Quebec leads job vacancy percentages nationally with 37%

Saskatchewan adopts

                To begin, the SINP’s  EOI (Expression of Interest) system will use the same assessment grid that the International Skilled Worker category uses. Here’s how the system process will work. The pre-application process requires candidates to fill out an online form that will assess the applicant’s eligibility for a sub-category in accordance with their respective selection criteria. Included in the criteria are; education and training, skilled work experience, language ability, age and a candidate’s connections to Saskatchewan’s labor market. Candidates are also required to have work experience in obne of Saskatchewan’s labor market. 

New Express Entry system gains interest from 3,750 ITA’s

Quebec publishes new details for its new Expression of Interest system

To begin the process, anyone who is aged 18 years old or older, could submit a profile to QSWP’s Expression of Interest Bank. Candidates who receive a score based on factors such as, skilled work experience, education and training, proficiency in French or English, financial self-sufficiency, and others. To be considered all profiles will have to meet the minimum required score of two points in the education category. At the same time, it is required to receive the one point that is rewards for financial self-sufficiency.

In the next step, profiles that satisfy the primary requirements for education and financial self-sufficiency must then meet the required passing score of 43 points for a grouping of factors called Employability, which is based on education, work experience, age language proficiency, time spent in Quebec and family in Quebec. It also requires a valid employment offer. Having a job offer is a bonus. However, it is not required to be eligible for the QSWP. The employability cut off score for candidates who has a spouse or common law partner is 52.

In the third step, candidates who meet the employability cut-off score must then proceed to reaching the minimum cut of threshold under a grouping of factors called Selection, which is a passing score of 50 points. This step considers the points given under the six factors considered for Employability. Applicants who are invited to apply for CSQ will have a total of 90 days to submit their applications.

Canada increases the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Allotment

The Number of Temporary Visa refusals are on the rise, according to reports

Canadian Citizenship

To right to have Canadian citizenship, is a status that is greatly wanted by countless individuals worldwide. That is because of its quality of life found in Canada and the various important rights and privileges citizens enjoy. Canada is simply a great place to live and to be a citizen of it. If someone has at least one Canadian parent, they are in a good position of having a fast-tracked route in which a citizenship can be obtained. The most common method to obtaining a Canadian citizenship taken by foreign nationals is through one of the permanent residency programs.

To begin, Canada’s permanent residency programs are subjected to eligibility criteria which must be met to be considered as a candidate. These criteria differ from program to program but many of them pertain to age, language ability, education level and skilled work experience. Secondly, to transfer from Canadian permanent residency to citizenship, there are certain criteria that must be complied. Presently speaking, these requirements are that an individual must live in Canada for 3 out of 5 years as a permanent resident before being eligible for Canadian citizenship. This time can be subjected to certain limitations of expectations. However, in the larger part this is the case to be a workable candidate to obtain citizenship in Canada. For many potential candidates, these residency requirements could cause an issue. Many individuals have certain obligations and responsibilities which is necessarily entail them to be outside of Canada. Keep in mind exceptional situations, which are few and far between, in such scenarios a permanent resident could not successfully acquire a Canadian citizenship.

If an applicant has a questions or concerns regrading the applications, it is in his or her interest to consult qualified and competent Canadian immigration attorneys to ensure that the process is as smooth and problem-free as possible.

British Columbia’s Tech Pilot

An updated version of British Columbia’s Tech Pilot will resume for another year. The Tech Pilot system, which was introduced last August was designed to help British Columbia’s booming tech sector attract foreign talent in 32 in-demand occupations. These occupations were done trough weekly draws from the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program or BC PNP’s pool of immigration candidates.

In an updated issue on June 26^th, 2018 the BC PNP announced that it will extend the pilot until June 2019. Moreover, it will also reduce the number of in-demand occupations from 32 to 29 as well as the duration of its required job offer from a permanent full-time offer to a full-time offer of at least one year.

The removal of the three occupations from the list of in-demand occupations was based upon criticism from the tech sector employers and demonstrates actual demand, according to the BC PNP. The three position which were removed area were; Purchasing Managers, Professional Occupations in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations, Business Development Officers, Marketing Public Relations and Business Development and Marketing Research and Consultants. 

Plan on working at a Canadian festival this summer? A work permit might be required

The first factor that determines whether or not a Canadian work permit is required is the role that the foreign national produces in the preparation and organization of the event. If the works requires to be physically involved or “hands on work”, then a work permit will most likely be required. Activities such as supervising the event as event planners, managers or organizers, generally do not require a work permit.

Second, another factor which is important is to determine whether the event can be categorized as a Canadian or foreign event. If the event is being organized and put together by a Canadian entity or a Canadian individual, then a work permit will most likely be required. To the contrary, if a foreign organization is hosting the event, then a work permit will most likely not be required, provided that the previous condition is met as it concerns the nature of the work being conducted. Some examples of individuals who are exempt from a work permit in this context include; employees of foreign organizations that are either executive organizing committee members or administrative support staff. The same can be said about people who are working under contract for foreign organizations if they fall into one of the following occupation categories; Event planners, exhibit managers, professionals, conference organizers, destination marketing company personnel, event accommodations consultants.

At most events, there are usually merchants who are selling foreign made or Canadian goods. Guests of such events are usually the targets demographics of these merchants so these events give them the opportunity to sell their products to the public. Whether or not a work permit is required is dependant on the process through which the products are sold, if money is changing hands and the product is given to the consumer on the spot, and then a work permit is required. The origin of the product is also important in determining whether a work permit is required. If a product was made in Canada, it is a Canadian product. If it was made elsewhere, it is not a Canadian product.

Ontario reopens popular immigration streams targeting international graduates

The Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate streams are two of the most sought-after immigration programs offered under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). No job offer is required to apply to these streams, which are designed to retain international graduates who studied in the province.

Intake limits through these two first-come, first-served streams are often reached quickly, and the Masters Graduate Stream closed around an hour after it opened. Ontario did not disclose how many applications it was accepting for the current application intake period.

The PhD Graduate Stream remains open to applications.

The two streams opened on three occasions in 2017 — in February, May and October — and also reached their intake limits quickly. The OINP said it expects to reopen the Masters Graduate Stream periodically this year until Ontario’s 2018 provincial nomination allocation is fulfilled. The OINP can nominate 6,600 people through its various immigration streams this year, up 600 over 2017.

Ontario is the most popular study destination for international students, particularly post-graduate students, who are attracted by the quality of education and research opportunities offered across the province.

New Brunswick’s Express Entry Labour Market Stream reopens to IT workers

In an update published January 30, the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) reported that the stream is opening to those with work experience in one of the 10 following priority occupations:

• NOC 2173: Software engineers and designers
• NOC 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants
• NOC 2281: Computer network technician
• NOC 2172: Database analysts and data administrators
• NOC 2174: Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• NOC 6322: Cooks
• NOC 0631: Restaurant and food service managers
• NOC 1311: Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
• NOC 0311: Managers in health care
• NOC 6211: Retail sales supervisors

Potential applicants to this stream must also have attended one of the NBPNP’s information sessions in the previous 24 months.

Potential applicants are not required to have an existing profile in the federal Express Entry system but they will have to create one if they are successfully nominated by New Brunswick. As a result, the NBPNP will only consider potential applicants who score a minimum of 67 points out of 100 in the selection factors and meet the eligibility criteria for the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

This is the second opening of Express Entry New Brunswick Labour Market Stream since September 2017 that has targeted Information and Communications Technology workers, among others.

Immigrants Make Up 21.9% of Canada’s Population: StatsCan

You have to go back to 1921 to find the last time the share of Canada’s population made up by immigrants was this high. Back then, just under two million immigrants represented 22.3 percent of the overall population.

Today, 7.5 million immigrants are spread across the country — and despite the fact that Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal still attract more than half, more immigrants are choosing to settle in the Prairie provinces and Atlantic Canada. Government projections show that Canada’s immigrant population may reach as high as 30 percent by 2036.

Source: IRCC

Number and proportion of foreign-born population in Canada, 1871–2036

Source: StatsCan (Note: // represents a break in the historical series)

Immigrants’ backgrounds have also shifted over time. Whereas decades ago the main sources of newcomers to Canada were Europe and the United States, the latest figures reveal that 61.8 percent were born in Asia (including the Middle East). No fewer than seven of the top 10 source countries of new immigrants were Asian: the Philippines, India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, and South Korea.

Source: IRCC

For the first time ever, Africa (13.4 percent) ranks ahead of Europe (11.6 percent) as a source continent. Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Cameroon made up the top five African source countries, while the United Kingdom and France provided the largest European sources. Newcomers from the Americas and Oceania represented 12.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.

The census also shows that more than three-in-five immigrants (60.3 percent) who arrived between 2011 and 2016 were admitted through an economic program. A further 26.8 percent arrived under the Family Class having been sponsored by a close relative, spouse, or common-law partner, and 11.6 percent were refugees. Around a quarter of all immigrants admitted in the first five months of 2016 were refugees, far higher than the general trend due to the government’s effort to quickly resettle displaced Syrians.

Economic arrivals are welcomed because they have the proven capability to settle into the Canadian labour market. Canada’s internationally-praised economic immigration system has undergone an overhaul during the period since previous figures like these were last released in the National Household Survey of 2011. In January, 2015, Canada’s main economic immigration programs moved from a first-come, first-served model to the Express Entry system, which allows the government to invite eligible candidates to apply for permanent residence on a priority basis. With Express Entry, Canada can bring in more of the world’s best and brightest, while also managing the supply of applications, thereby reducing processing times to less than six months in most cases.

Express Entry has proven to be a successful system, with nearly 140,000 Invitations to Apply having been issued at the time of writing. The majority of invitations have been issued this year, as Express Entry becomes the main driver of economic immigration to Canada. The Comprehensive Ranking System used to rank Express Entry candidates rewards individuals with work or study experience in Canada, meaning that Canada is able to welcome large numbers of immigrants from both outside and inside the country.

As more immigrants settle, communities across Canada are benefiting from their energy, expertise, and skills. Traditionally, most newcomers to Canada settle in one of the three largest cities: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. This remains the case. In 2016, immigrants made up 46.1 percent of Toronto’s population, 23.4 percent of Montreal’s, and 40.8 percent of Vancouver’s.

However, cities and communities in the Prairie provinces (a regional term that includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) are receiving higher proportions of the overall number of newcomers than before. For example, Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, attracted 4.3 percent of immigrants between 2011 and 2016, around double the overall share of the Canadian population that lives in that city.

Other cities in the Prairie provinces that have witnessed an increase in immigration settlement include Regina and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, as well as Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta. Immigrants are increasingly attracted to these destinations for the employment opportunities and high living standard, among other factors.

Another region on the rise is Atlantic Canada, made up of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island (PEI). Together, Atlantic Canada accounts for 2.3 percent of recent immigrants to Canada, as each Atlantic province has received larger numbers of new immigrants than before.

According to the government, the way in which some provinces and territories use their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is one of several factors that can explain changes in the geographic distribution of newcomers to Canada. More than half of new immigrants living in PEI, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Yukon were admitted through a PNP. Nationally, 16.4 percent of all recent immigrants — or 27.3 percent of economic migrants — arrived through a PNP.

Though Ontario remains the most popular province for recent immigrants, with 39 percent of them residing there, this figure is down from 55.9 percent as recently as 2001. It should be noted that overall immigration levels have increased over this period, and so rather than it being a case of fewer immigrants residing in Ontario, it is more a case of an increasing number of newcomers choosing other destinations. Indeed, despite the fact the overall share of recent immigrants choosing Ontario has decreased so far this century, the real number of immigrants living in that province has actually increased from just over three million to nearly four million.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot continues to gain momentum

Since the Atlantic Immigration Pilot was launched last January, interest from both immigrants and employers has steadily grown. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is a partnership between the Government of Canada and the Atlantic Provinces to attract and keep skilled immigrants, as well as recently graduated international students from Atlantic universities and colleges, to meet the unique workforce needs of the region.

As of July 2017, more than 280 candidates have been recruited. Of these candidates, more than 200 have been endorsed by an Atlantic province, the first step in using the Pilot to immigrate to Canada. These candidates can now move on to the next step, applying for permanent residence. There are also more than 400 employers in Atlantic Canada that are eligible to use the Pilot to recruit immigrants to fill job vacancies.

To help employers and immigrants take advantage of the Pilot, IRCC has also launched a dedicated service channel. It provides support and information to help them get through the immigration process more easily. IRCC will also be fast-tracking temporary work permits for candidates so they can start working in Canada while they wait for their permanent residence application to be processed.

Federal ministers, including the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Premiers of the four Atlantic provinces, discussed the Atlantic Immigration Pilot as a part of their meetings on the Atlantic Growth Strategy in July.

Changes to Citizenship Act this fall

On June 19, Bill C-6 received Royal Assent, resulting in changes to the Citizenship Act. These changes give more flexibility for applicants to meet the requirements for Canadian citizenship. Some changes to the Citizenship Act were effective immediately upon Royal Assent, while others come into effect this fall.

In the fall of 2017, citizenship applicants will be able to apply if they have been physically present in Canada for three out of five years instead of the former requirement of four out of six years. Further, they will be able to count each day they were physically present in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person as a half day towards meeting their physical presence requirements for citizenship, up to a maximum of one year.

The Bill also amends the age range of the language and knowledge requirements for citizenship from 14-64 years to 18-54 years. Effective this fall, only applicants between 18 and 54 years old will have to show that they have an adequate knowledge of English or French. This change helps reduce barriers for both younger and older applicants, so that they may continue building successful lives in Canada.

Spousal Sponsorship

FRENCH PROGRAMS

FRENCH PROGRAMS

French Language Program 

Register for one of the 6-level programs depending on your proficiency. This French program is PEQ recognized. Learning French encourages you to improve your linguistic ability in different social, professional and personal environments.

During the 40 hours per level program, teachers will assist you in written exercises to reinforce your grammar and vocabulary. Through the interaction and listening activities, this course will guide students toward understanding the functions of the French language in a professional and social setting.

Class schedule

Most levels follow the same schedule (the sessions get taken up very quickly):

Summer Camp Canada

Summer camp - International Summer Language Camp provides an educational and cultural experience for young people, ages 10 to 17. All classroom instructions, accommodation, meals and activities occur on the world-class campus of Carleton University, in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. 

Since 1980, more than 15,000 participants from all over of the world have enrolled in this program. The primary objective is to offer a world-class learning environment which incorporates education, recreation, and travel in a safe and professional setting. 

The summer program concentrates on the development of conversational and written English through formal classroom instruction and social interaction. The excursions included in this program are visits to Toronto, Montreal, Niagara Falls and Ottawa, specially designed to enhance the students knowledge of Canada and North American culture. 

The Summer Camps program for international students teaches the Ontario Curriculum (combining Cambridge exam preparation) by our 100% University Certified educators, enhanced with boundless activities, all to aid in strengthening the knowledge of students in the English language and establish a foundation for future North American educational experiences.

2-Week Program

Other Requirements

Other Requirements

The sponsor should also convince the immigration officer of their behavioural eligibility to sponsor their spouse/common-law partner. The eligibility criteria they are asked to prove is related to their behavioral suitability as a Canadian resident or citizen which affects their ability to sponsor a foreign citizen. You can prove your good behavior by obtaining a police certificate verifying that you have not been convicted of any crimes, including the use of violence or any other sort of physical abuse of relatives, friends, your spouse’s relatives, or previous romantic relationships. If the sponsor has been previously sponsored by another Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they will not be eligible to sponsor their spouse for a minimum of five years. 

No Financial Undertaking?

When reuniting with your spouse, Canada does not ask for a high income. However, there are still some requirements to meet. The sponsor must show that they can support their spouse when they arrive to Canada. This is to prevent the sponsor from having to receive social welfare, in which case, the sponsor would be liable to pay back the government.