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 27, 2017 | Blog, Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Federal Skilled Trades, Immigrate to Canada, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
May 26, 2017 – Immigration, Refugees, & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made an Express Entry draw with two different Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) point requirements for two different programs: Federal Skilled Trades and Provincial Nominee Program. With the lowest scores at 199 for Federal Skilled Trades and 775 for provincial nominees, these are the lowest score requirements we have seen since the start of the Express Entry system in January 2015. Since provincial nominees are awarded 600 points for a nomination, this means candidates with provincial nominations only needed 175 core points to be selected in the most recent draw. A total of 543 candidates in the Express Entry pool received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in this draw, with 400 in the Federal Skilled Trades and 143 provincial nominees invited. This last draw was only the third draw of 63 draws – since the program’s inception – to focus on specific immigration programs.
As a result of inviting provincial nominees, we can expect to see lower cut-off scores in the upcoming draws. Additionally, with both the provincial nominees and applicants of the Federal Skilled Trades Program out of the pool, candidates for the Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class are more likely to receive invitations in the next Express Entry Draw. If you are a Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class candidate, you can look forward to potentially receiving an ITA with a lower CRS score in a future draw.
If you received an ITA in this draw, you now have ninety (90) days from the date you received your invitation 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 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. 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.
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.
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 28, 2014 | Spousal Sponsorship
Canadian citizens applying to sponsor their foreign spouses will be hit hard by the government’s doubling of processing time due to a backlog of applications.
Applicants in Canada will now have to wait 11 months, up from six months, to get past the first stage, which, if approved, will let the foreign spouse work in Canada and access health care while phase two is being finalized.
Currently, Canada allows a foreign national married to a Canadian to apply for sponsorship in the country if they’re already here legally with valid temporary status. They also have the option to return to their homeland and apply from there, but most couples prefer the in-Canada route.
The recent unexpected delays in inland sponsorship processing have caused both emotional and financial hardships for thousands of these Canadian couples because the foreign spouses lack full status here.
It’s not known how many inland spousal applications are backlogged, but more than 8,000 new in-Canada applications (one-fifth of all spousal cases) are processed each year.
While immigration officials have said applicants are free to choose whether to apply in or outside Canada, a letter from Chris Alexander’s office obtained by the Toronto Star stated the government’s preference: “It is always in the client’s best interests to apply abroad.”
