The immigration update front has been relatively quiet this week but we have a few noteworthy updates to share as well as a highlight of one of our own client success stories.
Some of the updates include the recent IRCC performance report, programs where you don’t even need a high school diploma to apply for your PR, clarification on study permits, pilot renewals, and extensions, and the latest construction boom happening across Canada with new PNP pilots being rolled out. Finally, we’ll also identify the top and bottom 3 PNPs in Canada for business entrepreneurs and professionals. Even on a “quiet” week, there are always changes and we’re here to make sure you’re caught up.
Do you want to become a PR in Canada? At INGWE we can support you! Get a FREE email assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants. We speak over +8 languages and we have helped applicants from +50 countries in their immigration path to Canada. Fill out our form, click here.
IRCC 2023 Performance Report
According to the Canadian government website, the number of finalized applications increased across several fronts:
Application 2022 2023
|
Study Permits |
917,900 |
1,089,600 |
|
Work Permits |
1,1,143, 000 |
1,646,300 |
|
Permanent Residence |
437,600 |
471,550 |
|
Citizenship (Apr – Dec) |
279,100 |
293,000 |
The number of immigrants arriving in Canada in 2023 continues to grow in each province with Ontario leading by a wide margin as seen in the following graph:
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/444906/number-of-immigrants-in-canada
Do you want to become a PR in Canada? At INGWE we can support you! Get a FREE email assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants. We speak over +8 languages and we have helped applicants from +50 countries in their immigration path to Canada. Fill out our form, click here.
Study Permit Canada Latest Immigration News
Some changes now affect who doesn’t need a provincial attestation letter (PAL) for a study permit. If you fall into one of the following categories, you don’t need this piece of documentation:
* You’re applying to study in a preschool, primary school or secondary school (up to grade 12) are You’re applying to study in a master’s degree or doctoral degree program
* You have entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:
- You’re applying for a study permit extension.
- You have a work permit.
- You’re a temporary resident who is a visiting or exchange student studying at a designated learning institution (DLI).
- You’re a temporary resident who has completed a course or program of study that is a prerequisite to you enrolling at a DLI.
- You’re under a removal order but can’t be removed from Canada at this time.
- You have a temporary resident permit valid for at least 6 months.
* You’re the family member of a foreign national who lives in Canada and meets additional criteria
If you’re interested in studying in Canada, you’re at the right place! At INGWE, we have successfully supported applicants from +50 countries. Get a FREE email assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants, click here.
New Visa Application Center (VAC) in Lisbon
IRCC announced today the opening of a new Canada Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Lisbon, Portugal, on February 26, 2024. With this new centre, IRCC’s VAC network will consist of 163 locations in 110 countries around the world.
Agri-Food Pilot Program – Latest Immigration News
As of February 10th, for applicants inside of Canada the IRCC will now count work experience gained under an open work permit for vulnerable foreign workers towards the work experience requirement. This means that applicants without a high school diploma can technically apply for PR under this Pilot program for eligible farm and food processing applicants. This is probably one of the only programs out there in Canada that allows this.
So applicants now have 2 pathways to apply under the Agri-Food Pilot Program:
A: No job offer from the eligible farm or food processing plant, but the applicant has the minimum work experience and education (high school diploma) in addition to a Language exam with a score of CLB 4.
B: The applicant has a job offer from the eligible farm or food processing plant, but the applicant has no education (i.e. no high school diploma), and has work experience of a minimum of 1-year full time on an eligible industry, in addition to the Language exam score of CLB 4.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot – Latest Immigration News
The (RNIP) timeline has been extended through July of 2024 now. This program will most likely become permanent this year, with some slight changes, such as the addition of the Francophone streams within this program.
Nova Scotia Immigration News - Nova Scotia’s Response to the Construction Boom
We all know that there is a housing crisis in Canada, and hence a construction boom also happening in many regions of the country. British Columbia PNP launched their construction occupation stream under the PNP late last year, allowing construction workers and trades to apply for PR through their PNP.
Now Nova Scotia has also launched their “Critical Construction Worker Pilot” program as part of their PNP stream.
Their website has the full list of the occupations under this new pilot in Nova Scotia. This is a direct PR stream for applicants either overseas or anywhere in Canada who meet the eligibility criteria.
This is what I love about this new program:
1: No points-based system.
2: No PNP application fee. It’s free until you are nominated, before you pay your PR fee to the IRCC (Federal stage).
3: High school is not mandatory if you have specialized training for your occupation.
4: Low skilled jobs such as construction labourers, material handlers, etc. are included on the occupation list unlike BC and other provinces which are focused only on the trades. Nova Scotia has included both types of construction categories such as trades, higher skill positions and the lowest skill positions.
5: Low language requirements such as CLB 4 for low-skilled labour jobs in construction and CLB 5 for the higher-skilled trades in construction.
As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, you’re in. No other province can claim this. This is a winning combination and whoever applies for these programs is a winner!
Do you want to become a Permanent Resident in Canada? Our licensed consultants could assess your profile against +75 immigration programs across Canada. Get a FREE email assessment by filling out our form, click here.
IRCC Program Delivery Update
Previously IRCC officers assessing entrepreneur work permit applications would be challenging PNP candidates under the Entrepreneur streams who were applying for their work permits to come and start their businesses. Their challenges were based on significant benefits to Canada/the province. The IRCC has since updated these instructions and officers are not going to challenge them as before. Steven Meuurens provides a more in-depth explanation of this development here.
Top 3 Worst and Best PR Programs
Our top 3 favorite PR programs for low skilled applicants are:
1: The IRCC caregiver pilot program
2: The Agri-Food Pilot program
3: The Nova Scotia Provincial pilot for construction workers
As of February 2024, here are the best and worst PNP programs in our experience:
WORST:
1: Ontario
2: Quebec
3: British Columbia
BEST:
1: Nova Scotia (no points, no fees, no ITA’s, the best of the best).
2: Alberta (they are launching a new hospitality and tourism stream which is going to be unlike any other province – as others are closing their doors, Alberta is opening them up).
3: Saskatchewan (the only province where work experience as a student counts, no English requirements for entrepreneurs, and family ties can help boost your profile for direct PR).
Check out our previous posts for additional details on why these are the rankings!
ICT Canada Success Story
Finally, an update that is close to us as one of our own clients has been granted an ICT approval.
We received an Intra-Company Transfer, LMIA exempt code 61 approval in 9 calendar days (i.e. 6 business days). This was processed in the embassy located in New Delhi.
Why was our client’s ICT approved so fast? It’s simple, our client’s ICT application was genuine meaning we had them visit Canada, meet key stakeholders in the industry, and had money to invest and deposit in Canada. We outlined the significant benefit for the country based on key government data and documentation – we did not leave anything vague or missing.
Between all the different quality applications of ICT applications that the embassy received, it was obvious the high-quality ones do stand out.
We also received a closed work permit approval for a high-priority occupation for one of our clients in 2 weeks, approved by the embassy in Abu Dhabi (one of the most notorious Canadian embassies overseas). Again…it’s all a matter of submitting quality applications with candidates suitable for the selected program.
If you’re planning to immigrate to Canada through the ICT program and you’re looking for some guidance and support, you’re at the right place! We are licensed and we have successfully supported applicants from more than 50 nationalities. Get a FREE email assessment, click here.
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If you’re thinking about immigrating whether permanently or temporarily - you’re at the right place! Our team speaks over +9 languages, and we help applicants from over 50 different countries during their immigration process. Get a FREE email assessment, click here.
If you’re ready to apply and would like a 1-on-1 session with me or one of immigration team members at INGWE, you can also book a session directly using this consultation link.
