April 23, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

Ontario announces its first draw in the month of April today, April 23, 2024, inviting 209 candidates to apply for permanent residency through the OINP Foreign Worker Stream.

Profiles with job offers in any of the 61 trade occupations with a CRS score of 53 or higher were considered in this round of invitation.

See below all OINP Foreign Workers Stream Draws of 2024

Date Invitations Date profiles created Score range Notes
April 23, 2024 209 April 23, 2023 – April 23, 2024 53 and above Targeted draw for 61 skilled trades occupations
January 19, 2024 1,654 January 19, 2023 – January 19, 2024 50 and above General Draw
January 9, 2024 630 January 9, 2023 – January 9, 2024 33 and above Targeted draw for 63 skilled trades occupations
January 9, 2024 821 January 9, 2023 – January 9, 2024 40 and above Targeted draw for 41 healthcare and 15 tech occupations

See below list of the 61 Occupations targeted in the OINP Draw Today

  1. NOC 22212: Drafting technologists and technicians
  2. NOC 22301 – Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
  3. NOC 22302 – Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
  4. NOC 22311 – Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
  5. NOC 22312 – Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
  6. NOC 70010 – Construction managers
  7. NOC 70011 – Home building and renovation managers
  8. NOC 70012 – Facility operation and maintenance managers
  9. NOC 72010 – Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
  10. NOC 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
  11. NOC 72012 – Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
  12. NOC 72013 – Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
  13. NOC 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
  14. NOC 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
  15. NOC 72021 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
  16. NOC 72022 – Supervisors, printing and related occupations
  17. NOC 72024 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
  18. NOC 72100 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
  19. NOC 72101 – Tool and die makers
  20. NOC 72102 – Sheet metal workers
  21. NOC 72103 – Boilermakers
  22. NOC 72104 – Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
  23. NOC 72105 – Ironworkers
  24. NOC 72106 – Welders and related machine operators
  25. NOC 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
  26. NOC 72201 – Industrial electricians
  27. NOC 72203 – Electrical power line and cable workers
  28. NOC 72204 – Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers
  29. NOC 72205 – Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians
  30. NOC 72300 – Plumbers
  31. NOC 72301 – Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
  32. NOC 72302 – Gas fitters
  33. NOC 72310 – Carpenters
  34. NOC 72311 – Cabinetmakers
  35. NOC 72320 – Bricklayers
  36. NOC 72321 – Insulators
  37. NOC 72400 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
  38. NOC 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
  39. NOC 72402 – Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
  40. NOC 72403 – Railway carmen/women
  41. NOC 72404 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
  42. NOC 72406 – Elevator constructors and mechanics
  43. NOC 72410 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
  44. NOC 72422 – Electrical mechanics
  45. NOC 72423 – Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics
  46. NOC 72500 – Crane operators
  47. NOC 73100 – Concrete finishers
  48. NOC 73101 – Tilesetters
  49. NOC 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
  50. NOC 73110 – Roofers and shinglers
  51. NOC 73111 – Glaziers
  52. NOC 73112 – Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
  53. NOC 73113 – Floor covering installers
  54. NOC 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers
  55. NOC 73201 – General building maintenance workers and building superintendents
  56. NOC 73202 – Pest controllers and fumigators
  57. NOC 73209 – Other repairers and servicers
  58. NOC 73400 – Heavy equipment operators
  59. NOC 73402 – Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction
  60. NOC 82031 – Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
  61. NOC 92100 – Power engineers and power systems operators

Invited candidates are required to submit their full applications within fourteen calendar days of receipt.

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

April 16, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

On Monday, April 15, 2024, IRCC announced a new 2-year innovation stream pilot via the Global Hypergrowth project . With this new innovation, specific Canadian companies can now employ foreign workers on work permit without Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

The global hypergrowth project is a service put up by the Canadian government to help businesses in Canada develop faster

The family members of these foreign workers will also be eligible to work for almost any employer in Canada.

The Innovation Stream is scheduled to continue for two years, ending on March 22, 2026.

See below the Eligibility Requirements for the Innovation Stream Pilot

To apply for a work permit under the Innovation Stream Pilot:

1. Foreign nationals inside or outside Canada need a job offer from one of the eligible employers under the Global Hypergrowth Project.

2. Applicants need to fill out their work permit application using the IRCC Secure Account.

3. The job offer must fall under a TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupation as per the National Occupational Classification.

4. Offered wages by the company must be equal to or higher than the median hourly wages set for the region. Also, if the position is covered by a bargaining agreement the wage offered must meet the standards outlined in that agreement. The job offer should state that the employer will review wages on the first day of work and annually by January 1 to ensure they remain competitive throughout employment.

5. Immigration officers must be satisfied that applicants have the skills, for the job they are applying for. Applicants must meet the education and experience requirements specified in the National Occupational Classification for their offered occupation.

See below full list of Companies in Canada Eligible To Hire Through Innovation Stream

Presently, only eight companies are eligible to hire foreign nationals (inside or outside Canada) without needing an LMIA via the Innovation Stream:

1. Ada Support Inc.

2. AlayaCare

3. CellCarta

4. Clarius Mobile Health

5. Clio

6. Duchesnay Pharmaceutical Group (DPG)

7. Lightspeed Commerce

8. Vive Crop Protection

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

April 16, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

Is it tough finding a job in Canada? What were the things that helped you get a foot in the door?

See below tips that can help you land your dream job in Canada:

1. Find a way to offer value before requesting for help. This is an important principle with networking, it cannot be a parasitic relationship.

2. Volunteer to gain Canadian work experience and where possible, do a bridging program.

3. If you need to, get further education.

4. Do your research, your experience may work with different job titles than you were used to back home.

5. Tailor each resume and cover letter you send to the specific job and use a Canadian template.

6. Use settlement agencies, mentorship platforms, networking events and request coffee chats with professionals to grow your network. The more people you meet, the higher your chances of landing your dream job, worst case, they won’t respond, but networking will connect you to the hidden job market.

7. Before your interview, learn about the company and its culture.

8. Prepare an elevator pitch and master it by sharing it often to define the value you can bring to a potential employer.

9. If necessary, don’t be afraid to take a transition job.

10. Upskill until you land your dream job.

It is important to note that these tips are not one size fits all, so what works for Mr A might not necessarily work for B but we are pretty sure this could help you achieve your goal if you choose to follow some or even all of these steps.

Has any of the above tips worked for you? Do you have any that you have tried and tested that isn’t on the list? Please share.

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

March 22, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, the Immigration Minister,  Marc Miller and Employment Minister, Randy Boissonnault announced an update on Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) as well as other reforms IRCC plans on implementing.

Canada’s temporary resident population has increased, reaching up to 2.5 million (6.2% of the overall Canadian population in 2023). IRCC aims to reduce the temporary resident population to 5% over the next three years.

See below Temporary Residents according to Province as of September, 2023

Ontario, the largest province, has the most of all the categories, followed by Quebec and British Columbia.

Province Total Temporary Residents Asylum Claimants Work Permit Holders Study Permit Holders Both Work and Study Permit Holders Others (mainly refers to family members living with permit holders)
Ontario 986,863 90,793 419,475 284,739 159,806 32,050
Quebec 470,976 146,723 200,522 63,799 38,858 21,074
British Columbia 400,964 11,384 196,259 138,434 38,848 16,039
Alberta 150,320 5,766 89,575 36,576 11,013 7,390
Manitoba 60,615 1,434 32,608 18,068 6,652 1,853
Nova Scotia 45,794 325 20,712 13,619 9,056 2,082
Saskatchewan 30,704 236 15,512 10,512 2,957 1,487
New Brunswick 27,458 188 13,864 7,476 4,626 1,304
Newfoundland and Labrador 12,911 73 6,063 5,017 1,186 572
Prince Edward Island 9,953 26 5,192 3,702 745 288
Yukon 1,446 0 1,120 217 80 29
Northwest Territories 567 7 490 38 20 12
Nunavut 108 3 87 4 3 11

Canada has set an annual target for all economic immigration programs of 266,210 for 2023, with a goal of exceeding 301,000 by 2025.

In order to put a cap on the number of temporary foreign workers allowed into Canada as the gap between unemployment and job vacancies is gradually closing up. The validity of the LMIA program was extended to 12 months during the pandemic to help ease labour market conditions. However, from May 1, 2024, the validity period for LMIA will return to 6 months. This change will not affect employers part of the Recognised Employer Pilot program.

All the employers identified in the 2022 workforce solution roadmap will have a reduction from 30% to 20% of their workforce coming through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program under the low wage stream of TFWP.

The healthcare and construction sectors are exempted from the above-mentioned new TFWP measure until August 31, 2024. Employers in the agriculture sector are also not affected by the new TFWP measures.

Currently, the number of Canadian Permanent Residency spots available through economic immigration is limited compared to the Temporary Residents in Canada. Canadian immigration is now very competitive as it targets people with expertise in occupations with labour shortage,  Francophones and those with 3-4 years of experience with a high level of education.

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

February 21, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

No! Ottawa, Ontario is not on this list but did you know you can rent a three bedroom apartment for as low as $1,125 in the city centre at Lethbridge, AB. This is according to statistics by numbeo.com which was gathered from residents of the city.

Unfortunately, accommodation affordability cannot be the only factor you consider when moving to a new city. We would keep reviewing these factors and recommend cities based on statistics to help you make an informed decision.

See below in descending order the full list of cities where you can rent a 3-bedroom apartment for $1,500 or less in the city center:

1. Medicine Hat, AB – $1,500

2. Miramichi, NB- $1,500

3. Summerside, PEI- $1,500

4. Sherbrooke, QC- $1,466

5. Regina, Sk- $1,437.50

6. Prince George, BC- $1,300

7. Edmunston, NB- $1,250

8. Trois-Rivieres, QC- $1,166

9. Lethbridge, AB- $1,125

Did we leave out any? Would you like to ask some questions? Are you interested in studying in Canada? Need help obtaining a visitor visa to visit Canada, work permit application, Expression of Interest, creating an express entry or provincial nomination profile or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Start the journey by sending an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

 

 

February 9, 2024

Dear future neighbours,

Can you guess the most affordable of these major Canadian cities to rent a one-bedroom in the city centre?

See below list based on rounded up statistics from Numbeo

1. Vancouver- $2,769

2. Toronto- $ 2,572

3. Ottawa- $1,987

4. Halifax- $1,968

5. Calgary- $1,918

6. Montreal- $1,682

7. Fredericton- $1,400

8. Edmonton- $1,385

9. Regina- $1,322

10. St. John’s- $1,301

11. Charlottetown- $1,300

12. Winnipeg- $1,241

Did you guess right?

As all the numbers are averages, it is possible to get rent prices for less or higher in any of the cities. The average indicates the most common figure.

Regina used to be the most affordable city on this list but it has a changed a lot since November, 2023.

Hopefully this list can help you in deciding where to start your Canadian story. The cost of living can be very different around Canada.

Have you rented a place recently? How much did it cost? What tips can you share for a newcomer looking to rent?

Interested in studying in Canada? Let us find the right school/course and help you with your study permit application. Need help obtaining a visitor visa to visit Canada, work permit application, Expression of Interest, creating an express entry or provincial nomination profile or even just reviewing an application you prepared yourself? Start the journey by sending an email on info@eseumohimmigration.com

 

 

January 15, 2024

Dear future neighbour,

We get asked this question frequently and here is the answer, NO! Your study/work permit is not a travel document. If you plan to travel outside Canada while studying/working in Canada, you will need a valid visitor visa to exit and re-enter Canada.

If you have a valid work/study permit but your visitor visa has expired, you will need to renew it before you exit Canada, otherwise there is no guarantee that you would be  allowed to re-enter Canada.

Hope this helps!

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