Mar 27, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Immigrate to Canada, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
On March 24, Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an Express Entry draw and invited 3,749 candidates to apply for immigration to Canada. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 441 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This is the second draw to occur this month, continuing the trend of two draws a month by IRCC. We see a slight increase in points from the last draw on March 1st, which had a lowest score of 434 and invited 3,884 candidates.
If you received an ITA, you are now able to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence for yourself and your family. Applicants who received an invitation are able to bring their spouses or common-law partners and any dependent children. Keep in mind that you must submit your complete application with all required documents within 90 days of receiving your ITA. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important that you prepare your application accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you to 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.
How to apply for Express Entry
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.
Dec 16, 2016 | Permanent Residency
Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made a draw today and invited 1,936 candidates to apply for permanent residence through the Express Entry system. The lowest scoring candidate had 497 points. This draw is first non-specific draw since IRCC made changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). All candidates who were in the Express Entry pool with a score of 497 or higher received an invitation, regardless of the program in which they were eligible or whether they had a provincial nomination certificate.
Several changes were made to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) on November 19, 2016. This draw, for many, will indicate the affect of the changes, and how candidates may benefit (or not benefit) from the changes. Points are now being awarded to those who have completed studies in Canada, and to those candidates who have a spouse that completed an English test and has post-secondary education. Other changes include the number of points awarded for possessing a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). In the past, 600 points would be awarded. Under the new CRS, 200 points are awarded to candidates who possess a positive LMIA for a job position that is in a NOC 00, while only 50 points awarded for any other skilled position. Points are now being awarded to candidates who are working in Canada on some specific LMIA-Exempt work permits (ie; NAFTA, Intra-Company Transferees, GATS).
Given the changes, and the numbers of the most recent draw, it is highly expected that the points threshold will decrease in the subsequent draws. IRCC has been making an effort to put greater weight on human capital, skills and experience.
Express Entry – How to apply
The first step to determine your legibility for the 3 current economic programs 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:
Oct 2, 2015 | Express Entry, Permanent Residency
LATEST DRAW FROM EXPRESS ENTRY ON OCTOBER 2, 2015
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) has drawn applicants for the 18th time from the Express Entry pool this year. On October 2, 2015 CIC sent 1,530 invitations to apply (ITA) applicants in the Express Entry pool to become permanent residents within 6 months. On this draw specifically, candidates who scored a minimum of 450 or higher would have received an invitation to apply.
The previous draw on September 18th was the first since January 1, 2015 where applicants were selected and invited to apply without having a qualifying job offer with an LMIA confirmation.
Canada Express Entry (EE) Program
As of January 1st, 2015 Canada will only accept applications for permanent residence through the Express Entry program. Candidates who would otherwise qualify through any of the following 3 programs will be eligible to submit an application to show their interest in obtaining permanent residence in Canada:
– Federal Skilled Workers
– Canadian Experience Class
– Provincial Nominees
The Canada Express Entry program is points based, and is incredibly confusing. There are many variables, and candidates may apply as single, or with dependents to ensure they are awarded the highest number of points. Candidates will have to pass an English language test and have their educational credentials assessed and possess at least 12 months of full time paid skilled work experience.
Candidates who have previously worked or studied in Canada will be awarded additional points. Those candidates who have arranged employment offers or have been nominated through a Provincial Nominee Program will be among those who are selected as priority.
Submit your application to Express Entry pool
Contact our office to speak with an immigration consultant to determine whether you qualify to apply, and determine the number of points you would receive under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Our immigration consultants can help you prepare your submission and represent you to ensure your properly represented.
Feb 6, 2014 | New Laws, Permanent Residency
It is not yet known exactly when, but the Canadian government is set to increase the time a permanent resident must spend in Canada before applying for Canada citizenship. Currently, permanent residents must be present in Canada for three (3) out of four (4) years in order to qualify for Canadian citizenship. Changes to the Citizenship Act will include a one (1) year increase to the rule. This means permanent residents will have to spend four (4) years out of five (5) in Canada to qualify. While we believe this to be the case, the Canadian government has not confirmed.
The goal is to make sure that permanent residents can establish and show their commitment to Canada and ensure that fraud is reduced or eliminated. Changes would also include the reduction of processing times, which have nearly doubled since 2008, and are currently between 25 to 35 months.
The demand for Canada citizenship has grown drastically and continues to grow as more and more immigrate to Canada through work, studies or family sponsorship.
We will continue to follow the progress on these changes and will update our website as the information becomes more clear.
If you have already spent three (3) years in Canada as a permanent resident within the last four (4) years, we strongly urge you to submit your application as soon as possible. If you require assistance in submitting your application or determining whether you qualify to apply for Canadian citizenship contact our office to speak with a consultant today.
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 6, 2013 | Immigrate to Canada, New Immigration Programs, Permanent Residency
Alberta is making it easier for you to apply to become a permanent resident! If you are living and working in Alberta, you may qualify to apply under the new Alberta Work Experience Category. Normally, in any of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Programs, the employer must apply with you to be nominated. In this new Alberta Work Experience Category, you can apply for nomination without your employer. This is a time-limited opportunity so we suggest that if you qualify, you should contact our office to apply immediately!
Do I Qualify?
- is your occupation on the Eligible Occupations List?
- Have you worked in Alberta for at least 2 years?
You must be working in an occupation that is listed in the Occupations List, especially at the time of making your application. Qualified work means that you have worked full time and hold a valid work permit. You must also be a full time resident of Alberta. Of course, if you are working in a regulated occupation you must provide evidence of your certification, licensing, or registration.
As part of your application you would have to submit an official language test result from either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the CELPIP. Make sure to study before you take this test because you must score a minimum of 4.5 in Listening, 3.5 in Reading, 4.0 in Writing and 4.0 in Speaking for IELTS test and 2H for Listening, 2H for Reading, 2H for Writing and 2H for Speaking on the CELPIP test.
If you plan to submit an application such as this one on your own, without representation, be sure to complete your applications properly. Incomplete applications or applications with missing documents or information will not be processed and will be returned to you. A complete application is one that includes all of the required documents, fees, and supporting evidence. Once a decision is made on your application the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program will not reconsider a decision.
As this is a new program and not all of the information is out there for the public, we strongly encourage you to contact our offices to speak with an immigration consultant. The immigration consultant can provide you with further information and assess you for eligibility in this new Alberta Work Experience Category.
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