Saskatchewan Issues 63 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

Colin Singer
-
0
Saskatchewan Issues 63 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

Saskatchewan has conducted a new Expression of Interest draw through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, issuing 63 Canada immigration invitations.

The December 27 draw featured 48 invitations through the province’s Occupations In-Demand stream and 15 via its Express Entry stream.

The invitations targeted 7 National Occupational Classification codes and required a minimum score of 69.

Full details of the streams included in the draw are below.

Read More Canada Immigration News

New Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Draw Invites 13 Canada Immigration Candidates
Saskatchewan Existing Work Permit Stream Expanded To Include 279 More Occupations
Saskatchewan PNP Draw: Province Issues 99 Canada Immigration Invitations

Latest Saskatchewan Expression of Interest Draw

Draw date Category Minimum score Invites issued Other considerations
27-12-23 Occupations In-Demand 69 48 NOCs included: 31200, 31203, 32102, 32120, 32121, 32122, 33101
Express Entry 69 15

Video

What is the Process for Saskatchewan Expression of Interest?

  1. Submit EOI profile.
  2. Enter EOI candidate pool.
  3. EOI candidates selected.
  4. Invitations to Apply issued via regular draws.
  5. Candidates submit full application within 60 days.
  6. SINP officials assess applications and make decision.

What Are the Requirements for The Occupation-In-Demand Sub-Category?

  • Score a minimum of 60 points on the SINP points assessment grid;
  • Have a language score of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4. Employers and regulatory bodies may ask for higher;
  • Have completed one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship comparable to the Canadian education system. You must have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.
    • Degrees and diplomas obtained outside Canada subject to an Educational Credential Assessment;
  • At least one-year work experience in the past 10 years:
    • In your field of education or training occupation, and
    • In an eligible occupation in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. See the excluded occupations list.
  • Obtain the appropriate licensure in Saskatchewan if your field so requires, as the authorities will not process an application without the licensure.
  • Have proof of settlement funds and a settlement plan.
  • Pay a non-refundable $300 application fee online.

What Are the Requirements for The Saskatchewan Express Entry Sub-Category?

Candidates from outside Canada, or with legal status in Canada, qualify for this Saskatchewan immigration category, provided they are not a refugee claimant.

Additionally, candidates must:

  • Have a profile in the Express Entry Pool, with profile number and job seeker validation code;
  • Score a minimum of 60 points on the SINP points assessment grid;
  • Provide valid language test results from a designated testing agency matching those in the Express Entry profile;
  • Have completed one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship comparable to the Canadian education system. You must have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.
    • Degrees and diplomas obtained outside Canada subject to an Educational Credential Assessment;
  • Have at least one of the following experience requirements in your field of education or training occupation:
    • One year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades);
    • Two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or
    • One year of work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades).
  • Have work experience in a high-skilled, eligible occupation in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. See the excluded occupations list.
  • Obtain the appropriate licensure in Saskatchewan where your profession is regulated, or a skilled trade. For skilled trades, a certificate is required from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.
  • Have proof of settlement funds and a settlement plan.
  • Pay a non-refundable $300 application fee online.

Prince Edward Island Draw: Province Issues 29 Canada Immigration Invitations

Colin Singer
-
0
Prince Edward Island Draw: Province Issues 29 Canada Immigration Invitations

Prince Edward Island has conducted a new provincial draw, issuing invitations to apply to 29 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates.

The December 21 draw saw invitations issued through the Labour Impact, Express Entry and Business Impact Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) streams.

It saw 26 invites issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, to individuals working in the Healthcare, Construction and Food Processing sectors.

Business Impact candidates received 3 invitations, requiring a minimum score of 92 points.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Prince Edward Island Draw: Province Issues 69 Canada Immigration Invitations
Prince Edward Island PNP Draw: Province Issues 141 Canada Immigration Invitations
Prince Edward Island Draw: Province Targets Four Sectors With 42 Canada Immigration Invitations

PEI PNP Immigration Draw

Date Category Invites Issued Minimum Score
21-12-2023 Labour Impact/Express Entry 26 N/A
Business Impact 3 92

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.

Such a nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian immigration.

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.

Canada To Receive 1,000 Visa Applications from Gazans

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada To Receive 1,000 Visa Applications from Gazans

Canada is to receive 1,000 visa applications from relatives of Canadians living in Gaza and looking to escape the mounting violence in the region.

This public policy implementation is to take effect from next week onward, after months of protests by Palestinian Canadians as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

The visa’s duration will be three years if the Canadian families of Palestinians from Gaza are willing to financially support them throughout that duration.

IRCC Minister Marc Miller, while announcing this policy last month, asserted that he was unsure about how many people would benefit through it, as per The Canadian Press’ Laura Osman.

However, he stressed that it would probably be “in the hundreds.”

Read More Canada Immigration News

Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs
Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1
Manitoba PNP Draw: Province Issues 254 Canada Immigration Invitations

A week following that, IRCC released the written policy for the program in question.

Miller wrote in the policy brief that “I hereby establish that, pursuant to my authority under section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the Act), that there are public policy considerations that justify the granting of an exemption from the application of any of the listed provisions of the Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (the Regulations) to foreign nationals who meet the eligibility criteria and conditions listed below.”

The conditions are divided into the following three parts:

Part 1

  1. The foreign national:
  2. has submitted an application for a temporary resident visa to Canada;
  3. was in the Gaza Strip on the day they submitted their application;
  4. is a Palestinian Territory passport holder;
  5. has identified a Canadian anchor;
  6. is the spouse, common law partner, child (regardless of age), grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling of the anchor identified in condition iv. of Part 1;
  7. has a signed statutory declaration from the anchor identified in condition iv. of Part 1 in which the anchor attests that:
  8. they have the intention to provide support for the foreign national and their family members, and
  9. they have not accepted, and understand they are not to accept, any financial compensation from the foreign national and their family members;
  10. has submitted the application by electronic means (applied online) or with an alternate application format provided by the department if the foreign national or their representative indicated they are unable to apply online.

Part 2

  1. The foreign national:
  2. is a family member of a foreign national who has applied under this public policy and has been found to meet the conditions listed in Part 1;
  3. has submitted an application for a temporary resident visa; and
  4. has submitted the application by electronic means (applied online) or with an alternate application format provided by the department if the foreign national or their representative indicated they are unable to apply online.

Part 3

  1. The foreign national
  2. holds a temporary resident visa that was issued following facilitation under Part 1 or Part 2; and
  3. seeks to enter Canada as a visitor.

IRCC will close the program to new requests after it receives and starts processing the first 1,000 applications, or after a year has passed, whichever comes first.

Watch Video

The National Council of Canadian Muslims, however, is urging Ottawa to remove the cap altogether, to allow any and all Palestinians who can live with their family in Canada to be able to leave the Gaza Strip.

“There should not be a cap,” argued Uthman Quick, the organization’s director of communications.

IRCC spokesperson Matthew Krupovich said in a statement Tuesday, however, that the cap “takes into consideration the volatility on the ground and the difficulty that Canada and like-minded countries are having in moving people from Gaza to Egypt.”

Miller has commented on the situation in Gaza before, saying that it is difficult to ensure the safe passage of individuals out of the Palestinian territory due to Canada’s lack of control over the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

The war between Hamas and Israel was initiated on October 7, after the former launched an attack on southern Israel, killed 1,200 people, and took another 240 hostages.

Canada’s Employers Must Meet New Temporary Foreign Worker Wage Requirements

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada’s Employers Must Meet New Temporary Foreign Worker Wage Requirements

Canada employers need to meet prevailing wage requirements for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) when hiring through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

“For LMIA applications submitted as of Jan. 1, 2024, employers are required to update the wages of temporary foreign workers to reflect changes to the prevailing wage, at the start of and throughout their period of employment, to comply with TFWP requirements,” notes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

“Job Bank wages are updated every year in the fall. The 2023 update took place on Nov. 29, 2023.”

Under Canadian immigration rules, most employers need an LMIA, which confirms there is a need for a temporary foreign worker and no Canadian or permanent resident is available to do the job before they can hire a temporary foreign worker.

But some employers are exempt from the LMIA requirement and that list of exemptions and the codes to represent them was last updated a little over a year ago, on Dec. 15, 2022.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1
Atlantic Immigration Program’s Drop In Numbers And Cap On PNPs Disappoints Provinces
Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs

The three kinds of jobs that are exempt from the LMIA requirement are:

  • those included in an international trade accord;
  • those included in an accord between the federal government and a provincial/territorial government, and;
  • those deemed in the best interests of Canada.

Although it is a national database, Job Bank does recognize the median wages of workers vary from one province to another so that while, for example, a truck driver, National Occupation Code (NOC) 73300 might have a median hourly wage of $34.25 in one region of British Columbia, the same worker will have a median hourly wage of only $19.23 in a region of New Brunswick.

Across the country, the median hourly wage for a truck driver is $25.

According to Job Bank, the median hourly wage for a registered nurse (NOC 31301) across the country is $40.39 while a software engineer (NOC 21231) can expect $51.64 and a cook (NOC 63200) usually gets $16.

Due to on-going labour shortages across the country, Canada is eager to attract foreign workers and boost its economy.

Watch Video

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has pegged the loss to Canadian businesses due to a lack of workers at up to $38 billion in contracts and sales.

In its latest report, Small Businesses in Canada Hit Hard: The Big Financial Toll of Labour Shortages, the 97,000-strong organization representing small and medium-sized businesses in Canada claims a lack of workers is hitting business hard – and warns the situation could get even worse in the future.

“Challenging demographics and a failure to truly rise to the moment from governments also mean the current situation could deteriorate further in the future,” notes the CFIB in that report.

The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration (FMRI) agrees.

“Immigration is critical to addressing labour shortages, attracting new investment, and supporting Canada’s economic growth,” said Jeremy Harrison, the FMRI provincial-territorial co-chair, late last year.

Canada Protects Temporary Foreign Workers’ Rights

“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.”

In Canada, temporary foreign workers rights are protected by law, giving these workers the same rights and protections granted to Canadians and permanent residents.

Employers hiring temporary foreign workers must:

  • give them information about their rights;
  • give them signed copies of their employment agreements on or before their first day of work;
  • pay them for their work as stated in the employment agreement, including overtime work;
  • make reasonable efforts to provide them with a workplace free of abuse, including reprisals;
  • follow the employment and recruitment standards of the province or territory where they work;
  • get and pay for private health insurance that covers their emergency medical care until they are eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance coverage;
  • make reasonable efforts to give them access to healthcare services if they are injured or become ill at the work.

Employers are prohibited from:

  • forcing temporary foreign workers from performing unsafe work or work that their employment agreement doesn’t authorize them to do;
  • force them to work if they are sick or injured;
  • pressure or force them to work overtime not included in their employment agreement;
  • punish them for reporting mistreatment, unsafe work, inadequate housing or for cooperating with an inspection by a government employee;
  • take their passport or work permit away from them;
  • deport them from Canada or change their immigration status, or;
  • make them reimburse recruitment-related fees the employer may have paid to hire them.

H-1B Restrictions in U.S. Led to Immigrants Coming to Canada, Study Proves

Colin Singer
-
0
H-1B Restrictions in U.S. Led to Immigrants Coming to Canada, Study Proves

A Bank of Canada study has revealed that restrictions on H-1B visas to the United States imposed during Donald Trump’s presidency led to a surge of 76,000 additional admissions of college-educated immigrants to Canada in 2018 and 2019.

In Third-Country Effects of U.S. Immigration Policy, Agostina Brinatti and Xing Guo note this inflow represents 3.5 per cent of the stock of college-educated immigrants in Canada, or about two per cent of all workers in the high-skilled service sector.

“The U.S. restrictions led to an increase in skilled immigration to Canada and had significant effects on production, especially in high-skilled service sectors,” note Brinatti and Guo in that report released on Dec. 27.

Put in place by the American government to protect the jobs of workers in the United States, the tougher H-1B visa rules implemented in 2017 did, in fact, help a small group of American workers who competed directly with immigrants in the labour market, conclude Brinatti and Guo.

“However, it negatively affected American workers employed in other occupations in sectors that contracted,” they conclude.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Ontario PNP Makes Changes To International Student Stream
Think-Tank Says Canada Is Becoming A Nation Of Immigrants
Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs

“We also find that the role of international trade in the policy’s effects on the welfare of American workers can be significant. When the U.S. imposes restrictions, immigrants seek to migrate to other economies. Because these receiving economies compete with the U.S. in international markets, this tougher competition drives down wages for American workers, undermining the initial goal of job protection.”

The biggest boons to Canada of the more restrictive H-1B visa rules in the U.S. was an increase in the number of computer scientists immigrating to Canada and a boost to the labour force in high-skilled service sectors such as information and culture, business and professional services, and finance and insurance.

“This increase in the immigrant labour force reduces labour costs and induces an aggregate expansion of production of 0.8 per cent,” the study reveals.

Watch Video

“Even though all sectors expand, they do not do so at the same rate. Notably, production in high-skilled service sectors responds the most due to the larger increase in the supply of immigrant labour and also these sectors’ higher reliance on immigrants.”

With the tighter restrictions on immigration to the U.S., more foreign investors also looked at setting up their businesses in Canada and used the Start-Up Visa (SUV) immigration program to gain their permanent residence.

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 Provides Immigrant Investors With A Way To Gain Their Permanent Residency In Canada

Under the SUV, three types of private-sector investors are considered: angel investors, venture capital funds, and business incubators.

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:

Trucking Jobs In Canada Becoming More Attractive for Women

Colin Singer
-
0
Trucking Jobs In Canada Becoming More Attractive for Women

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.

The Canada trucking sector has become budding grounds for immigrants, especially women. However, it also has shortcomings that pose serious barriers for their entry and growth within the industry.

These include eligibility constraints, language barriers, maternity benefit shortfalls, etc.

Trucking, which has been a traditionally male-dominated sector, is facing massive labour shortages in Canada. These are being addressed by newcomers to the country, and efforts are being advanced in hopes of reducing cultural barriers, and drawing employees from diverse sections of society.

Women, for one, are being promoted by various government levels in Canada to enter the business. In August 2023, for example, it was announced that the province of Ontario spent $1.3 million to train women, newly-arrived immigrants, and other groups underrepresented in trucking to alleviate labour shortages.

This investment was directed at training 54 people from these groups, which is a relatively insignificant number, considering that the province in question requires at least 6,100 truckers to fill jobs that have a lack of workers.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs
Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1
Manitoba PNP Draw: Province Issues 254 Canada Immigration Invitations

However, Ontario Premier Doug Ford considered the program an optimistic turn.

“This innovative program will help break down barriers to attract more women into the trucking industry,” he said.

“As we build Ontario, we’re going to need all hands-on deck. That’s why our government is working hard to ensure that all skilled occupations are more accessible and welcoming for women and all under-represented groups.”

Moreover, considering women are more likely to be the primary caregivers for children, the program allotted reimbursements of $4,500 for childcare and other living expenses for them, along with helping them get the 200 hours of training needed for AZ (tractor-trailer) and 70 hours for DZ (straight truck) licenses.

The policy in question is being spearheaded by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada. Its CEO Shelley Walker remarked on Session Three of the program, which was scheduled to commence in December.

The instructors use both virtual reality systems and in-cab, hands-on training to teach job seekers how to operate a commercial vehicle, perform maneuvers, conduct inspections, maintain the vehicles, and understand commercial vehicle systems and controls.

Watch Video

Shelley Walker, CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation, said that “we are hopeful that the government will continue its support for the program.”

Only 4.3% of Canada’s truckers are women, which is an increase of little more than a percent since 2016, when 3.5% of 300,000 truck drivers in Canada were women.

This is an inclusion problem, one of many issues faced by women in the industry. They also suffer from eligibility constraints from an immigration standpoint, language shortcomings in English, French, or both, and a lack of education on their financial responsibilities.

Report Shows Canada’s Unemployment Rate At 5.8% In December

Colin Singer
-
0
Report Shows Canada’s Unemployment Rate At 5.8% In December

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey shows Canada unemployment held steady at 5.8 percent in December.

The employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 61.6% (the fifth decline in the last six months), as the population aged 15 and older grew by 74,000 (+0.2%).

When comparing men and women on this metric, it can be observed that core-aged men (aged 25 to 54) experienced an employment increase of 25,000 (+0.4%), while women in the same age group had virtually no change in employment for the third month in a row.

Throughout 2023, from January to December, the employment rate fell for the core-aged population, as the rate of population growth for this age group (+2.9%; +446,000) outpaced employment growth (+1.9%; +243,000).

Young women (aged 15 to 24), however, reported an increase in employment of 13,000 (1.0%), but young men had a virtually unchanged employment rate.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Ontario PNP Makes Changes To International Student Stream
Think-Tank Says Canada Is Becoming A Nation Of Immigrants
Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs

Men aged 55 and older, however, had a fall in employment of 27,000 (-1.1%) in December 2023, which was the first significant decline since February 2023.

For women aged 55 and older, employment was little changed for the fourth month in a row.

While the unemployment rate was little changed in December, at 5.8%, this trend was new; the unemployment rate was on the rise during five of the last seven months. From April to November, for example, it rose by 0.8 percentage points, while in December, there was an increase of +19.3% compared with 12 months earlier.

The participation rate (which is the number of employed and unemployed people as a percentage of the 15-and-above population) fell in December to 65.4%, which was down from a recent peak of 65.7% in June. This was mostly due to the decline in the youth participation rate, which decreased by 2.1 percentage points to 63.5% over that period.

Employment in professional, scientific, and technical services increased by 46,000 (+2.4%) in December, which is after little change in the last three previous months. This was the second monthly increase in the industry in 2023, the first of those having been a rise of 52,000 in August.

Watch Video

When going off a year-on-year basis, employment in this industry was up by 78,000 in December.

On the other hand, employment in wholesale and retail trade fell for the third consecutive month in December.

Provincially, British Columbia (+18,000; +0.6%), Nova Scotia (+6,300; +1.3%), Saskatchewan (+4,800; +0.8%), and Newfoundland and Labrador (+2,400; +1.0%) experienced a rise in employment in December, while Ontario (-48,000; -0.6%) experienced a decline.

In Quebec, more than a third of public sector employees working in educational services lost work hours because of a unions’ strike representing teachers, nurses, and other employees in the public sector that closed schools and disrupted certain health services.

Throughout the province, an estimated 162,000 (4.0%) employees lost work hours because they were on strike during December 2023.

Unemployment rates increased for most racialized population groups in 2023, which comprise 30.1% of the labour force, up from 28.5% in December 2022.

Think-Tank Says Canada Is Becoming A Nation Of Immigrants

Colin Singer
-
0
Think-Tank Says Canada Is Becoming A Nation Of Immigrants

The chief executive officer of a Montreal-based think-tank says Canada is quickly becoming a nation of immigrants as record-breaking immigration fuels the bulk of the country’s population growth.

“I think we’re increasingly becoming a country of immigrants,” Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) CEO Jack Jedwab reportedly told the National Post.

“In terms of identity dimensions, we’re seeing across the board changes in terms of patterns of religious identification, less so of ethnicity, but more multiple identity.”

A new poll conducted by Leger for the ACS suggests Canada’s population will double in the next 25 years and nearly half of Canadians will by then identify as racialized or visible minorities.

With that growing immigrant population, the Leger poll indicates Canada’s demographics will change and Christianity will lose its status as the religion of the majority of the country’s residents.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs
Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1
Manitoba PNP Draw: Province Issues 254 Canada Immigration Invitations

While 77 per cent of Christians identified as Christians in 2001, only 53 per cent of the Canadian population listed Christian as their religion by 2021, the Leger poll notes.

The percentage of Canadians who report being atheists, though, is on the rise. In the past 20 years, the percentage of those who report no religion has grown from 16.5 per cent to 34.6 per cent in 2021.

In the third quarter of 2023, temporary foreign workers and international students – and new permanent residents to Canada – drove the fastest quarterly population growth in Canada since the heady, post-war Baby Boom year of 1957.

“Canada’s population was estimated at 40,528,396 on Oct. 1, 2023, an increase of 430,635 people up 1.1 per cent from July 1,” reports Statistics Canada.

Watch Video

“This was the highest population growth rate in any quarter since the second quarter of 1957, which saw growth of 1.2 per cent, when Canada’s population grew by 198,000 people.”

Almost all, 96 per cent, of Canada’s population growth was then due to immigration.

“The rest of this gain, four per cent, was the result of natural increase, or the difference between the number of births and deaths,” notes Statistics Canada.

“The contribution of natural increase to population growth is expected to remain low in the coming years because of population aging, lower fertility levels, and the high number of immigrants and non-permanent residents coming to Canada.”

Canada Welcomed Greatest Number Of New Residents In A Single Quarter In 2023

In its report, Record-High Population Growth Continues, Fuelled By Strong Permanent And Temporary Immigration, Statistics Canada noted in mid-December  that Canada welcomed 107,972 new permanent residents in the third quarter.

“From January to September 2023, immigration reached 79.8 per cent, or 371,299 new permanent residents of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) target of 465,000 immigrants for the year,” noted the statistical and demographic services agency.

“From July 1 to October 1, the country saw the number of non-permanent residents continue to increase. The total non-permanent resident population increased from 2,198,679 to 2,511,437.

That’s an additional 312,758 temporary residents during the third quarter alone, the greatest quarterly increase going back to 1971 when data on non-permanent residents became available.

The gain in temporary residents was mostly due to an increase in the number of work and study permit holders and, to a lesser extent, an increase in the number of refugee claimants.

Ontario PNP Makes Changes To International Student Stream

Colin Singer
-
0
Ontario PNP Makes Changes To International Student Stream

Ontario is expanding the Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream of its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to include all international students who have completed one-year college graduate certificate programs.

“Previously, the OINP’s Employer Job Offer: International Student stream allowed candidates to apply with a one-year credential from an eligible institution only if the program required the completion of a degree as an admission requirement,” notes the OINP website.

“With this change, the OINP allows applicants of any one-year college program that grants an Ontario College Graduate Certificate to qualify.”

The change, which came into effect Jan. 1, does not affect those who have previously submitted applications but does now increase the number of certificate programs eligible for international student immigration under the province’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Most one-year graduate certificate programs in Ontario are now eligible for international student immigration.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Newfoundland And Labrador Employers Can Recruit Foreign Workers Via Virtual Fairs
Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1
Manitoba PNP Draw: Province Issues 254 Canada Immigration Invitations

Since Ontario has changed its Expression of Interest (EOI) scoring factors for additional Canadian educational credentials and the highest educational credential obtained in keeping with the expansion of this stream, the province is encouraging applicants who have not yet been invited to apply to review the changes as they may now be eligible.

The revisions also include changes to the list of eligible educational institutions for this stream.

“We encourage potential applicants to check the OINP website before they apply for the updated requirements and scoring and to ensure they meet all stream criteria,” notes the OINP website.

Applicants under the Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream must have the following to be eligible:

  • a permanent and full-time job offer under NOC TEER category 1, 2 or 3, Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B that meets low wage levels for Ontario, and in a position that is necessary to the business;
  • for those already working in such a position, the proposed wage must be equal to or greater than the current wage being paid;
  • graduated or met requirements of a full-time minimum one-year post-graduate diploma program from a publicly-funded Canadian college or university;
  • completed at least half the studies in Canada;
  • submitted an application within two years from the date they completed the above course;
  • legal status in Ontario, and;
  • an intention to settle in Ontario.

Ontario Bullish On Boosting Employability Of Young Workers

Ontario’s move to encourage more international student, economic immigration comes as it is also trying to boost the job readiness of its current population by investing $62.9 million in two of its skilled trades programs to help more than 18,000 young people.

“We need more young people to know university isn’t the only path to success in life,” said provincial Immigration Minister David Piccini in December last year.

The government is expanding the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) with a $21.1 million investment to help more students across the province gain exposure to the skilled trades by accumulating hours toward an apprenticeship while completing high school.

“Ontario’s plan to go back to basics includes a renewed focus on hands-on learning that integrates learning with working in the skilled trades,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce.

Watch Video

“This significant increase in pre-apprenticeships, the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and the deployment of recruiters into 800 high schools across Ontario will help students jump-start their careers in the skilled trades and access good-paying jobs in communities small and large.”

Canada operates a two-tier immigration system which allows foreign nationals to gain their permanent residency through the federal Express Entry system’s Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as the PNPs of the 10 Canadian provinces.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can apply for permanent residency online and their profiles then 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 a 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.

Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1

Colin Singer
-
0
Canada’s Caregiver Programs: Applications Re-Open On January 1

Caregiver immigration programs to Canada are re-opening on Jan. 1 with caps on the Home Child Care Provider Pilot (HCCP) in particular set to be reached very quickly.

“Caps for the pilots reset on Jan. 1, 2024 at 9 a.m. ET,” notes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). “We’ll accept new applications until the caps are reached or until the last day of the pilots on June 17, 2024.”

In 2023, the IRCC accepted 1,650 applications for the HCCP but the cap of 1,500 online applications was reached on the very first day, on Jan. 1. The cap of 150 alternate format applications was reached exactly a month later, on Feb. 1.

The Home Support Worker Pilot’s (HSWP) cap of 1,650 applications received either online or in alternate formats was reached Nov. 28.

With the upper limit on applications being reached so quickly, Canadian immigration officials are advising foreign nationals to get everything ready ahead of time before they attempt to apply through either of these two caregiver pilots.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Canada Immigration Through Start-Up Visa Set To More Than Double In 2023
What To Do Before You Arrive In Canada As An International Student
British Columbia Issues 230 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

“You may want to prepare as much as possible before the cap resets,” “You can create an account in the permanent residence portal, if you don’t already have one)

“If you already have an account, you won’t be able to access any applications you started before the cap reset. This is because online applications expire about 30 days after a cap has been reached. You’ll need to start a new application once the cap resets on Jan. 1.”

In 2024, the caregiver pilots may fill up even more quickly as Ottawa has slashed the amount of experience foreign nationals need to apply for permanent residence under these programs in half, reducing that work experience requirement to only one year instead of two years.

“Caregivers are an important option for families in Canada and have played an instrumental role in the lives of many growing children, aging parents, and those who need additional specialized care,” said the-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

Work Experience For Caregiver Programs Was Slashed In Half In 2023

“By reducing the work experience required in Canada to one year, more caregivers and their families will become eligible to transition to permanent residence sooner, meaning that they can settle down and start the next chapter of their lives here in Canada.”

The IRCC is hoping the change would dramatically improve processing times for these applications, benefiting up to 90 per cent of applications that were then in processing and providing an advantage for both the caregivers who are just starting out and those who have been providing care in Canada already.

The immigration minister also hinted the current pilot caregiver programs could become permanent programs starting in June 2024.

Watch Video

“Caregivers are indispensable in assisting Canadian families and it’s an honour for us to provide them a more expedited route to permanent residence and prosperous integration into Canada,” said  Scarborough Centre MP Salma Zahid.

“The decreased work experience requirement and reserved pathways to permanent residence recognize the sacrifices that caregivers make and the value of their work to Canadian society.”

The Caregiver pilots are part of Ottawa’s strategy to tackle the labour shortage challenges facing Canadian employers.

Under the HCCP and HSW candidates must meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply for permanent residence:

  • a job offer;
  • CLB 5 language level, and;
  • one year of Canadian post-secondary education or its foreign equivalent.

Applicants For Caregiver Pilot Programs Must Have Valid Job Offers

Here’s how to apply. First, the applicant must get a work permit by submitting an application for permanent residence and work permit or study permit for themselves and their family.

That should include an occupation-specific work permit to obtain the work experience the applicant will need for permanent residence.

Once the work experience requirement is met, the applicant must submit proof of that to the IRCC to get their permanent residence.

Candidates who already have work experience as an in-home caregiver in Canada can choose one of two options:

They can use the two-step process outlined above, then complete the required work experience to get permanent residence or they can keep working in Canada with a current work permit and apply for permanent residence once the work experience term is completed, provided the general requirements are met.

1...212223...246Page 22 of 246

Latest News

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv