Frustrated tech workers fed up U.S. visa delays are flocking to Canada where highly-skilled temporary foreign workers can apply for permanent residency and are free to change jobs, reports the Insider financial and business news website.
“(Canada) also requires only a three-year permanent-residency period before you can apply for citizenship, much faster than the decade it can take in the U.S.,” reports the news source formerly known as Business Insider.
“The wait can be even longer for immigrants from India and China, given the limits for each country.”
The fly in the ointment for foreign-trained tech workers hoping to find jobs in the U.S. is the now-infamous H1-B visa.
Capped at 85,000 visas for most occupations and turning away almost as many as it accepts every year, the H1-B application process is lengthy, usually requiring four applications.
In the application to the U.S. Department of Labor to prove the foreign worker will be paid the same as an American worker, the employer also has to show there are no strikes or labour disputes currently underway.
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The employer then has to file an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to prove the job is in a specialty occupation and requires someone with at least a bachelor’s degree.
With the exception of Canadians, H1-B applicants also have to file an application to a U.S. Department of State consulate overseas to get the H1-B visa in their passport and, finally, they have to apply to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent at a port of entry to be let into the country.
The H1-B process has led many foreign-trained workers to opt for Canada instead of the U.S. – and tech companies have followed suit, lured to Canada by the growing pool of tech talent.
In its Tech-30 2022: Measuring the tech industry’s impact on U.S. & Canada office markets report, CBRE noted in October last year that Toronto and Montreal had faster high-tech job growth in the past two years than in the two years prior.
Vancouver The Hottest Tech Market In North America In 2020-2021
“Two Canadian markets had the most high-tech job growth in 2020 and 2021 combined, followed by Austin in the U.S.,” notes the report.
The hottest tech market in those two years in terms of high-tech job growth was Vancouver which jumped by 44 per cent, followed by Toronto which saw growth of 37 per cent, noted CBRE.
Through policies such as the Global Talent Stream (GTS) which strives to offer two-week visa processing, Canada is luring skilled workers from the U.S.
The GTS, which is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), targets specific technology occupations with fast processing times. Canadian employers can also recruit and hire foreign nationals through the end of the International Mobility Program (IMP).
If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.
Canadian employers can make a job offer and have their candidate on the ground in 10 working days. Before the GTS, that process took at least six months.
Candidates’ profiles are ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90 days.
Through its network of PNPs, almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.
The April 6 draw saw LAAs issued through three MPNP streams.
A batch of 225 invitations with the lowest score of 615 went to Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates currently employed in Manitoba in one of the following major groups under the National Occupational Classification (NOC):
62 – Retail sales and service supervisors and specialized occupations in sales and services
Meanwhile, Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates in all occupations received 226 LAAs, with a minimum score of 670 points.
International Education Stream candidates received 61 LAAs.
The remaining 54 LAAs went to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates through a Strategic Recruitment Initiative, with a minimum score of 708.
Manitoba stated that 157 of the 566 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
Occupation-specific selection
225
615
All occupations
226
670
2) International Education Stream
61
–
3) Skilled Workers Overseas
Strategic Recruitment Initiative
54
708
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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 of business operation experience in Manitoba
Resident of Manitoba since graduation.
No specific minimum personal net worth requirement
The March 30 draw targeted two categories of candidates.
The first category featured candidates scoring 578 points or above in the Quebec Expression of Interest points system. These candidates were also in one of the following 26 occupations:
2282 User support technicians
2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
2281 Computer network technicians
2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
2173 Software engineers and designers
2175 Web designers and developers
0213 Computer and information systems managers
2172 Database analysts and data administrators
5223 Graphic arts technicians
4031 Secondary school teachers
4032 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
2141 Industrial and manufacturing engineers
2132 Mechanical engineers
2131 Civil engineers
2231 Civil engineering technologists and technicians
2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
2233 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
2143 Mining engineers
3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3233 Licensed practical nurses
3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
4214 Early childhood educators and assistants
Candidates with a job offer outside of the Montreal metropolitan area were targeted in the second category. There was no minimum score for these candidates.
Candidates and their spouse or common-law partner can score up to 1,320 points based on human capital and Quebec labour market factors.
What Are the Requirements for Quebec Expression of Interest?
The Quebec Expression of Interest points system involves points in two categories, with some including points for the spouse of common law partner of the principal candidate.
Human capital factors:
French language ability.
French and English combined.
Age.
Work experience.
Education.
Quebec labour market factors:
Work experience in a field with a labour shortage.
Qualifications in one of Quebec’s areas of training.
Canada’s unemployment rate held at 5 per cent in March, with 35,000 more people landing paying jobs, reveals the latest Canada jobsLabour Force Survey.
“There were more people employed in transportation and warehousing, up 41,000 paying positions or 4.2 per cent; business, building and other support services, up 31,000 jobs or 4.4 per cent; as well as finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing which added 19,000 jobs, rising 1.3 per cent,” notes Statistics Canada.
That’s 91,000 workers who found jobs in those sectors in March, according to the statistical and demographic services agency. There were, though, also 41,000 jobs lost in the construction, personal and repair services and natural resources sectors.
Three Industry Sectors in Canada Showed Robust Employment Growth In March
“Employment has generally trended up since September 2022. Over that period, the number of people employed has increased by 383,000, or 1.9 per cent,” reports Statistics Canada.
As employment climbed in March, Statistics Canada noted that visible minorities are landing more jobs and becoming a greater portion of the workforce, a result of growing immigration.
“Canada’s workforce is growing and is also becoming more diverse,” notes Statistics Canada.
Seven years ago in Mary, only 21.3 per cent of those who held down jobs in Canada were what Statistics Canada calls members of racialized groups, that is, visible minorities.
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By May, 2021, that percentage had grown to 26.5 percent and, in March this year, visible minorities comprised 28.6 per cent of the employed population in Canada.
“The largest groups were South Asian, Chinese and Black Canadians,” notes Statistics Canada. “Taken together, the three groups accounted for 17 per cent of Canada’s employed population in the month.”
Not only are visible minorities in Canada making up a greater proportion of the labour force but they are also seeing their employment rates rise, meaning they are more likely to land paying work.
“From March 2022 to March 2023, the employment rate among core-aged South Asian Canadians rose 2.4 percentage points to reach 84.2 per cent,” reports Statistics Canada.
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“This primarily reflected an increase in the employment rate of South Asian women, which was up 4.7 percentage points over the period to reach 78.3 per cent in March. The employment rate for South Asian men was 89.5 per cent in March, little changed from 12 months earlier.”
Core-aged Black Canadians, those 25 to 54 years old, had an employment rate of 79.9 per cent inMarch, up from 78.6 per cent a year earlier.
“Among (Black) men, the employment rate rose 2.3 percentage points over the period and reached 85 per cent in March 2023,” notes Statistics Canada. “The increase was most notable in Ontario, where the employment rate for core-aged Black men rose 6.3 percentage points to reach 83.7 per cent.”
Across the county, employment rose in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Prince Edward Island in March but declined in Saskatchewan.
Ontario saw 21,000 more people land jobs, bringing cumulative gains in employment in that province to 172,000 since September last year, as the unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 per cent.
Ontario Workers Landed 21,000 Jobs And Albertans 14,000 In March
In the Prairie province of Manitoba employment increased by 3,300 in March, the second consecutive monthly gain, while Alberta saw employment rise by 14,000, the third such increase in four months.
In Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island recorded employment growth of two per cent in March, the third increase in four months. The unemployment rate for the province was 6.6 per cent.
In Saskatchewan, employment fell by 4,300 in March, the first notable decline since July last year as some part-time work dried up.
The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and processing of visa applications within two weeks.
Employers can also bring in foreign nationals to fill available positions through the Express Entry system, which receives immigration applications online.
An increase in New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) spaces and a boost to the number of immigrants it can welcome under the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) could see immigration rise by 67 per cent in 2023.
The bilingual province in Atlantic Canada enjoyed a boost of 1,084 spaces under its New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), bringing that total for 2023 to 5,500. Ottawa also granted the province an increase of 1,116 allocations under the AIP.
New Brunswick immigration officials are expecting additional increases in allocations next year and in 2025.
Under a deal with Ottawa, the Canada-New Brunswick Immigration Agreement, the province is allowed to nominate qualified candidates for permanent residence in New Brunswick and can better recruit highly-skilled immigrants for accelerated processing by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
“The Canada-New Brunswick Immigration Agreement is important for addressing on-going immigration issues such as slow population growth and labour market demands,” said Immigration Minister Sean
“It also demonstrates our commitment to supporting francophone immigration outside Quebec by increasing the target for admissions of French-speaking immigrants to the province and ensuring that they have the opportunities and resources they need to settle and contribute to the vibrant francophone communities in the province.”
Provincial Immigration Minister Arlene Dun says the boost in the province’s allocation will help support economic and demographic growth in the province which has an aging population.
“Immigrants help build stronger, diverse and vibrant communities which is why we are thrilled with this increase,” she said.
“With immigration being a shared jurisdiction, a strong partnership with the federal government is critical to our continued success on this file.”
A Third Of New Brunswick Nominations To Go To French-Speaking Candidates
The provincial immigration minister said the streams offered to candidates for immigration in New Brunswick provide the foundation to meet the province’s social, cultural, demographic, and economic objectives.
“As a leader in francophone immigration across the country, the province has set a target of 32 per cent of provincial nominations in 2023 being awarded to French-speaking immigration candidates,” she said.
New Brunswick is bullish on immigration and has made attracting and retaining skilled newcomers a priority under the Connect, Grow, Prosper, Strategic Plan 2022-27 of Opportunities NB, the crown corporation and lead economic development agency for the province.
Last year, New Brunswick almost doubled its level of immigration, jumping from 5,310 new permanent residents in 2021 to 10,205 in 2022.
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Immigration to the small province was 2.3 per cent of the national total despite it only having under 2.1 per cent of the country’s total population.
Although New Brunswick does not release the results of each one of its PNP draws, it does publish the results of the total number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) it sends out every month.
In February, it issued 144 ITAs, including 93 for those seeking permanent residence in the province and 51 for those hoping to get Post-Graduate Work Permits (PGWP).
The latest monthly results reveal New Brunswick issued 86 ITAs through its Express Entry Occupations In Demand Connection (OIDC) program and another seven ITAs through its New Brunswick Employment Connection (EC) program last month.
The province also issued ITAs for PGWPs through its New Brunswick Student Connection (SC) program.
Employment Connection Immigration Candidates Need To Pass A Language Test
Applicants under the EC must meet the minimum work experience, language proficiency, and educational requirements and demonstrate proof of sufficient funds.
Under that program, the work requirement is at least one year of full-time paid work (1,560 hours total) or an equal amount of part-time work. That work experience must be in the NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2 or 3 and must be in the same type of job as indicated on the immigration application.
All applicants submitting an application through that NB Express Entry stream must also have a valid language test in English or French, administered by an agency designated by IRCC.
That language test must be less than 18 months old at the time the application is submitted to the province of New Brunswick and the applicant must have obtained a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 for French.
Applicants who have not graduated from a Canadian educational institution must also provide a copy of an Educational Credential Assessment completed by a designated organization.
Settlement funds are not required for open work permit holders with a minimum of one-year work experience in TEER 0,1, 2, or 3 occupations in Canada.
Through the OIDC program, applicants are issued a Letter of Interest (LOI) from the federal Express Entry system and must have a valid Express Entry profile.
Upon receiving that LOI, the applicant can create an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the INB Portal, the province’s immigration portal, and has 45 days from the date of receiving the LOI to do that.
The minimum work experience required under the OIDC is at least one year of full-time paid work (1,560 hours total) or an equal amount of part-time work in occupations with NOC codes in the 0,1,2, or 3 categories.
PGWP Can Be Issued Even If the Applicant Does Not Yet Have A Job Offer
That work experience can be in Canada or abroad but must be paid work and in the same occupation as used on the immigration application.
Since this is an NB Express Entry stream application, it must also meet the language and educational requirements and the applicant must demonstrate that he or she intends to live in New Brunswick and have sufficient funds to do so.
Settlement funds are not required for open work permit holders with a minimum of one-year work experience in Canada.
Those applying for a PGWP through the NB Student Connection program do not need to have a job offer but must have completed their studies within the last six months, be living in the province, and actively looking for work.
Graduate students in thesis-based programs can apply once that school work has been officially submitted for evaluation.
The grads applying through this program must also meet the same work experience and language proficiency requirements as for the other two programs and intend to live in New Brunswick.
NB Student Connection Applicants Must Demonstrate Proof Of Funds
They do not, however, have to demonstrate proof of funds provided they are already open work permit holders and have the required work experience.
Applicants under this program provide a copy of at least two of the following documents showing successful completion of a PGWP-eligible program of study in New Brunswick within the past six months:
final transcripts;
diploma or certificate, or
a letter of completion from the institution.
Those who have completed their education in Canada do not need to provide Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) but post-grads applying at the point of the submission of their thesis do need to provide such an ECA by a designated organization.
The number of new permanent residents arriving under Canada’s Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) was up by 57.3 per cent in January from the comparable month last year.
In the first month of this year, the PGP welcomed 2,065 new permanent residents, up from 1,300 for the comparable month in 2022.
The figure is also up 67.2 per cent from the 1,235 new permanent residents who settled in Canada under the program in January 2020, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the first case of COVID-19 in Canada was identified in late January of 2020, it was not until mid-March of that year that the Canadian government-imposed travel restrictions on foreign nationals coming into the county.
Since then, overall immigration to Canada has more than rebounded, roaring back to life and hitting record levels in both 2021 and 2022.
After falling from 341,175 new permanent residents in 2019 to only 184,590 in the first year of the pandemic, immigration soared to a record 406,045 new permanent residents in 2021. Then, Canada hit a new record of 437,500 new permanent residents last year.
And this year is showing every indication of beating last year’s record for overall immigration. In the first month of the year, Canada welcomed 50,885 new permanent residents, or almost 43.6 per cent more than the 35,450 newcomers to the country in January last year.
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Although a single month cannot determine a trend, the level of immigration in January if continued throughout the year would result in 610,620 new permanent residents in Canada for 2023.
Last year, the number of parents and grandparents reuniting with their relatives in Canada though the PGP more than doubled and easily surpassed the previous record set during the year before the start of the pandemic.
The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals a staggering 27,255 new permanent residents to Canada arrived through the PGP last year, or 132.2 per cent more than the 11,740 in 2021.
Since the PGP relies on existing relatives in Canada sponsoring their parents and grandparents, the PGP has taken time to rebuild its numbers after the dramatic drop in overall immigration wrought by the public health and travel restrictions imposed by governments to curb the spread of COVID-19.
PGP Immigration To Canada Has Almost Doubled Since 2015
After welcoming 22,010 new permanent residents through the PGP in 2019, the program saw only 10,455, or 52.5 per cent less, in the first year of the pandemic.
The following year, overall immigration roared back to life but the number of new arrivals under the PGP only rose by a modest 12.3 per cent to hit 11,740 new permanent residents in 2021.
It would take another record-setting year for immigration and the time it takes for newcomers to be able to sponsor their families for the PGP numbers to follow suit.
The current level of immigration through the PGP is now almost double what it was in 2015 when it allowed 15,490 parents and grandparents to be sponsored to come to Canada.
With Ottawa’s much-higher immigration targets for the coming years, there’s little doubt the PGP numbers will be even higher this year.
In its 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, Ottawa has set the target for 2023 at 465,000 new permanent residents. The country is to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and another 500,000 in 2025.
That’s a total of 1.45 million immigrants to Canada over the coming three years.
Under the PGP, applicants pay $1,050 to sponsor a parent or grandparent and the process takes up to 39 months, with the people being sponsored required to provide biometrics after they apply. That processing time includes the time to provide those biometrics.
Once a Canadian citizen or permanent resident has submitted an interest in sponsoring these relatives, he or she is sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA0 and must then submit two applications to the PGP:
the sponsorship application, and;
the permanent residence application.
If those applications get the green light, the sponsor signs an agreement called an undertaking which starts on the day the sponsoree becomes a permanent resident of Canada.
Relatives In Canada Must Sign An Agreement To Provide For Their PGP Sponsorees
Among the several requirements which need to be met to determine eligibility to sponsor a parent or grandparent, are:
a receipt of an Invitation to Apply;
being at least 18 years old;
Canadian residency;
being a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a person registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act;
sufficient funds to support the parent or grandparent;
proof of income, although a spouse or common-law partner can co-sign to combine their income with that of the sponsor, and;
meeting all other requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
All sponsors living outside of the province of Quebec, which has its own immigration system, must promise to financially support the sponsorees for a period of time.
This undertaking commits the sponsor to:
providing financial support for sponsored family members for 20 years, starting when they become permanent residents;
repaying any provincial social assistance (money from the government) sponsored family members get during that time, and;
agreeing to certain responsibilities during the undertaking period in a sponsorship agreement.
That sponsorship agreement means that the sponsor will provide the basic needs of the sponsoree, including:
food;
clothing;
utilities;
personal requirements;
shelter;
fuel;
household supplies, and;
healthcare not covered by public health insurance, such as eye and dental care.
The sponsorship agreement is not one to be entered into lightly as it obliges the sponsor to meet those requirements even in the case of:
separation or divorce;
family rifts;
unemployment;
change in finances, and even;
death of the main applicant.
Criminal Record Or Financial Troubles Can Make A Relative Unfit To Sponsor Through The PGP
Sponsors who live in Quebec must meet that province’s immigration sponsorship requirements after the IRCC approves of the sponsor. The length of the undertaking is 10 years for Quebec.
Due to the need for sponsors to accept responsibility for their parents and grandparents through sponsorship agreements under the PGP, past criminality and serious financial troubles can render a Canadian citizen or permanent resident ineligible for this program.
Applicants may not be eligible to sponsor their parents or grandparents if the sponsors:
are in a jail, prison or penitentiary;
didn’t pay back an immigration loan or performance bond;
failed to make court-ordered family support payments such as alimony or child support;
didn’t give the financial support specified under a sponsorship agreement to sponsor someone else in the past;
declared bankruptcy and are not discharged;
receive social assistance for a reason other than a disability;
were convicted of a violent criminal offence, any offence against a relative or any sexual offence inside or outside Canada, or;
can’t legally stay in Canada and must leave the country because they received a removal order.
The applicant cannot sponsor his or her spouse’s parents or grandparents, aka their in-laws, but can be a co-signer on that spouse’s application to bring to Canada his or her parents and grandparents.
PGP Application Can Include Sponsor’s Brothers And Sisters If They Are Dependents
The PGP program also does not allow a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor someone who is otherwise inadmissible to come to Canada.
The PGP is restricted to the applicant’s own parents and grandparents, related by blood or adoption.
“In case of divorce, you’ll need to submit separate applications if you sponsor divorced parents and grandparents,” notes the IRCC on its website. “If your divorced parents or grandparents have a current spouse, common-law partner or a conjugal partner, these people become dependants on the application and can immigrate to Canada with your parents and grandparents, if approved.”
A PGP application can include the sponsor’s own brothers and sisters, or half-brothers and sisters, or step-brothers and step-sisters – but only if they qualify as dependent children of the sponsor’s parents.
Delays in processing can quickly occur when the IRCC is faced with information which is no longer accurate and so Canadian immigration officials encourage applicants to keep their contact information and application details up to date.
Important information which must be updated includes:
changes in relationship status;
birth or adoption of a child;
death of an applicant or dependant;
contact information such as e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses.
The applicant is responsible for going into the application and updating it with this information him or herself.
“Don’t mail us changes to your contact or application information,” notes the IRCC. “If you do, we won’t acknowledge your request and we won’t update your application.”
Canadian immigration officials notify applicants under the PGP as soon as they begin to process the application, sending them both an application number and an acknowledgement of receipt of the application.
The IRCC then assesses both the applicant’s eligibility as a sponsor and the person being sponsored for permanent residence.
“If we refuse you as a sponsor, you can choose to have us keep processing the application for permanent residence for your family members,” notes the IRCC.
IRCC Officials May Request Medical Exam Results, Police Certificates And Biometrics
Choosing to have the IRCC continue processing the application at that point means the sponsor forgoes all fees which have been paid.
By choosing to withdraw the application in the eventuality of being deemed ineligible to sponsor, the applicant can get all of his or her fees back, minus the $75 sponsorship fee.
Once Canadian immigration officials have approved a sponsor under the PGP, they then turn their attention to the people being sponsored to determine their eligibility under the program.
The IRCC will typically request documents from those being sponsored, including:
medical exam results;
police certificates, and;
biometrics.
Letters requesting that biometric information are sent to the parents or grandparents and their dependent children as named in the application and they then have 30 days to provide the biometric information at the closest collection point.
The latest Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data reveals spousal sponsorship helped almost twice as many people gain their permanent residency in Canada in January this year compared to the comparable month last year.
In January, Canada welcomed 10,065 new permanent residents through spousal sponsorship immigration, up 90.1 per cent, or 4,770 people, compared to the 5,295 newcomers who rejoined their loved ones through that program the same month in 2022.
The high level of spousal sponsorships in January this year was up 126.9 per cent over the 4,435 new permanent residents who came to Canada through this program in the comparable month in 2020 before public health and travel restrictions took effect during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the first case of COVID-19 in Canada was identified in late January 2020, it was not until mid-March of that year that the Canadian government imposed travel restrictions on foreign nationals coming into the county.
The dramatic drop in immigration levels that year only started once the travel restrictions were in place.
Since then, overall immigration to Canada has more than rebounded, roaring back to life and hitting record levels in both 2021 and 2022.
After falling from 341,175 new permanent residents in 2019 to only 184,590 in the first year of the pandemic, immigration soared to a record 406,045 new permanent residents in 2021. Then, Canada hit a new record of 437,500 new permanent residents last year.
As Canada dealt with the arrival of the coronavirus, the number of people arriving under spousal sponsorships in January also initially dropped, falling 16.8 per cent to 3,690 in 2021, before gradually rising back up by 43.5 per cent to hit 5,295 last year.
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At their height prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, spousal sponsorships to Canada allowed 64,775 new permanent residents, or 19 per cent of the total 341,175, to come to Canada in 2019.
In the first year of the pandemic, spousal sponsorships dove by more than 44.2 per cent to 36,120 new permanent residents in 2020 as total immigration to Canada also fell to only 184,590 new permanent residents amid public health and travel restrictions.
Spousal sponsorships then rebounded to almost their pre-pandemic levels in 2021, jumping by more than 78.4 per cent that year to 64,440 before softening a bit in 2022.
Immigration Levels Plan Sets Upper Limit For Spousal Sponsorships At 84,000
In 2015, Canada welcomed 46,350 new permanent residents through spousal sponsorships. The following year, that number swelled by 22.7 per cent to hit 56,855.
Spousal sponsorships, though, are unlikely to remain at the high level in January this year for the rest of 2023 as that would result in 120,780 new permanent residents through this program alone.
In its Immigration Levels Plan 2023 – 2025, Ottawa has already set an upper limit of 84,000 new permanent residents under programs to sponsor spouses, partners and children. The target for this year for that category of immigrants is 78,000 new permanent residents.
When a Canadian citizen or permanent resident chooses to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner to immigrate to Canada, the sponsor must sign an undertaking, promising to give financial support for the sponsored person’s basic needs, including:
food, clothing, shelter and their needs for everyday living, and;
dental care, eye care and other health need not covered by public health services.
Sponsoring Spouse Must Honour Commitment Even In Cases Of Divorce
This agreement cannot be cancelled, even if:
the person sponsored becomes a Canadian citizen;
the couple divorces, separates or the relationship breaks down;
either the sponsor or the sponsored spouse or common-law partner moves to another province or country, or;
the sponsor experiences financial problems.
Maternity, parental and sickness benefits paid under the Employment Insurance Act in Canada are all considered income and contribute to allowing a person to sponsor a spouse or common-law partner but other payments from the government, such as employment insurance and federal training allowances, are not considered income.
According to that website, the current processing time for sponsorship applications for spouses or common-law partners currently outside the country is now down to 16 months, an improvement over the 20-month processing time last year.
The March 30 draw required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 372.
A previous draw, on March 9, required a minimum score of 301 and saw 134 candidates invited.
Important requirements for the stream are that candidates have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to the province, are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification and have family ties to the province.
For full details of the requirements for Alberta Express Entry, please see below.
The April 4 draws were split into two categories: general and targeted.
In the general draw, which included tech occupations, 152 invitations were issued through five BC PNP streams for skilled workers and international graduates. Minimum scores ranged from 85 to 106 points.
In the targeted draw, a further 17 invitations were issued to skilled workers and international graduates scoring at least 60 points in the draw targeting Early Childhood Educators and Assistants under NOC 42202.
A draw targeted at Healthcare workers saw 6 invitations issued to skilled workers, international graduates and entry level and semi-skilled workers, also with a minimum score of 60 points.
Meanwhile, in a March 30 draw, invitations were issued in four different categories.
Skilled workers and international graduates with a minimum score of 85 points received 165 invitations through the BC PNP Tech stream.
A draw targeted at Early Childhood Educators under NOC 42202 saw 23 invitations issued to skilled workers and international graduates, with a minimum score of 60 points.
A further 23 invitations were issued to skilled workers, international graduates and entry level and semi-skilled workers scoring at least 60 points in a draw targeting Healthcare workers.
A final batch of less than 5 invitations went to skilled workers and international graduates in a draw aimed at other priority occupations under NOCs 31103, 32104, also requiring 60 points. The number was recorded as less than 5 to protect the identity of those invited.
Latest B.C. Immigration Draws
General Draw April 4
Date
Category
Minimum Score
Invitations Issued
Description
04-04-23
Skilled Worker
103
152
General draw (includes tech occupations)
Skilled Worker – EEBC
103
International Graduate
106
International Graduate – EEBC
106
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
85
Targeted Draw April 4
Date
Category
Minimum Score
Invitations Issued
Description
04-04-23
Skilled Worker, International Graduate
60
17
Targeted draw: Childcare: Early childhood educators (NOC 42202)
Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
60
6
Targeted draw: Healthcare
Targeted Draw March 30
Date
Category
Minimum Score
Invitations Issued
Description
30-03-2023
Skilled Worker, International Graduate
85
165
Tech draw
Skilled Worker, International Graduate
60
23
Targeted draw: Childcare: Early childhood educators and assistants (Childcare: Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202))
Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled
60
23
Targeted draw: Healthcare
Skilled Worker, International Graduate
60
<5
Targeted draw: Other priority occupations (NOCs 31103, 32104)
A paper published in the Journal of International Migration and Integration says landing a good-paying job in Canada as a temporary foreign worker before immigrating to the country often means a higher income for immigrants once they get their permanent residency.
Researchers Garnett Picot and Feng Hou noted this connection and discussed it in their paper, The Effect of Pre‑immigration Canadian Work Experience on the Returns to Human Capital Among Immigrants, which was published March 10.
“This study finds that among economic principal applicants who were admitted to Canada from 2000 to 2015, the economic returns to both education and foreign work experience were significantly higher for economic immigrants with high pre-immigration Canadian earnings than for those with low pre-immigration Canadian earnings – and, in particular, those with no pre-immigration Canadian work experience.
Growth Of Two-Step Immigration Process Has Upped Immigrants’ Incomes
“This result was observed after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, and held in the short, medium and long run after landing. The result also held among economic immigrants from both developed Western countries and developing countries.”
“In the first step, Canadian employers play a major role in recruiting and evaluating foreign residents employed in the Canadian labour market on a temporary basis, which can include work permit holders in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), work permit holders in the International Mobility Program (IMP), international students with employment and other employed temporary residents,” note the researchers.
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In the second step, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides how many and which temporary foreign workers will be eligible for admission as permanent residents.
With Canada’s increasing use of this two-step process, the share of new immigrants having pre-immigration Canadian work experience has soared in the past few decades.
“In 2000, eight per cent of economic immigrants had pre-immigration Canadian earnings, increasing to 46 per cent in 2018. Among economic principal applicants, the share with pre-immigration Canadian earnings increased from 12 to 59 per cent,” note the researchers.
They attribute this growth in pre-immigration Canadian work experience to a shift towards Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) programs which target temporary foreign workers and the increasing share of permanent residents who had previous Canadian earnings within different admission programs.
That two-step immigration system has been a boon for immigrants, allowing them to earn more money once they immigrate to Canada.
Immigrants’ Earnings Rose By 32% From 2000 To 2016
“Average first full-year earnings among economic immigrant men rose by 23 per cent between the 2000 and 2016 landing cohorts, and rose by 32 per cent among economic immigrant women,” note the researchers.
The boom in earning capacity, though, was not evenly distributed among all immigrants to Canada. In their paper, Picot and Hou reveal that 94 per cent of the higher incomes among immigrants went to those who had already commanded higher salaries in Canada prior to becoming permanent residents.
“The expanding number of immigrants who were previously temporary foreign workers with high earnings was more important than any other single factor in accounting for the improvement in immigrants’ initial earnings,” they note.
Those immigrants were also more likely to land jobs upon becoming permanent residents in Canada.
Foreign nationals who out-earn others by first landing higher-paying jobs as temporary foreign workers in Canada and then immigrating to the country and getting higher-paying jobs then might simply be those working in high-skilled jobs, the researchers suggest.
“An earlier study that examined the annual earnings of temporary foreign workers in different occupations concluded that higher annual earnings are highly correlated with being in a high-skilled occupation,” they note.
“The demand in the Canadian labour market is typically higher for higher-skilled than for lower-skilled workers (eg they have a much lower unemployment rate). As a result, among economic immigrants with pre-immigration Canadian work experience, employers may be more willing to recognize and compensate foreign work experience and education among higher-skilled workers than lower-skilled workers.”
