News Archives - Page 3 of 20 - Ese Umoh Immigration

May 28, 2024

BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot Becomes Permanent Program

Dear future neighbour,

British Columbia continues to encourage entrepreneurs to establish businesses in various regional communities across the seven B.C. regions. As of May 27, 2024, the Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has become a permanent pathway for obtaining permanent residency.

The BC PNP’s Entrepreneur Immigration Regional stream is available to immigrants aiming to start a business in any of the province’s interior, coastal, or rural regions below:

Cariboo
Kootenays
Nechako
Vancouver Island/Coast
Thompson Okanagan
North Coast
North East

To Qualify As An Entrepreneur:

You must intend to establish a new business that aligns with the in-demand list of the referring community.
Additionally, you need to show business and/or managerial experience and have a personal net worth of at least CAD $300,000.
Beyond the net worth requirement, you must invest at least CAD $100,000 in the business and create one full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
You must achieve at least level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) language proficiency tests.
Finally, you must have legally entered Canada or be eligible to obtain legal status in Canada if accepted.

See below full list of participating communities and regions

Cariboo

100 Mile House
Mackenzie
Quesnel
Williams Lake

Kootenay

Castlegar & Central Kootenay (Areas I & J)
Columbia Valley & East Kootenay
Kimberley
Nelson & Central Kootenay (Areas E & F)
Rossland
Trail

Nechako

Bulkley-Nechako

North Coast

Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (Areas B, C, and E)

Northeast

Fort St. John

Thompson-Okanagan

Clinton
Penticton
Salmon Arm
Vernon

Vancouver Island/Coast

Campbell River
Comox
Mount Waddington
Powell River

Require assistance with applying for this program? securing a visitor visa for Canada, seeking professional aid in submitting a study visa or work permit application, crafting an Expression of Interest, setting up an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application post receiving an invitation to apply, or simply reviewing your self-prepared application? Schedule a consultation or reach out via email at info@eseumohimmigration.com

May 27, 2024

British Columbia to Raise Minimum Wage on June 1

By EUIC Admin News

Starting June 1, 2024, British Columbia’s minimum wage will rise from $16.75 per hour to $17.40 per hour. With this increase, the province will have the highest minimum hourly wage among Canadian provinces.

This 65-cent increase in British Columbia’s minimum wage represents a 3.9% rise, aligning with the province’s average inflation rate. The minimum wage applies to all workers, regardless of whether they are paid hourly, by salary, commission, or through incentives. If an employee’s salary falls below the minimum wage for the hours worked, the employer is required to cover the shortfall.

Live-in camp leaders, who are paid a daily rate, will see their minimum daily compensation rise from $133.69 to $138.93.

Live-in home support workers will have their daily minimum pay raised from $124.73 to $129.62.

Resident caretakers, who are paid monthly, have their pay based on the number of suites in the building. For those in buildings with 9 to 60 suites, the minimum monthly pay will go up to $1,041.80 plus $41.74 for each suite. For those in buildings with 61 or more suites, the minimum monthly pay will increase to $3,548.63.

In British Columbia, living wages exceed minimum wages. Currently, B.C. has the lowest unemployment rate and the highest minimum hourly wage for workers, but it still doesn’t meet the living wage rates.

See below Living Wage Rates in British Columbia

Clayoquot Sound $26.51
Columbia Valley $22.63
Comox Valley $22.02
Cowichan Valley $25.20
Daajing Giids $26.25
Dawson Creek $20.64
Fraser Valley $20.66
Golden $25.78
Kamloops $20.91
Kelowna $24.60
Metro Vancouver $25.68
Nanaimo $22.87
Nelson $21.14
Penticton $24.60
Powell River $25.06
Prince George $22.09
Revelstoke $24.60
Sunshine Coast $25.61
Trail $21.55
Victoria $25.40

See Below Minimum Wages in Canada By Province/Territory

Province / Territory	Current hourly Minimum Wage	Next Raise Schedule
Canada (only federally regulated private sectors)	$17.30	April 1, 2025
British Columbia	$16.75	$17.40 per hour, effective June 1, 2024
Ontario	$16.55	$17.20 per hour effective October 1, 2024
Newfoundland and Labrador	$15.60	April 1, 2025
Prince Edward Island	$15.40	April 1, 2025
New Brunswick	$15.30	April 1, 2025
Manitoba	$15.30	$15.80 per hour, effective October 1, 2024
Quebec	$15.25	$15.75 per hour, effective May 1, 2024
Nova Scotia	$15.20	October 1, 2024
Alberta	$15.00	Yet to be decided
Saskatchewan	$14.00	$15 per hour, effective October 1, 2024

Require assistance with securing a visitor visa for Canada, seeking professional aid in submitting a study visa or work permit application, crafting an Expression of Interest, setting up an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application post receiving an invitation to apply, or simply reviewing your self-prepared application? Schedule a consultation or reach out via email at info@eseumohimmigration.com

May 23, 2024

IRCC Introduces New Canadian Citizenship By Descent Legislation

By EUIC Admin News

Dear future neighbour,

Canadian Immigration Minister, Marc Miller introduced a new Canadian citizenship by descent legislation called the Bill C-71 today, May 23, 2024.

This bill aims to extend citizenship by descent beyond the first generation while preserving the value of Canadian citizenship. It would immediately give Canadian citizenship to those born abroad to a Canadian parent who was also born abroad before the Act takes effect.

Children born overseas and adopted by Canadian parents beyond the first generation will also be granted citizenship directly.

After the law takes effect, parents born in another country who have or adopt children born outside Canada must have been in Canada for at least 1,095 days before their child is born or adopted to pass on citizenship.

Bill C-71, a law to change the Citizenship Act (2024), would bring back citizenship for “Lost Canadians” who lost it or never got it because of old rules in past citizenship laws. Before the law starts, Bill C-71 would also give citizenship to the children and grandchildren of “lost Canadians,” and to anyone born outside Canada to a Canadian parent in later generations.

More update on this information as it unfolds but definitely exciting news in many quarters.

May 21, 2024

India, China, Nigeria Tops List of Settled Permanent Residents in Canada

By EUIC Admin News

Dear future neighbour,

Canada welcomed 121,620 new permanent residents in the first quarter of 2024.

See Below New PR Admissions in First Quarter of 2024 and Annual Immigration Levels Plan

Year	First Quarter New PRs	Annual Immigration Targets
2024	121,620	485,000
2023	145,495	465,000
2022	113,805	431,645
2021	70,495	401,000
2020	69,140	341,000
2019	65,955	330,800
2018	80,005	310,000
2017	72,835	300,000
2016	86,235	300,000
2015	51,125	260,000 to 285,000

Additionally, 135,291 authorizations and visas were issued to permanent residents from January to March. During the same months in 2023, the number was 156,272.

See below first quarter comparison by province:

Year	Q1 2024 New PRs	Q1 2023 New PRs	Percentage Change
Canada	121,620	145,495	-16.41%
Ontario	52,720	60,860	-13.37%
British Columbia	17,745	24,495	-27.56%
Alberta	15,360	17,155	-10.46%
Quebec	13,355	16,065	-16.87%
Manitoba	5,680	8,855	-35.85%
Saskatchewan	5,610	7,395	-24.13%
New Brunswick	3,995	2,940	+35.88%
Nova Scotia	3,995	3,935	+1.52%
Newfoundland and Labrador	1,405	2,045	-31.30%
Prince Edward Island	1,330	1,275	+4.31%
Yukon	295	345	-14.49%
Northwest Territories	115	125	-8%
Nunavut	10	10	unchanged

See below the number of new PRs admitted from top 10 source countries:

Country	Q1 2024 New PRs
India	37,880
China	8,135
Phillipines	7,990
Afghanistan	5,025
Nigeria	4,690
Cameroon	3,725
Iran	3,570
Pakistan	2,630
United States	2,480
Eritrea	2,360

Indians made up 31% of new permanent resident entrants, followed by individuals from China, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Nigeria as the top five groups.

A total of 36,635 new permanent residents have been admitted under the Express Entry system, the largest federal economic immigration category. This represents a 6% increase compared to the first quarter of 2023, when 34,555 permanent residents were admitted.

May 16, 2024

International Students Graduating from Public Private Partnerships Colleges in Canada Are No Longer Eligible for PGWP

By EUIC Admin News

Dear future neighbour,

International Students completing their studies in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Canada are now ineligible to apply for a Postgraduate Work Permit (PGWP). This took effect yesterday, May 15, 2024.

On January 22, 2024, IRCC announced that international graduates of college programs offered through a public-private curriculum licensing partnership would no longer be eligible to apply for PGWP starting September 1, 2024. However, speculation suggests that this date was moved up to May 15, 2024, after IRCC found that some colleges had shifted their fall admissions earlier to evade the new rule.

See below PGWP eligibility requirement:

International students who have attended a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). To be eligible, they must have maintained full-time student status throughout their program and possess a study permit that has been valid for the past 180 days.

Students must also meet one of the conditions below to be eligible for PGWP

Type of institution	Required length of program	Program outcome
Public post-secondary DLI, such asa college,a trade/technical institution, ora university	8 months or longer	Your program must lead to one of the following:a degree (associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate)a diploma or a certificate
Quebec public secondary DLI offers vocational training programs	900 hours or longer	Your program must lead to one of the following:a diploma of vocational studies (DVS)an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS)
Quebec collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP)	900 hours or longer	Your program must lead to one of the following:an attestation of college studies (ACS)a diploma of college studies (DCS)
Quebec provincially subsidized private post-secondary DLIorQuebec provincially subsidized private secondary DLI offering provincially subsidized vocational training programs	900 hours or longer	Your program must lead to one of the following:an attestation of college studies (ACS)a diploma of college studies (DCS)You must be enrolled in one of the provincially subsidized study programs. This may not include all study programs offered at the DLI.
Canadian private-designated learning institution authorized by the province to confer degrees.	n/a	Your DLI must be authorized by the province to confer degrees, including an associate degree a bachelor’s degree a master’s degree or a doctorate You must be enrolled in one of the study programs leading to a degree, as authorized by the province. This may not include all study programs offered by the private DLI.

May 13, 2024

Foreign workers in Prince Edward Island protest changes to PNP requirements

By admin-ese News, Provincial nomination, Uncategorized

Dear future neighbour,

Immigrants to Prince Edward Island with expiring work permits are protesting in downtown Charlottetown.

These workers with expiring permits in the retail and food service sectors will likely not have their documents renewed, due to recent changes to the province’s immigration streams and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) that will prioritize construction, health-care and child-care workers.
Read More

May 13, 2024

IEC sends out 1,818 Work Permit Invitations

By EUIC Admin News, Uncategorized

Dear future neighbour,

During the past week, International Experience Canada (IEC) issued 1,818 invitations for work permits across various categories including Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op Internship.

1,568 invitations were sent for the Working Holiday category, with 169 invitations allocated for the Young Professional category and 81 for the International Co-op (Internship) category.

1. IEC 2024 Working Holiday

Individuals invited from eligible countries in the Working Holiday category are granted an open work permit, enabling them to work for nearly any company in Canada.

Candidates qualify for this category if they;

have no employment offer.
want to work for more than one employer in Canada.
would like to work in more than one location and earn money so that you can travel

See below IEC Working Holiday Invitation

Country	Invitations issued last week	Available Spots	Candidates in Pool	2024 Quota	Chances of being invited to the next round
Andorra	0	15	0	25	Excellent
Australia	248	0	198	Unlimited	Excellent
Austria	7	31	3	168	Excellent
Belgium	27	37	24	750	Excellent
Chile	3	6	8,754	725	Very low
Costa Rica	-28	0	2,161	80	Very low
Croatia	1	245	2	275	Excellent
Czech Republic	13	635	12	1,000	Excellent
Denmark	6	168	12	350	Excellent
Estonia	2	61	0	110	Excellent
Finland	1	0	2	Unlimited	Excellent
France	133	86	17,144	7,000	Very low
Germany	96	2,394	69	4,490	Excellent
Greece	3	32	8	160	Excellent
Hong Kong	13	23	7	200	Excellent
Iceland	0	112	2	120	Excellent
Ireland	78	8,087	75	10,500	Excellent
Italy	70	720	50	1,750	Excellent
Japan	189	2,180	166	6,500	Excellent
Latvia	1	1	13	45	Very Low
Lithuania	6	34	5	188	Excellent
Luxembourg	0	65	1	80	Excellent
Netherlands	0	0	139	500	Very low
New Zealand	53	1,404	59	2,500	Excellent
Norway	8	76	2	135	Excellent
Poland	20	344	11	635	Excellent
Portugal	26	1,335	21	1,750	Excellent
San Marino	0	24	0	25	Excellent
Slovakia	13	108	7	315	Excellent
Slovenia	2	57	2	80	Excellent
South Korea	32	1,325	1,695	10,000	Fair
Spain	47	125	46	875	Excellent
Sweden	15	424	10	580	Excellent
Taiwan	53	48	2,290	940	Very Low
United Kingdom	430	2,136	300	9,000	Excellent
Total	1,568	22,338	33,290	61,851

2. Young Professionals Category

In the Young Professionals category, selected candidates from eligible countries are provided with an employer-specific work visa.

Candidates qualify for this category if they have;

A legitimate job offer from a Canadian firm that can help you progress professionally.
to work for the same company in the same location.

See below IEC Young Professionals Invitation:

Country	Invitations issued last week	Available Spots	Candidates in Pool	2024 Quota	Chances of being invited to the next round
Australia	8	0	7	Unlimited	Excellent
Austria	1	4	0	10	Excellent
Chile	0	2	194	20	Very low
Costa Rica	0	1	138	18	Very low
Croatia	0	17	0	20	Excellent
Czech Republic	5	25	6	145	Excellent
Estonia	1	7	0	10	Excellent
Finland	1	0	0	Unlimited	Excellent
France	70	1,179	58	2,200	Excellent
France	9	791	56	1,000	Excellent
Germany	9	165	5	350	Excellent
Greece	6	11	2	38	Excellent
Ireland	2	124	2	150	Excellent
Latvia	0	0	0	3	Excellent
Lithuania	2	5	0	10	Excellent
Luxembourg	0	10	0	10	Excellent
Netherlands	0	0	9	100	Very low
Norway	0	11	1	15	Excellent
Poland	4	92	0	110	Excellent
Portugal	1	190	0	200	Excellent
Slovakia	1	3	0	30	Excellent
Slovenia	0	11	0	15	Excellent
South Korea	14	309	18	1,500	Excellent
Spain	5	5	5	70	Excellent
Spain — IECX Vives	0	49	0	50	Excellent
Sweden	5	85	3	100	Excellent
Switzerland	11	72	2	200	Excellent
Taiwan	0	0	14	50	Very Low
United Kingdom	14	715	14	900	Excellent
Total	169	3,883	534	7,324

3. International Co-op (Internship)

In the International Co-op (Internship) category, participants are issued an employer-specific work visa.

Candidates qualify for this category if they;

are a post-secondary student with a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada.
will finish your education by completing this work placement or internship.
will work for the same employer in the same location for the duration of your stay in Canada.

See below International Co-op (Internship) Invitation:

Country	Invitations issued last week	Available Spots	Candidates in Pool	2024 Quota	Chances of being invited to the next round
Australia	0	0	0	Unlimited	Excellent
Austria	0	2	0	2	Excellent
Chile	0	4	0	5	Excellent
Costa Rica	0	1	0	2	Excellent
Croatia	0	5	0	5	Excellent
Czech Republic	0	4	0	5	Excellent
Estonia	0	5	0	5	Excellent
Finland	0	0	0	Unlimited	Excellent
France	71	1,859	37	3,800	Excellent
Germany	5	108	2	160	Excellent
Greece	0	2	0	2	Excellent
Ireland	0	34	0	50	Excellent
Latvia	0	2	0	2	Excellent
Lithuania	0	2	0	2	Excellent
Luxembourg	0	10	0	10	Excellent
Norway	0	5	0	5	Excellent
Poland	0	5	0	5	Excellent
Portugal	0	50	0	50	Excellent
Slovakia	0	5	0	5	Excellent
Slovenia	0	5	0	5	Excellent
South Korea	1	197	0	500	Excellent
Spain	0	2	0	15	Excellent
Sweden	0	20	0	20	Excellent
Switzerland	1	32	3	50	Excellent
Taiwan	2	6	1	100	Excellent
UK	1	93	2	100	Excellent
Total	81	2,458	45	4,905

May 8, 2024

Canada introduces new policy for Hong Kong PR Applicants

By EUIC Admin News

Starting from May 27, 2024, applicants for the Hong Kong permanent residency pathway can extend their status and acquire an open work permit for up to three years while awaiting their decision on permanent residency in Canada.

This new policy was announced by Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, yesterday May 7, 2024.

Hong Kong nationals in Canada seeking permanent residence through the temporary public policy for Hong Kong residents, either under Stream A (in-Canada graduates) or Stream B (Canadian work experience), and who have held a study or work permit within the three years prior to their permanent residence application submission to IRCC, will be eligible for open work permits.

Under this public policy, applicants can restore their temporary status concurrently if it expired within 90 days before applying for a new open work permit.

The new public policy will remain active for five years, enabling candidates to work in Canada while their permanent residency application is being reviewed.

Need help obtaining a visitor visa to visit Canada, or professional help putting in a study visa application, work permit application, Expression of Interest, creating an express entry or provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Book a consultation or send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

May 8, 2024

Canada introduces new policy to extend the work permits of 6,700 Temporary Residents in Manitoba

By EUIC Admin News

Dear future neighbour,

Temporary foreign workers in Manitoba have reason to celebrate as a new policy has been implemented to enhance their employment status in Canada.

Yesterday, May 7, 2024, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that Manitoba had approached his department, requesting an extension of work status for 6,700 temporary residents whose work permits are set to expire this year. Manitoba asserts that these temporary residents are capable of fulfilling the province’s labor requirements.

Considering this, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced the introduction of a new public policy enabling temporary workers in the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) pool to obtain open work permits. Additionally, he anticipates that eligible applicants will receive formal nominations from Manitoba and become permanent residents within the next two years.

Through the enactment of this one-time facilitation measure, Canada seeks to directly benefit prospective nominees by granting them the opportunity to work in Manitoba while their PNP applications are being processed, thereby fostering a positive impact.

According to Minister Miller’s statement, it’s reasonable to expect that an open work permit could be granted for a duration of two years, extending until 2026.

May 7, 2024

IRCC updates 2024 Express Entry Proof of Funds Requirement

By EUIC Admin Express Entry, News

Dear future neighbour,

Effective May 28, 2024, changes will be made to the proof of funds required for candidates in Express Entry pool. Consequently, candidates in the pool are expected to update their profile on or before May 27, 2024.

Proof of funds is a requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). If the applicant possesses a valid job offer and work permit for Canada, proof of funds is not necessary for FSWP and FSTP. Additionally, candidates in the Express Entry Canadian Experience Class (CEC) are exempt from providing proof of funds.

The proof of funds is determined by the number of family members accompanying the applicant to Canada. When determining settlement funds, the applicant must include himself/herself, their spouse or common-law partner, any dependent children of the applicant (if applicable), and the spouse’s dependent children (if applicable).

See below new requirement for 2024 Express Entry Funds

Number of family members	New Settlement Funds requirement is effective May 28 (in Canadian dollars)	Old Funds Required (in Canadian dollars)
1	$14,690	$13,757
2	$18,288	$17,127
3	$22,483	$21,055
4	$27,297	$25,564
5	$30,690	$28,994
6	$34,917	$32,700
7	$38,875	$36,407
If there are more than 7 people, for each additional family member	$3,958	$3,706

Only official letters from banks or financial institutions are accepted. The letters must have all current bank and investment accounts, existing debts including loans and credit card debts must also be listed.

The letter must also include the details listed below:

the bank or institution’s contact information (address, telephone number and email address)
your name
your outstanding debts (such as credit card debts and loans)
these details for each current banking and investment account you have with them
- account numbers
- date each account was opened
- current account balances
- average balance for the past 6 months

Previous page 1 2 3 4 5 … 20 Next page

Category Archives: News

Dear future neighbour,

To Qualify As An Entrepreneur:

See below full list of participating communities and regions

Cariboo

Kootenay

Nechako

North Coast

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island/Coast

See below Living Wage Rates in British Columbia

See Below Minimum Wages in Canada By Province/Territory

Dear future neighbour,

Dear future neighbour,

See below first quarter comparison by province:

See below the number of new PRs admitted from top 10 source countries:

Dear future neighbour,

See below PGWP eligibility requirement:

Students must also meet one of the conditions below to be eligible for PGWP

Dear future neighbour,

1. IEC 2024 Working Holiday

See below IEC Working Holiday Invitation

2. Young Professionals Category

See below IEC Young Professionals Invitation:

3. International Co-op (Internship)

See below International Co-op (Internship) Invitation:

Dear future neighbour,

Dear future neighbour,

See below new requirement for 2024 Express Entry Funds