Canada immigration news: In a bid to stop the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, Canada is to require all arrivals by air except those coming from the U.S. to take a COVID-19 test, it was announced on Tuesday.
Ottawa is also adding three new countries to its southern Africa travel ban list – Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt – bringing the total to 10.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement on testing in a briefing on Tuesday.
He said: “All air travellers coming from outside Canada, apart from the United States, will now need to be tested at the airport (where) they are landing in Canada. They will then need to isolate themselves until they get the results of their test.”
The federal government is to talk to each of Canada’s 10 provinces to see if testing can be extended to everyone entering the country, by both and across the land border. Duclos said no decision had been taken as yet.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra made the announcement about the extension of the travel ban.
Foreign nationals who have been to Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt, as well as South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the last 14 days are temporarily banned from entering Canada.
Of the six Omicron cases discovered in Canada, three were in people who had recently travelled to Nigeria.
Canadians and permanent residents who have travelled to one of the 10 countries must also be tested before entering Canada, even if they are fully vaccinated.
The imposition of the testing requirement will come as a blow to Canada’s attempts to put the pandemic in the rear-view mirror.
It comes on the day Canada moved to require all those travelling within and out of the country to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The change, announced earlier in November, means a negative PCR test is no longer accepted as an alternative to vaccination unless travellers are covered by an exemption.
Further changes also coming into force include the removal of the negative test requirement for trips of 72 hours or less, and an expansion of the list of accepted vaccines.
Short Trips Out Of Canada
Also from today, fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents who depart and re-enter Canada within 72 hours are not required to present a negative PCR test result.
The list of vaccines recognised by Canada has also been updated to match the World Health Organisation’s emergency use list.
Canada immigration news: The period international students can complete their studies online and still qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) has been extended.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says 100 percent of online studies between March 2020 and August 31, 2022 can count towards the PGWP.
The measure was originally put in place in February 2021 with so many international students unable to travel to Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions.
It was due to expire on December 31, 2021.
A student can complete their studies at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) from abroad and still qualify to come to Canada to work. The measures apply to all international students enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program and meet all other PGWP criteria.
To qualify, international students must:
Be enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program.
Have begun, or will begin, a program in any semester from spring 2020 to fall 2021, or whose program was already in progress in March 2020.
Have a study permit or approval for a study permit, or applied for a study permit prior to starting their program and are eventually approved.
Meet all other PGWP criteria.
Post Graduation Work Permit: How Long Is It Valid?
The validity of a PGWP is linked to the length of the study. If a candidate studied for less than eight months, they are not eligible.
Canada immigration news: All those travelling within and out of Canada are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from today.
The change, announced earlier in November, means a negative PCR test is no longer accepted as an alternative to vaccination unless travellers are covered by an exemption.
Further changes also coming into force include the removal of the negative test requirement for trips of 72 hours or less and an expansion of the list of accepted vaccines.
“Requiring foreign nationals to be fully vaccinated adds another important layer of protection at the border,” said Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, when the changes were announced on November 19.
“Many foreign nationals and international students arriving in Canada are already fully vaccinated, and the measures announced today will help ensure that Canadians remain protected against COVID-19 as the economy reopens and international travel returns.”
Short Trips Out Of Canada
From today, fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents who depart and re-enter Canada within 72 hours are not required to present a negative PCR test result.
The exemption covers accompanying children under 12 and those who are not vaccinated for medical reasons.
New Vaccines Recognised
Also from today, the list of vaccines recognised by Canada will be updated to match the World Health Organisation’s emergency use list.
The full list reads:
Pfizer,
Moderna,
AstraZeneca
Johnson & Johnson
Sinopharm
Sinovac
COVAXIN.
New Groups Required To be Vaccinated
From January 15, Canada is requiring groups of travellers previously covered by exemptions to be fully vaccinated when entering the country.
Those groups are:
Those travelling to reunite with family.
International students aged 18 and older.
Those with a valid work permit, including most temporary foreign workers (not those working in agriculture and food processing).
Essential service providers, including truck drivers.
Professional and amateur athletes.
After January 15 unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers can only enter Canada if they are covered by an exemption.
Exemptions apply to:
New permanent residents.
Agricultural and food processing workers.
Marine crew members.
Those entering on compassionate grounds.
Resettling refugees.
Some children under the age of 18.
Exempt unvaccinated travellers will continue to be subject to testing, quarantine, and other entry requirements.
Canada immigration news: Manitoba is a great place to seek permanent residence through the economic immigration programs. Given the Prairie province’s unemployment rate is currently the lowest in Canada and it has almost fully replaced all the jobs it lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are focused on Manitoba’s recovery, and budget 2021 set aside nearly $1.2 billion for the ongoing COVID-19 response and to prepare the province for future economic shocks and challenges,” said Scott Fielding, the province’s finance minister, in late September.
“Although our focus is to continue to protect Manitobans through the ongoing pandemic, we have made a commitment to once again return to balance within the next eight years.”
In the first nine months of this year, Manitoba welcomed 10,725 new permanent residents, up almost 24.3 per cent over last year’s total number of new permanent residents, 8,630.
Despite that rebound, Manitoba’s immigration levels are still below what they have been in recent years.
Manitoba Immigration On Upwards Trajectory
In 2019, the last full year before the arrival of the pandemic in Canada, the province welcomed 18,910 new permanent residents. The last time Manitoba saw as low a level of immigration as it is currently experiencing was in 2017 when it saw the arrival of 14,705 new permanent residents.
Aside from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its travel restrictions and border closures, immigration to Manitoba has been climbing steadily upwards over the past several years.
The province’s immigration levels seesawed from 2015 through to 2017 with 14,900 new permanent residents in 2015, then rising almost 12.9 per cent to hit 16,830 in 2016, and then dipping back down to 14,705 in 2017.
Since then, though, Manitoba’s levels of immigration had been on an upward trajectory, rising 3.5 per cent to hit 15,225 in 2018 and then rising again by almost a quarter the following year.
Manitoba selects candidates for immigration based on its economic needs through four streams of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP):
The Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream prioritizes candidates with a strong attachment to Manitoba, with two pathways, the Manitoba Work Experience and Employer Direct Recruitment pathways.
The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream, which includes both a dedicated federal Express Entry pathway and a direct provincial pathway, prioritizes those with close family connections in Manitoba who also have the language proficiency, training and experience to find jobs quickly.
International Education Stream
The International Education Stream is dedicated to international graduates from Manitoba colleges and universities. Under this stream, candidates are no longer required to work for six months in their field before applying for an MPNP nomination.
There are three pathways under this stream:the Career Employment; Graduate Internship, and; Student Entrepreneur pathways.
The Business Investor Stream is aimed at qualified international business investors and entrepreneurs and includes two pathways, one for entrepreneurs and the other for farm investors.
The MPNP’s aim is to be flexible to Manitoba’s labour market and broader economic priorities. Those priorities are communicated to candidates via a regularly updated list of In-Demand Occupations.
The current list of in-demand occupations in Manitoba is broadly divided into categories based on National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:
Business, Finance and Administration;
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related;
Health;
Social Science, Education, Government Service and Religion;
Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport;
Sales and Service;
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related;
Unique to Primary Industry, and;
Unique to Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities.
Those in-demand occupations are:
Business, Finance and Administration
NOCOccupation Title
0111 Financial managers
0112 Human resources managers
0114 Other administrative services managers
0121 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
0122 Banking, credit and other investment managers
0124 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers
1111 Financial auditors and accountants
1112 Financial and investment analysts
1114 Other financial officers
1121 Human resources professionals
1122 Professional occupations in business management consulting
1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
1212 Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers
1215 Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
1221 Administrative officers
1223 Human resources and recruitment officers
1224 Property administrators
1241 Administrative assistants
1242 Legal administrative assistants
1251 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations
1311 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related
NOCOccupation Title
0211 Engineering managers
0212 Architecture* and science managers
213 Computer and information systems managers
2121 Biologists and related scientists
2123 Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
2131 Civil engineers
2132 Mechanical engineers
2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
2141 Industrial and manufacturing engineers
2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
2151 Architects
2154 Land surveyors *
2161 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
2172 Database analysts and data administrators
2173 Software engineers and designers
2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
2175 Web designers and developers
2211 Chemical technologists and technicians
2212 Geological and mineral technologists and technicians
2221 Biological technologists and technicians
2222 Agricultural and fish products inspectors
2231 Civil engineering technologists and technicians
2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
2233 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
2234 Construction estimators
2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
2242 Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
2244 Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors
2253 Drafting technologists and technicians
2271 Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors
2281 Computer network technicians
2282 User support technicians
Health
NOCOccupation Title
0311 Managers in Health Care
3131 Pharmacists *
3132 Dietitians* and nutritionists
3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists *
3142 Physiotherapists *
3143 Occupational therapists *
3211 Medical laboratory technologists *
3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
3213 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists *
3215 Medical radiation technologists *
3219 Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3222 Dental hygienists and dental therapists *
3236 Massage therapists
Social Science, Education, Government Service and Religion
NOCOccupation Title
0423 Managers in social, community and correctional services
4112 Lawyers and Quebec notaries *
4151 Psychologists *
4152 Social workers
4153 Family, marriage and other related counsellors
4161 Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4163 Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
4164 Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4165 Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4166 Education policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4167 Recreation, sports and fitness policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4168 Program officers unique to government
4211 Paralegal and related occupations
4212 Social and community service workers
4214 Early childhood educators and assistants
4215 Instructors of persons with disabilities
Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
NOCOccupation Title
0513 Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors
5131 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
5225 Audio and video recording technicians
5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
5242 Interior designers and interior decorators
5243 Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
5254 Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
Sales and Service
NOCOccupation Title
0601 Corporate sales managers
0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers
0651 Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related
NOCOccupation Title
0711 Construction managers
0712 Home building and renovation managers
0714 Facility operation and maintenance managers
0731 Managers in transportation
7231 Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7232 Tool and die makers
7233 Sheet metal workers
7237 Welders and related machine operators
7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system) **
7242 Industrial electricians **
7244 Electrical power line and cable workers
7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7251 Plumbers
7271 Carpenters
7282 Concrete finishers
7284 Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
7294 Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
7295 Floor covering installers
7311 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
7312 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7313 Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics **
7315 Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
7316 Machine fitters
7321 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
7322 Motor vehicle body repairers
7361 Railway and yard locomotive engineers
7362 Railway conductors and brakemen/women
7371 Crane operators **
Unique to Primary Industry
NOCOccupation Title
0821 Managers in agriculture
Unique to Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities
NOCOccupation Title
0911 Manufacturing managers
0912 Utilities managers
9241 Power engineers and power systems operators
The provincial government also considers two other groups of occupations as in-demand outside of the Manitoba Capital Region, the greater Winnipeg area.
Those are:
NOCOccupation Title
3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates, and;
9462 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers.
The MPNP issues periodic Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through its Expression of Interest system and Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates in the Express Entry pool, allowing them to apply for nomination under one of the targeted streams. The details and methodology used are published after the draws are done.
Express Entry Applications Processed By Federal Government
Processing times are divided into two periods: how long it takes for the province to issue the nomination and then how long it takes for the permanent resident visa to be processed and issued.
Manitoba’s processing times currently range from 60 to 90 days for most streams.
The Express Entry Skilled Trades applications are being processed within 30 to 60 days. The Business applications’ processing times depend on the complexity of each file.
The Express Entry process is simple.
Submit profile and enter Express Entry Pool;
Get issued an Invitation to Apply if the minimum points requirement I met;
Submit an application in 60 days;
Get a decision in target processing time of six months, and;
If successful, move to Canada.
Under Express Entry, candidates score Comprehensive Ranking System points for core factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability.
At the federal level, IRCC currently processes provincial non-Express Entry nominee applications within 15 to 19 months. For the Express Entry streams, the general average of six months applies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, anyone entering Canada needs to have these items before they can cross the border:
Canada immigration news: In an important indicator that Canada’s economy is picking up as it battles back from COVID-19, there were more than 1 million job vacancies at the start of September.
Businesses in Canada have entered hiring mode – to the advantage of potential immigrations who are considering making their dream move here.
The payroll and vacancies report released by Statistics Canada shows high numbers of vacancies in sectors including accommodation and food services, health care and retail trade.
Federal government number crunchers put this down to increased economic activity, skills shortages and changes in the demands of workers.
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 enterprises, www.grnmontreal.com and our newest asset, www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.
“Increases in job vacancies can signal a number of developments,” the Statistics Canada report said.
“First, such increases can signal an increase in economic activity and hiring, as employers create new positions to be filled.
“Second, an increase in vacancies can signal new or worsening structural labour market imbalances, such as shortages of specific skills or geographic mismatches between available positions and workers who could fill them.
“Third, increasing vacancies can be an indication of shifts in the willingness of workers to accept the wages, benefits and conditions associated with a particular job.”
As the sector with the highest number of vacancies, accommodation and food services recorded more than 196,000 job openings in September, up from nearly 157,000 in August.
More than half of businesses in the sector expected to face hiring issues, according to the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for the third quarter of 2021.
Health care and social assistance registered more than 131,000 vacancies, more than double the figure of a year earlier.
Meanwhile, as the third highest sector, retail trade saw nearly 122,000 vacancies in September.
Note: Results for Utilities sector deemed too unreliable to be published.
Provincial Vacancy Data
Provincially, Ontario has the most vacancies in September, with more than 363,000 jobs available in Canada’s most populous province.
Quebec, meanwhile, has the second-highest vacancies in real numbers (nearly 280,000), but one of the highest job vacancy rates, which expresses all vacant positions as a proportion of all positions.
The French-speaking province’s vacancy rate of 7.3 percent was only beaten by British Columbia’s rate of 7.4 percent, despite the western province’s lower actual number of vacancies.
Higher vacancy rates were also seen in Ontario and New Brunswick (both 5.6 percent).
New COVID-19 Variant Emerges
Canadian businesses will be closely watching the emergence of new COVID-19 variant omicron, first seen in southern Africa in November and prompting a ban on travel from the region.
As scientists scramble to gauge the efficacy of existing vaccines against the new variant, the world is waiting to see if the coronavirus pandemic is about to enter a new, damaging phase.
Despite the pandemic, Canada is on target to welcome more than 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021, a modern-era record that has been achieved using a strategy of tapping into those already here on a temporary basis, including work permit and study permit holders.
Despite the high number, Ottawa has a huge backlog of applications to process, with many Canadian provinces reporting chronic labour shortages.
There are many options for how to apply for Canada immigration from India.
As Canada recovers from the economic impact of COVID-19, immigration is more important than ever.
In its most recent immigration levels plan, the federal government announced its intention to welcome more than 1.2 million new permanent residents between 2021 and 2023, with annual numbers well over 400,000.
More Indian citizens became Canadian permanent residents in September 2021 (the latest month for which figures are available) than in any other month on record.
After relatively low numbers in the first five months of the year, immigration among Indian citizens has ramped up since June, as Canada pushes towards its annual target of 401,000 newcomers.
Before the pandemic, the numbers of Indian citizens immigrating to Canada was rising sharply, from below 40,000 in 2016 to more than 85,000 in 2019.
Pandemic travel restrictions bucked this trend, with 42,865 Indian newcomers in 2020, half the 2019 figure. But the numbers have more than recovered in 2021, with more than 80,000 Indian citizens already becoming permanent residents with only the first nine months of data available.
Indian citizens are dominating new permanent resident arrivals to Canada in 2021.
The 80,455 Indian citizens welcomed is 30 per cent of the 267,385 total, dwarfing the next largest total of 21,580 Chinese citizens (8 per cent).
The total number of Indian citizens admitted is larger than the combined number of the next seven countries on the list.
If you are looking to apply for Canada permanent residence from India, the first step is to assess which programs give you the best chance of success.
What Are The Options For Immigrating To Canada From India?
Broadly, the options are:
Federal Economic Class.
Provincial Economic Class.
Quebec Immigration.
Busines Immigration, including the Start-Up Visa Program.
Temporary Residence First, Then Transition To Permanent.
Family Class Sponsorship.
1) Federal Economic Class
Canada accepts the largest number of immigrants under the economic class, with annual levels set to move over 200,000 in the category over the next three years.
The largest group within the economic class is the Federal High Skilled category.
There are many immigration streams to be considered when considering applying for Canadian permanent residence from India.
What Are Canada’s Federal Economic Class Programs?
Canada operates its federal economic class immigration system using Express Entry. Many provinces also follow a similar approach.
Express Entry requires candidates to submit a profile, with the highest scoring profiles issued an Invitation to Apply to one of the above immigration programs.
Candidates then get 60 days to submit a full application.
Under Express Entry, candidates score Comprehensive Ranking System points for core factors such as age, education, work experience and language ability.
What Is The Express Entry Process?
Submit profile and enter Express Entry Pool.
Get issued an Invitation to Apply if you meet minimum points requirement.
Submit an application in 60 days.
Get a decision in target processing time of six months.
If successful, move to Canada.
Watch the Video
One of the best ways to increase a CRS score is with a job offer, which can be worth 200 or 50 points depending on the skill level. Visit skilledworker.com, the leader in foreign recruitment, to access our job search services.
Several of Canada’s provinces also operate Express Entry streams, allowing them to tap skilled workers from the pool.
A provincial nomination is worth 600 points and effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply.
If you meet the requirements, Express Entry can be a fast way to achieve Canada immigration, with target processing times of six months once the full application is received.
If you do not qualify through a federal economic program, the next step is to consider provincial streams for your application for permanent residence from India.
Each one of Canada’s provinces runs their own immigration programs, targeting the specific demands of local labour markets.
If you have specific skills, there could be a provincial stream waiting to accept you.
Quebec has autonomy over its immigration system, with the right to set its own immigration levels and the power to operate its own programs.
Quebec recently launched an Expression of Interest system similar to Express Entry, where candidates submit profiles to the Arrima system and are issued periodic invitations to apply.
Can I Apply For A Business Immigration Program?
Canada also aims to attract entrepreneurs and investors through its business immigration programs, with many applications accepted from India.
Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program offers Canadian permanent residence to qualified immigrant entrepreneurs.
The program targets innovative entrepreneurs and links them with private sector investors in Canada who will help establish their start-up business.
Candidates can initially come to Canada on a work permit supported by their designated Canada-based investor, before qualifying for permanent residence once their business is up and running.
There are three types of private-sector investor:
Angel investor.
Venture capital fund.
Business incubator.
Initially a three-year pilot, the program was made permanent on March 31, 2018.
Watch the Video
What Are the Start-Up Visa Candidate Eligibility Requirements?
The basic candidate eligibility requirements for the Start-Up Visa are:
Qualifying business.
Commitment Certificate and Letter of Support from a designated entity.
Sufficient unencumbered, available and transferable settlement funds.
Proficiency in English or French at minimum Canadian Language Benchmark level 5.
What Is A Start-Up Visa Program Designated Entity?
A designated entity is a Canadian private sector angel investor, venture capital fund or business incubator.
The required commitment must meet the following criteria:
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 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 business incubator must accept the applicant into its business incubator program.
What Are the Start-Up Visa Program Business Ownership Requirements?
For the candidate to qualify for permanent residence:
The intended business must be incorporated and carrying on business in Canada.
The candidate must own at least 10 percent of the voting rights in the corporation.
No other person can hold 50 percent or more of the voting rights in the corporation.
NOTE: Up to five candidates may have their permanent residence application supported by the same business investment. However, certain candidates may be designated essential to the business. If any essential candidate withdraws their application, or are refused, all other candidates under the same business investment will see their applications terminated.
Several of Canada’s other provinces also operate business programs as a route to permanent residence from India.
Increasingly, the provinces require time spent in Canada setting up a business as a temporary resident before candidates are nominated for permanent residence.
Federal owner-operator rules allow a candidate to buy a business and move to Canada on a temporary work permit, before transitioning to permanent residence further down the line.
Under this policy a work permit is issued following the sale and transfer of the majority share ownership of an existing profitable Canadian business to the immigration candidate.
Can I Transition From Temporary To Permanent Residence?
Increasingly, immigrants are coming to Canada as temporary residents and transitioning to permanent residents.
Canada continues to accept temporary workers in priority occupations during the coronavirus pandemic.
This is a popular route for candidates who do not immediately qualify for permanent residence when applying from India.
Time spent in Canada as a temporary resident counts towards a permanent residence application.
Candidates in India with family members who are already permanent residents or citizens can apply through Family Class Sponsorship immigration.
Which Family Members Can Be Sponsored For Canada Immigration From India?
Spouse
Common Law partner
Conjugal partner
Dependent children
Parents
Grandparents
Brothers or sisters, nephews or nieces, granddaughters or grandsons who are orphaned, under 18 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
Another relative of any age or relationship but only under specific conditions
Accompanying relatives of the above (for example, spouse, partner and dependent children).
What Are The Requirements To Be A Sponsor?
You must be 18 years of age or older.
You and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits you to provide financial support for your relative, if necessary. This agreement also says the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support her or himself.
You must provide financial support for a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for three years from the date they become a permanent resident.
You must provide financial support for a dependent child for 10 years, or until the child turns 25, whichever comes first.
All foreign nationals who have travelled through these countries in the last 14 days are barred from entering Canada.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents must get a PCR test before returning home. With no direct flights from the region, that test must come from the country they connect through.
After arrival in Canada, all travellers must get a test on arrival and wait for the result in a designated hotel. If the test is negative, they must then quarantine at home for 14 days. They must then take a day eight test,
Furthermore, anyone who has arrived from one of the countries in the last 14 days must get tested for COVID-19 immediately. They must then quarantine at home until they get their result.
Global Affairs Canada has also issued an advisory against travel to the seven countries.
“We really want to make sure we’re doing all we can to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” Duclos said.
Omicron: Variant of Concern
The World Health Organization (WHO) labelled Omicron a ‘variant of concern’ on Friday.
Despite the WHO advising against travels bans, they have been imposed by the UK, U.S., India, Japan, Israel and European Union.
South Africa and Botswana have both detected the variant, plus Israel, Belgium and Hong Kong.
Canada health chief Dr. Theresa Tam said the variant could be more transmissible.
She said: “One area of mutations is in the spike receptor-binding domain, where the virus attaches itself and invades our cells, which could signify a potential for increased transmissibility of the virus.
“The other area of mutations is in what is referred to as the antigenic supersite because it is a target for our body’s defensive or neutralizing antibodies.”
Canada immigration news: Saskatchewan will attempt to attract overseas candidates for jobs in demand with a new Canada immigration pilot program through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
The Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot, announced on Thursday November 25, will target 23 low-skilled and entry level occupations in sectors including health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality and retail.
An SINP statement said the jobs “may require on-the-job training, but are critical for businesses to continue to operate and grow.”
The program will enable Saskatchewan employers to recruit workers through overseas missions, or other international recruitment activities, into select jobs that have significant recruitment challenges.
“The demand for labour in our province is strong, and it’s only going to increase with the significant economic projects recently announced in Saskatchewan,” said Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison.
“This new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot – developed in Saskatchewan for Saskatchewan – is progress on our autonomy discussions with the federal government and is going to help provide employers with greater access to international options to recruit workers.”
The pilot is scheduled to launch in December 2021.
Full-time, permanent offer of employment and SINP job approval letter for an eligible occupation from a registered Saskatchewan employer.
Meet a minimum Canadian Official Language proficiency level.
Meet the minimum educational and work experience requirements, which includes having at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six-months work experience in that job in Saskatchewan.
Canada immigration news: Jean Boulet has taken over the role of Quebec immigration minister, with Nadine Girault sidelined with health problems.
Boulet will combine the immigration role with his duties as Quebec’s labour minister.
Premier Francois Legault made the announcement on Wednesday, November 24, with Boulet saying his duties as labour minister were closely connected to immigration.
Reacting to his new role on Twitter, Boulet thanked Legault and said his thoughts were with Girault.
“Immigration must meet the needs of our economy. By focusing more on francisation, all of Quebec comes out on top!” he tweeted, in French.
Boulet said he was already due to meet federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser over processing delays.
“The delays in admission for people who are here, who have a Quebec selection certificate, who speak French, who work in Quebec, are unacceptable,” he said.
“Ottawa has to not only recognize this, but ensure it has an action plan in place to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
Boulet has been looking after the immigration file for some time already, having announced Quebec’s 2022 Immigration Levels Plan in the National Assembly in late October.
Quebec will welcome up to 70,500 new immigrants in 2022, including 52,500 newcomers under the previously announced plan, and 18,000 intended to make up the deficit of newcomers registered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rebalancing figure is high because Quebec immigration is forecasting that it will fail to reach its 2021 immigration target.
Quebec’s 2021 Immigration Levels Plan
Results
Plan 2021
Forecast 2021
Plan 2022
2019
2020
Rebalancing
MIN
MAX
MIN
MAX
Rebalancing
MIN
MAX
Economic
23,129
12,772
4,600
27,500
29,300
25,300
27,800
12,700
32,000
33,900
– Skilled Workers
19,098
11,477
3,500
22,900
24,200
23,500
25,600
12,700
27,400
28,800
– Business
3,387
1,106
1,000
4,000
4,300
1,800
2,100
0
4,000
4,300
– Other Economic
644
189
100
600
800
0
100
0
600
800
Family Reunification
9,686
7,792
1,550
9,700
10,200
11,000
11,400
1,000
10,200
10,600
Refugees
7,248
4,184
850
6,900
7,500
5,500
6,300
1,500
6,900
7,500
Other Immigrants
502
475
0
400
500
1,300
1,600
2,800
400
500
TOTAL
40,565
25,223
7,000
44,500
47,500
43,100
47,100
18,000
49,000
52,500
Last year, the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) planned to welcome up to 54,500 newcomers, including 7,000 to help make up the shortfall seen in 2020, at the height of the pandemic.
But projections suggest Quebec will only welcome a maximum of 47,100 newcomers this year, a number that could drop as low as 43,100.
“Our government is resolutely committed to ensuring that immigration contributes to a strong recovery of the Quebec economy, to the vitality of the French language and of our regions,” Boulet said at the time.
“This responsible immigration plan, which includes the necessary catch-up to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on admissions, is accompanied by all the measures that we have put in place for the francisation and integration of immigrants.
“For immigration to help meet the current challenges of labour shortages, it is imperative that permanent residences be issued more quickly by the federal government.”
Quebec Immigration in 2022: Breakdown
Economic Category
The economic category will continue to be the dominant one for Quebec immigration, likely contributing up to 46,600 in 2022, or 66 per cent of the total (including rebalancing). Quebec is set to welcome up to 27,800 economic immigrants in 2021.
Family Reunification
Including the rebalancing, family reunification is slated to total 11,600 newcomers in 2022, or 16 per cent of the total, up slightly on the 11,400 expected to be welcomed in 2021.
Refugees
Quebec is planning to welcome up to 9,000 refugees in 2022, when the rebalancing figures are added. This amounts to 13 per cent of the total figure, and is up from 6,300 in 2021.
Other Immigrants
In the ‘other immigrants’ category, Quebec expects to welcome 3,100 newcomers in 2022, or 4 per cent of the total. It will welcome up to 1,600 in the category in 2021.
Girault became immigration minister in June 2020, taking over from Simon Jolin-Barrette. It is not known if she will return to the role when her health improves.
Canada immigration news: A new immigration pathway for extended family members of Afghan interpreters who previously moved to Canada has been announced.
Children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents and siblings of Afghans who moved to Canada under special measures introduced in 2009 and 2012 are covered by the new pathway, announced Wednesday, November 24.
To qualify, applicants must have been in Afghanistan on or after July 22, 2021.
The original special measures “were put in place in recognition of the risk Afghans took to support Canada’s work in their country,” said a notice from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). They covered only the individuals and their immediate family members.
“While some of their extended family members may have come to Canada through existing programs over the years, others have not and may now be in a precarious position as a result of their relationship to the interpreters,” IRCC said.
Be outside Canada at the time of their application.
Have been in Afghanistan on or after July 22, 2021.
Be a child (regardless of age), grandchild, parent, grandparent, or sibling of an individual previously granted permanent residence as a principal applicant under the 2009 or 2012 public policies.
Provide a statutory declaration from a former interpreter who was previously granted permanent residence under one of the public policies in order to confirm their relationship.
Hold a travel or identity document or, if that cannot be obtained, provide a statutory declaration attesting to the applicant’s identity.
Submit their application using the forms that will be made available online for this program.
The application process for the new pathway will be open on December 9, with more information available before then. IRCC has advised applicants to begin gathering documents.
“In addition to these new measures, we continue to prioritize applications of Afghan nationals who are in the process of sponsoring their immediate family members overseas, and dependents of protected persons abroad,” IRCC said.
Ottawa pledge to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees threatened by the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, who swept to power in the summer following the withdrawal of American troops.
Canada has been out of the region for seven years. But the United States only pulled out its troops from Bagram Airfield, the centre of its military operations in the country, in July.
When the US pulled out, and mad scramble ensued as thousands tried to flee Afghanistan in order to escape life under Taliban rule.
Note: Results for Utilities sector deemed too unreliable to be published.
