Canada has held its second Express Entry draw in two days. A total of 250 Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Successful FSTP candidates needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 415 to receive an ITA. Yesterday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) […]
The post Express Entry: Canada holds rare federal skilled trades draw first appeared on CIC News.
In light of U.S. restrictions on immigration more and more immigrant tech workers are considering pivoting north to Canada. In June, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended immigration for certain visa holders. The White House argues that the move was to help American workers gain employment after many were laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]
The post More tech immigrants choosing Canada over U.S. first appeared on CIC News.
Canada will need to address inequalities that have been exemplified by the coronavirus outbreak in order to make a full economic recovery, a new report says. Immigrants, racialized people, LGBTQ2S+ and women have bared the brunt of the pandemic, according to the YWCA and the University of Toronto’s paper: “A Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for […]
The post Addressing inequities affecting immigrants key to economic recovery first appeared on CIC News.
Canada has held another all-program draw, inviting Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence. Canada issued 3,900 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in a draw held August 5. Candidates needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 476 to be invited in this invitation round. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada […]
The post Express Entry: CRS drops 2 points from previous all-program draw first appeared on CIC News.
The time that international students spend studying online from outside Canada now counts toward a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). When Canada initially relaxed the PGWP requirements to include online study as part of the eligibility criteria, it only counted after international students were approved for their study permit. Now the time international students put into […]
The post Online courses started before study permit approval count toward PGWP first appeared on CIC News.
Newly-released data on payroll, and earning hours from May show how easing coronavirus-related restrictions is affecting employment in Canada. Average weekly earnings increased in May, according to the Survey of Employment, Payroll and Hours. This Statistics Canada survey provides monthly information on payroll employment, earnings and hours worked in Canada. Though it predates the pandemic, […]
The post Employment recovering in Canada first appeared on CIC News.
Great Britain is implementing a Canadian-style points-based immigration system, but there are some notable differences. Great Britain’s new immigration law is the result of ideas put forward in 2019 when Prime Minister Boris Johnson campaigned for work visas to be reserved for people with at least the equivalent of secondary education, a good level of […]
The post How new UK immigration system compares with Canada first appeared on CIC News.
The Canadian film and television industry, which like many others around the world had to deal with postponements and cancellations of filming, productions and festivals due to travel restrictions and physical distancing measures, is now looking to the future. There is no doubt that the resilience of the industry has been tested by COVID-19, due […]
The post Canada’s film industry rebounds from coronavirus first appeared on CIC News.
Four Canadian immigration programs are now accepting copies of language test results instead of the originals. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now clarified that they will accept copies of language tests for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) program, the Agri-Food Pilot (AFP) program, the Rural Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) program, and the Start-up […]
The post Original language test results not required for certain immigration programs first appeared on CIC News.
Manitoba held its 95th Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on July 31. The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued a total of 199 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to immigration candidates. LAAs are invitations for immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence in Canada. Manitoba issued invitations under the following […]
The post Manitoba PNP draw invites 199 immigration candidates first appeared on CIC News.
Canadians who have an immediate need for a passport can once again apply by mail, as of July 31. If Canadians are travelling in less than 30 days, or need their passport urgently, they can now request in-person appointments. If Canadians do not have travel plans, the government media release recommends waiting before applying for […]
The post Passport services starting to resume in Canada first appeared on CIC News.
Canada is extending the travel restrictions it first put in place for most foreign travellers at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This morning, Canada issued a new Order in Council announcing its travel restrictions will be extended by another month, until August 31. In mid-March, Canada announced it was introducing travel restrictions effective March […]
The post Canada adds one more month of travel restrictions first appeared on CIC News.
The Canadian border is implementing stricter rules on travellers going through Canada to transit between Alaska and the rest of the U.S. The new rules apply to people travelling for non-discretionary reasons, which may include people who are going between states for work or to reach their primary residence in the U.S., according to a […]
The post Canada tightens rules for foreigners transiting to Alaska first appeared on CIC News.
Another 502 immigration candidates are one step closer to permanent residence after Saskatchewan held an invitation round on July 29. The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) invited candidates from the International Skilled Worker category through two subcategories: Express Entry, and Occupations In-Demand. In order to be invited in this draw, candidates from both sub-categories needed […]
The post Saskatchewan invites 502 immigration candidates in new PNP draw first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s immigration department has issued new guidelines for holders of expired permanent residence visas. Individuals who are in possession of Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) but whose documents have now expired may be allowed into Canada depending on their circumstances, according to a new operational bulletin. Canada has implemented different […]
The post Holders of expired COPR and PR visas may travel to Canada first appeared on CIC News.
Ontario has held a third Tech Draw this year, inviting immigration candidates who had work experience in one of six in-demand occupations. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) held its largest draw of the year on July 29. A total of 1,288 invitations went to candidates who may be eligible for the Express Entry Human […]
The post Ontario PNP invites Express Entry candidates in new Tech Draw first appeared on CIC News.
British Columbia invited 46 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence on July 28. The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot draw selected 34 candidates under the Express Entry BC and Skills Immigration categories. Selected candidates were from either the Skilled Worker or the International Graduate subcategories and […]
The post B.C. issues 46 invitations in Tech Pilot and Entrepreneur draws first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s immigration ministers see immigration as a crucial step to supporting the country’s post-coronavirus economic recovery. The ministers responsible for immigration met online last Friday, July 24, to discuss the impacts of coronavirus on the Canadian immigration system. Canada has ten provinces and three territories. Every province and territory other than Nunavut has a bilateral […]
The post Canada’s immigration ministers plan for future after coronavirus first appeared on CIC News.
Canada is making the Open Work Permit Pilot (OWPP) a permanent program, so the spouses and common-law partners of Canadians can continue to work while waiting on their permanent resident status. The program began in December 2014, and was set to expire on July 31 after its most recent extension. Instead of setting another expiry […]
The post Spousal open work permit pilot to become permanent first appeared on CIC News.
Canada is looking at possibly easing travel restrictions for international students in time for the fall 2020 semester. This is revealed in a letter that has been obtained by CIC News. Since March 18, international students have not been able to enter Canada unless they held a study permit that was valid as of that […]
The post Exclusive: Canada may lift international student travel restrictions first appeared on CIC News.
Some U.S. students will be able to enter Canada for the fall 2020 semester even if they obtain their study permit after March 18. New guidance published on the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Friday July 24 added U.S. students as the third category of students who can enter Canada: International […]
The post Canada exempts U.S. students from travel restrictions, but there’s a catch first appeared on CIC News.
Canada is not letting the coronavirus pandemic rob immigrants of their special day, but since citizenship ceremonies now take place over Zoom, a few changes have been made. Canadian citizenship ceremonies are meaningful, important events in people’s lives, so Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) created new instructions for soon-to-be citizens who are taking their […]
The post Be in Canada, bring scissors; instructions for online citizenship ceremonies first appeared on CIC News.
Anyone with experience in artificial intelligence and information technology may want to take a look at Canada, where immigration policies provide clear pathways to permanent residence and entry into the workforce. A study released in June by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology examined how immigration policies help support the competitiveness of the AI […]
The post Canada’s AI advantage: open immigration policies first appeared on CIC News.
In recent years, more immigrants are gaining permanent residence with Canadian work and study experience. The number of temporary foreign workers and students increased exponentially between 2000 and 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Over half, 59%, of new economic-class principal applicants in 2018 were former temporary foreign workers, up from just 12% at the turn […]
The post Half of new skilled immigrants have Canadian experience first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s immigration department doesn’t recognize virtual marriages for family-class sponsorship, however, foreign spouses might still be able to cross the border. The rule dates back to 2015. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decided that only Canadian Armed Forces members could sponsor their spouse who they married from a distant location, and only if certain […]
The post Zoom marriages don’t count when applying for Canadian immigration first appeared on CIC News.