Jun 1, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program
Changes to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program include a new Express Entry stream for skilled trades workers, streamlined Employer Job Offer Stream, and updated Entrepreneur Stream.
The new Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream was launched on May 31, 2017 and is currently accepting applications from skilled workers who have experience in an eligible skilled trade. Interested individuals must have an online profile in the Express Entry pool and indicate a desire to settle in the province of Ontario or “all provinces and territories.” Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the federal Canadian Experience Class in addition to the requirements of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. Eligible candidates will receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Ontario via their online account. Only those who receive an NOI are eligible to apply for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program under the Skilled Trades Stream.
In addition to the new stream, Ontario has also streamlined the application process for international students and foreign workers with a job offer. The Employer Job Offer Stream replaced the employer driven streams, making the applicant more responsible for their application instead of the employer. Applications for the Employer Job Offer Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program are currently being accepted online.
Finally, an update to the Entrepreneur Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program was implemented, which lowers the minimum language level requirement and awards more points for applicants who wish to establish a new business or buy an existing business outside the Greater Toronto Area.
Read more about the requirements of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program and take our free online assessment to see if you qualify to apply under any of the above streams. If you are interested in settling in the province of Ontario and need help with the application process, contact us to speak with a qualified immigration consultant. Our team will assess your qualifications and discuss your options with you. Applications are currently being accepted for each of these three streams so contact us today to get started on your application.
May 17, 2017 | Blog, Citizenship, Family Immigration, Featured, Immigrate to Canada, Immigration, In the News, Permanent Residency, Spousal Sponsorship, Student Visas, Temporary Foreign Workers, Tourist Visas, Work Permits, Working In Canada
According to a U.S. News study, Canada was ranked the second best country in the world in 2017. U.S. News partnered with Y&R’s BAV and Wharton to rank 80 countries, based on several attributes, divided into nine (9) sub-rankings:
- Adventure (friendly, fun, pleasant climate, scenic, and sexy);
- Citizenship (cares about human rights, cares about the environment, gender equality, progressive, religious freedom, respects property rights, trustworthy and well-distributed political power);
- Cultural Influence (culturally significant in terms of entertainment, fashionable, happy, has an influential culture, modern, prestigious and trendy);
- Entrepreneurship (connected to the rest of the world, educated population, entrepreneurial, innovative, provides easy access to capital, skilled labor force, technological expertise, transparent business practices, well-developed infrastructure and well-developed legal framework):
- Heritage (culturally accessible, has a rich history, has good food and many cultural attractions);
- Movers (different, distinctive, dynamic and unique):
- Open for Business (bureaucratic, cheap manufacturing costs, corrupt, favorable tax environment and transparent government practices);
- Power (a leader, economically influential, politically influential, strong international alliances and strong military alliances); and
- Quality of Life (affordable, a good job market, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system and well-developed public health system).
Coming in as the second best country overall after Switzerland, Canada was also ranked #1 in the Quality of Life sub-category and 4th in the Citizenship sub-category. With a great public health care system and strong education system, as well as being a safe and family-friendly country; Canadians can boast a high quality of life. Canada is also known for being welcoming to immigrants and accepting of the diverse cultures of all their citizens. Canada is a land of opportunities for many foreign nationals as well as a safe haven for refugees. It might even be said that the American Dream is currently alive in Canada. In fact, the United States ranked 7th overall behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Sweden (ranked 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively). Canada also ranked second best country overall in the same survey done in 2016 (behind Germany) as well as #1 in Quality of Life and #2 in Citizenship.
In addition to the above-mentioned categories, Canada also ranked number one for Best Countries for Education, well above the United States (which ranked 7th). Canada secured this #1 spot because of its highly developed public education system and quality universities. All in all we can say that Canada is a wonderful place to live. No matter where in the world you come from, what your beliefs are, and what your future goals look like, Canada and its occupants welcome you with open arms.
Are you interested in exploring this beautiful country? There are so many opportunities for individuals and families looking to study, work, and live in Canada. Our team of experienced immigration consultants is here to help you achieve your dream. Maybe you want to come for a visit to see the sights or to visit family. Perhaps you are looking for temporary status that allows you to work and /or study in Canada. Even if you are seeking a more long-term status, we can help. Canada places much value on the reunification of families. So if you have family members living in Canada, we can help with Family Sponsorship applications, including Spousal Sponsorship. From visitor visas to permanent residence to citizenship, our team can help you choose the best program to fit your needs. To get started, take our free online assessment or contact us today. We would gladly answer all of your questions and discuss your options for Canada immigration.
Apr 24, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Employers, In the News, Temporary Foreign Workers
Alberta has launched a new pilot program that prevents Canadian employers in the province from hiring temporary foreign workers in one of 29 high-skilled occupations. Applications through the Temporary Foreign Worker program for these occupations will be placed on a “refusal to process list” and employers who attempt to hire foreign workers in one of these prohibited occupations will be redirected to available local workers. This two year pilot program will be closely watched by the federal government and, if successful, might be implemented in other provinces or federally. The goal of this initiative is to ensure that Canadians are first in line for available jobs. The jobs included in the 29 banned occupations include engineers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, construction, and truck drivers. The selection of these particular jobs was based on the unemployment in Alberta and may be adjusted as time goes on.
If you are a Canadian employer looking to hire foreign workers, click here for more information or contact us to speak with a qualified immigration consultant.
Foreign workers wishing to come to Canada with a temporary work permit, take our free online assessment or contact us to see if you are eligible to apply.
Jul 30, 2014 | Temporary Foreign Workers
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program is now facing a legal challenge by a Labrador business couple.
The program, introduced in its reformed version in June by Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney, includes the Labour Market Opinion clause which forces employers to obtain government permission to hire foreign workers. Non-compliance of this rule can lead to a $100,000 fine and possible blacklisting for business owners (which means they cannot apply for work permits for new foreign employees).
The Labrador couple, owners of several franchises, have recently found themselves on the government blacklist, which has sparked the legal challenge.
Their complaint includes several accusations against the policies of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, including lack of reasons as to why their company was blacklisted, no warning that their company name would be listed in the public domain and not giving the couple a chance to defend their case. The couple also claims the changes were not announced in due time to allow them to adjust their procedures.
Concern is growing that Kenney’s changes may deter would-be immigrants from using the program, thus reducing responses to the government’s efforts to fill an ever-increasing skills shortage in the country.
Jul 18, 2014 | Working In Canada
Employment Minister Jason Kenney will announce an agreement with the provinces today to recognize 10 new occupations, including welders, carpenters and electricians, to improve foreign credential recognition.
The precise occupations include several skilled trades, a government official has said.
Kenney will provide the details this afternoon in Vancouver, while Immigration Minister Chris Alexander will make an announcement in Toronto.
The news was discussed at a meeting with provincial and territorial labour ministers last week in Charlottetown.
At the meeting, Kenney said he sought a clear commitment on apprenticeships and a specific timeline to facilitate labour mobility between provinces for skilled tradespeople.
The discussions in Charlottetown were a success and the provinces were “very positive,” a government official noted.
Last fall, there was little interest by the provinces and territories to move forward with a national approach on apprenticeships, but Kenney has been able to convince them otherwise by relaying what he learned during his trip to Germany and the UK earlier this year.
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Kenney announced a major overhaul of the government’s temporary foreign worker program last month, but western premiers have complained the crackdown is unduly hurting their provinces, where there is a shortage of skilled workers in some industries.
