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Category Archives: News

November 29, 2023

The Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration (MIFI) published the latest Quebec Arrima Draw on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Quebec sent out invites to 1,210 candidates to apply for PR under the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) November 16, 2023.

Profiles in the Quebec Arrima bank as at the early hours of November 13, 2023 with level 7 oral proficiency or higher in French and a score of 609 or above as determined by the Quebec score calculator were considered in this round of invitation.

In addition, profiles with a valid job offer outside the territory of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal) were also considered.

See below Quebec Arrima Draws of 2023

Date Number of Invitations Cut-off score Notes
November 16, 2023 1,210 609 General draw with level 7 oral French proficiency
October 26, 2023 Unknown 465 Targeted at construction occupations.
October 26, 2023 Unknown 608 Targeted at IT and healthcare occupations.
September 21, 2023 1,018 579 Targeted at 27 occupations.
September 7, 2023 1,433 586 Targeted profiles with level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French
August 24, 2023 1,000 584 Targeted at 28 occupations.
August 10, 2023 1,384 591 Targeted profiles with level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French
July 20, 2023 1,633 596 Targeted profiles with level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French
June 29, 2023 1,218 584 – 592 Targeted at 28 occupations.
June 22, 2023 1,006 626 Targeted profiles with level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French
May 4, 2023 802 575 Targeted at 27 occupations
April 20, 2023 1,020 598 General draw
March 30, 2023 619 578 Targeted at 26 occupations
March 16, 2023 619 578 Targeted at 28 occupations
March 2, 2023 1,017 589 General Draw
February 16, 2023 1,011 583 Targeted at 26 occupations
February 9, 2023 1,011 619 General draw

Quebec has sent out 17,221 invitations to apply in 17 Arrima rounds of invitations this year.

Need help creating an express entry or a provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on  info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 29, 2023

International Students in Canada are persuading the Canadian Government to kindly leave the extension of the working hours for students as it is and not return to the 20-hour per week working hours.

The students complained of the high cost of living and how they are unable to fend for themselves with the limited hours and how this extension has helped them greatly, the current temporary policy that allows international students full-time working hours is to end December 31, 2023. However, this is not to say things might not take a different turn.

Employers are also happy with the short development as it has drastically reduced the issue of labour shortage as they have more hands for enhanced productivity.

We intend to keep our fingers crossed in hopes that IRCC will review this policy and allow students work for the hours they desire, this will also help in increasing the tax revenue of the Canadian government. If there would be a change in this extension date, we hope that IRCC give an announcement at the end of the year before the date elapses or the beginning of 2024. Also if the date changes, foreign students coming into Canada will also benefit from this as it would also help with providing more funds for them to cater for themselves.

Need help with processing admission into a Canadian college/university, visa application, 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? Send us an email on  info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 28, 2023
November 28, 2023

Hello Future Neighbour,

There has been new changes to Quebec Immigration that requires applicants under the economic immigration program to meet a compulsory requirement of being able to speak French.

Taking effect from November 23, 2024, the requirement to have finished a program of study in Québec in French or to have successfully completed at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary education in French will apply to the Québec Experience Program-Graduate Component.

See Below New Quebec Immigration Rules for Receiving Immigration Applications in 2023-2024

The Gazette officielle du Québec released three ministerial orders guiding the management of applications submitted under the permanent immigration pilot programs.

  • The Permanent immigration pilot program for workers in food processing
  • The Permanent immigration pilot program for orderlies
  • The Permanent immigration pilot program for workers in the artificial intelligence (AI), information technologies (IT) and visual effects (VE) sectors

See below the new annual Quebec immigration targets

A target of 39,800 to 45,150 admissions has been set by the province in the categories under its selection authority as part of the Quebec Immigration Plan 2023. These objectives include admitting between 33,800 and 38,200 qualified workers, 1,100 and 1,500 business immigrants, and up to 100 candidates in other economic immigration programs.

Economic immigrants are estimated to account for 65% of total admissions to Quebec in 2023.

See below Quebec immigration levels plan 2023-2025

2023 Minimum 2023 Maximum 2024 2025 Rebalancing
Economic immigration category 32,000 33,900 31,950 31,950 12,500
Skilled Workers 28,000 29,500 30,650 31,500 12,500
Business People 4,000 4,300 1,250 450 0
Other Economic categories 0 100 50 0 0
Family Reunification 10,200 10,600 10,400 10,400 0
Refugees and people in similar situations 6,900 7,500 7,200 7,200 0
Refugees selected abroad 4,400 4,700 3,650 3,650 0
State-supported refugees 1,650 1,700 0 0 0
Sponsored refugees 2,750 3,000 0 0 0
Refugee recognised in Canada 2,500 2,800 3,550 3,550 0
Other immigration categories 400 500 450 450 2,800
Percentage selected by Quebec 74% 74% 72% 72% 100%
Percentage selected under an economic immigration program 65% 65% 64% 64% 82%
Percentage selected with French language proficiency 66% 66% 67% 68% 88%
Overall totals 49,500 52,500 50,000 50,000 15,300

Need help creating an express entry or a provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 27, 2023
November 27, 2023

Hello Future Neighbour,

We have received several mails asking this question; Can I get work permit in Canada with a visitor’s visa? The answer is YES! From now till February 28, 2025, visitor visa holders in Canada can apply for work permit if they meet the requirements to prove their eligibility status.

Now let’s not get it mixed up, you cannot just submit an application to IRCC for a work permit rather the individual needs to meet the work permit criteria below, including a supporting Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a valid job offer by the Canadian employer.

On getting the job offer, visitor visa holders do not need to go back to their country and apply for a work visa as they would receive it in Canada. This policy is temporary as it was first initiated by the former Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser for visitors present in Canada before August 24, 2020 who had a job offer and other requirements. It was later amended allowing all visitor visa holders that are eligible benefit from the policy.

Eligibility Criteria To Apply

An applicant looking forward to benefiting from this temporary public policy must:

  • have a valid visitor status in Canada on the day they apply
  • have a job offer backed by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment
  • submit an application for an employer-specific work permit before February 28, 2025, and
  • satisfy all other standard admissibility requirements

Candidates with visitor status who have already held a work permit in the last 12 months under this temporary policy are also eligible if they meet the below-listed criteria:

  • When you apply, you must be physically present in Canada.
  • You must remain in the country while your application is being processed.
  • You will not be eligible for this public policy if you depart while your application is being processed.
  • While applying for a work permit, you must be a visitor with valid status.
  • If your visitor status has expired, you must restore it before applying for a work permit.
  • applied for an employer-specific work permit between August 24, 2020, and February 28, 2025
  • had a valid work permit in the 12 months before to applying for a new work permit

Also visitors inside Canada who have held a valid work permit in the last 12 months can follow particular steps to obtain interim work permit.

Need further assistance in creating a work permit profile, getting a visitor’s visa, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

 

November 23, 2023
November 23, 2023

According to an official data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, a total of 936,500 overall citizenship, temporary visa and immigration applications are yet to be processed by the department.

The IRCC has a set service standard for processing completed applications and any application that exceeds the set service time is usually tagged as backlog. As of October 31, 2023, IRCC has been managing a total of 2,166,800 applications.

See below IRCC Applications Under Service Standards

Application Type Within Service Standards
October 31
Within Service Standards September 30 Percentage Change Since September 30
Citizenship 214,800 216,400 -0.74%
Permanent Residence 351,500 362,300 -2.98%
Temporary Residence 664,000 687,700 -3.45%
Total 1,230,300 1,266,400 -2.85%

Since the pandemic, there has been a continuous increase in the backlog of applications to be processed by IRCC which has led to an unusual long waiting period for candidates expecting feedback on their completed applications.

See below Canadian backlog of 2023

Backlog Update Date Applications
In Backlog
Total Applications
Under Processing 
Backlog Net
%Age Change month-on-month
October 31, 2023 936,500 2,166,800 +0.86%
September 30, 2023 928,500 2,194,900 +9.9%
August 31, 2023 844,700 2,198,700 +5.2%
July 31, 2023 802,600 2,274,600 +0.2%
June 30, 2023 801,000 2,264,000 -2.3%
May 31, 2023 820,000 2,248,000 +1.4%
April 30, 2023 809,000 2,006,000 -9.7%
March 31, 2023 896,300 2,017,700 -1.5%
February 28, 2023 910,400 1,962,600 -6.6%
January 31, 2023 974,600 1,944,500 +6.1%

See below Canadian Immigration Backlog Month-on-Month Comparison

Application Type Backlog
Oct 31
Backlog 
Sep 30
Difference
Since
September 30
% Age Change
Since
September 30
Citizenship 56,400 58,200 -1,800 -3.09%
Permanent Residence 287,500 284,600 +2,900 1.02%
Temporary Residence 592,600 585,700 +6,900 1.18%
Total 936,500 928,500 +8,000 0.86%

Comparing the data for September and October 2023 in the above table, there has been a drop in citizenship application and an increase in permanent and temporary residency applications.

Need help with your visa application, study or work permit, 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? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 23, 2023

Hello Future  Neighbour,

British Columbia sent out 161 invitations to apply for permanent residency in latest BC PNP Draw on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. The cutoff score remains same as last round of invitations.

See below November 21 BC PNP Draw

Date Draw type Stream Minimum
Score
Number of invitations
November 21, 2023 Early Childhood Educators Skilled Worker, International Graduate (includes EEBC option) 60 27
Targeting 25 Construction occupations 75 24
Targeting 39 Healthcare occupations 60 17
Targeting tech occupations 94 93

The processing timeframe for BC PNP Skills Immigration and Post-nomination requests remains 3 months respectively. As always, the timeframe differ for each candidate as processing only begins when complete application is received by BC PNP.

Need help creating a provincial nomination or an express entry profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 20, 2023

Exciting news for Colombians, Haitians and Venezuelans currently living in South or Central America, Mexico or the Carribeans who have family members in Canada that’s a permanent residency holder or Canadian citizen; as the application for Canadian permanent residency is now open for a total of 11,000 of the above nationals.

The family members in Canada include a spouse, common-law partner, child (of any age), grandchild, parent, grandparent, or sibling.

These Canadian family members must agree to support them and their family members as an anchor for one year.

In an announcement by the Immigration Minister, Marc Miller on Friday, November 17, 2023. He said:

The pathway to support migrants from the Americas is now open for applications. We’re determined to uphold our humanitarian tradition and support those in need, particularly in light of the current global migration crisis.

With this new pathway, hopefully there would be a decline in illegal migration, insecurity and other crimes recorded so far.

Special Support for Eligible Applicants

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will support the eligible applicants by:

  • waiving the Right to Permanent Residency Fee, all application costs, and biometric fees
  • offering pre-departure medical care to help preserve your health and ensure safe travel to Canada
  • provide you the equivalent of three months of financial aid once you arrive in Canada, to assist you in settling
  • give you free settlement services before and after you come to assist you in assimilating into Canadian society and the labour force

Application for this PR pathway is done online through the IRCC portal, a statutory declaration must be signed by the Canadian family member indicating their willingness to support the applicant in Canada.

Need help with gaining admission into a Canadian college/university, visa application, creating a provincial nomination or an express entry profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

 

November 17, 2023

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program commenced the prioritization of  25 new Construction Occupations for Immigration on Thursday,  November 16, 2023. The Province also held its first round of invitations for these occupations same day sending out 12 invitations to apply for permanent residency.

Targeted invitations to apply are being sent to workers in certain occupations who also have a valid B.C. trades qualification. This requirement will ensure that construction workers nominated by B.C. are ready to immediately contribute to the BC employment market.

A valid B.C. trades qualification includes a SkilledTradesBC trades certificate or an apprenticeship recognized with SkilledTradesBC.

This development would address the need for residential housing and infrastructure in British Columbia in the next five years. BC has always held rounds of invitations for early child educators, tech and healthcare occupations, veterinarians and animal health technologists.

See Below New List of Construction Occupations Eligible For B.C. Immigration

  1. 22114 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
  2. 72102 Sheet metal workers
  3. 72103 Boilermakers
  4. 72104 Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
  5. 72105 Ironworkers
  6. 72106 Welders and related machine operators
  7. 72200 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
  8. 72201 Industrial electricians
  9. 72300 Plumbers
  10. 72301 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
  11. 72302 Gas fitters
  12. 72310 Carpenters
  13. 72311 Cabinetmakers
  14. 72320 Bricklayers
  15. 72400 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
  16. 72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
  17. 72402 Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
  18. 72500 Crane operators
  19. 73100 Concrete finishers
  20. 73101 Tilesetters
  21. 73102 Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
  22. 73110 Roofers and shinglers
  23. 73111 Glaziers
  24. 73112 Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
  25. 73113 Floor covering installers

These invitations were sent under all the categories of provincial Skills Immigration and their Express Entry variants.

Need help creating an express entry or a provincial nomination profile, preparing your application after receiving an invitation to apply or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 13, 2023

Saskatchewan plans to expand the job options under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Some work permit holders in TEER 4 and 5 jobs and foreign trade workers in intermediate and lower skilled positions will now be able to apply for permanent residency through the SINP existing work permit stream.

Martensville-Warman MLA Terry Jenson made the announcement on behalf of Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Immigration and Career Training.

“With this expansion, workers from an additional 279 occupations such as home childcare providers, equipment operators and meat cutters will be able to apply for permanent residency through the existing work permit stream of the SINP,” Jenson said.

Part of the 279 ocupations eligible for Saskatchewan PNP include farm labourers, truck drivers, retail salespeople, nurse assistants, childcare providers and equipment operators.

In order to apply under the newly expanded stream, candidates must possess one of the following:

  • an eligible work permit,
  • a Francophone Mobility Work Permit,
  • a Labour Market Impact Assessment-Supported Work Permit, or
  • in the case of recently arrived Ukrainians, a Canadian Ukrainian Authorization for Emergency Travel visa.

Need help creating a work permit profile, an express entry or provincial nomination profile? Have questions regarding your canadian admission, visa application, study permit, etc.? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

November 9, 2023

In a bid to make application process stress free and reduce the effort that comes with filling up paper applications, Canada has added the use of IRCC Permanent Residence Portal to private refugee sponsor groups. This development will go a long way in helping sponsors submit their applications and referrals in a more secured way.

IRCC intends to collaborate with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) and other partners in order to efficiently achieve this development.

The deadline for refugee sponsor groups to switch over to the Permanent Residence Portal is December 31, 2023.

From January 1, 2024, IRCC will only receive applications sent via mail or through the portal

This is a step in the right direction considering the fact that only those with completed applications will be able to submit online, this will enable uncompleted applications not to pass the online check thereby giving IRCC the opportunity to only review completed applications without time being wasted on unfinished ones.

See below list of Canadian Immigration Programs eligible to use the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal

  1. Agri-Food Pilot
  2. Adopting a child through the immigration process
  3. Atlantic Immigration Program
  4. Community Sponsors to privately sponsor refugees
  5. Home Child Care Provider Pilot
  6. Home Support Worker Pilot
  7. Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
  8. Groups of Five to privately sponsor refugees
  9. Humanitarian and compassionate considerations within Canada
  10. Permanent residence in Canada Ukrainian nationals with family members in Canada
  11. Permanent residence pathways for Hong Kong residents
  12. Protected persons and Convention refugees in Canada
  13. Provincial nominee program (non-Express Entry)
  14. Quebec entrepreneurs and investors
  15. Quebec-selected skilled workers
  16. Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
  17. Self-employed people
  18. Sponsoring a spouse, partner, dependent child or other family
  19. Sponsoring a parent or grandparent
  20. Sponsorship Agreement Holders to privately sponsor refugees
  21. Start-up visa
  22. Temporary resident permit holders applying for permanent residence

Individuals can also check their permanent residence status online using the permanent residence portal.

Need help 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? Send us an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com