Canada Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced that applications for a new humanitarian pathway to permanent residence are now open for certain citizens of the Americas.
This directive, aimed at immigrating Colombian, Haitian, and Venezuelan foreign nationals, comes in the midst of a globally “unprecedented migration crisis” caused by record displacements.
Herein, the rise in irregular migration has caused a correspondent rise in migrant smuggling, physical insecurity, and exploitation of those crossing through the region in question.
The webpage on the news release said that “Canada recognizes the need to take action and is working to support vulnerable individuals by providing them with safe and regular migration pathways.”
“This is why Canada is providing an alternative to irregular migration by welcoming 15,000 people from the Western Hemisphere through a family-based humanitarian pathway in addition to our existing programs.”
The qualification requirements for the program are that the principal applicant must have one of the following relations to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who agrees to support them and their family members as an anchor for one year:
Child (regardless of age)
Grandchild
Spouse
Common-law partner
Parent
Grandparent
Sibling
Applications require a submission through the IRCC portal, and the provision of a signed statutory declaration from the anchor confirming their support for the immigrant.
However, applicants must plan to live outside of Quebec, as the French-Canadian province has chosen not to participate in the program.
Those coming to Canada through this pathway will receive pre-arrival services, including employment skills assessment and a referral to a settlement service provider organization in their community.
Additionally, they may be eligible for transitional financial assistance from the Resettlement Assessment Program.
Canada is also welcoming people from the Americas by:
Bringing in a further 4,000 people through the temporary foreign worker programs, which includes the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
Leveraging the country’s existing labor mobility pathway, the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
As per the website, the measures mentioned above are aimed at alleviating migration pressures caused by socio-politico-economic instability in the Western hemisphere. The new pathway is an additional means of facilitating the same.
Watch Video
Additional to the commitment, Ottawa is bolstering its support for capacity-building efforts in the region through an investment of $75 million over six years for projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. This is aimed at strengthening asylum capacity and better integrating migrants and refugees into local communities and labor markets.
“We are determined to uphold our humanitarian tradition and support those in need,” said Miller.
“Providing safe, legal pathways for displaced people to start new lives in Canada not only delivers on that commitment, but also strengthens our country through the profound contributions newcomers make in their communities, including growing our economy and filling labour market gaps.”
The November 21 draws were targeted at specific occupations.
In a tech draw, 93 invitations were issued to skilled workers and international graduates with a minimum score of 94 points.
A further 27 invitations were issued to skilled workers and international graduates scoring at least 60 points in a draw targeting Early Childhood Educators and Assistants under NOC 42202.
Are you a candidate with skills and qualifications in one of Canada’s 82 jobs for occupation-specific Express Entry draws? We want to help you move to Canada. Please submit your CV here.
Thousands more jobs for nursing co-ordinators and supervisors are forecast to open up in the coming seven years than there will be people to fill them, a situation rife with opportunity for qualified foreign nationals to gain their permanent residence here through occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws.
“For nursing co-ordinators and supervisors, over the period 2022 – 2031, new job openings arising from expansion demand and replacement demand are expected to total 23,100, while 21,800 new job seekers (rising from school leavers, immigration and mobility are expected to be available to fill them,” reports the Job Bank job-hunting and career-planning website.
“The labour shortage conditions seen in recent years is expected to persist into the 2022 – 2031 period.”
Driving the need for nursing co-ordinators and supervisors during those coming years is the aging of the Baby Boomers.
“As the Canadian population ages, the demand for health services and consequently the need for healthcare professionals is projected to increase,” notes the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS).
“In addition, the commitment made by some provinces to reduce wait times in emergency rooms, for treatments, and for surgery is expected to contribute to the increase of labour demand for workers in this occupation.”
With Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changing Canada’s Express Entry system to allow it to target 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture this summer – including nursing co-ordinators and supervisors – it opened the door to a new pathway to immigration for them.
The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.
Ottawa made the changes to help resolve serious labour shortages in Canada.
“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities.”
Video
Across Canada, the Indeed.ca job-hunting website listed 378 jobs for nursing co-ordinators and supervisors in mid-October.
Job Bank gives its highest rating of very good to the job prospects for nursing co-ordinators and supervisors across the entire country with the exception of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island over the next three years. In those two Atlantic Canadian provinces, Job Bank ranks these workers’ job prospects as good.
The website pegs the median hourly wage for nursing co-ordinators and supervisors in Canada, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 31300, at $43.06 but that varies from a low of $25 right up to $54.
Based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, that means these workers can expect to earn up to $105,300 per year.
Candidates hoping to immigrate through Express Entry occupation-targeted draws need at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible, experience that can have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.
Provinces Have Already Been Holding Occupation-Specific Draws For Years
Canada first signalled its intention to start occupation-specific draws through Express Entry in June last year, when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other attributes, such as language ability.
The majority of Canada’s provinces have been issuing occupation-specific invitations for several years.
Under the changes to the act, the immigration minister is required to consult provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners, before announcing new categories.
IRCC must also report to parliament each year on the categories that were chosen and the reason for the choices.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 per cent of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, which manages its own immigration intake.
Many highly-skilled foreign nationals with H-1B visas in the United States are looking north to Canada for work due to massive layoffs in the American tech sector, reports CNBC.
The American business news channel has reported that 6,000 H-1B visa holders moved to Canada this year alone.
“The highly educated foreign national is really at the mercy of the U.S. employers,” Annie Beaudoin, a former Canadian immigration officer, reportedly told CNBC.
Under sweeping changes made by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, the H-1B visa program made it more expensive and difficult to get highly-skilled immigrant workers into the United States.
That was a massive blow to American tech companies but a boon to Canada’s high-tech sector.
Companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple sponsor thousands of H-1B visa applicants every year but it has become very competitive for foreign nationals to land these work permits to the United States since they were first introduced in 1990.
CNBC reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received 758,994 eligible applications for H-1B visas for next year but only 188,400 were picked for the final draw to actually get these permits.
And then, there have been layoffs hit the American tech industry. Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees. Amazon cut 18,000 jobs.
Under the rules of the H-1B visa foreign nationals had only 60 days to find a new sponsor, transfer their visa status or get deported.
Video
With all of these H-1B visa woes south of the border tech workers have gravitated towards Canada and foreign investors looking to set up in North America have taken a closer look at Canada and its Start-Up Visa (SUV) immigration program, many liking what they saw.
Candidates applying under the SUV program can initially come to Canada on a work permit supported by their designated Canadian investor before their application for permanent residence is finalized.
The entire process of applying for permanent residence to Canada through the SUV is currently estimated by the IRCC to take 37 months.
SUV Allows Tech Workers To Set Up Businesses And Get Their Permanent Residence In Canada
A designated venture capital fund must confirm that it is investing at least $200,000 into the qualifying business. Candidates can also qualify with two or more commitments from designated venture capital funds totalling $200,000.
A designated angel investor group must invest at least $75,000 into the qualifying business. Candidates can also qualify with two or more investments from angel investor groups totalling $75,000.
A designated business incubator must accept the applicant into its business incubator program. It is up to the immigrant investor to develop a viable business plan that will meet the due diligence requirements of these government-approved designated entities.
Investing and the development of the business is usually done with the help of business consultants in Canada’s start-up ecosystem with oversight from experienced corporate business immigration lawyers who can ensure a start-up’s business concept meets all industry-required terms and conditions.
The basic government-imposed candidate eligibility requirements for the SUV are:
sufficient unencumbered, available and transferable settlement funds to meet settlement funding, and;
proficiency in English or French at the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark level 5. However, it frequently occurs that higher levels of English are needed to meet due diligence requirements imposed by designated entities.
Immigration ministers at federal, provincial and territorial level met in Toronto to talk about the future of immigration in Canada, including how it can help boost the economy and resolve labour shortages even as the country addresses the strain on its social infrastructure and stock of housing.
“The focus of our discussions was Canada’s ability to continue welcoming skilled newcomers as well as our collective response to humanitarian crises around the world,” said Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller.
“As Canada continues to welcome newcomers, we will continue to work across all levels of government to ensure that housing, infrastructure planning and sustainable population growth are taken into account so that newcomers are set up for success.”
The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) discussions on Nov. 17 came in the wake of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s release of its An Immigration System for Canada’s Future report.
That report puts forth ideas to create a more welcoming experience for newcomers, align immigration with labour market needs, and develop a comprehensive and coordinated growth plan.
The immigration ministers also discussed the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan and how it fits in with Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) and the need to reunite families and meet Canada’s humanitarian commitments.
“Immigration is critical to addressing labour shortages, attracting new investment, and supporting Canada’s economic growth,” said FMRI provincial-territorial co-chair Jeremy Harrison, the minister of immigration and career training .
“Provinces and territories play a key role in ensuring that immigration is responsive to employers’ labour needs and benefits all regions of the country. Several provinces and territories are also taking steps to improve foreign qualification recognition to ensure newcomers can work in occupations aligned with their skills and experience.”
Wednesday, the ministers re-emphasized their need to work together on initiatives to reduce barriers and streamline foreign credential recognition processes, particularly in regulated occupations, such as the skilled trades and health care.
They also discussed how to strengthen the connection between the selection of immigration candidates and licensing and how to make it easier for professionals to work in their occupations when they land in Canada.
Video
On the humanitarian front, Canada’s immigration ministers agreed to continue with efforts to resettle refugees from Afghanistan and measures to provide Ukrainians a temporary safe haven.
They discussed the efforts made by provinces and territories to support Ukrainians and pathways to permanent residence for those seeking to remain in Canada.
Improved data collection and collaboration to adequately support vulnerable arrivals in the future, including asylum seekers, and early engagement and communication about changes to program requirements were examined as possible strategies to improve the country’s immigration system.
With the meteoric rise in the number of international students in the past few years, the immigration ministers are also concerned about protecting them from fraud and ensuring they have adequate housing once in Canada.
“International students are talented, bright and deserving of a positive experience as they pursue their studies in Canada,” said Miller earlier this year.
Improvements Discussed For International Student Program
“We will continue to improve Canada’s International Student Program by protecting students and weeding out those who try to take advantage of them. Whether an international student stays and works after graduation or returns home, we want their time as a student in Canada to have been beneficial to their growth and aspirations.”
Settlement services were also discussed at the FMRI meeting with ministers examining how innovative and client-centred approaches to settlement services could improve labour market outcomes and support the integration of newcomers to Canada, including temporary residents.
The immigration ministers also asked IRCC officials to review the 2018 FPT Action Plan for Increasing Francophone Immigration Outside of Quebec to ensure the plan continues to improve the promotion, selection, settlement, integration and retention of French-speaking immigrants in Canada’s francophone minority communities.
Earlier this year, Canada set new francophone immigration targets for the country, outside of Quebec, and then set new, higher francophone immigration targets in its latest immigration levels plan.
“They were set at six per cent for 2024, seven per cent for 2025 and eight per cent for 2026,” said Miller.
“These ambitious, realistic and achievable targets demonstrate Canada’s commitment to strengthening the vitality of francophone minority communities, supporting labour needs across the country and contributing to restoring the demographic weight of francophones.”
Are you a candidate with skills and qualifications in one of Canada’s 82 jobs for occupation-specific Express Entry draws? We want to help you move to Canada. Please submit your CV here.
Emerging technologies and changing shopping habits among consumers are fuelling the growth in demand for business systems specialists across Canada and providing opportunities for qualified foreign nationals to gain their permanent residence here through occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws.
“Demand for workers in this occupation will continue to be driven by the need for businesses and governments to continually upgrade their information and communications technology systems in order to keep up with the most recent technologies and remain competitive,” reports the Canadian Occupational Projections System (COPS) website.
Although the number of new jobseekers in this line of work is expected to outstrip the growth in demand over the coming seven years, the COPS website predicts the existing labour shortages in Canada for these workers will last at least that long.
“Cloud-based platforms, the Internet of Things, big data and open-source software continue to gain in popularity, while the implementation of 5G networks and further developments in advanced manufacturing, autonomous transport, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, machine learning, language processing and biometric security represent a multitude of growth opportunities.
“Consumers and businesses own multiple electronic devices and are increasingly asking for compatibility, transferability, and access to their content from any of those devices.”
With Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changing Canada’s Express Entry system to allow it to target 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture this summer – including business systems specialists – it opened the door to a new pathway to immigration for them.
The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.
Ottawa made the changes to help resolve serious labour shortages in Canada.
Occupation-Specific Express Entry Draws Aim To Resolve Labour Shortages
“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities.”
Across Canada, Job Bank listed 168 jobs for business systems specialists in mid-October.
Job Bank gives its highest rating of very good to the job prospects for business systems specialists in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan and good in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, and British Columbia over the next three years.
Video
The website pegs the median hourly wage for business systems specialists in Canada, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 21221, at $42.16 but that varies from a low of $25 right up to $61.54.
Based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, that means these workers can expect to earn up to $120,003 per year.
Candidates hoping to immigrate through Express Entry occupation-targeted draws need at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible, experience that can have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.
Provinces Have Already Been Holding Occupation-Specific Draws For Years
Canada first signalled its intention to start occupation-specific draws through Express Entry in June last year, when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other attributes, such as language ability.
The majority of Canada’s provinces have been issuing occupation-specific invitations for several years.
Under the changes to the act, the immigration minister is required to consult provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners, before announcing new categories.
IRCC must also report to parliament each year on the categories that were chosen and the reason for the choices.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 per cent of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, which manages its own immigration intake.
Ontario’s labour force growth is increasingly driven by newcomers to the province, a report by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) on long-term trends of international immigrants shows.
The analysis, titled Labor Market Outcomes of Immigrants in Ontario and its Major Cities (and based on data from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, Demographic Estimates, Labour Force Survey, and Longitudinal Immigration Database), does not include interprovincial migrants and non-permanent residents such as temporary foreign workers and international students.
Instead, to count as an international immigrant as per the report’s parameters, one needs to hold permanent residence (PR) status in Canada – a definition which applies to economic immigrants, family sponsorship immigrants, refugees, and other immigrants.
With immigration from these groups reaching 227,424 in 2022 and set to remain high in the near term, the employment outcomes for new PRs were claimed by the report to play a “significant role” in Ontario’s economic growth.
Labor Force Characteristics of Immigrants Coming to Ontario
Ontario’s labor force growth is increasingly because of immigrants
FAO found that immigration to Ontario is reliant on Ottawa’s federally-set annual immigration levels, policy changes in admission programs, and Ontario’s economic performance in relation to other regions of Canada.
Although their numbers declined in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19’s grip on international movement of workers, Ontario welcomed 227,424 newcomers in 2022. This was a reflection of eased border restrictions, efforts to lessen the immigration backlogs, and bolstered immigration targets introduced by the federal government.
The province’s share of immigrants to Canada had also declined over the years (going from a peak 59.6 percent in 2002 to 36.1 percent in 2017), but has since bounced back to 42.5 percent this year.
Despite the aforementioned fluctuations, immigrants are accounting for a growing share of the province’s labor force growth. From 2007 to 2014, they made up 39 percent of Ontario’s growth in that regard, while from 2015 to 2022, they made up 63 percent of labor force increase in the province.
The composition of international immigration in Ontario has shifted towards “core working age immigrants”
The age composition of international immigrants settling in Ontario every year has changed significantly over the last four decades.
The share of working-age individuals out of all landed immigrants, for one, has gone up from 43.7 percent in the 1980s to 62.3 percent in 2016-2022. On the other hand, the share of the older working age groups went down from 6.6 percent in the 1980s to 4.0 percent in 2016-2022.
Currently, the age composition of the recent immigrant group in Canada is significantly younger than that of the total Ontario population.
“As Ontario’s population continues to age,” wrote the report, “immigration is expected to only partially offset the projected decline in the province’s working-age population.”
A growing share of recent newcomers to Canada are university-educated and possess Canadian pre-admission work and/or study experience
Of the “core working age immigrants” who came to Canada between 2016 and 2021, 64.2 percent possessed a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2021, when compared to 55.7 percent of immigrants who landed in 2011-2015 and 33.8 percent of all non-immigrants.
When the report further dissected the group with post-secondary education, 30.2 percent of all core working age immigrants were found to be degree, diploma, or certificate-holders in a STEM field.
This number outperforms the non-immigrant STEM percentage (16) by close to a two-fold margin.
The following were the more popular study areas for immigrants:
Business and administration
Engineering
Healthcare
The following, meanwhile, were the most popular areas of study for non-immigrants:
Trades, services, natural resources, and conservation
Business and administration
Social and behavioral sciences
Before getting a Canada PR, more of these immigrants have higher rates of Canada pre-admission work experience and/or study experience than immigrants from previous years.
Of the core working age group from 2016-2021, for example 38.5 percent possessed a work permit, study permit, or both before becoming a PR, compared to 27.4 percent who came in 2011-2015 and 13.8 percent who came in the 2000s.
Economic immigrants make up more than half of recent immigrants in Ontario
Immigration categories in Canada are as follows:
Economic immigrants and their dependents
Immigrants sponsored by family
Refugees
While the share of immigrants from the economic category increased over the years, the share of those from the family category declined over the same period. This hints an increase in immigration based on newcomers’ abilities to meet labor market demands through employment, investment, or entrepreneurship.
Within the economic class of immigrants, those coming in through the provincial nominee program and Canada experience class increased, and those coming via the skilled worker, skilled trades, and business programs declined.
Watch video:
Labor Market Participation of Immigrants
Recent immigrants to Canada have lower workforce participation and higher unemployment rates compared to non-immigrants.
However, their performance in the labor market has increased in the last decade or so, which is reflexive of policy changes that are letting in more educated immigrants with previous Canadian work experience.
The following facts have been gathered from the report about immigrants’ performance and participation in the Canada labor market:
The labor force participation rate of immigrants in Ontario has been lower than non-immigrants when considering historical averages. However, this has been subject to fluctuations.
Recent immigrants have lower participation rates than established immigrants (10 or more years in Canada), who have a participation rate close to that of non-immigrants.
Immigrants have a consistently higher unemployment rate (7.4 percent) than non-immigrants (5.2 percent). However, those with more time in Canada boasted a far lower unemployment rate.
The core working age immigrant unemployment rate fell in the 2010s till COVID-19 hit, going from 5.3 percent in 2019 to 9.6 percent in 2020. It has since declined to 5.5 percent in 2022. For recent immigrants, it declined from 12.6 percent in 2020 to 8.3 percent in 2021, but then again increased to 8.8 percent in 2022 because of sharp increase in new immigrant entrants into the labor force.
More immigrants are over-qualified for their job than non-immigrants. The share of those core working age immigrants with a university degree working in a job that requires no more than high school education is even higher for recent immigrants (19.6 percent) than established immigrants, who had a rate similar to non-immigrants (9.6 percent).
Overqualification is an indicator of underutilization and overrepresentation in some sectors.
More immigrants are working in service sectors and professional occupations. The following sectors had more immigrants than non-immigrants:
Professional, scientific, and technical services
Transportation and warehousing
Finance and insurance
83 percent of immigrants who landed in 2016-2021 worked in service, which is higher than the 79 percent who landed in the 1980s.
New Immigrants in Ontario Are Seeing Improved Wages in Recent Years
Between 1982 and 2020, the real median wage of new immigrants increased at an average annual rate of 0.8 percent, which is faster than the 0.4 percent for the total population.
This narrowed the difference in median wages between immigrants and the total population from $10,700 in 1982 (in 2020 constant dollars) to a low of $6,200 in 2019 before “widening modestly after.”
The median wage of established immigrants (15 years after admission) was similar to that of the total population from 1996 to 2016.
Established immigrants, however, earned higher median wages than non-immigrants. For example, immigrants aged 25-34 years in 2021 (and who landed in the 1980s, arriving as children and receiving Canadian education) earned a median wage of $59,200 in 2020, compared to non-immigrants ($43,600) in the same group.
Among all established immigrants, only those between 45-54 in 2020 had lower income levels than non-immigrants of the same age.
However, the median wage of female immigrants was lower than male immigrants in all core working age groups and periods of settlement.
This was the most significant for females in the 35-44 age group who landed in 2016-2019 and earned 41.9 percent less than the median wage of immigrant male counterparts. This could be due to the motherhood penalty women in their 30s experience, a part-time employment and occupational differences, and poorer outcomes from recessions.
Immigrants with higher education and Canadian education also earn better wages, while among economic immigrants, those who came under the Canadian experience class earned the highest median wage among economic immigrants (at $60,100 one year after admission in 2020).
The gap in earnings across admission categories widened after a longer period of settlement. The median wage of Canadian experience class immigrants five years after admission was $82,500 in 2020, which was higher than for skilled workers/trades workers ($66,700), provincial nominees ($60,000) and caregivers ($35,300).
How Do Immigrants Fare in Ontario’s Major Cities?
A disproportionate number of immigrants come to settle in Toronto, the most populous Ontario Census Metropolitan Area (CSMA), and where the share of immigrants is larger than even the Canadian-born population. In fact, 67 percent of immigrants arriving in Ontario between 2016 and 2021 settled there.
This is far larger than the 32.1 percent share of Ontario’s total non-immigrant population residing in the area.
The share of immigrants residing in Toronto was lower among recent immigrants compared to established immigrants. Of the established immigrants who came in the 1990s, 74.4 percent resided in Toronto in 2021, 7.4 percent points higher than the share of recent immigrants who landed in 2016-2021.
Core working-age immigrants in all of Ontario’s major cities also earned lower median wages than non-immigrants.
The highest median wage in 2020 was earned by core working age immigrants in Ottawa-Gatineau ($55,600 in comparison to $67,000 for non-immigrants), Oshawa ($54,000 vs. $57,600 for non-immigrants) and Greater Sudbury ($51,600 compared to $57,600 for non-immigrants).
Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette decided in late March to extend the closure of the program to new applications from Apr. 1 this year through to Jan. 1, 2024. It has been closed to new applicants for several years
“Since it is the intention of Quebec to put forward changes to this program to enhance the socioeconomic integration and stability of the selected investors in Quebec, there is reason to suspend the intake of applications to this program,” notes a Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) decision published earlier this year.
Under the beefed up requirements, applicants will now have to demonstrate a Level 7 French-language proficiency on the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français, obtain a work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and have at least a secondary school diploma.
They, and any spouses or common-law partners on the application, will also need to live in Quebec for at least six months after getting their work permit.
Immigrant investors coming to Quebec under this program will have to invest $1 million with IQ Immigrants Investisseurs and provide $200,000 to it through a participating financial intermediary within 120 days of receiving a decision on their applications.
Quebec welcomed a record-breaking 51,260 foreign nationals through the IMP last year, up almost 18.4 per cent from the 43,295 in 2021. The province also welcomed a record-breaking 38,505 foreign nationals through the TFWP last year, up 27 per cent from the 30,310 TFWP workers in 2021.
Watch Video
As immigration levels have risen, Quebec Premier François Legault has gotten antsy about the future of the French language in the francophone province.
During the last provincial election in Quebec, Legault insisted the province must hold the line on immigration. Then, in his inaugural address to open the latest session of the legislature, the premier announced plans to require that all economic immigrants to the province be francophone by 2026.
In her first immigration plan, the Plan d’immigration du Québec 2023, Fréchette tried to hold the line on immigration to between 49,500 and 52,500 new permanent residents to the province, citing the need to be able to provide adequate settlement services and integrate them all.
Quebec Premier Wants All Economic Immigration To Province To Be Francophone
“Immigrants bring with them a wide range of talents to Quebec and all the supports must be in place to help them integrate,” said Fréchette in a statement in French.
“This immigration plan contains important measures to help them learn French and integrate. Our government wants immigration to contribute to the Quebec economy in all regions of the province and to also maintain the vitality of the French language.”
Outside of Quebec, immigrant entrepreneurs can apply for permanent residence through the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program which allows them to initially come to Canada on a work permit while their application for permanent residence is being processed..
The entire process of applying for permanent residence to Canada through the SUV is currently estimated by the IRCC to take 37 months.
A designated venture capital fund must confirm that it is investing at least $200,000 into the qualifying business. Candidates can also qualify with two or more commitments from designated venture capital funds totalling $200,000.
A designated angel investor group must invest at least $75,000 into the qualifying business. Candidates can also qualify with two or more investments from angel investor groups totalling $75,000.
A designated business incubator must accept the applicant into its business incubator program. It is up to the immigrant investor to develop a viable business plan that will meet the due diligence requirements of these government-approved designated entities.
Investing and the development of the business is usually done with the help of business consultants in Canada’s start-up ecosystem with oversight from experienced corporate business immigration lawyers who can ensure a start-up’s business concept meets all industry-required terms and conditions.
The basic government-imposed candidate eligibility requirements for the SUV are:
sufficient unencumbered, available and transferable settlement funds to meet settlement funding, and;
proficiency in English or French at the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark level 5. However, it frequently occurs that higher levels of English are needed to meet due diligence requirements imposed by designated entities.
Manitoba stated that 69 of the 301 candidates invited had valid Express Entry IDs and job seeker validation codes.
For detailed requirements of all the streams featured in this draw, please see below.
What Were the Details of the Latest Manitoba Draw?
Stream
Sub-Stream
Letters of Advice to Apply
Score of Lowest Ranked Candidate
1) Skilled Workers in Manitoba
All occupations
100
809
Occupation-specific
92
–
2) International Education Stream
61
–
3) Skilled Workers Overseas
Strategic Recruitment Initiative
48
721
Video
How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream?
The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream (SWM) is based on the specific needs of Manitoba employers. SWM selects foreign-trained workers with the required skills and nominates them for Canada permanent residence. The stream prioritizes candidates with a strong attachment to Manitoba, with two pathways to Manitoba immigration.
a) Manitoba Work Experience Pathway
For applicants currently working in Manitoba on temporary work permits, through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or as international graduates from any province. Candidates do not need to be working in In-Demand Occupations.
b) Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway
For applicants from overseas with job offers from approved Manitoba employers.
How Do I Qualify For The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream?
The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream (SWO) includes both a dedicated Canada Express Entry Pathway and a direct provincial pathway.
It is aimed at international skilled workers with skills and training in Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Priority is given to applicants and spouses with close family connections, plus the language proficiency, training and experience to find jobs quickly.
a) Manitoba Express Entry Pathway
For international candidates eligible under another MPNP stream, who also meet Express Entry criteria and have an active Express Entry profile. Candidates need skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations, and a strong family connection to the province.
b) Human Capital Pathway
For international skilled workers with skills, training and experience in one of Manitoba’s In-Demand Occupations. Candidates must demonstrate potential to find employment soon after they arrive in Manitoba.
What Are The Requirements For the International Education Stream?
The International Education Stream (IES) is dedicated to international graduates from Manitoba colleges and universities. Under IES, candidates are no longer required to work for six months in their field before applying for an MPNP nomination. It has three pathways:
1) Career Employment Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a one-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution within three years of submission of application.
Have a full-time job offer in a Manitoba In-Demand occupation related to the completed degree
Resident of Manitoba
2) Graduate Internship Pathway
Masters and Doctoral degree holders who have completed Mitacs Accelerate or Elevate internships can apply for nomination through internships even without a job offer in the province.
3) Student Entrepreneur Pathway
Eligibility requirements include:
Completed a two-year or longer course from an eligible post-secondary Manitoba institution
Six months business operation experience in Manitoba
Resident of Manitoba since graduation.
No specific minimum personal net worth requirement
Prince Edward Island has conducted two new provincial draws, issuing invitations to apply to 141 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates.
It saw 134 invites issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, while Business Impact candidates received 7 invitations. Business Impact candidates required a minimum score of 80 points.
Invitations under the Critical Worker Stream, which falls under Labour Impact and Express Entry, were issued to candidates working for a PEI employer with a minimum score of 55.
PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018, and has made monthly draws ever since, with some disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Watch Video
PEI issued a total of 1,853 invites during 2022, compared to 1,933 in 2021.
Of the 2022 invites, 1,729 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the remaining 124 going to Business Impact candidates.
Prince Edward Island Express Entry Stream
PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.
The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.
Prince Edward Island Labour Impact Category
1) Skilled Worker Stream
This employer driven stream allows skilled workers with an employment offer in PEI to be nominated for Canadian Permanent residence if they meet the following criteria:
A full time employment offer from a Prince Edward Island business in an occupation classified as TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
Completion of a post-secondary education, with a minimum of 14 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full time work experience in the past 5 years;
Sufficient proficiency in English or French to occupy the employment offered;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
2) Critical Worker Stream
This category is designed to resolve labour shortages and is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical demand occupations. The primary criteria for nomination are:
A full time offer of employment from a Prince Edward Island business in one of the following occupations:
Truck driver;
Customer service representative;
Labourer;
Food & beverage server;
Housekeeping attendant.
6 months of work experience with the Prince Edward Island business offering employment;
Current valid Canadian work permit;
High school diploma and minimum of 12 years of formal education;
Between 21 and 55 years of age;
At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
Demonstrate basic proficiency in English or French language;
Sufficient settlement funds;
Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island Business Impact Category
Work Permit Stream
Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.
After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.
Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residence business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.
