According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, nearly all of Canada’s immigrants could conduct a conversation in one of the country’s two official languages (English and French)—93.6% according to the latest census. However, there is more to the story. Though most immigrants can conduct a conversation in either English or French, English is favored among newcomers […]

The post Why fewer French speakers in Canada may help your immigration chances first appeared on CIC News.

A recent notice published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has clarified exactly who is required to submit a provincial attestation letter (PAL) when they apply for a Canadian study permit. In late January this year, the federal government announced that most new post-secondary international students at the college or undergraduate level would now […]

The post Will I need to submit a provincial attestation letter as part of my Canadian study permit application? first appeared on CIC News.

For various reasons, Canadian immigration applicants may decide to pursue a refund on their application. These reasons could include Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC’s) refusal of an application, the applicant deciding to withdraw from consideration for immigration to Canada, or the applicant overpaying the required amount to IRCC. IRCC indicates that eligibility for a […]

The post Am I eligible for a refund on my immigration application? first appeared on CIC News.

This week three provinces—British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan—issued invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR) under their respective immigration streams. Candidates were invited under a combination of demographic and labour market streams, with differing criteria for each. In addition, different Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) utilise varying scoring systems, which result in great variance between […]

The post Three provinces issue provincial nominations this week first appeared on CIC News.

Port of Entry (POE) letters are documents that some foreign nationals may receive if they have been permitted to enter Canada as a temporary resident (TR). POE letters may be provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to foreign nationals who are approved for any of the following three TR permits/visas: A study permit […]

The post What is a Port of Entry letter? first appeared on CIC News.

Canada’s Express Entry system requires that all candidates have a minimum language ability corresponding to a level 7, 5, or 4 (depending on the specific program) under the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) (for English) or the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) (for French). Though Canada has demographic and integration reasons to require that newcomers […]

The post How language skills predict earnings in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

In 2023, Canada welcomed 471,550 new permanent residents, a number that exceeded Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada‘s (IRCC’s) immigration levels plan for the year. This large number of newcomers means that Canada’s immigration department must deal with hundreds of thousands of applications for permanent residence (PR) every year—in addition to work and study permit applications. […]

The post How does IRCC process Permanent Residence applications? first appeared on CIC News.

In a press conference earlier today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced two separate new immigration pilots – one for rural communities and another for francophone minority communities across Canada – while adding that the existing Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) will transition into a permanent program. In a press conference today, Immigration […]

The post IRCC introduces two new immigration pilots for rural and French-minority communities first appeared on CIC News.

Express Entry candidates have two choices if their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score changes after they receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR): decline their ITA or continue to submit their Application for PR (APR). Through the Express Entry application management system, which handles immigration applications from three different economic immigration programs*, […]

The post Can I still apply for permanent residence if my CRS score changes after I receive an Invitation to Apply? first appeared on CIC News.

Federal immigration minister Marc Miller has chosen to take action regarding Quebec’s family reunification levels. In a letter obtained by Radio Canada, Minister Miller—speaking to his Quebec counterpart Minister Christine Fréchette—detailed the measures that he would undertake to see that Quebec’s family reunification levels were up to the standards he felt were appropriate. Sponsor your […]

The post Immigration Minister imposes higher levels of family reunification on Quebec first appeared on CIC News.

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada often look for the fastest pathway to achieving their goal and starting a new life in this country. On a basic level, Canada has four primary immigration classes: economic immigration, family-class sponsorship, humanitarian/compassionate immigration and immigration for refugees/protected persons. However, within those four general classifications, Immigration, Refugees […]

The post How long will it take to become a permanent resident of Canada in 2024? first appeared on CIC News.

British Columbia’s provincial attestation letter (PAL) system is effective as of today, March 4, 2024. International students must submit a PAL with their study permit application to prove that they have been accepted by a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) within the limits of its allocation. The B.C. government says the provincial government issues PALs to […]

The post British Columbia now issuing Provincial Attestation Letters for international students first appeared on CIC News.

Moving to a new country is an exciting time. You may be looking forward to the many new opportunities ahead. A big part of that is the prospect of landing your first job in Canada. It’s certainly a top priority for many newcomers. If you’re making the move to Canada soon, here are six useful […]

The post Prepare For Your Canadian Career: Useful tips to prepare before you arrive first appeared on CIC News.

Recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that Canada welcomed 471,550 new permanent residents (PRs) in 2023, over 6,000 more PRs than the target outlined in IRCC’s 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan. Canada’s number of PRs welcomed in 2023 also exceeds the total reached in 2022 (437,600) by more than 33,000. Of the […]

The post An overview of permanent residence fees for economic immigration pathways in 2024 first appeared on CIC News.

Ontario, British Columbia (B.C.), Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Manitoba have issued provincial immigration invitations through their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in the last two weeks, a period that also saw Quebec release the results of two rounds of invitations conducted through their provincial immigration system since February 17. In all but two of Canada’s […]

The post Five provinces issue more invitations in latest provincial immigration results first appeared on CIC News.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released important details for the department’s new temporary humanitarian permanent residence (PR) pathway dedicated to foreign nationals from Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela. First announced on October 10 last year, IRCC determined that it would create a new temporary pathway for Colombian, Haitian and Venezuelan foreign nationals physically present […]

The post IRCC releases details on new temporary PR pathway for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans first appeared on CIC News.

Canada has announced that it will extend the special measures put in place for Iranians in Canada as temporary residents. The measures were originally announced in February 2023 as a means of supporting Iranians in Canada during a time of turmoil in Iran and set to expire last week. They will now expire as of […]

The post Special immigration measures extended for Iranian nationals in Canada as temporary residents first appeared on CIC News.

In response to an increase in asylum claimants from Mexico, Canada now requires some Mexican nationals to obtain a visitor visa to enter Canada temporarily. This change is effective as of February 29, 2024. Previously, all Mexican citizens were eligible to receive an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. Discover if You Are Eligible […]

The post Some citizens of Mexico now require a visa to visit Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Amidst a recent surge in fraudulent immigration practices, particularly those targeting asylum seekers, this article will outline five signs that immigration candidates may be dealing with someone aiming to take advantage of their desire to immigrate to Canada. March is Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada‘s (IRCC’s) fraud prevention month. As Canada continues to be a […]

The post Five red flags to watch out for when choosing an immigration representative first appeared on CIC News.

Montreal stands out not only for its rich history and arts scene but also its unique bilingual environment. As a city that boasts eclectic festivals and a dining scene rivaled by few, it offers newcomers an array of enriching experiences. This guide will help newcomers looking to settle in the city, touching on aspects from […]

The post A newcomer’s guide to making Montreal home first appeared on CIC News.

On February 14, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a category-based draw for Express Entry candidates with experience in healthcare occupations where the department issued 3,500 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to those with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 422. This CRS score marked the lowest minimum score of any healthcare draw since the introduction […]

The post Who received ITAs in the last Express Entry healthcare category-based selection draw? first appeared on CIC News.

A visitor visa is needed to come to Canada as a tourist, or on a quick trip to visit family, or do business for individuals of many countries. Anyone who is not a permanent or temporary resident of Canada (those with a work or study permit) will need a visitor visa to enter the country. […]

The post Visitor Visa checklist: Everything you need to apply and visit Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited candidates to apply for permanent residence in the second Express Entry draw of the week. The department issued 2,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a in a category-based selection draw for candidates with strong French language proficiency Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 336. Discover if […]

The post IRCC issues 2,500 ITAs in category-based Express Entry draw for French language proficiency first appeared on CIC News.

We are pleased to announce that you can now get your CELPIP scores even faster than before! We understand the stress and pressure that come from writing a high-stakes test like CELPIP and have listened to the feedback from our test takers. We are excited to now provide your results faster than ever. By reducing […]

The post Get Your English Language Proficiency Scores Faster with CELPIP first appeared on CIC News.

Canada’s Express Entry management system has continued into 2024, issuing more invitations to apply (ITAs) to candidates from all three of its programs. The composition of the candidate pool is a key factor in how the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off scores and the draw sizes are determined under Express Entry, is. While it is […]

The post The current state of the Express Entry pool: February 2024 first appeared on CIC News.