCLC 5 in English or French; and
• 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, in a relevant occupation; and
• a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or non-Canadian educational diploma, certificate or credential that’s equal to a Canadian high school diploma.

• • Foreign credentials will require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) — issued within five years before the date of application by an approved organization — that indicates that the foreign diploma, certificate or credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian secondary school diploma.

 

 

July 8, 2019

 

NEW MANITOBA DRAW ISSUES 354 INVITATIONS | 91 EXPRESS ENTRY CANDIDATES INVITED

Manitoba issued 354 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in a new draw held July 5.

The invitations, known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), went to candidates in the Skilled Workers Overseas, Skilled Workers in Manitoba and International Education Streams of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

The MPNP allows Manitoba to nominate foreign workers and international graduates of post-secondary institutions in the province for Canadian permanent residence.

Here is the LAAs distribution:

• Skilled Workers Overseas Stream: 248
• Skilled Workers in Manitoba Stream: 85
• International Education Stream: 21

The MPNP said 91 LAAs went to candidates with a valid profile in the federal Express Entry system.

 

July 7, 2019

 

EXPRESS ENTRY REPORT 2018 | TOP JOBS FOR EXPRESS ENTRY APPLICANTS | STATISTICS REPORT

IRCC has released the 2018 year-end report for Express Entry, giving us information about the top jobs claimed by successful applicants!

One of the biggest concerns people have about applying to immigrate to Canada is whether they need a job first. This report confirms that you don’t need a job offer to be successful through Express Entry!

Only 10% of the people who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in an Express Entry draw in 2018 had a job offer from a Canadian employer.

The most common occupations claimed by Express Entry candidates that received an ITA in 2018 were in information technology, business and financial services.

If you claim a regular job offer, you get an additional 50 CRS points. If the job is in a managerial position, you get 200 additional points.

However, only 10% of candidates who received an ITA in 2018 had claimed a job offer, so it’s definitely not a requirement to succeed! Of the 89,800 candidates in the pool who received an ITA last year, 9,308 had received a job offer.

The year-end report shows that nearly 280,000 Express Entry profiles were submitted in 2018, of which 70 per cent were eligible for at least one of the three Federal High Skilled programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Class candidates received 53 per cent of ITAs issued in 2018, or 47,523 of 89,800 ITAs.

A total of 10,802 Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination received an ITA in 2018, up from 8,733 the year before.

Citizens of India dominated Express Entry invitations in 2018, receiving 46 per cent of all ITAs issued (41,675).

Citizens of China were a distant second, with 6,248 ITAs, followed by citizens of Nigeria, who received 6,025 ITAs last year.

 

July 5, 2019 

 

QUEBEC ISSUES FIRST INVITATIONS TO SKILLED WORKER CANDIDATES WITH AN ARRIMA PROFILE | MIDI SAYS SEVERAL INVITATION ROUNDS WILL BE HELD BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 16, 2020

Quebec has started issuing its first invitations to Quebec Skilled Worker Program candidates with an Expression of Interest profile in the province’s Arrima system.

Invited candidates began receiving email notifications on Thursday, July 4.

Those who received an invitation have 60 days to submit a complete application for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ).

The Arrima system was launched in September 2018 to manage the bank of candidates for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).

Candidates use Arrima to create an Expression of Interest profile that is then submitted into the bank of QSWP candidates.

The Government of Quebec said the first invitations through Arrima will prioritize candidates who either have a validated job offer with a Quebec employer or who meet one of the following conditions:

• had their application for a Quebec Selection Certificate terminated on June 16, 2019, and were a temporary resident of Quebec when they had applied; or
• had their application for a Quebec Selection Certificate terminated on June 16, 2019, and were working or studying in Quebec at that time.

June 16, 2019, was the date when reforms to Quebec’s immigration laws were passed that cancelled around 16,000 pending applications to the QSWP.

The cancelled applications had all been filed prior to the introduction of Arrima, which Quebec’s Immigration Ministry (MIDI) says is more conducive to matching immigration candidates to the specific labour needs of employers around the province.

Candidates who fall into one of the two prioritized groups affected by the reforms and who have not yet created an Arrima profile have until December 16, 2019, to create one if they wish to be invited to apply for a CSQ.

MIDI said there will be several invitation rounds between now and January 16, 2020, for the prioritized candidates described above.

 

July 3, 2019 

 

Canada admitted more than 92,000 new permanent residents through its Express Entry system in 2018 — an increase of 41 per cent over the year before, as per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s 2018 year-end report for the Express Entry system, which was released July 2.

The increase in admissions is in line with Canada’s rising admissions targets for the three Federal High Skilled economic-class immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system — the Federal Skilled Worker Class,  Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class — as well as a portion of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Canada’s admissions target for the three programs managed by the Express Entry system rose in 2018 and is slated to continue to rise each year through 2021.

Canada has also expanded its admissions target for the PNP, which rose to 55,000 in 2018 and is scheduled to increase each year through 2021.

Admissions include principal applicants and their accompanying family members.

The year-end report shows that nearly 280,000 Express Entry profiles were submitted in 2018, of which 70 per cent were eligible for at least one of the three Federal High Skilled programs.

Federal Skilled Worker Class candidates received 53 per cent of the invitations to apply (ITAs) issued in 2018, or 47,523.

Canadian Experience Class candidates received the second greatest number of ITAs in 2018 with 30,571 while another 904 ITAs went to candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades Class.

Of those who received invitations in 2018, 71 per cent did not claim any type of additional points and, of those who did, only five per cent had a job offer in Canada.

Admissions of new permanent residents through Express Entry-aligned PNPs were also up in 2018.

Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia all saw increases in this category, with Ontario experiencing a year-over-year increase of 3,082 — by far the largest of any Canadian province.

IRCC also noted that Ontario, which is home to major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, was the destination province for 64 per cent of all candidates who applied for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry in 2018.

Of the 122,247 applications received in 2018, 78,838 had Ontario listed as their province of destination.

British Columbia placed a distant second, with 22,153 applicants listing it as their destination, followed by Alberta (8,868), Saskatchewan (3,708) and Nova Scotia (3,532).

Software Engineer was the most common occupation among those who received an ITA last year, displacing Information Systems Analysts and Consultants, which fell to second place.

Computer programmer remained the third most common occupation, followed by financial auditors and administrative assistants.

Citizens of India dominated Express Entry invitations in 2018, receiving 46 per cent of all ITAs issued (41,675).

Citizens of China were a distant second, with 6,248 ITAs, followed by citizens of Nigeria, who received 6,025 ITAs last year.

The IRCC data shows that 51 per cent of Express Entry candidates who received an ITA in 2018 were between the age of 20 and 29.

In terms of education, 48 per cent had a Master’s degree or entry-to-practice professional degree and another 42 per cent had a post-secondary credential of three years or longer.

A majority of candidates (60 per cent) had no Canadian work experience, while 39 per cent had five years or more of foreign work experience.

 

June 28, 2019

 

Quebec will soon begin issuing its first invitations to Quebec Skilled Worker Program candidates who have registered an Expression of Interest through its online Arrima portal.

Arrima was introduced last year to receive Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to Quebec’s main skilled worker immigration program and manage its bank of candidates.

An EOI is not an application but is instead a way for candidates to notify Quebec’s Immigration Ministry that they would like to be considered for a Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ).

Roughly 100,000 EOIs have been filed since Arrima’s launch last September.

The EOI-based online system replaced the previous, first-come-first-served approach to accepting applications to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), which the Quebec government said was out of touch with actual labour market needs in the province.

Under the EOI system, candidates create a profile in Arrima and are awarded a score based on factors including their age, education, area of training, work experience and proficiency in French.

Candidates are invited to apply for a CSQ based on either their scores or other factors such as labour shortages in the province’s outlying regions.

Those who apply for and receive a CSQ then apply for permanent residence through Canada’s federal immigration ministry, which verifies medical and criminal admissibility.

Quebec’s Immigration Minister, Simon Jolin-Barrette, said the Arrima system is designed to match immigration applications to Quebec’s labour needs and will eventually reduce the processing time for applications to six months.

Jolin-Barrette invited the thousands of people whose pending applications to the QSWP were dismissed following the adoption of new reforms to the province’s immigration laws earlier this month to complete an EOI, saying priority will be given to the 3,700 candidates who are already in Quebec.

More specifically, the government will issue the first invitations to candidates who:

• had applied for a selection certificate under the QSWP and were a temporary resident of Quebec at the time of their application;
• had applied for a QSC in the Quebec Skilled Worker Program and were in Quebec as of June 16, 2019;
• hold a validated job offer from a Quebec employer.

 

 

June 26, 2019 

 

Manitoba invited 450 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in an Expression of Interest draw held June 20 which include 133 Express Entry candidates.

The invitations, known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), went to candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba, Skilled Workers Overseas and International Education streams.

All three streams are part of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), which allows the province to nominate immigration candidates with skills required by local employers and the ability to settle quickly and establish themselves economically.

LAAs issued in the June 20 draw broke down as follows:

• Skilled Workers Overseas: 323
• Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 101
• International Education Stream: 26

This latest draw brings the total number of LAAs issued to skilled worker candidates in 2019 to 4,979.

133 of the LAAs issued in the June 20 draw went to candidates in the federal Express Entry system with a job seeker validation code and experience in an occupation on Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations List.

 

 

June 26, 2019

 

Express Entry Draw 120 | 3,350 invitations to Apply issued

Draw Number: 120

Draw Date: June 26, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350

Minimum CRS: 462

Tie-breaking rule: May 11, 2019

The June 26 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has resulted in 3,350 candidates being issued an invitation to apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold was 462.

The CRS cut-off threshold for the previous draw, which occurred on June 12, was 465 points, and the draw before that, on May 29, had a cut-off threshold of 470, meaning that the CRS requirement has dipped by eight points within one month.

A tie-break was applied for the June 26 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 462 CRS points may receive an ITA. As multiple candidates may have 462 CRS points, those who had their profile in the pool before May 11, 2019 at 17:40:54 UTC were prioritized.

This was the 13^th Express Entry draw of 2019 so far, and the 120^th since Express Entry was launched in 2015. With 41,800 invitations issued so far, 2019 looks set to be another big year for Express Entry, as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ramps up invitations to reach its economic immigration targets. This may result in reductions in the CRS cut-off threshold as the year moves on.

There is every possibility that future Express Entry draws will result in candidates with scores below 450 points being invited to apply. As recently as January of this year, candidates with scores in the 430s were being invited, and IRCC has set an ambitious target to admit more economic immigrants through Express Entry programs in 2019 and over the next two years.

On October 31, 2018, the government of Canada revealed its updated Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021. It outlined Canada’s commitment to increase the numbers accepted through the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class to around 256,000 over the next three years, with another 200,000 or so new permanent residents to settle through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) before the end of 2021.

Many invited Express Entry candidates benefit from obtaining a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream.

 

June 21, 2019 

Saskatchewan targets Express Entry, Occupation In-Demand candidates with specific work experience in new draw.

Accounting technicians, bakers and paramedical occupations among those invited in June 20 EOI draw

A new draw from Saskatchewan’s International Skilled Worker pool held on June 20 resulted in 479 invitations to immigration candidates with work experience in one of five targeted occupations.

The International Skilled Worker category is part of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), which allows the province to nominate foreign workers for Canadian permanent residence.

The invitations went to candidates in Saskatchewan’s Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories, both of which require work experience in an occupation listed as in-demand in the province.

Candidates with work experience in five occupations were targeted in the June 20:

• Accounting technicians
• Architectural technologists and technicians
• Bakers
• Paramedical occupations
• Medical laboratory technologists.

A total of 268 invitations went to candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry system who have also registered a profile with the SINP.

The remaining 211 invitations went to immigration candidates in the SINP’s Occupation In-Demand sub-category.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination through either sub-category, the first required step is to register an Expression of Interest, or EOI, with Saskatchewan.

For Express Entry candidates, this requires the creation of a separate Expression of Interest.

An Expression of Interest details a candidate’s education, work experience, proficiency in English or French, among other factors, and awards them a score out of 100 points based on the information provided.

The highest-scoring candidates in both the Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand pools are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through regular draws.

The lowest score drawn on June 20 in both the Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories was 68.

Saskatchewan has now issued 1,166 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination to Express Entry candidates so far this year and 1,407 to Occupation In-Demand candidates.

 

June 21, 2019

 

Canada could accept more refugees through economic immigration programs, Immigration Minister says.

Ahmed Hussen said he wants to expand pilot that links skilled refugees with 5 provinces and territories

Canada could increase the number of refugees it accepts each year by channeling those with employable skills through the country’s economic-class immigration programs.

Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said Thursday on the occasion of World Refugee Day that he would like to accelerate a pilot launched last year that links skilled refugees living in East Africa and the Middle East with existing economic-class immigration programs, namely Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program.

The Economic Mobility Pathways Project (EMPP) builds on a program conceived by the United States-based refugee resettlement organization Talent Beyond Borders in 2016 that has already registered thousands of refugees living in Lebanon and Jordan, of whom a third have an undergrad degree or above and 40 per cent report some level of English.

Candidates registered with Talent Beyond Borders represent more than 200 professions, including engineering, health care, IT, teaching, accounting and university education.

5 provinces and territories taking part

The EMPP is administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries, Refuge Point and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Through the EMPP, eligible skilled refugees registered with the UNHCR are referred to nominee programs in Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon for consideration for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

Provincial nominee programs allow participating Canadian provinces and territories to nominate immigration candidates for Canadian permanent residence who meet specific labour market needs.

The EMPP also allows IRCC to document and evaluate barriers that some skilled refugees may face when trying to immigrate to Canada through its existing economic programs.

So far only a handful of candidates have arrived in Canada through the EMPP, something Hussen would like to see change.

In an email, Minister Hussen’s spokesman, Mathieu Genest, said “the pilot remains small but promising” and IRCC is “monitoring the program and will review before making any changes.”

Asked what “massively” might translate to in terms of numbers, Genest said Canada’s immigration pilots are capped at 2,750 per year.

Genest said channeling refugees through economic-class programs would help to counter the misconception that they are “drains on the system.”

“[Refugees] often come to Canada with skills and experience and it’s important to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help them put those talents to use and help grow the economy,” he said.

Canada resettled more refugees than any other country in 2018, according to newly released data from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Canada took in 28,100 of the 94,400 refugees who were resettled in 25 countries in 2018, the UNHCR’s annual global trends report shows.

The number of refugees resettled was small compared to the 1.4 million refugees who were in need of resettlement in 2018.

The number of refugees who became Canadian citizens in 2018 increased to 18,000, up from 10,000 the year before.

 

June 21, 2019 

 

Prince Edward Island invites Express Entry candidates in new draw. 113 invitations issued in June 20 invitation round

The province of Prince Edward Island invited 113 candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact immigration categories in a new draw held June 20.

Prince Edward Island, or PEI, holds monthly invitation rounds for immigration candidates who meet labour market needs in the province.

Candidates who receive an invitation through PEI’s Express Entry or Labour Impact categories can apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The vast majority of invitations issued on June 20 — 106 — went to candidates in these two categories.

PEI’s Express Entry Stream is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which is Canada’s principal source of skilled foreign labour.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their ranking score, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence from Canada’s federal government.

To be considered for a provincial nomination through either category, the first step is to register an Expression of Interest, or EOI, with PEI’s immigrant nominee program, the PEI PNP.

EOIs are given a score out of 100 based on factors such as education, work experience and proficiency in English or French and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through monthly draws.

A total of seven invitations were also issued to candidates in PEI’s Business Impact: Work Permit Stream.

This stream is for eligible foreign entrepreneurs with business ownership or eligible management experience who would like to invest in and run a business in PEI.

Business Impact candidates invited through PEI’s Work Permit Stream can seek approval for their business proposal.

Those approved receive a letter of support from PEI and can apply for a temporary work permit from Canada’s federal government.

The Work Permit Stream also operates on an EOI basis and the lowest-ranked candidate in the March 21 draw had a score of 112.

The PEI PNP is one of the most active in Canada and helped the province achieve a population growth rate of 1.8 per cent in 2018 — tying Ontario for the highest population growth rate in the country.

 

June 17, 2019 

 

Canada’s new caregiver immigration pilots set to launch this week. Interim Pathway for Caregivers will also reopen July 8 for 3 months

Canada will begin accepting applications to its two new caregiver immigration pilots on June 18.

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot will replace the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots and provide eligible caregivers with a pathway to permanent residence once they’ve acquired two years of Canadian work experience.

Applications filed to the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots before June 18 will still be processed, but applications will no longer be accepted through these pilots after that date.

The Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots will only provide work permits to caregivers who have a job offer in Canada and who meet the following criteria:

• Language tests results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5;
• One year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent; and
• Admissible to Canada.

Caregivers already working in Canada on a work permit who meet these criteria can also apply for permanent residence through the new pilots.

Caregivers with work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) 4411 (excluding foster parents) will be eligible for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.

Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) will be eligible for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot.

IRCC said the new pilots will have a 12-month processing standard for work permit applications and a six-month processing standard for applications for permanent residence from those who meet the work experience requirement.

Key updates to new pilots

Major changes from the outgoing Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots include:

• Occupation-specific work permits instead of employer-specific work permits. This change will allow caregivers to change employers;
• Caregiver’s immediate family will also be entitled to open work permits and/or study permits;
• Employers will no longer need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before hiring a caregiver from overseas.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the new pilots will ensure “a clear transition from temporary to permanent status” for caregivers and their families once a caregiver has accumulated the required two years of Canadian work experience.

“Canada is caring for our caregivers. We made a commitment to improve the lives of caregivers and their families who come from around the world to care for our loved ones and with these new pilots, were are doing exactly that,” Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, said in a news release.

The new pilots will each have a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants per year, for a total of 5,500 principal applicants, plus their immediate family.

Interim Pathway for Caregivers extended

IRCC also announced that it will reopen its Interim Pathway for Caregivers to new applications for three months starting July 8.

This pathway is for individuals who have acquired work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, as a home childcare provider, home support worker or a combination of both through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Work experience must match the initial description and list of main duties for Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) Group 4411 or 4412.

The Interim Pathway for Caregivers will reopen to those who intend to reside outside of Quebec and who have:

• authorization to work in Canada on a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit (at the time of applying); or
• applied for a renewal of a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit; or
• applied and is eligible for restoration of status, and held a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit as their most recent work permit; and
• language skills of at least a CLB/NCLC 5 in English or French; and
• 12 months of full-time work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, in a relevant occupation; and
• a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or non-Canadian educational diploma, certificate or credential that’s equal to a Canadian high school diploma.

• • Foreign credentials will require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) — issued within five years before the date of application by an approved organization — that indicates that the foreign diploma, certificate or credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian secondary school diploma.

 

 

June 14, 2019 

 

11 communities named under IRCC’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Communities in Ontario and Canada’s Western provinces will serve as blueprint for rest of country

The Government of Canada has named 11 Canadian communities that have been selected to take part in its new Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

The pilot is designed to help smaller rural and remote communities attract foreign workers of various skill levels and provide them with permanent residence.

Canada’s rural communities employ over four million Canadians and account for almost 30 per cent of the national GDP, according to figures provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The pilot’s goal is to help these communities counter labour market shortages caused by declining birth rates, rising retirement rates and the out-migration of youth to more populated areas of Canada.

The 11 communities named on June 14 are located in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Ontario

• Thunder Bay
• Sault Ste. Marie
• Sudbury
• Timmins
• North Bay

Manitoba

• Gretna-Rhineland-Altona-Plum Coulee
• Brandon

Saskatchewan

• Moose Jaw

Alberta

• Claresholm

British Columbia

• West Kootenay
• Vernon

IRCC said the 11 communities were selected based on their economic needs and the presence of resources and community partners required to administer the pilot, and will serve as “a blueprint for the rest of the country.”

Each community will work with a local economic development organization to recruit and assess immigration candidates based on local economic needs and job openings and endorse the selected candidates for permanent residence.

The communities selected could be in a position to begin identifying immigration candidates as early as this fall and those selected are expected to begin arriving in Canada 2020.

IRCC said the federal criteria outlining who will be eligible to apply to the pilot will be made available later in 2019.

 

June 13, 2019

 

Quebec Increases Immigration Quotas, Federal Government Says it’s Still Not Enough

The province of Quebec has recently tabled a document to the Quebec National Assembly planning to increase the number of accepted immigrants to the province. This proposal follows previous decisions from the Quebec government to dramatically restrict immigration to the province.

The election of a new provincial government in Quebec last October has caused uncertainty surrounding immigration to the province. The political party elected ran on a proposal to drastically decrease the levels of immigration to Quebec, which received lots of attention in Canadian media. Unlike any other province in Canada, Quebec has a unique responsibility over their immigration program, which allows them to select newcomers on their own terms.

Changes to Quebec’s Immigration System

In January 2019, the minister for Quebec immigration announced that the province will be closing the portal used to process online applications for the popular Quebec Skilled Worker program. Weeks later, the ministry for immigration announced the province’s plan to terminate the backlog of over 18,000 unprocessed applications, which would affect up to 45,000 people. These changes received heavy criticism from applicants, immigration lawyers, and the Canadian Federal government earlier this year.

Currently, the portal for Quebec’s Skilled Worker program remains open, but has not seen a selection in several months. The release of Quebec’s immigration targets in December 2018 outlined the province’s plans to accept 40,000 new immigrants in 2019, down from 52,000 accepted newcomers in 2017. This announcement was widely criticized by the Federal Canadian government, who have been pushing immigration targets to increase with each coming year until 2021.

Quebec Increases Targets for 2020-2022

This week, the province of Quebec has tabled a new plan outlining immigration levels for 2020-2022. Contrary to expectation, the projected quotas increase each year, reaching 50,000 by 2022.

While this increase is good news for those interested in Quebec immigration, Minister of Canadian Immigration Ahmed Hussen feels the targets have room to grow. He notes that considering the 120,000 vacant jobs in the province, Quebec should continue to welcome even more newcomers in the coming years. As the Federal government works towards welcoming over one million new immigrants to Canada in the next three years, the move to increase Quebec’s immigration quotas is aligned with Canada’s goals.

 

June 12, 2019

 

Express Entry Draw 119 | 3,350 invitations to Apply issued

The June 12 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has been conducted and resulted in 3,350 candidates being issued an invitation to apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold was 465.

Draw Number: 119

Draw Date: June 12^th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350

Minimum CRS: 465

Tie-breaking rule: June 6^th, 2019

Express Entry draw figures for June 12 are below.

The June 12 Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has resulted in 3,350 candidates being issued an invitation to apply (ITA). The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold was 465.

A tie-break was applied for the June 12 draw, meaning that not all candidates with 465 CRS points may receive an ITA. As multiple candidates may have 465 CRS points, those who had their profile in the pool before June 6, 2019 at 13:51:59 UTC were prioritized.

This was the 12th Express Entry draw of 2019 so far, and the 119th since Express Entry was launched in 2015. With 38,450 invitations issued so far, 2019 looks set to be another big year for Express Entry, as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ramps up invitations to reach its economic immigration targets. This may result in reductions in the CRS cut-off threshold as the year moves on.

The record low Express Entry cut-off threshold ever for an all-program draw is 413.

The June 12 Express Entry draw was the second all-program draw since May 1. A program-specific draw took place on May 15, when only those candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Trades Program were eligible for invitation; moreover, only 500 candidates were invited in the May 15 draw, far fewer than the norm.

This four-week gap between the May 1 and May 29 all-program draws allowed more candidates to enter the pool, while existing candidates had more time to improve their CRS score. Meanwhile, no Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class candidates were invited between May 1 and May 29.

Will Express Entry candidates with CRS scores below 450-470 be invited in the future?

There is every possibility that future Express Entry draws will result in candidates with scores below 450 points being invited to apply. As recently as January of this year, candidates with scores in the 430s were being invited, and IRCC has set an ambitious target to admit more economic immigrants through Express Entry programs in 2019 and over the next two years.

On October 31, 2018, the government of Canada revealed its updated Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021. It outlined Canada’s commitment to increase the numbers accepted through the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Canadian Experience Class, and Federal Skilled Trades Class to around 256,000 over the next three years, with another 200,000 or so new permanent residents to settle through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) before the end of 2021.

Many invited Express Entry candidates benefit from obtaining a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream. You can get the latest updates on with PNP streams are open and available on our Canada PNP Live Tracker, which now includes a great tool to help you find the right PNP stream for you.

Moreover, changes to Express Entry have led to an increasing number of candidates who studied in Canada being invited to apply for permanent immigration to Canada. Those changes gave international students and graduates in Canada a points boost under the CRS, and you can learn more about studying in Canada here.

More invitations are expected to be issued over the coming weeks, months, and years, benefiting individuals and families around the world wishing to make Canada their new permanent home.

 

May 29, 2019

 

Express Entry Draw 118 | 3,350 invitations to Apply issued

Draw Number: 118

Draw Date: May 29th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350

Minimum CRS: 470

Tie-breaking rule: May 23rd, 2019

A new Express Entry draw held May 29 invited 3,350 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 470.

3,350 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 118th Express Entry draw on May 29th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw has increased to 470. Important to note, this jump is unsurprising considering the last draw was only for candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades program.

The previous Express Entry draw held May 15 was limited to candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades Class and only saw 500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued.

The resulting gap of nearly a month between all-programs draws explains the high cut-off score in today’s draw.

All-programs draws are the norm under the Express Entry system and are typically held every two weeks.

When the period between these draws is extended, the Express Entry pool has more time to replenish with higher-scoring candidates and this can have the effect of raising the cut-off score.

The tie-break used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in the May 29 draw was May 23, 2019, at 10:18:56 UTC.

Today’s draw brings the total number of ITAs issued so far this year to 35,100.

 

May 24, 2019

 

Manitoba invited 196 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in an Expression of Interest draw held May 23.

Of the 196 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) issued, 119 went to candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba Stream, 60 went to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates and 17 were issued through the  International Education Stream to international graduates of Manitoba post-secondary institutions.

The invitations bring the total issued to skilled worker candidates in 2019 to 4,320.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) allows Manitoba to nominate immigration candidates with skills required by employers in the province and the ability to settle quickly and establish themselves economically.

The MPNP is one of Canada’s most active and successful provincial nominee programs and has helped more than 130,000 newcomers settle in Manitoba since its creation in 1998.

Manitoba’s 27 LAAs issued in the May 23 draw went to Express Entry candidates with a job seeker validation code and experience in an occupation on Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations List.

Express Entry candidates who obtain a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

The Skilled Workers in Manitoba Stream is open to eligible temporary foreign workers and international student graduates who are currently working in Manitoba and have been offered a permanent, full-time job with their Manitoba employer.

The Skilled Workers Overseas Stream lets the MPNP nominate eligible immigration candidates living outside Canada who have an established connection to Manitoba such as the support of family members or friends, previous education or work experience in the province or an invitation under one of the MPNP’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives.

All 60 Skilled Workers Overseas candidates who were issued invitations in the May 23 draw were invited directly through a Strategic Recruitment Initiative.

Completing an Expression of Interest (EOI) is the first required step for most skilled worker candidates who would like to be considered for a provincial nomination from Manitoba.

Candidates provide the required information about their education, work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Manitoba, among other details, and are awarded a score based on their answers.

Candidates with the highest scores are invited through regular draws from Manitoba’s EOI pool.

The minimum score required for an LAA in the May 23 EOI draw was:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 548

Skilled Workers Overseas: 506

Last year saw the MPNP issue a record 5,207 nominations, with 98 per cent going to candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas immigration streams.

 

May 23, 2019

 

Saskatchewan held new draws through its Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand immigration sub-categories on May 22, producing a total of 325 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Of that total, 221 invitations went to Occupation In-Demand candidates and 104 went to candidates in Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category.

Both sub-categories are key components of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

Saskatchewan has welcomed more than 108,000 newcomers from 170 countries since 2007.

A key eligibility requirement for both the Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories of the SINP is work experience in one of the 19 occupations that are currently listed as in-demand in the province.

Candidates, however, are not required to have a job offer from a Saskatchewan employer.

The SINP has now issued 854 invitations through its Occupation In-Demand sub-category so far in 2019 and 814 through its Express Entry sub-category, which is linked to the federal Express Entry system.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Candidates in the Occupation In-Demand sub-category who receive a provincial nomination have their applications for Canadian permanent residence processed outside the Express Entry system.

In order to be considered for either sub-category, interested candidates must register an Expression of Interest (EOI) under the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Category.

Eligible candidates receive a score out of 100 based on factors including their education, skilled work experience, proficiency in English or French and connections to Saskatchewan.

The highest-scoring candidates in both sub-categories are then invited through regular draws from the pool.

The lowest score among both Express Entry and the Occupation In-Demand candidates invited in the May 22 draw was 82.

 

 

May 23, 2019

 

Ontario issued new invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates with eligible French-speaking abilities in a draw held May 22.

The 360 invitations were issued through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream, which is one of three Ontario immigration pathways aligned with the federal Express Entry system.

The French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream allows the OINP to search the Express Entry pool for Federal Skilled Worker Class and Canadian Experience Class candidates who meet its French and English proficiency requirements, among other selection criteria.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Ontario’s French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream does not require a job offer in Ontario nor does it require a minimum CRS score in order to be eligible.

Candidates, however, must be able to understand, read, write and speak French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 and have a CLB of 6 in those same four abilities in English, among other criteria.

The May 22 draw was the sixth conducted through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream this year and the first since February 7.

A total of 549 invitations have now been issued through the stream this year.

 

May 23, 2019

 

The province of Alberta has invited 197 Express Entry candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System scores as low as 301 to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The draw, which took place through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, was held May 15 and the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) published details of the draw this week.

The AINP is part of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program, which allows participating provinces and territories to nominate economic immigration candidates who match local labour market needs.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream was introduced in 2018 and lets the AINP search the federal Express Entry system for candidates who meet its specific eligibility requirements.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score.

A total of 3,554 Express Entry candidates have been invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence through the stream in 2019.

In order to be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, Express Entry candidates must have a CRS score of at least 300 and be working in an occupation that supports “Alberta’s economic development and diversification priorities,” among other criteria, in order to be considered for an invitation from the AINP.

The AINP has not listed the occupations that are eligible.

While a job offer or previous work in Alberta is not required in order to be eligible, the AINP it may give priority to candidates with:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta.

Of the 15 Alberta Express Entry Stream draws held so far in 2019, seven have seen the minimum score range between 300 and 302. This is significantly lower than the lowest score drawn through a federal Express Entry draw so far this year, which was 438.

 

May 17, 2019

 

Manitoba PNP updates In-Demand Occupation list and language requirements.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has updated its list of in-demand occupations. Seven occupations were removed from the list with no new additions. As well, the minimum language requirements were revised for several occupations.

Changes to the MPNP In-Demand List

The Manitoba in-demand occupations list is used to select candidates for immigration who will be able to fill gaps in the workforce. The list is subject to revision based on changes to the province’s labour market. On May 16th, 2019, Manitoba removed the following occupations from the list:

• Other administrative services managers
• Administrative officers
• Administrative assistants
• Managers in Health Care
• Corporate sales managers
• Retail and wholesale trade managers
• Managers in customer and personal services.

The MPNP requires candidates to meet a minimum language proficiency in either English or French. The minimum language requirement depends on the occupation. As a part of the May 16th updates, Manitoba also made some changes to the minimum language requirements for several occupations also.

Please note that the in-demand occupations list is used for several of Manitoba’s PNP pathways for Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas. However, Manitoba does offer some immigration options for those without in-demand occupation experience, like the International Education Stream and Business Investor Stream.

What is the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)?

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) is a collection of immigration streams and pathways that allows the province of Manitoba to nominate candidates for Canadian permanent resident status. There are four broad streams of the MPNP, each including a number of smaller immigration pathways:

1. Skilled Workers Overseas: This stream is for skilled workers who don’t have any prior work or educational experience in Canada. All overseas applicants must show that they have in-demand work experience.
2. Skilled Workers in Manitoba: This stream is for skilled workers who have prior work experience in Manitoba, or a job offer from a Manitoba employer.
3. International Education Stream: This stream is for international students who completed post-secondary studies in Manitoba.
4. Business Investor Stream: This stream is for experienced business owners who have the financial ability to invest in and operate a business in Manitoba.

The application procedures for MPNP varies by stream and program. For example, Skilled Workers Overseas uses a points-based ranking system, similar to Express Entry, in order to select candidates. Meanwhile, the Business Investor Stream accepts applications by email, assessing each candidate individually.

 

May 16, 2019

 

Prince Edward Island invited 104 immigration candidates in its Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories to apply to the province’s nominee program in a draw held May 16.

The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) allows the province to nominate a set number of economic immigration candidates who match local labour market needs.

Of the 104 invitations issued, a total of 90 went to candidates who have registered an Expression of Interest with the PEI PNP in its Express Entry Category or the various streams of its Labour Impact Category.

The Express Entry Category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three Federal High Skilled economic-class immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry candidates must register a separate Expression of Interest with the PEI PNP in order to be considered for a nomination from the province.

Candidates are issued a score out of 100 based on factors such as education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French, among other factors.

A job offer in PEI is not required, but the PEI PNP says preference is given to candidates who are living and working in the province.

Qualified candidates with the highest scores are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through regular draws from the PEI PNP’s EOI pool.

Express Entry candidates nominated by the PEI PNP receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Business Impact invitations

Of the 14 Business Impact: Work Permit Stream candidates invited, the lowest score was 107.

This tied the previous draw held April 18 for the lowest cut-off score so far in 2019.

PEI’s Business Impact: Work Permit Stream is for individuals interested in owning and operating a business in the province.

Candidates who are invited to apply to the PEI PNP and whose application is approved obtain a temporary work permit to establish their business.

If the conditions of the Performance Agreement with the Government of Prince Edward Island are met, business applicants may apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Prince Edward Island’s next Expression of Interest draw is scheduled for June 20, 2019.

According to a recent report, PEI has recorded the fastest population growth among Canada’s Atlantic Provinces, with immigration playing a key role.

 

May 15, 2019

 

Express Entry Draw 117 | Federal Skilled Trades only

In the 117th Express Entry draw, IRCC limited the draw to invite only candidates with active profiles in the Federal Skilled Trades program (FST). Candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programs were not considered in this draw.

Draw Number: 117

Draw Date: May 15th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 500

Minimum CRS: 332

Program Specified: Federal Skilled Trades only

Tie-breaking rule: August 29th, 2018

500 Express Entry candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades program will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 117th Express Entry draw on May 15th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 332, but only Federal Skilled Trades candidates will be invited.

The Federal Skilled Trades Class is one of three economic-class immigration programs managed by the Express Entry system, with the other two being the Federal Skilled Worker Class and the Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates are given a score under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that is based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French and are entered into the Express Entry pool.

Candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Class and Canadian Experience Class with experience in an eligible trade would have been considered in today’s draw if they declared their skilled trade experience and possess the required certificate of qualification OR offer of employment.

In order to qualify for the Federal Skilled Trades program, a candidate must have a valid offer from a Canadian employer or a certificate of qualification in their trade which has been issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority. Additionally, FST candidates must show proficiency in English or French equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.

 

May 14, 2019

 

Province of Alberta released information regarding the 14 draws that were held so far in 2019 for express entry linked immigration stream.

These draw issued in total 3,357 invitations that allow applying for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence to express entry registered candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score as lows as 300 points.

Introduced last year, the Alberta Express Entry Stream allows the province to search the federal Express Entry pool for immigration candidates who meet specified eligibility requirements and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination.

Express Entry candidates nominated by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) receive an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Under these draw express entry candidates invited, must be working in an occupation that “Supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification priorities,” and among other major criteria.

Having a job offer or previous work experience in Alberta is not a required.

AINP has stated that the candidate’s with job offer and/or work experience in province, a degree from Canadian education institution, and/or parent, child or sibling that are living in Alberta are given priority for provincial nomination for permanent residency in Alberta.

With the following 14 draws held, there were three draws where express entry candidates with low CRS score as 300 were invited:

The largest Alberta Express Entry Stream draw held so far this year took place on March 5 with a total of 473 invitations, or Notifications of Interest (NOIs), issued.

This NOIs have issued candidates identified thorough Express Entry pool. Express entry candidates who received an NOI, have 30 days to submit an application for a provincial nomination to the province.

Following are the factors that may decrease the chances of receiving NOI through Alberta’s Express Entry stream:

• Express Entry profile expires in 3 months or less
• Working in an occupation:
  • On the list of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta set out on the online Government of Canada Refusal to Process a Labour Market Impact Assessment list;
  • On the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list, located on this page under the Alberta Opportunity Stream section;
  • That has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams.

 

May 9, 2019

 

Manitoba EOI draw invites skilled workers and international students to apply for provincial nomination. Latest draw brings total invitations issued so far this year to 4,071

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program issued 170 new invitations to apply for provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence in the latest Expression of Interest draw held May 9.

Out of the 170 invitations, 15 went to Manitoba immigration candidates with a valid federal Express Entry profile and job seeker validation code.

If their nomination is approved, these candidates will be issued an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. The additional points place them in a favorable position to receiving a federal Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence in a future Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) draw.

The majority of invitations went to Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream candidates with a total 101 invitations issued. The lowest-ranked candidate invited under the stream had a score of 569 under Manitoba’s unique points grid.

The rest of the invitations went to 52 Skilled Workers Overseas and 17 International Education Stream candidates. The lowest-ranked Skilled Workers Overseas candidate had a score of 616.

The International Education Stream targets international graduates of Manitoba post-secondary institutions who meet the criteria of one of three pathways. The MPNP encourages graduates to sign up for an information session with the program prior to submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to apply for one of the International Education pathways.

All Skilled Workers Overseas candidates were invited directly by the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) through the Strategic Recruitment Initiative.

In these overseas recruitment initiatives, the MPNP works with employers in Manitoba to fill available positions in the province.

To start the journey of immigrating to Manitoba under the MPNP, foreign nationals must first submit an EOI to the program. To submit an EOI, candidates respond to a number of questions about their past education, work experience, language skills and connections to the Manitoba, among others.

The MPNP assigns candidate profiles a score based on the information provided and ranks eligible candidates against one another.

The highest-scoring candidates who demonstrate a greater likelihood of achieving economic integration and long-term contribution in the province are invited to submit a complete application for a provincial nomination during periodic provincial draws.

 

May 2, 2019

 

Saskatchewan invited 202 candidates with work experience in seven occupations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence on May 1.

The draw mainly targeted candidates with the help of SINP’s sub categories: Express entry and Occupation in-demand. Candidates with work experience in seven occupations that were also listed in-demand list of Saskatchewan province were invited. These seven occupations with their respective National Occupation Classification (NOC) code are as follows:

NOC       Occupation Title

0423       Managers in social, community and correctional services

1226       Conference and event planners

3216       Medical sonographers

4151       Psychologists

4215       Instructors of persons with disabilities

6331       Butchers

6332       Bakers

All seven occupations were on the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)’s In-demand Occupations List.

In order to be invited under the latest draw, having work experience in occupation that is listed in the in-demand list is mandatory for both SINP’s express entry and Occupation in-demand sub-categories. But having a job-offer is not required.

The May 1 draw was the SINP’s second to target candidates with work experience in specific occupations on the list. Latest draw also sees SINP update their occupation in-demand with an occupation being removed from the list – Conference and Event Planners (NOC 1226). Third time SINP has modified their Occupation in-demand list since the start of the month of April.

Express entry candidates were also invited via SINP’s express entry sub category. Express entry manages the pool of the candidates who have registered under Canada’s three skilled immigration programs – Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Express entry candidate who is able to land the provincial nomination are awarded with 600 CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) points. These many points are more than enough to land the Invitation to Apply (ITA) that allows applying for Canada PR visa to the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

In order to be considered for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination through Express Entry or Occupation In-Demand sub-category, candidates must first create and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile to the SINP.

Profiles are assessed and given a score based on factors such as education level, work experience, age, language ability and family, work or study connections to Saskatchewan.

The highest-scoring profiles are drawn from the pool of eligible EOI candidates through regular draws and invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Lowest-scoring candidates that were invited via the latest draw under express entry and occupation in-demand sub categories had a score of 67 points.

 

May 1, 2019

 

3,350 Express Entry candidates will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 116th Express Entry draw on May 1st, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 450.

• Draw Number: 116
• Draw Date: May 1st, 2019
• Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350
• Minimum CRS: 450
• Tie-breaking rule: November 5th, 2018

The cut-off score in today’s draw was 450, which is one point lower than the minimum score in the previous draw on April 17, which was 451.

This is the fourth time that the cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score has decreased since February 20.

Today’s draw brings the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to Express Entry candidates in 2019 to 31,250.

This puts 2019 6,750 ITAs ahead of the number issued at this same point in 2018, a year that saw Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) establish a new Express Entry ITA record of 89,800 invitations issued in a single year.

The tie-break used by IRCC in the May 1 draw was November 5, 2018, at 12:27:07 UTC.

 

April 17, 2019

 

The Government of Canada issued 3,350 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the 115th Express Entry draw on April 17th, 2019. The minimum CRS cut-off score for this draw is 451.

Draw Number: 115

Draw Date: April 17th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350

Minimum CRS: 451

Tie-breaking: April 2nd, 2019

In this week’s draw, the CRS score cutoff remained exactly where it was for the previous draw: at 451 points. This follows several draws with slowly decreasing CRS cutoffs.

Latest express draw issued total 3,350 invitations with CRS score cut-off set at 451 points. With this draw, the Canadian government has now issued a total of 27,900 invitations in the year 2019. Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has targeted to increase the admission rate for skilled immigrants via the three skilled immigration programs – Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

With plans to welcome 330,000 new immigrants to Canada in 2019, now is an excellent time to submit your profile to the Express Entry pool. You can begin today by completing our immigration assessment to learn more about your options.

 

April 3, 2019

 

3,350 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for permanent residence with score 451 in a new draw held April 3. Express Entry candidates have been watching the CRS score cut-off decrease over the past several draws, but the pace of the decrease is slow. This is the third draw in a row in which the cut-off has decreased. In this week’s draw, the cut-off was 451 points, a single point decrease from the previous draw on March 20th.

• Draw Number: 114
• Draw Date: April 3rd, 2019
• Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350
• Minimum CRS: 451
• Tie-breaking rule: January 9th, 2019

This was the third consecutive draw in which the cut-off score has gone down, a trend that may be attributed to the consistent two-week interval between draws.

The tie-break used in the April 3 draw was set at January 9, 2019, at 07:35:09 UTC. The 3,350 ITAs issued in the April 3 draw bring the total issued in 2019 to 24,550.

 

March 21, 2019

 

The Government of Canada issued 3,350 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates in a draw held March 20.

The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was 452, a reduction of two points over the minimum score in the previous Express Entry draw held March 6.

Express Entry Draw 113 | 3,350 ITAs Issued

Draw Number: 113

Draw Date: March 20th, 2019

Number of Invitations Issued: 3,350

Minimum CRS: 452

Program Specified: None

Tie-breaking rule: February 7th, 2019

CRS score continues gradual decrease

The CRS score cut-off has remained in the 450s for the previous three draws, a fact which may worrying to hopeful Express Entry candidates. However, candidates should remain optimistic, as the cut-off has continued a gradual decrease over the past month, from 457 points to 452 points.

The past several draws have issued only 3,350 ITAs, a marked decrease from the 3,900 ITAs issued in most draws of 2018. Issuing a smaller number of ITAs is one factor contributing to the CRS score remaining in the 450s.

 

March 12, 2019

 

2000 more Temporary workers can Get Permanent Residency under Provincial Nominee Program.

Canadian Immigration has decided to create more spaces under the Provincial Nominee Program so that they can tackle the problem of shortage of labor in Provinces.

Canada’s Minister for Immigration announced that the Federal Government will be adding 2,000 spaces to be filled by applicants under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). These spaces will ensure even more applicants have the chance to pursue permanent resident status in Canada, with an emphasis on making the transition to permanent resident status easier for temporary foreign workers.

The foreign workers that fall under the category of National Occupation Code C that is those workers who are already present in the province and the skill level are intermediate are eligible for additional spaces. These workers can also change their status to permanent residency.

Increasing PNP allocations across Canada supports the Federal government’s goals of attracting international skilled and semi-skilled workers to the country. Canada’s PNP allows each province to exercise power in selecting candidates with particular work, education and language experience for fast-tracked immigration to the province. Successful nominees become very competitive for Canadian immigration, and must apply to the federal government for permanent resident status after nomination.

Selecting the Foreign Workers is all depend on the Provinces and Territories to see who fit their Labor Requirement and who don’t. The primary concern of the Provinces and Territories in selecting the foreign workers is their intention of settling in the Province or Territory, so that along with the filling the labor gap they will also contribute to the economic development needs.

To increase the chances of foreign workers to get permanent residency Additional spaces under the Provincial Nominee Program works in compliance with Atlantic Immigration Pilot and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. All programs working together create opportunities galore for the foreign workers to work in the provinces or territories and get Permanent residency.

As a conclusion, 2000 more Temporary workers can Get Permanent Residency through the additional spaces created by Canadian Immigration under Provincial Nominee Program to cover up the Labor Shortage Gap and for Economic Development of the provinces or territories.

 

March 6, 2019

 

Canada held a new Express Entry on Wednesday, March 6, issuing 3,350 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to candidates with scores as low as 454.

The Government of Canada has now issued 17,850 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) this year through the Express Entry system — an increase of 6,350 over the 11,500 ITAs that had been issued by this same juncture in 2018.

Today’s cut-off score of 454 was a decrease of three points over the minimum score of 457 in the previous invitation round held on February 20.

The score reached 457 after a delay of three weeks between invitation rounds, and today’s decrease to 454 is likely due to the fact only two weeks elapsed between draws.

Less time between draws means the Express Entry pool has less time to replenish with higher-scoring candidates, which can have the effect of lowering the cut-off score.

IRCC applied its tie-break rule in the March 6 draw. The time stamp used was February 11, 2019, at 17:21:27 UTC.

 

February 20, 2019

 

The Government of Canada has issued 3,350 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to candidates in the Express Entry system in a draw held February 20.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now issued a total of 14,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2019, which remains the biggest start to a year since the Express Entry system’s introduction in 2015.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score in today’s draw was 457, an increase of 19 points from the previous draw on January 30.

The fact the minimum CRS score increased in the February 20 draw can be largely attributed to the three weeks that elapsed since the previous draw on January 30.

More time between draws allows more time for the Express Entry pool to replenish with higher-scoring candidates, which can have the effect of increasing the cut-off score.

By contrast, the January 30 draw was held just one week after the previous invitation round on January 23, meaning fewer candidates had a chance to submit a profile and resulting in a lower CRS minimum score of 438.

IRCC applied its tie-break rule in the February 20 draw. The time stamp used was December 6, 2018, at 12:38:11 UTC.

 

January 30, 2019

 

A new Express Entry draw was held on January 30. The minimum score in today’s draw was 438, which is a five-point reduction over the previous invitation round on January 23 and 3,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued.

The one-week interval between last week and this week’s draw helps explain today’s low score — less time between draws means the pool of candidates has less time to replenish with higher-scoring candidates.

IRCC applied its tie-break rule in today’s draw. The time stamp used was April 26, 2018, at 05:00:46 UTC.

The 3,350 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued in today’s draw brings this month’s ITA total to 11,150 — the most invitations issued in January since the Express Entry system’s introduction in 2015.

This quick start reflects Canada’s higher admissions targets for 2019 and 2020 for candidates in its three Federal High Skilled economic immigration categories, most of whom have their applications for permanent resident status processed through the Express Entry system.

In order to meet its admissions targets for 2019 and 2020, it is expected that IRCC will have to issue more ITAs over the course of this year than it did in 2018 — a year that saw IRCC set a new ITA record.

 

January 24, 2019

 

The Government of Canada held its second Express Entry draw of 2019 on Wednesday, January 23, issuing 3,900 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to candidates with ranking scores as low as 443.

Canada has now issued 7,800 invitations to candidates in the federal Express Entry system since the start of 2019.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest draw was six points lower than the minimum score in the first draw of 2019, which took place on January 10. Today’s score of 443 was the lowest score yet for a January draw through the Express Entry system.

This decrease can be explained by the fact only two weeks elapsed between these two invitation rounds, while a gap of three weeks separated the January 10 draw and the previous invitation round on December 19.

Less time between draws means fewer candidates have time to enter the Express Entry pool, which can have the effect of lowering the minimum CRS score.

The tie-break rule in the January 23 draw was January 2, 2019, at 03:55:26 UTC.

 

January 18, 2019

 

Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream got the New Year off to a big start this week, issuing 1,493 invitations to Express Entry candidates with ranking scores as low as 439.

The Human Capital Priorities Stream allows the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates who meet the stream’s federal and provincial eligibility criteria.

Express Entry candidates who receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario and apply for a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their Express Entry ranking score if their application is successful.

These additional 600 points effectively guarantee an invitation from the Government of Canada to apply for permanent residence.

The minimum Express Entry ranking score in this week’s Human Capital Priorities draw, 439, was lower than the minimum score in the last Express Entry draw and all but one Express Entry draw held in 2018.

A nomination from Ontario, however, would raise a score of 439 to 1,039, resulting in an invitation to apply to permanent residence.

This week’s invitation round also saw the Human Capital Priorities Stream resume “general” or non-targeted draws. This means candidates in today’s draw did not necessarily require a job offer in Ontario or French language proficiency to be drawn.

The last four Human Capital Priorities draws of 2018 were used to target Express Entry candidates with specific credentials. Of the four, three targeted candidates with a job offer in Ontario while the fourth specified candidates with proficiency in French.

While neither job offer or French language proficiency were not required in order to be eligible for the Human Capital Priorities Stream, updates to the stream’s application guide that were published in December say candidates with a job offer or work experience in specific occupations or sectors may be prioritized.

The Human Capital Priorities Stream issued 3,719 invitations to Express Entry candidates in 2018, making it by far the busiest of the OINP’s three Express Entry-linked streams last year. Another 1,633 were issued through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream and 1,626 went to Express Entry candidates through the Skilled Trades Stream.

The first step toward pursuing the Ontario Human Capital Priorities Stream is to enter a profile in the federal government’s Express Entry pool.

 

January 12, 2019

 

Canada will reopen Parents and Grandparents Program on January 28 and IRCC will resume first-in, first-served approach to processing expressions of interest.

As per the federal government announcement on January 11, 2019, Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program will reopen to interested sponsors beginning on January 28.

The program, known as the PGP, allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents over the age of 18 to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents for Canadian permanent residence.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says up to 20,000 new PGP applications will be processed in 2019.

Anyone hoping to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents through the PGP will have to first complete an online Interest to Sponsor form, which will be made available at noon Eastern Standard Time on January 28.

IRCC will process Interest to Sponsor forms in the order they are received and invitations to apply to the PGP will be issued until the program’s cap of 20,000 complete applications is met.

This first-in, first-served approach to accepting applications replaces the controversial randomized lottery process that IRCC introduced last year and later scrapped.

Many had criticized the randomized approach as unfair to those who had been waiting for years to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents.

Interest to Sponsor: How it works

Completing an Interest to Sponsor form is not an application but rather notifies IRCC of your wish to be considered as a potential sponsor.

IRCC said interested sponsors should first review the eligibility requirements to ensure they meet the program’s requirements, including the threshold for Minimum Necessary Income.

IRCC will also require potential sponsors to upload a copy of a status in Canada document when submitting their interest to sponsor form.

All individuals who submit an online form will be notified whether they have been invited or not.

Those invited to apply will have 60 days to submit a completed application, including all supporting documents.

 

January 10, 2019

 

IRCC starts 2019 with 3,900 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence

The Government of Canada starts the new Express Entry year in impressive style, issuing 3,900 invitations to apply with scores 449.

This was the highest number of invitations issued in a first draw of the year in Express Entry’s five-year history, marking the start of a 12-month cycle that is expected to see Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) break last year’s Express Entry record of 89,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs).

Today’s draw beat the previous high for a first draw of year, set in 2016, by nearly 1,000 ITAs and was 1,150 higher than the first draw of 2018, a year that went on to set the current annual Express Entry invitation record.

Under Canada’s new multi-year immigration levels plan, the federal government plans to welcome more Federal High Skilled candidates as permanent residents in 2019 than it did last year. Canada has an admissions target of 81,400 through these programs for 2019, compared to 74,900 last year.

Today’s minimum score of 449 was 10 points higher than the previous invitation round on December 19.

One cause of this is the time between draws. The longer time that elapses between draws, the more candidates have to enter the Express Entry pool or take steps to increase their existing scores.

The December 19 minimum score of 439 reflected the fact only one week passed between that draw and the one before it on December 12, which had a cut-off score of 445.

IRCC used its tie-break rule in the January 10 draw. The time stamp used was January 2, 2019, at 11:40:53 UTC. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 449, as well as those candidates with scores of 449 who entered their profile in the Express Entry pool before the selected date and time, received an ITA in this invitation round.

 

December 19, 2018

 

Canada set a new Express Entry invitation record in the new draw featuring the lowest minimum score of 2018.

The December 19 draw issued 3,900 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates with scores as low as 439.

Today’s draw marks the first time in 2018 that the minimum score has dropped below 440.  This is likely explained by the fact the Government of Canada maintained a large draw size while only allowing one week to elapse between draws from the Express Entry pool. The period between Express Entry draws is usually two weeks.

A shorter time between draws means fewer candidates have an opportunity to enter a profile in the Express Entry pool. When this is combined with a large draw size, the effect can be a reduced minimum score.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) used its tie-break rule in the December 19 draw. The time stamp used was February 6, 2018, at 19:31:37 UTC.

The 3,900 ITAs in today’s draw bring the 2018 total to 89,800, which is the most ITAs issued in a single year through the Express Entry system. The previous record was established in 2017, when IRCC issued 86,023 ITAs.

 

December 12, 2018

 

New Express Entry draw has been taken place.

ITA issued: 3900

Minimum CRS: 445

The 3,900 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence (ITAs) issued today puts the total number issued in 2018 at 85,900.

The minimum score in today’s draw was 445, the same as the previous draw on November 28.

IRCC used its tie-break rule in the December 12 draw. The time stamp used was November 28, 2018, at 09:51:43 UTC.

IRCC’s 2019 target for admissions through its Federal High Skilled immigration category is also set to rise in 2019 to 81,400, an increase of 6,500 over 2018’s target of 74,900.

The majority of candidates admitted to Canada through the Federal High Skilled category have their applications for permanent resident status processed through the Express Entry system.

 

November 28, 2018

 

New Express Entry draw has been taken place today.

Today’s draw issued 3,900 invitations to apply and the minimum CRS score was 445, a decrease of four points over the previous Express Entry draw on November 15, which had a CRS minimum of 449.

IRCC used its tie-break rule in this latest invitation round. The date and time used was October 22, 2018, at 14:40:13 UTC.

Today’s draw occurred less than two weeks after the previous draw on November 15, which likely contributed to the CRS minimum dropping by four points.

Express Entry candidates who are looking to improve their CRS score can potentially do so in a number of ways, including a nomination through an Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream.

A provincial nomination through an Express Entry-linked stream is the most valuable factor under the CRS and results in an additional 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The nine Canadian provinces and two territories that participate in Canada’s PNP all have at least one immigration stream that is linked to the Express Entry system.

 

November 15, 2018

 

The Government of Canada has issued 3,900 new invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates in a draw held November 15. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score for this extremely rare Thursday draw was 449.

Today’s invitation round brings the number of invitations issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2018 to 78,100, which leaves IRCC less than 8,000 invitations away from breaking the Express Entry record of 86,023 total invitations set last year.

The minimum score in today’s draw — 449— was seven points higher than the previous Express Entry draw on October 29, which had a minimum score of 442.

IRCC used its tie-break rule in this latest invitation round. The date and time used was September 16, 2018, at 12:41:42 UTC. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 449, as well as those candidates with scores of 449 who submitted their profile before September 16, 2018 at 12:41:42 UTC, received an ITA in this invitation round.

IRCC has a 2018 admissions target for its Federal High Skilled immigration category of 74,900 new permanent residents. This target is slated to grow to 81,400 in 2019, 85,800 in 2020 and 88,800 in 2021 under Canada’s updated multi-year immigration levels plan, which the government made public October 31.

The majority of candidates admitted to Canada through the Federal High Skilled category have their applications for permanent residence processed through the Express Entry system.

 

October 29, 2018

 

The Government of Canada has issued 3,900 Express Entry candidates an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw held on October 29. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest draw was 442.

This draw was the fourth time since September 5 that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 3,900 Invitation to Apply (ITA) to Express Entry candidates, which remains the largest draw size of 2018.

The minimum score in the October 29 draw was two points higher than the cut-off score of 440 in the previous invitation round, which took place October 15.

IRCC used its tie-break rule in this latest invitation round. The date and time used was October 16, 2018, at 06:09:04 UTC. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 442, as well as those candidates with scores of 442 who submitted their profile before October 16, 2018, at 06:09:04 UTC, received an ITA in this invitation round.

This invitation round brings the number of ITAs issued this year to 74,200 and puts IRCC 778 ITAs behind where it was at this same point in 2017, at which point it had issued 74,978 ITAs.

 

October 15, 2018

 

The Government of Canada has invited 3,900 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw held Monday, October 15. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score for this invitation round returned to 440, which is the lowest score drawn this year.

This score is five points less than the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System  (CRS) score of 445 in the previous Express Entry draw on October 3, which also issued 3,900 Invitation to Apply (ITAs).

This marks the fifth time in 2018 that the minimum score for an all-program Express Entry draw was 440.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) used its tie-break rule in this draw and the date and time used was September 18, 2018, at 11:06:29 UTC.

The fact that this draw took place less than two weeks after the October 3 invitation round might have helped the minimum score drop by five points.

Such a reduction can result when large draws are held in quick succession. Express Entry draws are typically held every two weeks, but only 12 days elapsed between the October 3 draw and this invitation round.

Less time between draws means less time for the Express Entry pool to replenish, which can help push the CRS minimum score down.

IRCC has now issued a total of 70,300 ITAs over 22 draws in 2018. IRCC had issued 72,221 ITAs by the same point in October last year and went on to issue a 2017 total of 86,023.

Under its Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan, the Government of Canada has a target of 74,900 new admissions for 2018 and 81,400 for 2019 through the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class.

 

October 3, 2018

 

The Government of Canada has invited 3,900 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a new draw held October 3. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score for this draw was 445.

Today’s invitation round was the third draw from the Express Entry pool in three weeks and marks a return to 3,900 Invitations to Apply, or ITAs, for all-program invitation rounds — the largest number drawn in 2018.

IRCC has now issued a total of 66,400 ITAs over 21 draws in 2018.

Today’s CRS minimum of 445 is an increase of four points over the September 19 draw, which had a minimum CRS score of 441.

The tie-break date and time used in this draw was October 2, 2018, at 04:02:11 UTC.

Express Entry candidates can improve their ranking in a number of ways, including a provincial nomination that results in 600 additional CRS points.

Express Entry-linked Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have been very active in 2018, and new streams were introduced in Nova Scotia and Alberta over the summer.

Every Canadian province and territory with a PNP now has at least one Express Entry-linked nomination stream.

 

September 24, 2018

 

Program-specific Express Entry draw drops CRS to 284 for Federal Skilled Trades candidates, inviting 400 FSTC candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence on Monday, September 24.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this draw was 284.

The tie-break date and time for this draw of February 18, 2018, at 12:31:16 UTC.

This draw was the 100th invitation round through the federal Express Entry system, which was introduced in January 2015.

Candidates who received an ITA have 60 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence to the Government of Canada.

Program-specific invitation rounds are exceptions to the norm for draws held through the Express Entry system, the vast majority of which include candidates from all federal economic immigration programs.

The last program-specific draw to target FSTC candidates was held on May 30, 2018, and saw a total of 500 FSTC candidates with CRS scores as low as 288 invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The FSTC allows individuals with valid job offers or who are certified to work in certain occupations to obtain Canadian permanent residence.

Criteria for the FSTC include:

• At least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the last five years,
• Meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification, except for needing a certificate of qualification.
• Have a valid job offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial or federal authority.

 

September 18, 2018

 

The new online portal for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program, known as Arrima is now open. Creating an Expression of Interest profile in Arrima is the first step to immigrating to Quebec under QSWP

Candidates who are interested in obtaining Canadian permanent residence through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) can express their interest to the Government of Quebec by creating a profile using Arrima.

The Government of Quebec switched to an Expression of Interest (EOI) system for the QSWP in August. The EOI system requires all interested candidates to create a profile and provide the requested information on their education, area of training, proficiency in French and other languages and work experience, among other details.

Quebec’s Immigration Ministry, MIDI, says it will issue invitations to “those who meet certain criteria, focusing mainly on labour market needs in the different regions of Quebec.”

Anyone issued an invitation will then be able to apply to the Government of Quebec for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ).

Once a Quebec Selection Certificate is awarded, individuals can submit a complete Canadian permanent residence application to Canada’s federal government.

Eligibility

Unlike the QSWP’s previous first-come, first-served model, there is no cap on the number of candidates who can enter the QSWP bank. In order to submit a profile, the only requirement is to be at least 18 years of age.

However, in order to be eligible for selection, candidates will have to meet passing scores for employability and selection factors in accordance with the QSWP point’s grid.

MIDI has provided only limited information on how individuals will be ranked in the QSWP bank of candidates. It has indicated there will be a ranking system, but it is not known if it will be similar to the federal Express Entry system‘s Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRS.

How Arrima works

Users enter a virtual waiting room, where they wait until notified of their turn to access the portal.

Once access is granted, users will have 90 minutes in the portal. MIDI recommends saving frequently in order to avoid losing the information submitted up to that point in the event one’s 90-minute session expires.

Registrants have 30 days to complete their profile, which will remain valid for one year.

Candidates in the EOI pool can update their profile with new information or to revise the information provided at any time during the 12-month validity period. Those invited by Quebec to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate have 90 days to submit a complete application.

Relevant information on the Arrima portal

• Remember that the system based on the expression of interest has put an end to the intake order of “first come, first served” applications. It is possible to file an expression of interest form at any time, free of charge.
• It is advisable to use a personal computer or a tablet to access the Arrima portal. The application does not allow navigation on a cell phone.
• A virtual waiting room allows you to keep your place in the queue during peak periods. When you access the Arrima homepage, you may be automatically redirected to the virtual waiting room. You can then be informed about your position in the queue and the number of people waiting before you.

 

 

September 19, 2018

 

A total of 3,500 Express Entry candidates have been invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a new Express Entry draw held September 19. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score was 441.

The tie-break date and time used in this draw was September 6, 2018, at 10:28:45 UTC.

While today’s draw size was smaller than the previous Express Entry draw on September 5, which issued 3,900 ITAs.

IRCC has now issued a total of 62,100 ITAs over 19 draws in 2018, which puts it slightly ahead of the 60,742 ITAs that were issued over the first 19 draws of 2017.

 

September 5, 2018

 

The Government of Canada held its largest Express Entry draw of 2018 on September 5, issuing 3,900 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence with a minimum score of 440.

The tie-break date and time used in this draw was April 29, 2018, at 14:28:34 UTC.

This draw broke the trend of issuing 3,750 ITAs that was first established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on June 13 and characterized the six draws held since then.

IRCC has now issued a total of 58,600 ITAs over 18 draws in 2018, which puts it slightly ahead of the 57,751 ITAs that were issued over the first 18 draws of 2017. However, IRCC had issued 63,777 ITAs in 2017 by this same point in September. This leaves IRCC 5,177 ITAs behind last year’s pace.

A total of 86,023 ITAs were issued in 2017. Given Canada’s increased admission targets for both 2018 and 2019, it remains possible that this year’s total could surpass the number of ITAs issued in 2017.

 

September 5, 2018

 

Quebec’s popular Immigrant Investor Program reopens September 10 for a total of 1,900 applications. Participants can obtain permanent residence through passive investment of $1.2 million

This typically popular program is the only provincial immigration stream that allows applicants to obtain permanent residence through a passive investment.

This means that candidates are only required to make an investment in Quebec for a five-year term, whereas many Canadian provinces have immigration streams for entrepreneurs that require candidates to actively run a business.

As a result, quotas for the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) generally fill quickly. A maximum of 1,330 applications will be accepted from China (including Hong Kong and Macau) during the intake period, which is scheduled to remain open until March 15, 2019.

Modified criteria

Next week’s opening will be the first since modifications to the program’s eligibility criteria took effect on August 2.

The main modifications include higher net asset and investment requirements, which have been raised to CAD $2 million and CAD $1.2 million, respectively.

The previous requirements were net assets of CAD $1.6 million and an investment of CAD $800,000.

The investment must be for a five-year term with a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec and the investment agreement must be made through a financial intermediary authorized to participate in the QIIP.

The investment of CAD $1.2 million is guaranteed by the Quebec government and will be returned in full after five years.

Other eligibility requirements include being over 18 years of age, having management experience, intending to settle in the province of Quebec and obtaining a passing score under Quebec’s points system.

Quebec’s two other business immigration programs, the Quebec Entrepreneur Program and the Quebec Self-Employed Worker Program, opened August 15 to new applications.

 

August 28, 2018

 

Quebec City mayor calls for immigration increase. Régis Labeaume says Quebec’s capital city should be welcoming 5,300 newcomers a year to address what he says is a ‘dangerous’ shortage of labour.

Immigration topped Mayor Régis Labeaume’s newly released list of annual priorities, citing the urgent need to fill 17,000 job vacancies in the Quebec City region.

The mayor said the Quebec City region is only receiving six per cent of newcomers immigrating to the province each year, and that number should be at least 10 per cent.

This would translate to around 5,300 newcomers per year, or an increase of around 2,000 over current levels.

Labeaume further emphasized the need for French-speaking immigrants, noting that most people living in the Quebec City region speak French as their first language.

“We have the jobs; if they speak French, it’s going to be a total success.”

Labeaume challenged those now running for office to say how many more immigrants they would be ready to accept if elected.

Philippe Couillard, leader of the ruling Quebec Liberal Party, welcomed Labeaume’s challenge, saying recent changes that his government has made to the province’s immigration system will help.

Changes introduced to Quebec’s immigration system include a new Expression of Interest system for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

The new system will allow immigration authorities to select immigration candidates who match labour market needs in regions around the province.

Quebec City is the capital of Quebec and one of Canada’s oldest, most picturesque cities. Its walled Old Town is famous for its cobblestone streets and European charm.

 

August 24, 2018

 

Ontario issues new invitations to Express Entry candidates and entrepreneurs

Ontario has now issued 977 invitations through Express Entry-linked French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

The province of Ontario has issued new invitations to immigration candidates through its Express Entry-aligned French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream as well as its Entrepreneur Stream.

In an update published August 24, Ontario said it issued 15 Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to Express Entry candidates through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) Stream on August 23 and another 31 through this same stream on August 16.

These draws bring the total invitations issued through FSSW stream in 2018 to 977.

Ontario has been issuing invitations on a regular basis this year through this stream, which is for French-speaking candidates in the federal government’s Express Entry system who have strong English language abilities.

In order to qualify for Ontario’s FSSW stream, candidates must be eligible for either the Federal Skilled Worker Class or the Canadian Experience Class and have a Canadian Language Benchmark of at least 7 in French and 6 in English, among other criteria.

There is no minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement for the FSSW stream and Express Entry candidates who are nominated by Ontario receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score.

Entrepreneur Stream issues new invitations

Ontario also announced the issuing of 21 new invitations to apply under its Entrepreneur Stream on August 20.

The minimum score for this draw was 110 — the lowest score yet for a draw through this stream since August 29, 2016.

Ontario’s Entrepreneur Stream welcomes business people who want to implement a new business idea or buy an existing business in Ontario.

Entrepreneurs can apply for permanent residence once their business has been successfully established in Ontario.

May 30, 2018
Second Express Entry draw in a week invites candidates with scores as low as 288Program-specific draw is first of its kind since November 2017The Government of Canada has issued 700 Invitations to Apply to Express Entry candidates through a program-specific draw held May 30.A total of 500 Invitations to Apply, or ITAs, were issued to Express Entry candidates under the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC). The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for these candidates was 288.It is important to note that only FSTC candidates with scores as low as 288 were invited to apply.Another 200 ITAs were issued to Express Entry candidates nominated through the Provincial Nominee Program. The minimum CRS score for these candidates was 902.Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score, which explains the high cut-off score. For example, a candidate who enters the Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 300 and then obtains a nomination from a Canadian province would see their CRS score increase to 900.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada employed its tie-break procedure in both instances. For both FSTC and PNP candidates, the date and time of the tie-break was May 30, 2018 at 14:52:06 UTC. This means that all FSTC and PNP candidates with a CRS score above 288 and 902 respectively, as well as those candidates with scores of 288 and 902 who submitted their profile before this date and time, received an ITA in this invitation round.This draw brings the total ITAs issued in 2018 to 32,200. Program-specific draws are rare Program-specific invitation rounds are the exception to the norm for Express Entry draws, the vast majority of which include candidates from all programs managed under the Express Entry system.The last time a program-specific draw was held was November 1, 2017. That draw, which also focused on PNP and Federal Skilled Trades candidates, saw the minimum CRS score drop to 241. In May 2017, a program-specific draw that was held May 26 was followed five days later by a draw on May 31 that had the lowest minimum CRS score ever recorded for an all-program draw under the Express Entry system – 413.
May 28, 2018
Canada intends to lift visa requirement on the United Arab Emirates. Ottawa, ON – Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, announced today during a meeting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that the Government is lifting the visa requirement for UAE citizens on June 5, 2018. This decision is based on a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the UAE against Canada’s visa policy criteria. The evaluation found that the UAE meets Canada’s criteria for a visa exemption. Emirati citizens will no longer need a visa as of 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5, 2018, to travel to Canada for short stays (normally for up to six months) for business, to visit family and friends or for tourism. However, Emirati citizens, similar to other visa-exempt travelers, will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through a Canadian airport. The eTA allows Canadian officials to screen travelers for admissibility before they board their flight to Canada. Emiratis will be able to apply online for an eTA after 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5. In the meantime, they can continue to apply online for a visitor visa, or use the services of one of the visa application centres (VACs), including the VAC in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Quotes “The United Arab Emirates is a key strategic partner and lifting the visa requirement will help reaffirm the strong relationship between our two countries. It will also promote increased tourism, cultural, academic and study exchanges, as well as foster new business, trade, and investment opportunities.” – The Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Quick facts Canada has close people-to-people and business ties with the UAE. About 40,000 Canadians live and work in the United Arab Emirates. Some 150 Canadian companies have an operational presence in the country. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, need a valid Canadian passport to fly to Canada. Permanent residents (PR) of Canada need a valid PR card or PR travel document to travel to Canada. As well, former residents of Canada could still have PR status. These travellers will need to resolve their status before they can fly to Canada. Emiratis coming to study or work temporarily in Canada will still need to apply for a study or work permit even after the visa is lifted on June 5, 2018.
May 23, 2018
Express Entry May 23 draw issues 3,500 Invitations to Apply The Government of Canada held a new Express Entry draw on Wednesday, May 23, issuing 3,500 invitations to apply for permanent residence. The Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off score for this draw was 440. Today’s score is a new low for 2018, surpassing the previous low of 441 that was established in the invitation round on April 25 and repeated on May 9. The tie-break date and time for this latest invitation round was December 30, 2017, at 06:39:40 UTC. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 440, as well as those candidates with scores of 440 who submitted their profile before this time, received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in this invitation round. Today’s draw is the tenth of 2018 and the fourth in a row to issue 3,500 ITAs, bringing the 2018 ITA total to 31,500. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has increased draw sizes in 2018 from 2,750 at the start of the year to 3,000 in February and March and now to 3,500 for each of the four draws held since the start of April. The Government of Canada’s target for 2018 is 74,900 admissions through the three economic immigration classes administered by the Express Entry system — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class. For 2019, the target for these three classes is set at 81,400.
APRIL 25, 2018
The Government of Canada has invited 3,500 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence in a draw that took place on April 25. The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this draw was 441 which is three points lower than the previous invitation on April 11, which had a CRS minimum of 444.This is the second consecutive invitation round in which IRCC issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply, tying the highest number of ITAs in a draw this year. This brings the number of ITAs issued by IRCC in 2018 to 24,500. IRCC employed its tie-break rule in this latest invitation round. The date and time employed in this round was December 8, 2017, at 10:25:33 UTC.
APRIL 16, 2018
Canada revises controversial medical inadmissibility rules for immigrants The Government of Canada has announced major changes to its controversial medical inadmissibility rules for immigration candidates that are expected to reduce the number of refusals significantly. The changes stop short of a recommendation by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to abolish Section 38-1(C) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which bars anyone who “might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.” While agreeing with the call to repeal the policy and saying it will take steps to do so at a later date, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has for now tripled the threshold for what’s considered an excessive demand. In 2017, the cost threshold for a demand to be considered excessive was $6,655 per year, or $33,275 over five years. Based on those figures, the cost threshold would now be $19,965 per year. IRCC said the change, which takes effect June 1, will effectively “dispense with the majority of medical inadmissibility cases seen in Canada today.” Furthermore, IRCC says it is amending the definition of social services by removing references to special education, social and vocational rehabilitation services and personal support services .These amendments would benefit applicants with visual and hearing impairments, among others. According to IRCC, approximately 1,000 applicants for permanent or temporary residence are ruled inadmissible for medical reasons each year, or 0.2 per cent of all applicants who undergo medical screening. The savings from this ruling amounted to 0.1 per cent of all publicly funded health spending in Canada. In a news release, IRCC said the old criteria were out of step with a 21st century approach to persons with disabilities. Most of those affected are individuals who would otherwise be approved in the economic immigration class, and selected for the benefit their skills will bring to the Canadian economy. “The changes we are announcing today are a major step toward ensuring our immigration system is more inclusive of persons with disabilities, and reflects the values of Canadians,” Canada’s Immigration Minister Hussen said in a statement.
APRIL 11, 2018
April 11 sees largest Express Entry draw of 2018 – 3,500 candidates invited with CRS score 444.In the 87th Express Entry draw on April 11, IRCC issued a total number of 3,500 ITAs, the highest number so far in 2018. The minimum CRS score dropped from 446 points to 444 points. The cut-off score is two points lower than the previous invitation round, which took place on March 26. This draw broke the recent trend of 3,000 ITAs being issued, which was also the case in the four previous draws going back to February 7. The Government of Canada has issued 21,000 ITAs since the start of 2018. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied the tie-break rule in the April 11 draw. According to targets set in Canada’s multi-year immigration levels plan for 2018-2020, the federal government set a target of 74,900 admissions for the three economic immigration classes administered through the Express Entry system. Draw Number: 87 Draw Date: April 11th, 2018 Number of Invitations Issued: 3,500 Minimum CRS: 444 Program Specified: None In previous draws this year, IRCC has never issued more than 3,000 ITAs per draw, so this may mark a big shift in policy. With this high number of ITAs issued in each draw, if there are more frequent draws, there is a strong possibility that the CRS score will continue to drop!
MARCH, 26 , 2018
The sixth Express Entry draw for permanent residency candidates in 2018 has taken place. The Government of Canada has invited 3,000 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw that took place Monday, March 26. The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System score was 446. Express Entry draw in less than two weeks sees 10-point drop in cut-off score. Today’s score is 10 points lower than the previous draw, which took place on March 14.The gap of 12 days between the two most recent draws was shorter than usual, as typically draws have taken place on Wednesdays, and typically there is a gap of 14 days between draws. The size of this invitation round, 3,000, continues the trend seen through the last three draws, all of which also issued Invitations to Apply, or ITAs, to 3,000 Express Entry candidates.Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) once again employed its tie-break rule in this latest draw. This latest draw was the sixth of 2018, which is the first year of the Canadian government’s new multi-year immigration levels plan. For 2018, Canada has increased its target to 74,900.In 2017, IRCC had an admissions target of 71,700 and finished the year having issued a total of 86,023 ITAs.
MARCH, 14 , 2018
Canada invites 3,000 Express Entry candidates in March 14 drawThe fifth Express Entry draw for permanent residency candidates in 2018 has taken place. The latest draw, held on March 14, resulted in a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off threshold of 456 points, with 3,000 candidates receiving an invitation to apply (ITA). This draw took place after the first three-week gap between draws in 2018. The previous draws this year took place every two weeks. As in recent draws, a tie-break is being applied. As multiple candidates may have 456 CRS points, those who have had a profile in the pool longer are prioritized. Specifically, candidates with 456 CRS points who created their profile before March 3, 2018 at 02:12:11 UTC were invited in this latest draw. The March 14 Express Entry draw is the 85th since the Express Entry system came into operation, and the fifth so far this year. For 2018, Canada has established a target of 74,900 admissions through the three economic immigration classes administered through the Express Entry system — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class.
FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Nova Scotia creates new immigration stream for physicians The province of Nova Scotia has created a new immigration stream to attract general practitioners, family physicians, and specialist physicians. Under the new Physician Stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) foreign doctors may be eligible to speed up their immigration processes and become Canadian permanent residents.The new Physician Stream is only open to general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112) and specialist physicians (NOC 3111) with a job offer approved by either the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK).Both the NSHA and the IWK require potential employees to be screened for eligibility to practice as a doctor in Nova Scotia. This means that foreign nationals who do not have the credentials needed to work in Nova Scotia will not receive job offers from these health organizations.The stream is designed to expedite the immigration process for physicians by reducing the amount of paperwork involved. To this end, the NSNP, says it will rely on credential assessments performed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia in a bid to eliminate duplication.If an applicant is eligible for this stream, they may submit an application online using the NSNP web portal. Successful applicants receive a provincial nomination, which enables them to submit permanent residency applications to the federal government. As well, successful applicants will be issued a work permit support letter, which enables them to apply for a temporary work permit while their permanent residency application is in processing.
FEBRUARY 21, 2018
Express Entry Draw # 84;Minimum CRS Score: 442 Number of Invitations Issued: 3000 Canada has invited 3,000 Express Entry candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw that took place on Wednesday, February 21. The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking Score for this draw was 442, same as previous draw on February 7The total of 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) that were issued in this latest draw is also the same as the February 7 draw. This marks the second consecutive draw in which 3,000 candidates were invited to apply. Both these draws saw the number of ITAs issued increase by 250 over the previous five draws. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) once gain employed its tie-break rule in this latest draw. In this case, the time and date of the tie-break was February 11, 2018, at 17:03:32 UTC. This means that all candidates with a CRS score above 442, as well as those candidates with scores of 442 who entered their profile in the Express Entry pool before this time, will receive an ITA. The minimum CRS score stayed consistent at 442 points through this most recent draw. Though it is impossible to predict how the CRS score will change in the future, if the current trends continue, there is a strong possibility the minimum CRS score cut off will continue to fall in future draws. Draw Number: 84 Draw Date: February 21st, 2018 Number of Invitations Issued: 3,000 Minimum CRS: 442 Program Specified: None Tie-breaking rule: February 11th, 2018
FEBRUARY 18, 2018
Government action on rule that rejects immigrants on medical grounds expected in April.Up to 1,000 applications a year affected by controversial ‘excessive demand’ policy  Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, says his department’s action plan for addressing a controversial policy that refuses immigrants deemed likely to cause an “excessive demand” on the country’s health-care system will be released in April. Parliament’s Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration has recommended abolishing the “excessive demand” rules, which it says is at odds with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. That recommendation was part of a standing committee report on medical inadmissibility rules for immigrants that was tabled on December 12. In an appearance before that committee yesterday, Hussen reiterated his belief that the rules need to change. “I have been very clear that this policy is out of step with Canadian values on accommodating people with disabilities,” Hussen said. The minister promised that his department will respond to the committee’s recommendations by April 12. What is excessive demand? Under Section 38 1 (C) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a prospective immigrant can be ruled inadmissible on health grounds if their health condition “might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.” Excessive demand is defined as one “for which the anticipated costs would likely exceed average Canadian per capita health services and social services” over a five or 10-year period, or which would affect existing wait times for health and social services in Canada. In 2017, the cost threshold for a demand to be considered excessive was $6,655 per year, or $33,275 over five years.
FEBRUARY 15, 2018
Spouses being reunited more quickly in Canada
“The Government of Canada is committed to family reunification. We understand how important it is to reunite couples. It also makes for a stronger Canada. Canadians who marry someone from abroad shouldn’t have to wait for years to have them immigrate or be left with uncertainty in terms of their ability to stay.” – The Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sponsorship process improvements have led to backlog reduction and shorter processing times February 14, 2018 – Mississauga, ON – Over the past year, the Government of Canada has made significant improvements to the spousal sponsorship process, making it faster and easier for Canadians and permanent residents to reunite with their spouses. In December 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it would reduce the backlog of spousal applicants by 80% and shorten processing times to 12 months. It also announced improvements to the spousal sponsorship application process to make it more efficient and easier to navigate. The Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the government has successfully met these commitments: More than 80% of those who were in the global spousal sponsorship backlog on December 7, 2016, have now received final decisions for their applications and reduced the spousal inventory from 75,000 applications to 15,000 as of December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, we met our commitment to process 80% of spousal applications that were received in December 2016. In addition, after introducing a new spousal sponsorship application package in December 2016, IRCC continued to respond to client and stakeholder feedback to further improve the application process, and make it simpler and easier for sponsors and applicants to understand and navigate. As a result, we made a number of improvements to the application package in June 2017. And today, we introduced further updates to the application kit and process to improve the client experience and make sure we can process applications as quickly as possible. To bring families together, IRCC plans to welcome 66,000 spouses and dependents in 2018, well above the average over the past decade of about 47,000.
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
Ontario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream issues new invitations to Express Entry candidatesOntario’s Human Capital Priorities Stream has invited 488 candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry pool to apply for a provincial nomination. This latest invitation round took place on February 12 and issued Notifications of Interest, or NOIs, to select Express Entry candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of between 435 and 441. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) said those invited had submitted their Express Entry profiles between January 1 and February 8, 2018, at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Express Entry candidates who receive a NOI can apply for a provincial nomination by Ontario. If successful, they get an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. The Human Capital Priorities Stream allows the OINP to search the Express Entry pool for candidates with a CRS score above 400, among other criteria. This is fourth round of invitations issued through the Human Capital Priorities Stream in 2018. Altogether, a total of 1,297 invitations have been issued over the four rounds, the other three taking place January 23, January 25 and February 8. The OINP said the candidates invited in this latest round were identified through a search that was conducted on January 25.
FEBRUARY 7 2018
Express Entry draw #83, February 7, 2018The third Express Entry draw for permanent residency candidates in 2018 has taken place. It has resulted in a slight decrease in the number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, compared to the previous draw on January 24. The Government of Canada has invited 3,000 Express Entry candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 442 to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw that took place on February 7. Draw Number: 83 Draw Date: February 7th, 2018 Number of Invitations Issued: 3,000 Minimum CRS: 442 Program Specified: None Tie-breaking rule: May 29, 2017 As in recent draws, a tie-break is being applied. As multiple candidates may have 442 CRS points, those who have had a profile in the pool longer are prioritized. Specifically, candidates with 442 CRS points who created their profile before May 29, 2017 at 07:01:15 UTC were invited in this latest draw. The total of 3,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) represents an increase of 250 over each the previous six draws, all of which issued 2,750 ITAs and the cut-off score of 442 represents a reduction of two points from the previous draw on January 24, and continues the record low start to 2018 in terms of cut-off CRS scores. So far, all three draws in 2018 have had minimum CRS scores well below those of the first draws from 2017, a year which later saw a number of record-low CRS scores established. The lowest score reached in 2017 was 413 on May 31, 2017.
FEBRUARY 3 2018
CHANGES COMING TO CANADA IMMIGRATION – 2018 As Canada continues to increase immigration targets, 2018 will be a busy year with many new changes and updates! Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already implemented some changes for Canadian immigration in 2018. Additional changes are still under consideration. We expect that these changes will come into effect in 2018. It is possible that their implementation will be delayed, or that the details will be changed. Expected changes have not been implemented yet. CHANGES ALREADY MADE These changes have already been made and may affect both current applicants and applicants throughout 2018. 1. INCREASES TARGETS TO 310,000 Canada has announced an increase in immigration targets from 300,000 to 310,000 for 2018. Between 2018 and 2020, the country will accept nearly 1 million new immigrants! 2. COMPREHENSIVE RANKING SYSTEM (CRS) SCORE TENDS TO GET LOWER With increased immigration quotas and the prioritization of Express Entry as the main pathway to Canadian permanent residence, the minimum CRS score requirement dropped to a record low of 413 points in 2017. This downward trend seems likely to continue through 2018. 3. LIVE-IN CAREGIVER PERMANENT RESIDENT APPLICATIONS TO BE PROCESSED BY END OF 2018 IRCC has announced that by the end of 2018 they will process 80% of backlogged permanent resident applications submitted by people who came to Canada through the former Live-in Caregiver Program. 4. PARENT AND GRANDPARENT SPONSORSHIP CONTINUES LOTTERY INTAKE SYSTEM 10,000 applications will be accepted under this program in 2018. The randomized lottery system implemented for this program last year will remain in place, despite criticisms. 5. LAUNCH OF THE GLOBAL SKILLS STRATEGY EXPEDITES WORK PERMIT PROCESSING TIMES! Canada has launched a two-year pilot program, the Global Skills Strategy, to enable eligible high-skilled workers to obtain Canadian work permits in as little as two weeks. EXPECTED CHANGES These changes have not yet been implemented, or are ongoing. 1. UPDATES TO PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS (PNPS) PNPs are operated independently by each province. Some provinces have announced, or have already implemented, changes to both the intake system and eligibility criteria of their PNPs. Manitoba, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island (PEI), are all implementing changes to their PNPs throughout 2018. 2. CANADIAN JOB MARKET AT STRONGEST LEVEL IN A DECADE! Under the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, there are more jobs available in Canada than in the previous decade and not enough Canadians to fill them. Employers are turning towards foreign workers to fill their labour needs, which is excellent news for workers wishing to immigrate. 3. ATLANTIC IMMIGRATION PILOT PROGRAM (AIPP) TO CONTINUE STREAMLINING WORKERS TO ATLANTIC CANADA Following a successful first year of operation, the AIPP has released steadily increasing target quotas for the next three years. The program pairs skilled workers with Canadian employers to expedite the permanent residency process.   January 29 2018 ONTARIO MASTERS AND PHD GRADUATES STREAMS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS The Canadian province of Ontario reopened its Masters Graduate Stream and PhD Graduate Stream on January 29.These streams operate on a first-come, first served model, and open to new applications periodically throughout the year. This was the first intake for these programs in 2018. The Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams are two of the most sought-after immigration programs offered under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). No job offer is required to apply to these streams, which are designed to retain international graduates who studied in the province. Intake limits through these two first-come, first-served streams are often reached quickly, and the Masters Graduate Stream closed around an hour after it opened. Ontario did not disclose how many applications it was accepting for the current application intake period.The PhD Graduate Stream remains open to applications. Neither of the streams require candidates to be in the federal Express Entry pool to be eligible to apply. Instead, applicants who have graduated from a Masters or PhD program from a university in Ontario are eligible to apply for a provincial nomination directly from the OINP. If their application is approved, they can then apply to IRCC for Canadian permanent residence. INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S GRADUATES CRITERIA In addition to graduating from a Master’s degree program at an eligible university in Ontario, candidates must have a minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, have lived in Ontario for at least one year of the last two years, and demonstrate sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members. INTERNATIONAL PHD GRADUATES CRITERIA Candidates must have graduated from a PhD program at an eligible university in Ontario, have lived in Ontario for at least one year of the last two years, and demonstrate sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members. Unlike the OINP Masters Graduates stream, there is no minimum language proficiency requirement for the PhD stream. The PhD Graduates stream also does not require that applicants have a minimum amount of work experience, nor that they have an active profile in the federal Express Entry pool. If you meet the criteria for the above programs, you must wait for one of the program’s periodic intakes to submit your complete application. Intake periods for the PhD Graduates stream tend to be longer than those for the Masters Graduates stream, but not by much. The stream usually meets its intake quota and closes within days. It’s therefore important to prepare your application well in advance, so that you’re ready to submit as soon as the program opens.   January 29 2018 Canada ranked first for quality of life in 2018. A new international survey is ranking Canada the second best country in the world to live in, and the first in terms of quality of life. Conducted by the U.S. News & World Report, the poll ranked 80 countries based on attributes in nine broad categories. More than 21,000 people from around the world completed the survey. Canada was ranked first in the quality of life category, ahead of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Australia. Overall, Canada was ranked second behind Switzerland, scoring 9.9 out of a possible 10. Quality of life attributes were listed as a good job market, affordable, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system, and well-developed public health system. Canada scored 10 in terms of job market, political stability and safety, 9.9 in terms of well-developed public health and education systems. This is the third consecutive year that Canada placed first in the quality of life category. Canada also ranked fourth in citizenship, scoring 9.0 or above on the attributes trustworthy, progressive, gender equality, religious freedom, cares for human rights and respects property rights. In other rankings that were part of the survey, Canada was named the second most transparent country in the world and third best in terms of education. This is the second year in a row that Canada placed second in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Countries list.   January 24 2018 Express Entry Draw – 82 invited 2750 candidates and the minimum cut-off score was 444! The Government of Canada has invited 2,750 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence in a draw that took place on January 24. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score for this draw was 444, a reduction of two points from the previous Express Entry draw on January 10, which had a CRS cut-off score of 446. As with the five previous draws, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) employed a tie-break rule. Both the first and second draws of 2018 already have CRS scores well below the first two draws of 2017, which went on to set a number of Express Entry records.   January 23 2018 Canada.ai provides the latest on Artificial Intelligence-related news and research around Canada Candidates for Canadian immigration with Information and Communications Technology experience can take a look at Canada.ai, a new information hub showcasing developments and research in Canada’s Artificial Intelligence industry. The platform was recently unveiled in Toronto, Ontario, at TechTO, one of the largest gatherings of Canada’s technology sector. Canada.ai was built primarily by the Toronto-based NEXT Canada in collaboration with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, Borealis AI, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, and the Vector Institute and others. The hub aggregates news on the latest AI research and development in Canada and serves as a directory of AI-focused companies, organizations and research institutes. It also provides information on AI events happening around the country. Canada.ai will be especially useful to immigration candidates with AI and tech expertise who are considering their options in provinces like Ontario, which is a focal point of Canada’s AI sector. In 2017, the majority of immigrants nominated by Ontario for permanent residency were employed in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) occupations. Software engineers and designers led the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)’s top five nominee occupation categories in 2017, followed by computer programmers and interactive media developers. One of the OINP’s most popular immigration streams, the Human Capital Priorities Stream, opened exclusively to candidates in the federal government’s Express Entry pool with experience in 15 ICT-related occupations on one occasion in June 2017. The stream, which normally only nominates candidates with at least 400 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, waived that requirement in this instance. Last year, Canada also introduced the Global Talent Stream to accelerate work permits for highly skilled foreign workers and, in August 2017, the province of British Columbia introduced the BC Tech Pilot program to address shortages in 32 tech-related occupations.   January 11 2018 Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category opens for 400 new applications The province of Saskatchewan’s International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category has opened to 400 new applications. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) made the announcement on the morning of January 10 and said the first come, first-served sub-category will remain open until the application threshold of 400 is met. The International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category does not require a job offer or a connection to Saskatchewan. Instead, it enables the SINP to nominate individuals who are already in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s Express Entry pool with the necessary education, skilled work experience, language ability, and other factors to help them settle successfully in Saskatchewan. Applicants who receive a provincial nomination under this Express Entry sub-category receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. Over the course of 2017, this sub-category opened five times to a total of 3,200 applicants. Since this sub-category opens without advanced notice, it is important that interested Express Entry candidates be prepared and have their documents in order so they can quickly apply when it does. In order to be eligible for the SINP’s International Skilled Worker – Saskatchewan Express Entry sub-category, candidates must: • Have proof of legal status, only if he or she is currently residing in Canada; (It is important to note, however, that candidates do not need to be residing in Canada to be eligible for this sub-category) • Have an Express Entry Profile Number and Job Seeker Validation Code; • Score a minimum of 60 points out of 100 on the SINP point assessment grid. • Provide language test results from a designated testing agency that match the language level declared in the Express Entry profile; • Have completed at least one year of post-secondary education or training which is comparable to the Canadian education system and which has resulted in a degree, diploma, or certificate; • Have a minimum level of work experience related to their field of education or training in a highly skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B); • Have at least one of the following in the field of education or training occupation: 1 One year work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades), 2 Two years work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or 3 Twelve months work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades). • Obtain proof of eligibility for Saskatchewan licensure if their profession is regulated in Saskatchewan and requires mandatory (compulsory) certification or licensing; and • Have proof of sufficient settlement funds and a settlement plan.   January 10 2018 The first Express Entry draw for 2018 has taken place. Canada has invited 2,750 candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the draw that took place in January 10, 2018. The cut-off Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this draw was 446. As in recent draws, a tie-break is being applied. As multiple candidates have 446 CRS points, those who have had a profile in the pool longer are prioritized. Today’s score of 446 is the same cut-off CRS score as the previous draw that took place on December 20. It represents the lowest CRS cut-off for a first draw of the year since the Express Entry system came into effect in January 2015. More invitations are expected to be issued over the coming weeks, months, and years, benefiting individuals and families around the world wishing to make Canada their new permanent home. With IRCC’s higher ITA targets for 2018, we can expect larger or more frequent draws from Express Entry pool in the coming year. The previous year started with a CRS cut-off score of 468 and went down to a record low of 413 at one point. This year is starting nearly 22 points lower than first draw of 2017, which could mean even lower CRS records in 2018.   January 4 2017 News Release Free Prescription Medications for Everyone Under 25 Ontario Becomes First Province to Cover Prescriptions for Children and Youth January 2, 2018 10:25 A.M. Office of the Premier Prescription medications are now free for everyone under the age of 25 in Ontario. As of January 1, the province has made the biggest expansion to Medicare in Ontario in a generation, providing drug coverage to over four million children and youth across the province. The launch of OHIP+: Children and Youth pharma care is a national milestone as Ontario becomes the first province to provide prescription drug coverage to children and youth. Premier Kathleen Wynne was in downtown Toronto to celebrate this national milestone with some of the young people and parents who now have access to over 4,400 medicines, completely free of charge. Some of the now publicly funded prescriptions include depression and anxiety medications, insulin and diabetic test strips, antibiotics, asthma inhalers and birth control pills. This expansion of Medicare marks a turning point for Ontario families, who now have access to life-saving drugs without having to worry about affordability. Coverage will be automatic for children and youth with an OHIP card and a valid prescription. There will be no upfront costs, no co-pays and no strings attached. The launch of OHIP+ is just one of the historic ways Ontario has changed with the New Year. The government’s plan to build a fairer, better province also includes a raise to the minimum wage to $14 an hour, effective January 1. The minimum wage will further increase to $15 per hour as of January 1, 2019. Ontario’s plan is creating fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of Medicare in a generation. Quick Facts Ontario is the first province to provide prescription medication coverage at no cost for all children and youth under 25 who are OHIP-insured. An estimated 1.2 million people in Ontario without drug coverage will benefit from OHIP+. This is according to a recent report by the Conference Board of Canada that estimates a drop from 13.2 per cent to four per cent in the number of people not currently eligible for drug coverage under a public or private insurance plan in Ontario. OHIP+ covers prescription medications listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary and additional medications eligible for funding through the Exceptional Access Program and prescribed by a doctor or nurse practitioner. Ontario’s public drug programs already help to pay for needed prescription medications for seniors, people with high drug costs and other vulnerable populations. It marks one of the many ways the Ontario government is leading a national discussion on the future shape of pharma care in Canada. Increasing the minimum wage is part of the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, which responds to the final report of the Changing Workplaces Review. The report estimated that more than 30 per cent of Ontario workers were in precarious work in 2014. Today part-time work represents nearly 20 per cent of total employment. Since the global recession, more than 800,000 net new jobs have been created in Ontario. By 2020, Ontario is expected to create over 200,000 more net new jobs. The unemployment rate in Ontario is currently at a 17-year low.   January 4 2018 News Release Ontario’s Minimum Wage is now $14 an Hour Increased Paid Vacations and New Personal Emergency Days Also in Effect January 1, 2018 10:00 A.M. Ministry of Labour Starting today, people across Ontario will see their wages rise to $14 an hour as the new general minimum wage takes effect. This change will help workers and their families who are struggling to get ahead in a changing economy. As part of Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019, to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation. Other provisions of the new provincial legislation that come into effect on January 1, 2018, include: Ensuring workers are entitled to at least three weeks’ vacation after five years with the same employer, bringing Ontario’s vacation time in line with the national average. Expanding the 10 days per calendar year for personal emergency leave to employees in workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, with at least two paid days per year for employees who have been employed for at least a week A new domestic or sexual violence leave of up to 10 individual days and up to 15 weeks of job protected leave; the first five days of leave in every calendar year would be paid Increased family medical leave from 8 to 28 weeks per year A new child death leave from any cause up to 104 weeks, and increased crime-related disappearance of a child leave from 52 to 104 weeks, and Changes to make forming a union and reaching a first collective agreement easier Supporting workers and their families is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of Medicare in a generation. Quick Facts The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017 responds to the final report of the Changing Workplaces Review. It was the first-ever independent review of both the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995. The report estimated that more than 30 per cent of Ontario workers were in precarious work in 2014. In 2016, the median hourly wage was $13.00 for part-time workers and $24.73 for full-time workers. Over the past 30 years, part-time work has grown to represent nearly 20 per cent of total employment. Studies show that a higher minimum wage results in less employee turnover, which increases business productivity.   January 2 2018 Parents and grandparents sponsorship program reopened to new applications Families could soon be reunited in Canada, thanks to the reopening of the Parents and Grandparents Program. As of Jan. 2, Canadian citizens and permanent residents wishing to sponsor their parents or grandparents can notify the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that they would like to be potential sponsors. “Family reunification is a priority for the Government of Canada,” said Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in a news release. Submitting the Interest to Sponsor form is the first step in applying to the Parents and Grandparents Program, which allows selected Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada as Canadian permanent residents. The deadline for the form submission is at noon EST on Feb. 1. IRCC selects potential sponsors at random from the Interest to Sponsor submissions that it receives and invites those selected to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents. All individuals who submitted an online form will be notified whether they have been invited or not. Those invited to apply will have 90 days to submit a completed application, including all supporting documents.   December 22 2017 News Release From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Potential sponsors will soon have the opportunity to express their interest to sponsor December 22, 2017 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian citizens and permanent residents will soon be able to take the first step in applying to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, when the Parents and Grandparents Program reopens in 2018. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a new process in 2017 for application intake for sponsoring parents and grandparents to make it fairer and more transparent for applicants. Now, potential sponsors must first notify IRCC that they are interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents by submitting an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Using a random selection process, IRCC will then invite potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents. Today, the Honorable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the “Interest to Sponsor” form will be available at noon EST on January 2, 2018. Those who wish to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2018 must first fill out this online form. It will be available until noon February 1, 2018. To help ensure the efficiency of the system and to allow as many eligible sponsors as possible to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, it is important that only those who meet the sponsorship eligibility requirements submit an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Additional questions have been added to the 2018 version of the “Interest to Sponsor” form to help potential sponsors self-assess whether they are eligible to sponsor.   December 9 2017 The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, one of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs, has reached its maximum allotment of 5,500 nomination certificates for 2017. All applications that have already been submitted will be processed, the AINP said, but no further certificates will be issued until 2018. As of Dec. 4, the AINP reported that more than 3,050 applications were in the queue for assessing and processing. It’s possible that Alberta will benefit from a slightly higher allotment in 2018 as a result of the federal government’s multi-year immigration plan, which was announced Nov. 1. The federal plan includes an increased Provincial Nominee Program target of 55,000 for 2018, up eight per cent over 2017’s target of 51,000. Through the AINP, Alberta can nominate prospective immigrants with skills and experience that match labour market demands in the province, which is the largest producer of oil and gas products in Canada.   December 6 2017 The Government of Canada has invited 2,750 candidates in the federal Express Entry pool to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw that took place Dec. 6. The cut-off CRS score for this draw was 452. The draw once again made use of the tie-break procedure that IRCC introduced in June. In this case, the time and date was November 16, 2017 at 04:20:20 UTC. The cut-off score of 452 is up 13 points over the previous draw, which took place on Nov. 15. This is likely due to the time that elapsed between the two draws, which allowed more candidates to enter the Express Entry pool, and the size of the draw. A cut-off CRS score of 452 is exceptional given the range of CRS scores in 2017, with CRS cut-off scores in the 430s occurring most often. On a very few occasions, scores ranged into the low 400s and high 450s. Government of Canada’s increased ITA targets in the three Express Entry economic immigration classes for 2018, it is hoped the CRS scores will continue to drop. IRCC will have to perform either larger or more frequent draws from Express Entry pool in the New Year, or both. Each of those scenarios could have the effect of lowering the cut-off CRS score. This latest draw was the 29th to take place in 2017 and brings the total number of ITAs issued so far in 2017 by IRCC to 83,273, representing just over 56 per cent of the 148,118 invitations issued since January 2015, when the Express Entry system came into effect. Wednesday’s draw follows a busy November that saw four draws over its first three weeks. Those weekly draws followed the Nov. 1 announcement by IRCC of a multi-year immigration plan that are expected to see the number of candidates granted permanent residence through the federal Express Entry system’s economic programs increase by nearly 20 per cent between 2018 and 2020. Since the announcement, five draws have seen a total of 8,295 ITAs issued.   December 3 2017 Changes coming to Canada’s medical inadmissibility rules Canada’s Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen says current medical inadmissibility rules for newcomers are out of touch with Canadian values and need to be reformed. Hussen appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee as part of a broader review of ‘medical inadmissibility rules for immigrants’, which he said was necessary and long overdue. Canada’s current policy of refusing immigrants deemed likely to cause excessive demand on health and social services is more than 40 years old and needs to be brought into the 21st century. “From a principled perspective, the current excessive demand provision simply does not align with our country’s values and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Canadian society,” Hussen said. Section 38-1C of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act defines excessive demand as one “for which the anticipated costs would likely exceed average Canadian per capita health services and social services” over a period of five consecutive years immediately following the most recent medical assessment. In some cases, that period can be extended to 10 consecutive years. The anticipated impact on existing wait times for health and social services in Canada is also considered. In 2017, the cost threshold for a demand to be considered excessive was $6,655 per year, or $33,275 over five years. There are a number of exemptions to the excessive demand policy in cases of Family Sponsorship for a sponsor’s spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner and dependent child. Decisions based on the excessive demand rules result in estimated annual savings of about $135 million, Hussen said. In 2015, that amount represented 0.1 per cent of all health spending in Canada. Hussen noted that his department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), launched its own review of the policy in 2016 that consulted with Canada’s provincial and territorial governments and disability advocates, and took into consideration the current legal landscape. When asked if IRCC would consider scrapping the excessive demand rule altogether, Hussen said “all options are on the table.” However, that the medical examination now required of every applicant for a Canada Immigration Visa and some applicants for temporary status in Canada will remain in place. The goal of the review, is to uphold the federal and provincial governments’ commitment to ensuring both the protection of Canada’s health and social services and the fair treatment of immigrants.   November 16 2017 Ontario Implementing Plan to Create Fairness and Opportunity Province Releases 2017 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review Ontario is moving forward with its plan to create fairness and opportunity for people across the province with the release of the 2017 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review. Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, delivered the 2017 Review today in the legislature, outlining new measures to grow the economy and help people thrive in an uncertain global environment. The government will balance the budget this year, as well as the next two years. A balanced budget means more funding for the programs and services people rely on most, such as health care and education. While Ontario’s economy has grown faster than Canada’s and those of all other G7 nations for the past three years, the government recognizes that the numbers do not tell the whole story. Many people are facing uncertainty and challenges. The measures in the 2017 Review respond to this uncertainty and will help create greater fairness and opportunity for all by supporting the right conditions for families and businesses to succeed. Strengthening Health Care Ontario is set to launch the most significant expansion of Medicare in a generation with OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharma care. Starting January 1, OHIP+ will provide free prescription medications for everyone under 25, ensuring parents never have to choose between paying for their children’s prescription drugs and providing other essentials. In addition, Ontario is boosting supports for seniors to ensure they are able to access the services they need at every stage of their lives. Aging with Confidence: Ontario’s Action Plan for seniors includes a $155-million investment over three years. Working with sector partners, the plan also commits to creating 5,000 new long-term care beds by 2022 — and more than 30,000 beds over the next decade. These new beds are in addition to the 30,000 existing beds in Ontario that are being redeveloped. The government will also increase the provincial average to four hours of direct care per long-term care resident per day when fully phased in. The province is also investing to improve care for all patients, with an additional $618 million for hospitals this year to provide faster access to procedures, new programs and digital technology. And, to support a smooth transition for patients discharged from hospital, the government is investing an additional $40 million to help patients receive care at home. Investing in Education, Skills and Training Starting this school year, more than 210,000 college and university students are receiving free tuition thanks to the new Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). As a next step, the province will implement net tuition billing to ensure that college and university students receive a reduced up-front bill with OSAP already factored in. Ontario is also proposing to recognize Indigenous Institutes as a third pillar of the postsecondary system alongside colleges and universities. To continue supporting young people as they begin their careers and transition to the workforce, Ontario is providing new incentives for businesses to employ youth. Beginning in 2018, the province will provide $124 million over three years in supports for youth aged 15 to 29 to support employer hiring and retention. A small business with fewer than 100 employees would receive a $1,000 incentive for hiring a young worker and a $1,000 incentive for retaining that worker for six months. The government is launching a new grant that encourages employers to help apprentices complete their training programs, and is expanding support to five additional trades. The province is also modernizing its apprenticeship system to improve completion rates — creating clearer pathways to jobs — and increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups. Creating Fairness and Opportunity Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan has helped to stabilize the real estate market and make housing more affordable. As part of the plan, the expansion of rent control to all private market units in the province is ensuring that people are not subject to large, unfair spikes in rent. To continue helping families buy or rent a home they can afford, the province established a roundtable on housing development approvals. It has issued recommendations that will help address housing affordability challenges, increase supply, and support mixed-use communities that make more efficient use of land and infrastructure. One-third of all workers in Ontario are employed by small businesses. The province is helping to build a dynamic and competitive business environment by providing more than $500 million over three years in new initiatives to lower costs for small businesses and promote growth. This includes the proposed 22 per cent cut to the Corporate Income Tax rate for small businesses. Along with recent measures, such as lowering Workplace Safety and Insurance Board average premium rates and other business-focused initiatives, this would result in $1.9 billion in provincial support for small businesses over three years. Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable childcare, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the most significant expansion of Medicare in a generation.   November 15 2017 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has invited 2,750 candidates in the Express Entry pool to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a draw that took place on Nov. 15. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of the lowest-ranked candidate issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) was 439. All candidates with a score above 439 were invited to apply. While some candidates with a score of 439 received ITAs, IRCC said a tie-break procedure was necessary, meaning only those candidates with a CRS score of 439 who entered their profiles in the Express Entry pool prior to a specified date and time were invited to apply. In this case, that time and date was October 19, 2017, at 12:02:28 UTC. Today’s cut-off CRS score of 439 is 19 points lower than last week’s draw, which had a cut-off score of 458. It is interesting to note that this latest draw was the fourth in three weeks, which has only happened once before since Express Entry was introduced. Canada announced new three-year immigration targets on Nov. 1 and more frequent draws could have the effect of increasing the number of ITAs issued and lowering the CRS cut-off score as candidates with higher scores are removed from the pool. Under its recently announced Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is planning to welcome nearly one million new permanent residents between 2018 and 2020. Nearly 250,000 of those newcomers to be admitted through programs managed under the Express Entry system, namely: the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The number admitted through these programs is set to increase year-on-year. This latest draw was the 78th draw to take place since the Express Entry system was introduced on Jan. 1, 2015, and the 28th since the start of 2017. So far this year, 80,523 ITAs have been issued.   October 4 2017 2,801 Express Entry in October 4 Draw with over 438 CRS. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited 2,801 more candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence, in an Express Entry draw that took place on October 4. Candidates in the pool with 438 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points were issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) on this occasion. Candidates who receive an ITA have 90 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, including supporting documentation. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to complete the processing of applications within six months. Since Express Entry was first introduced in January, 2015, the vast majority of applications have been processed within this six-month timeframe. The latest draw brings the total number of ITAs issued so far this year to 72221, more than double the 33,782 that were issued in the whole of last year.
OCTOBER 5 2017
التعديلات على قانون الجنسيه بدء من اكتوبر 11 لهذا العام للتقديم على الجنسيه يجب ان يقييم المهاجر 3 سنوات من اصل 5 سنوات الممنوحه بها الاقامه الدائمه بدلا من القانون القديم 4 سنوات يجب ان يتم تسليم ملف الضريبه لثلاث سنوات بدلاا من 4 سنوات لا داعى للاقامه على الاقل 183 فى اخر اربعة سنوات اي تحتسب الثلاث سنوات متقطعه او متصله من اصل 5 سنوات يمكن احتساب  نصف الفتره التى اقام بها فى كندا قبل حصوله على الاقامه الدائمة وبحد اقصى 365 يوم لايطلب امتحان اللغه ويتم الاعفاء منه عند التقديم للجنسيه للاقل من 18 سنه وللاكبر من 54 سنه   Changes to take effect as of October 11, 2017 Citizenship Act with Bill C-6 Amendments Applicants must be physically present in Canada for three out of five years before applying for citizenship. Applicants must file Canadian income taxes, if required to do so under the Income Tax Act, for three out of five years, matching the new physical presence requirement. Applicants had to be physically present in Canada for 183 days in four out of the six years preceding their application.This provision is repealed. Applicants no longer have to meet this requirement. Applicants may count each day they were physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person, before becoming a permanent resident, as a half-day toward meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship, up to a maximum credit of 365 days, within five years preceding the date of application. Applicants between 18 and 54 years must meet the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship.
WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2017
اعلان هام فتح برنامج المستثمرين في كندا للجادين فقط افضل برنامج هجره استثماري فى العالم كله تحصل على الاقامه ومن ثم الجنسيه وتعلم ابنائك فى الجامعات المتطوره بتكلفه لا تتعدى 170000 دولار امريكي استثمار طويل الامد العائد منه اضعاف مضاعفه من التوفير المادى والرفاهيه والجنسيه لاجيال قادمه ستقوم حكومة كيبيك باعادة فتح برنامج المستثمرين لكيبيك في مايو 2017 سيتم قبول 1750 طلب منهم 1200 من الصين. الشروط المطلوبة للمستثمرين: -1 أن يكون لديك رأس مال بمايعادل مليون وستمائة ألف دولار كندي وهذا يشمل مجموع العقارات والأصول والأموال المملوكة لكل من المستثمر وزوجته/ها في اي بلد اي مايعادل 1250000 دولار امريكي. -2 أن تتوفر لديك الخبرة الادارية على الأقل لمدة 3 سنوات من تقديم الطلب -3 أن يكون لديك الاستعداد لدفع فوائدمبلغ الاستثمار الغير المسترد بقيمة $220000 كندى مايعادل 170000 دولار امريكي أو دفع مبلغ $800000 دولار كندي مستردين بعد خمسة سنوات من دون فائده 4- دفع مبلغ $15000 كندي كرسوم لمقاطعة كيبيك مع تقديم المعامله ملاحظة هامة: فاذا كنت من المهتميين بهذا البرنامج لاتتردد بالاتصال بنا 6479875265 أو ارسال بريد الكتروني الىoebid@fasttocanada.com في أقرب وقت لنتمكن من تأمين مكان لك لدى البنك لهذه السنة حيث الاماكن محدوده وتم تخصيص 10 مستثمرين لمكتبنا – الرجاء اعادة التوجيه لكل من أقاربكم أو معارفكم المهتمين بالهجرة الى كندا ضمن الشروط السابق ذكرها أعلاه – لايوجد أي متطلبات أساسية للعمر، اللغة، أو المؤهلات العلمية.
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THURSDAY, 24 APRIL, 2017
مقاطعة ساسكاتشوان تقفل وتفتح برنامج الدخول السريع للمره الثالثه في غضون خمسة اشهر تستمر مقاطعه ساسكاتشوان في منح فرصه للمتقدمين للهجره الى كنده عن طريق برنامج العماله الماهرهالعالميه احدي افرع برنامج ترشيح ساسكاتشوان اكسبرس انتريوفي يوم 14 فبراير تم فتح باب القبول ل500 طلب علي اساس اسبقية وصول الطلبات . للمتقدمين المهتمين بالامر نود ان ننوه بان هذا البرنامج قد فتح ابواب القبول لما لا يقل عن تسع مرات منذ بدايته في يونيو 2015 . ومنذ ذلك التاريخ صار من المعتاد ان تكتمل الكميه المحدده في غضون ايام وربما ساعات . ومنذ شهر اكتوبر 2016 تم فتح ابواب القبول في هذه الفئه ثلاث مرات. برنامج ترشيح ساسكاتشوان اكسبرس انتري يسمح للمتقدمين المؤهلين في مجموعة الاكسبرس انتري الفيدرالي ذوي الخبره في احدي ال21 وظيفه ذات الطلب العالي للتقديم من خلال هذا البرنامج. التقديم الناجح للطلبات يعطي المتقدم 600 نقطه اضافيه فى معيار نظام الدرجات وعليه سوف يحصل المتقدم علي دعوه للتقديم للاقامه الدائمه بكنده. ان برنامج ترشيح ساسكاتشوان اكسبرس انتري قد اثبت نجاحه بالنسبه للمقاطعه وايضا بالنسبه للمتقدمين. حيث تقبل الطلبات علي نظام اسبقيه وصول الطلبات من ياتي اولا يخدم اولا. ويتم فتح البرنامج بانتظام مما يعطي مقدمي الطلبات فرصه مباشره وسريعه ال كندا مقدمي الطلبات الذين لديهم الرغبه للتقديم بهذا البرنامج يحتاجون لخطوتين اساسيتين للنجاح: اولا عليهم معرفة اذا كانوا مؤهلين للتقديم ام لا. اذا كانوا مؤهلين فانه من الضروري تجهيز كل المستندات اللازمهالتي تدعم دخولهم في بركه الدخول السريع. مثل خطابات الخبره ورسالات المرجعيه التي تكون احدي متطلبات التقديم الفدرالي انما ليس احدي متطلبات التقديم لبرنامج ساسكاتشوان. من المتطلبات ايضا ضرورة تقديم خطة للاستقرار ولجمع المعلومات عن هذه المقاطعه المتميزه. شروط التاهيل: كل المتقدمين لابد ان يكونوا في بركة الدخول السريع-الاكسبرس انتري بالاضافه الي: احراز علي الاقل 60 نقطه من اصل 100 في لوحة النقاط لبرنامجترشيح ساسكاتشوان اكسبرس انتري والتي تكون من التعليم، التدريب، الخبره العمليه، اللغه، العمر واذا كان لدي المتقدم اى ارتباط بالمقاطعه. تزويد نتائج لامتحان اللغه علي حسب المواصفات والشروط المعلنه في برنامج الهجره السريعه. اتمام تعليم فوق المرحله الثانويه العليا مثل الدبلوم، شهاده او اي درجه علميه اخرى او تدريب مهني لمدة عام علي الاقل و مقيم من قبل النظام الكندي. في مجال التعليم والتدريب المهني لابد من ان يكون اما خبره عمليه لمدة عام على الاقل في الاعوام العشر السابقه في مجال مهاره تخصصيه غير التجاريه. او خبره عمليه لمدة عامين من الخمس سنوات الماضيه في مجال الصناعه الماهره. او خبره عمليه لمدة 12 شهر في كندا في غضون الثلاث سنوات الماضيه سواء كانت الخبره في المجال الصناعي اوغيره. ان يكون لدي المتقدم خبره عمليه في اى مهاره تحتاج لها مقاطعة ساسكاتشوان. اذا كانت المهنه تحتاج الي رخصه مزاوله فلا بد من ابراز اثباتات تدل علي التاهيل لنيل الرخصه في مقاطعة ساسكاتشوان. يجب اظهار مستند يثبت وجود مبالغ ماليه كافيه للمعيشه على الاقل لستة شهور . كيفية التقديم : اولا يجب الحصول على مالا يقل عن 6 فى امتحان الايلتس كشرط للبدء فى هذا البرنامج بعدها يتم معادلة الشهادات والبدء بانشاء بروفيل على موقع الهجره ويتم متابعة زيادة النقاط عن طريق طرق مختلفه منها برنامج ساسكاشوان الذى تحدثنا عنه اعلاه وهناك مقاطعات اخري سنتطرق لها فلى مقالات قادمه أسامة عبيد المدير التنفيذى شركة فاست تو كندا
THURSDAY, 24 APRIL, 2017
The largest ever Express Entry draw for immigration to Canada has  Taken place, and the number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required in order for a candidate to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence has decreased again. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 434 or more CRS points were issued an ITA in the March 1 draw. A total of 3,884 ITAs were issued in this draw.  Express Entry draw dates, CRS and ITA  Express Entry draw dates Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points Invitation to Apply (ITA) 11/30/2016 786 559 12/16/2016 497 1936 12/22/2016 475 2878 1/4/2017 468 2902 1/11/2017 459 3334 1/25/2017 453 3508 2/8/2017 447 3664 2/22/2017 441 3611 3/1/2017 434 3844 3/24/2017 441 3749 4/5/2017 434 3753 4/12/2017 423 3923 4/19/2017 415 3665 5/4/2017 423 3796 5/17/2017 415 3687 5/26/2017 775 143 5/31/2017 413 3877 6/28/2017 449 3409 7/12/2017 440 3202 8/2/2017 441 3264 8/9/2017 433 2991 8/23/2017 434 3035 9/6/2017 435 2772 9/20/2017 433 2871 10/4/2017 438 2801 Total 77174
Federal Skilled Worker Programs, immigration Document
Federal Skilled Trades Program, immigration Document
Canadian Experience Class Program, immigration Document
WEDNESDAY, 1 JANUARY, 2014 Under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Skilled Workers overseas, candidates have to demonstrate a connection to Manitoba and score sufficient points based on their age, English proficiency, work experience, education, and the nature of their connection to the province. Your connection to Manitoba must be one of the following: Proof of a close family member in Manitoba; One Affidavit of Support from a distant relative or close friend in Manitoba; Evidence of a completed education program in Manitoba (non-language training) or; Proof of at least six months previous full-time work in Manitoba   Therefore, since you don’t have any of the above connections in Manitoba, your application won’t be approved.   The best alternative instead, will be under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), you may qualify the following categories: International Skilled Worker CategoryA maximum of 250 applications will be accepted under this stream in 2014 from applicants without a job offer.Individuals may be eligible under this category if they meet the following criteria: Live outside of Canada or have proof of legal status in Canada Score at least 60 points on a 100 point assessment grid Have at least one year of work experience in the past ten years in intended occupation Score a minimum of CLB 4 in all language abilities (speaking, reading, writing, listening) Provide one of the following: A permanent, full-time job offer in a skilled occupation from an approved Saskatchewan employer; or Proof that they meet the following requirements: Field of education is in a skilled occupation Completed post-secondary education of at least one year in length If occupation is regulated, proof of appropriate Saskatchewan qualification Proof of settlement funds and a settlement plan
1. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 1  2. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 2  3. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 3  4. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 4  5. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 5  6. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 6  7. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 7  8. Read Arabic News about immigration Documents 8
TUE, 21 JAN 2014
Canadian Parent & Grand Parent Sponsorship Now Open
Canadian Parent & Grand Parent Sponsorship Now Open Applications for Permanent Residence to Canada for the sponsorship of parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents are now being accepted. Following a temporary pause on new applications, as announced by the Canadian government on November 5, 2011, certain amendments were made to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) with the goal of addressing the previous backlog of applications and ensuring processing efficiency for submitted applications. As a result, a maximum of 5000 new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications will be accepted for the current processing year. Applications will be assessed on a first-come and first-served basis. Incomplete applications or applications received after the quota is reached will be returned. Some of the changes to this category include: increases in the financial requirements of Canadian sponsors; specific documentation to be used to satisfy proof of income; proof of income is now to be demonstrated by the sponsors for the term of 3 years prior to submitting the application; and the financial undertaking by Canadian sponsors has been increased to 20 years. As most of the changes relate to Canadian sponsors, it is not expected that these changes will affect the popularity of this widely used program. If you are considering being sponsored or sponsoring your parents or grandparents for Permanent Residence in Canada, you must act quickly in order to be within the first 5000 applications received as well as ensuring that a complete application is submitted. If you are interested in Immigration to Canada, contact Fast To Canada for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also fill the free assessment form to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada. Fast To Canada Team
Monday, 1 Jul, 2013 NEW FEDERAL SKILLED WORKERS NOW OPENAfter a year of waiting, the New Federal Skilled Worker Program is now open.Under the program, only applicants who have skills and experience in one of 24 eligible occupations will be accepted for review. With the cap set at 5,000 this is an opportunity you do not want to miss!Do you want to immigrate to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker Program? Fast to Canada can provide you with a detailed outline on the steps that can be taken immediately to prepare and apply for the New Federal Skilled Worker Program before the cap is met!PARENT AND GRANDPARENT PROGRAM RE-OPENINGCitizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced the re-opening of the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program, one of the key elements in the Federal government’s Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.According to the announcement, the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification is on track to meet the goals of reducing the backlog and wait times in the Parent and Grandparent program (PGP) by a half. The PGP program will be re-opened for new applications onJanuary 2, 2014.CIC ALSO ANNOUNCED NEW MEASURES AS FOLLOWS:First: – Canada will admit 50,000 parents and grandparents as permanent residents and keep the high levels of admissions in 2014.Second: – CIC will make the Super Visa a permanent program. Since its launch in December 2011, over 15,000 Super Visas have been issued at an approval rate of 86 percent. Third: – CIC will introduce new qualifying criteria for permanent residency sponsorship of parents and grandparents which will increase financial responsibility of sponsors to ensure sponsored family members are well supported by their sponsors throughout their time in Canada, while respecting Canadian taxpayers and the limited resources for health and social programs. Fourth: – In 2014 CIC will accept 5,000 new permanent residence applications under the new PGP program.
Tuesday, 7 may, 2013 PLANNING TO LIVE IN CANADA??? HURRY UP !!! The new eligible occupations announced for FSW  (with their corresponding 2011 National Occupation Classification code) 0211 Engineering managers 1112 Financial and investment analysts 2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers 2131 Civil engineers 2132 Mechanical engineers 2134 Chemical engineers 2143 Mining engineers 2144 Geological engineers 2145 Petroleum engineers 2146 Aerospace engineers 2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers/designers) 2154 Land surveyors 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers 2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics 2263 Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists 3142 Physiotherapists 3143 Occupational Therapists 3211 Medical laboratory technologists 3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants 3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists 3215 Medical radiation technologists 3216 Medical sonographers 3217 Cardiology technicians and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified) Cap is 300 for every occupation worldwide Minimum ILETS required is 6 in all components Credential assessment is required from Canadian Institute before applying
FOR THE FIRST TIME, CANADIANS ARE WEALTHIER THAN AMERICANS Tuesday, 19 July, 2012 A new study has revealed that median household income in Canada is now higher than in the United States.Environics Analytics WealthScapes reported that, as of the beginning of 2012, average median household income in Canada rose to around $363,202. For the first time, this is higher than the median income of homes in the US, which is currently only $319,970.Several factors may have contributed to this general rise in Canadian’s wealth. The Canadian dollar, once worth less than the US dollar, has now drawn more or less even in terms of purchasing power. The Canadian job market is also booming in many fields, leading to a lower rate of unemployment.One factor that has helped Canadians financially has been the housing market. The average Canadian’s home is more than $140,000 more valuable than an American’s, according to the Globe and Mail. This is because Canada did not feel the full impact of the ‘housing bubble’ crisis, which has been driving down the value of US homes significantly since 2007”
TORONTO IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST LIVEABLE CITIES Tuesday, 19 July, 2012 The city of Toronto has been ranked the world’s 8th most liveable city for 2012. This is according to a study released by the Economic Intelligence Unit, which annually reviews cities for the qualities that make them most appealing to residents. Canadian cities have regularly dominated the charts for this study. Last year, Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary ranked 3rd, 4th, and 5th respectively. For 2012, Toronto is the only North American city to rank in the top 10. The next North American city is Washington D.C., following at a distant 14th place. This year, additional factors were introduced such as green space, pollution, internationality, cultural assets, and urban sprawl. These significantly changed the way in which rankings were calculated. According to the new ranking scheme, Toronto scored high for green space, pollution, and internationality. It scored lower for urban sprawl and cultural assets, which was defined by the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in or near its borders. This new ranking did not surprise Councillor Michael Thompson, who chairs the city’s economic development and culture committee. “There are so many rankings and ratings, (and) in all the rankings I’ve seen, Toronto always fares well.”
10,000 MORE SKILLED WORKERS COMING TO CANADA NEXT YEAR… Friday, 04 November 2011 Category Federal Immigration Next year, up to 10,000 additional immigrants will be allowed into Canada under the Federal Skilled Workers program. The government stresses these additional numbers will help meet market demands, as well as reduce a backlog of applicants for this program from previous years. “The government’s number one priority remains the economy. We recognize the importance of immigration to our labour market and we value the contributions of skilled immigrants who add to our international competitiveness,” said Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “We are committed to facilitating the arrival of the best and the brightest to our country.”
While overall immigration levels are expected to remain steady at 240,000-265,000, a higher proportion will be allowed into Canada through the Federal Skilled Workers program next year. This year between 47,000 and 47,400 immigrants are being let into Canada under this program, while in 2012, it is predicted that 55,000-57,000 will be. The latest government research indicates the success the Federal Skilled Workers program is having: with 89 percent of those admitted under this program employed at the three year point, and 95 percent of their employers being satisfied. Kenney suggests skilled workers are the future of immigration for Canada. “[We] will continue to ramp up efforts to modernize our immigration system to make it more nimble and responsive to labour market needs,” said Minister Kenney. Find out if you qualify for Canadian immigration by completing our Free Immigration Assessment Form.
CANADA TO ACCEPT MORE FOREIGN STUDENTS AS PERMANENT RESIDENTS Friday, 04 November 2011 Category Study in CanadaThe Government of Canada will be accepting up to 1,000 international PhD students as permanent residents through the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program per year.Starting November 5, 2011, 1,000 international students who are studying at the doctoral level in Canada will be eligible to apply for permanent residency through the FSW program. To be eligible for this program, applicants must have completed at least two years of study toward the attainment of a PhD and remain in good academic standing at a provincially recognized post-secondary educational institution in Canada, or have completed a PhD in Canada within the last year.“Attracting and retaining immigrants with high levels of skill will help Canada compete in the knowledge-based world economy,” said Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear. “With this initiative, we are telling the innovators of tomorrow that Canada is ready to welcome them and their ideas.”
NEWS UPDATES
Canada re-opens Immigrant Investor Program to be effective December 1, 2010. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will once again accept applications under the federal Immigrant Investor Program. Under the new program criteria, investor applicants will need to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000 under the old criteria, and make an investment of $800,000, up from the previous requirement of $400,000. The investor program was suspended in June, in part because the high volume of applications was leading to wait times that were too long. Raising the requirements will help reduce the flow of applications while ensuring we attract experienced businesspeople who can make a more substantial contribution to the economy.
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