Jul 19, 2017 | Blog, Immigrate to Canada, Immigration, In the News, Permanent Residency, Skilled Workers, Spousal Sponsorship, Student Visas, Work Permits, Working In Canada
There are many reasons why a person would choose to immigrate to Canada. Some people immigrate in hopes of living a better life and/or to give their children opportunities that may not be so readily available in their country. Some people immigrate because they live in a war-torn country and they fear for their safety and that of their family. Others have family already in Canada and they want to be close to them. Some people choose to immigrate to Canada with their spouse or partner. This process is called Spousal Sponsorship. Then there are those who come to Canada to gain valuable education and/or work experience.
When it comes to quality of life, Canada has most other countries beat. In fact, Canada was ranked #2 best country in the world and #1 in education. Just to compare, the US was ranked 7th best country and 7th in education. Canadians are also “the 6th happiest people in the world, while Americans lag behind at 13th.” And there is a reason why Canadians are so happy. They have universal healthcare, for one. And, relative to other countries, Canada has easier access to education / cheaper degrees, higher press freedom, higher economic freedom, and better prison and justice systems. Canadians also live longer, work less hours, take more days off, and earn more money than Americans. Wow. It’s true. The American dream has moved north.
Let’s talk about immigration policy. The main issue to consider here is that Canadian provinces, unlike US states, have the ability to set immigration policy. Immigration in Canada is a joint effort between the federal and provincial governments. Canada has a program called the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which allows provinces to choose who they bring in based on economic need. The PNP helps individuals and their families to apply for permanent residence based on set criteria developed by the individual provinces. This is good both for the immigrant, whose application for PR is fast-tracked by a provincial nomination, and for the province, as they are able to bring in workers to meet labor market demand. While many of Canada’s immigration programs focus on skilled worker immigration, the PNP allows provinces to select workers in any occupation, including low or no-skilled occupations, to meet the labor demands of the province. So, if you find yourself to not be eligible for any other economic immigration program, you may find success in one of the Provincial Nominee Programs.
Overall, Canada’s immigration policy is far superior to that of the United States. Canada welcomes immigrants based on merit, which means that individuals who receive permanent residence in Canada are typically well educated and highly skilled. Immigration to Canada is also easier and faster than US immigration for many people. So, if you are a young professional looking for better opportunities in a beautiful country, Canada might just be the best place to go. Or if you are a businessman or woman looking to expand your business or set up a new business, Canada is a great place to do this. Whatever your reasons are, our team of qualified immigration consultants can assist you with all of your immigration needs. To start, take our free online assessment and find out if you qualify for one of Canada’s many immigration programs. If you have any immigration questions, contact us for a consultation today.
Jul 17, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
July 12, 2017 – The most recent Express Entry draw invited 3,202 candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence. As was expected, the cut-off score of 440 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points is lower than the score of the last draw, made on June 28th. This recent draw is the second one since changes to the Express Entry system were made. These changes gave more points to candidates in the pool who have siblings in Canada and those who had French language skills. As a result of these changes, we saw the CRS cut-off score increase slightly between the May and June draws. In addition to the updates, there was a 3-week delay between these two draws, which likely resulted in more candidates with higher CRS scores entering the pool. While the current score is still higher than the draws we saw earlier in the year, we can expect the scores to continue to decrease in upcoming draws. Note that this most recent score is nine points lower than that of the last draw.
The Express Entry system has become the most popular method of applying for economic immigration to Canada. So far this year, a total of 54,487 candidates have received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. This number is larger than the total number of ITAs issued in all of 2016. Individuals who are interested in applying for permanent residence to Canada should definitely look into the Express Entry system.
Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the current economic immigration programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice. Applicants who receive a nomination from a province will receive 600 CRS points, increasing their chance of obtaining an ITA in the next round of invitations.
Candidates in the Express Entry pool with a score of 440 or higher should have received an ITA after this recent draw. After receiving your invitation, you have ninety days to submit your completed application for permanent residence. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important to prepare your application thoroughly and accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide.
If your score is lower than 440, it may be possible to improve your score. We can help you discover ways to improve your score and increase your chances of receiving an ITA in an upcoming draw. Take our free online assessment to determine your eligibility and we will contact you to discuss your options moving forward.
If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
Jul 3, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Permanent Residency, Skilled Workers
July 3, 2017 – Updates to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) now welcome skilled workers, with experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system. Candidates are required to have an online profile in the Express Entry pool and meet all of the requirements of the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
Prior to now, applicants were required to have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 400 in order to receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the province of Ontario. However, due to increased labour market demands, the province of Ontario will now issue NOIs to candidates with scores below 400, so long as they show work experience in a targeted ICT occupation. A list of targeted occupations has not yet been released.
It is important to add that the government of Ontario will continue to select candidates from the Express Entry pool who do not fit into the ICT occupations, but these candidates will need to have a minimum of 400 CRS points.
Candidates who are interested in the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program are required to have an online profile in the Express Entry pool and meet the minimum requirements of either the Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class.
If you are interested in applying for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, under the Human Capital Priorities Stream, our licensed immigration consultants can help. Whether you need help creating your online profile for Express Entry or if you just have questions about the Express Entry system, we can help. Contact us today for a consultation or take our free online assessment to see if you qualify to apply for permanent residence.
Jun 29, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Permanent Residency, Skilled Workers
June 28, 2017 – The first Express Entry draw of the month invited 3,409 candidates from the Express Entry pool to apply for permanent residence. Candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 449 and up should receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Although this score is higher than that of the last few draws, it is important to note that it has been 28 days since the last Express Entry draw. This is also the first draw to be made since the recent updates to the Express Entry system, which went into effect on June 6. These updates allowed individuals with French language skills as well as those with siblings living in Canada to receive additional points, thus increasing scores. Future Express Entry draws are likely to show a decrease in the CRS cut-off as more people exit the pool.
Candidates who received an invitation have ninety days to submit a completed application for permanent residence. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important to prepare your application thoroughly and accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide.
If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
Jun 9, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Immigrate to Canada, New Laws, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
June 8, 2017 – Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated the Express Entry pool in several ways. As of June 6, candidates in the pool receive additional points for French language as well as having siblings in Canada. But that is not the only change made on June 6th. In addition to this, IRCC has introduced a new feature, which ranks candidates with tied Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) scores based on the date and time they submitted their profile. Thus, candidates who submitted their profiles earlier will be ranked higher. Updating your profile will not change the date, but if you remove your profile or if your profile expires and you subsequently create a new profile, you will be ranked according to the date of your new profile.
This update allows IRCC to better manage the number of candidates that receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). In all previous draws, all candidates who had the minimum CRS points received an ITA and were then able to apply for permanent residence. In future draws, candidates will be ranked based on their CRS scores as well as the date they created their profile. This way, IRCC will send invitations only to the top ranked candidates. So if the cut-off CRS score is 410 and the maximum number of invitations is 4,000 then only the top ranking candidates will receive an ITA. If so many candidates have the same CRS score, those who submitted their profile earlier will receive invitations. The rest will remain in the pool and will be eligible to receive an ITA in a subsequent draw.
What this means for you is that you should prepare your Express Entry profile right away. Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the three current economic programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice. Applicants who receive a nomination from a province will receive 600 CRS points, increasing their chance of obtaining an ITA in the next round of invitations.
