Jan 13, 2014 | Canadian Experience Class
For international students and foreign workers in Canada, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), has long been the best route to permanent resident (PR) status in Canada. However, recent changes to the Canadian Experience Class may disqualify you from the program if you do not meet the new requirements or if your occupation is on the list of jobs that will no longer be accepted into the program.
As part of the changes to the Canadian Experience Class – which were put into place on November 9, 2013 – the following occupations will no longer be eligible to apply under the CEC program:
- Cooks – NOC 6322
- Food service supervisors – NOC 6311
- Administrative officers – NOC 1221
- Administrative assistants – NOC 1241
- Accounting technicians and bookkeepers – NOC 1311
- Retail sales supervisors – NOC 6211
If your work experience falls into one of the above NOC codes, you will no longer be eligible to apply for the Canadian Experience Class. However, our consultants at Can-Am Immigration can assist you in finding an alternate method of obtaining permanent resident status in Canada so give us a call to find out more about your options.
For the rest of you, whose NOC code is not listed above, it is important to note that there has been a cap put into effect which will limit the number of Canadian Experience Class applications to be accepted each year. A total of 12,000 CEC applications will be accepted in all eligible NOC codes, but that is not all. Sub-caps have been placed on all occupations in skill level B; this cap limits each of these occupations to only 200 per year. Occupations in NOC level 0 and A do not have sub-caps but are still subject to the total cap of 12,000 applications per year. Even if certain jobs in skill level B do not reach the 200 maximum cap for that skill level, they will still be counted towards the total of 12,000. That means that potential CEC applicants need to keep an eye out on both the sub-cap for their occupation and on the total cap for the entire Canadian Experience Class. As of today, the total number of applications received out of the 12,000 allowed is only 461. This is good news for those of you who are still putting together your application as there are many spaces still available. However, we highly recommend that you do not delay too much longer as more and more people are preparing and filing their applications as we speak. Keep in mind that any applications submitted with mistakes or missing information will be returned to you. For this reason, it is best to hire a skilled consultant to assist you in the preparation of your file.
Our highly trained group of immigration consultants at Can-Am Immigration can help you prepare and submit your CEC application in a timely and effective manner to avoid delays or return of your application. To find out whether you qualify for the Canadian Experience Class, call our office to speak with a regulated immigration consultant today. We will assess your situation and help you prepare the best file possible for success. While there are still many positions open at this time, this can change quickly so do not delay. Give our office a call today and get started on your road to permanent resident status.
Oct 10, 2013 | Becoming a Sponsor, Family Immigration
| Size of Family Unit |
Minimum Income
2012 |
Minimum Income
2011 |
Minimum Income
2010 |
| 2 persons |
$36,637 |
$35,976 |
$35,881 |
| 3 persons |
$45,040 |
$44,229 |
$44,113 |
| 4 persons |
$54,685 |
$53,699 |
$53,557 |
| 5 persons |
$62,023 |
$60,905 |
$60,745 |
| 6 persons |
$69,950 |
$68,689 |
$68,509 |
| 7 persons |
$77,879 |
$76,475 |
$76,275 |
| More than 7 persons, for each additional person, add |
$7,929 |
$7,786 |
$ 7,766 |
The Minimun Necessary Income requirement, which you must meet for each of the three years preceding the date of your application, is equal to the Low Income Cut-Offs (LICO) plus 30%.
Sep 11, 2013 | In the News, Processing Times
While we are all aware of the on-going strike that is causing serious delays in processing times, we expect that less files will be processed. However, it’s not the case when it comes to Study Permits for Canada.
The Canadian government has issued more student permits for Canada in the last three months than it did during the same time last year.
More than 45,000 international student visas for Canada were issued between May and July (the busy season for those seeking to begin studies in Canada in the fall. Last year, the number was approximately 39,000.
Of the total number of study visa applications visa offices received, only approximately 81 per cent received a decision. By end of July there were approximately 13,000 visa applications yet to be processed.
There are currently thousands of study permit applications in process awaiting decisions. If you are interested in submitting a study permit to Canada, you must remember that these applications can be refused for many different reasons and hiring a representative to support and represent you on your application is crucial.
Feel free to contact me directly should you have any questions regarding the study permit application process or our representation services.
Nir Rozenberg, RCIC
Regulated Immigration Consultant – 416-665-3939
Sep 5, 2013 | Immigrate to Canada, New Laws, Permanent Residency
In an ongoing effort to strengthen ties to the community within Manitoba, the province has amended the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) which allows temporary foreign workers a faster path towards Permanent Residence (PR).
At the start of 2013, Manitoba opened the option of applying online to all PNP applications – this option was formerly available to Priority applicants only. With the availability of applying online, it is now faster and easier than ever to apply for PR through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). Along with this came a deadline for mail-in applications. Applicants using a paper application must have it submitted and received by the MPNP no later than September 6th, 2013. From this date forward, all applications for the MPNP must be submitted online. All correspondence with the MPNP will be made by email so applicants must provide a valid email address in order to apply for the program. In July 2013, the MPNP underwent major renovations with new requirements put into effect on September 1st. From this date forward, applicants with ties to another Canadian province or territory must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
If you are a foreign national who has studied in any other province or territory of Canada, you must:
- Show at least one year of continuous work experience with an employer in Manitoba
- Hold a valid work permit issued by Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC)
- Have a permanent, full-time job offer from an employer in Manitoba
The most significant change is the amount of work experience required which has doubled from the previous 6 months requirement. Note that this change will not affect international students who have graduated from a Manitoba post-secondary educational institution. Only applicants who have studied in another province or territory of Canada will be affected by this change. In addition to the above mentioned requirements, applicants will still need to show strong ties to Manitoba and ties to other provinces or territories must not be stronger than Manitoba ties. In essence, the province is trying to keep applicants from leaving Manitoba once they have been approved for PR.
In order to make it even easier for foreign workers who wish to join the community in Manitoba, the MPNP was streamlined in April 2013 to create two paths for immigration to Manitoba. Temporary foreign workers now have two options for immigration to Manitoba.
- Temporary Foreign Workers in Manitoba – If you are a temporary foreign worker or an international student graduate working in Manitoba full-time for at least six months with an offer of permanent employment from a Manitoba employer, you may be eligible to apply for PR through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. Keep in mind that you must not have previous education in Canada outside of Manitoba. If you do, you will need to meet the eligibility requirements mentioned above.
- Skilled Workers outside Canada – Skilled workers from abroad looking to immigrate to the province of Manitoba may be eligible to apply for the MPNP as long as they meet the minimum requirements of employability and adaptability.
Applicants for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program are assessed based on points given for each of the following categories:
a. Age
b. English proficiency – you must show your proficiency in English by taking one of the approved English-language tests. Points are given based on the score obtained on this test.
c. Work experience
d. Education
e. Connection to Manitoba
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program is open to skilled workers from any occupation that can prove they are employable in the province of Manitoba. An exception to this is caregivers, who must apply for PR directly from CIC. Anyone living in Canada as a refugee or who have claimed and been refused refugee status may not apply for the MPNP. Investors and entrepreneurs may apply through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Business.
For more information about Manitoba’s Provincial Nominee Program and to find out whether you qualify to apply for one of the two MPNP categories, contact our office by calling 1-888-808-7338 to speak with an immigration consultant or you may fill out the form on the right side of this page and one of our consultants will get in touch with you promptly.
Aug 30, 2013 | Family Immigration, New Immigration Programs
A new program to sponsor your parents and grandparents to Canada will open on January 2, 2014. You will now have the opportunity to sponsor your parents and/or grandparents to Canada.
On January 2nd, 2014, the new Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program will reopen and begin accepting new applications. Thousands of people are now running around in an attempt to prepare their applications for submission with the first few days of the program opening. With a maximum allowance of 5,000 applicants for the entire year, applications will be processed on a first-come/first-serve basis. You may think that 2014 is a long way away but our immigration offices and others around the world are already preparing applications for many clients to be submitted on the day the program opens (January 2, 2014). It is therefore crucial that you meet the new requirements of the Parent and Grandparent program, which have been updated since the program was placed on hold on November 4th 2011.
New Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Requirements:
- You must be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, AND
- You must commit to be financially responsible for 20 years from the date your parent or grandparent became a permanent resident, AND
- you must meet the minimum income requirement for a period of three (3) years prior to the date your application is submitted and continue to meet the income requirement until the day of approval, which could take as long as 2 years.
The minimum income requirement will depend on how many people are in your household and how many people you are sponsoring. For example, if you have 4 people in your household and you will be sponsoring your mother and father, the total number is 6 people. Citizenship & Immigration Canada has not yet published the minimum income chart and for this reason we cannot provide you with the actual dollar amount you must meet. However, we do know that the minimum income requirement will be increased by as little as 30% but could increase by up to 50% from what they are currently.
With these strict requirements, it is crucial that you speak with an experienced immigration consultant early in order to begin gathering all of the necessary documentation. Keeping in mind that preparing an immigration application could take many weeks, and often several months, we highly recommend you begin immediately to avoid disappointment.
With the New Year fast approaching, it would be wise to start your preparations immediately if you hope to have any chance of having your application submitted on time and with all of the necessary documentation. Our office can provide you with all of the information you need and a comprehensive list of documents to get you started. Our immigration consultants will guide you throughout the process of sponsoring your parents or grandparents until the approval of your parent(s) or grandparent(s) permanent residence. Can-Am Immigration is operated by a highly trained and knowledgeable staff, headed by licensed and regulated immigration consultants.
We are open from 9am to 10pm EST, Monday through Friday and our consultants are available to offer advice by phone at 1-888-808-7338. You may also contact us outside of those hours by sending an email to inquiries@theimmigrationteam.com.
