Australia upgrades Global Tech Talent Visa Program

Australia Expands Global Tech Talent PR Program After Tripling Intake

The Australian government went ahead and expanded the scope of its recently launched permanent migration scheme – the Global Talent Independent (GTI) program. This program aims to attract tech talents from across the globe to work & settle in Australia in selected tech sectors. The federal governments had also tripled the program’s intake for this financial year only a few months back.

The GTI program uses the Distinguished Talent subclass 858 and subclass 124 visas but provides a new pathway to eligible candidates qualifying under these by invitation. Unlike the previous Ministerial Direction (direction 85), the new Ministerial Direction (direction 89) outlines the newly expanded targeted sectors.

Adding New Sectors

Earlier, the government only allowed tech talents who had work qualifications in seven targeted sectors such as quantum computing, cybersecurity, and fintech under the GTI program. They were also required to earn more than $153,600 in a year to qualify.

However, the new changes expanded the number of targeted sectors to ten by including education, tourism, and “circular economy”. Ellen Macarthur Foundation defines Circular Economy based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

The remaining 7 targeted sectors are agri-food and agri-tech, energy, health industries, defence, advanced manufacturing and space, financial services, fintech, and Digitech.

The “Digitech” seemingly covers quantum information, advanced digital, data science, and ICT, as well as cybersecurity.

The government of Australia had already tripled the GTI cap intake to 15,000 candidates. Instead of waiting for migrants to apply, GTIP intends to actively seek out talent using ‘Global Talent Officers’ from the Department of Home Affairs. Such officers are already been deployed in Dubai, Berlin, Washington DC, Singapore, Shanghai, Santiago, and New Delhi, and will work across countries in their regions and guide applicants through the application process.

Features of the GTI Program

No age limit
No requirement for sponsorship
Can work for any employer
Priority processing
A decision on visa application within 2 months
Australian PR straightaway

The budget forecast prepared by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann assumes that travel restrictions will be lifted between March 2021 and 30 June 2021.

Until then, explore more on GTIP or look to qualify for another visa program by booking a free consultation session with our experts.

Immigration Minister Raises Hope For Canada Immigration In A Recent TV Interview

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is seen offering fresh insights on the prospects of the country’s immigration system, as first reported by CICnews.

Mr. Mendicino spoke on a broad range of immigration topics including Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023; Municipal Nominee Program; Canadian citizenship as he explained to viewers how the federal government aims to cope with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.

The minister is said to have expressed his opinions recently on a Canadian television show, The Agenda.

Speaking on the Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023, Mendicino reaffirmed that instead of pausing or reducing immigration following the outbreak of the pandemic, his government chose to welcome immigrants during and after the pandemic to support its prosperity.

Canada has set a target to welcome over 400,000 immigrants over the coming years. Over 60% of the target is said to be met by the country’s economic-class immigration programs that would benefit foreign skilled workers, recent international graduates, business entrepreneurs.

The minister said, “This is necessary since immigrants are key to job creation in Canada and also help fill vital labor market needs including in essential services.”

Further, the minister confirmed that the targets were achievable since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had been innovating even during the pandemic, say by conducting alternative program-specific Express Entry and thus issuing the highest-ever nominations for Canada PR in a single year.

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had provided the immigration minister with a mandate letter. One of the goals of his government was the launch a Municipal Nominee Program to further help encourage immigrants to settle in Canada’s smaller cities.

Pointing to initiatives such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the minister hinted that IRCC is in the process of consulting with various stakeholders on the program design and the decision regarding the same will be taken soon.

Watch the full interview here:

Video link <https://youtu.be/beZSHaIvPu0>

The major takeaway from this 20-minute long interview was that Canada’s extravagant immigration targets are real. IRCC has a certain plan to achieve the targets, by inviting existing immigration candidates with Canadian experience and continuing to select immigrants from abroad to apply for permanent residence.

Mendicino also said that he is enthusiastic about reducing barriers for newcomers and will have more to say on this issue in the future.

Get in touch with CanApprove for further such updates.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for immigration.

Prince Edward Island Invites 211 Eligible Candidates To Qualify For Canada PR

Following its 2021 projected invitation schedule, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) held its first scheduled draw of 2021 on January 21.

The province ended up issuing 211 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination under either one of the three streams: Express Entry, Labour Impact, and Business Impact.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are designed to accommodate the specific and specialized labor market demand of Canada’s provinces and territories. A successful provincial nomination opens the doors for selected candidates to apply and obtain permanent residence in a quick time.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility to get a provincial nomination.

Highlights On January 21 PEI PNP Draw

Since the launch of the federal Express Entry system in 2015, all the immigration streams under Canada PNP is categorized into two: ‘enhanced’ provincial streams and ‘base’ nomination streams.

A total of 196 invitations went to Express Entry and Labour Impact categories.

In order to be considered for a provincial nomination from PEI, candidates must create an Expression Of Interest (EOI) profile with the PEI PNP. EOI profiles are given points based on the province’s unique points grid. The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply through monthly draws.

If a candidate is already registered in the federal Express Entry pool, they could qualify for provincial nomination under the PEI PNP Express Entry category.

Foreigners like Skilled Workers, Critical Workers, and International Graduates with a valid job offer in PEI, and having support from their employer may qualify under the Labour Impact category.

The remaining 21 invitations went to applicants under the Business Impact category. Such candidates are issued invitations under the Work Permit Stream, which is for foreign entrepreneurs who want to own and operate a business in PEI. They required a provincial score of above 80 points in order to receive nominations.

Further, fulfilling the pre-determined residence requirement in Canada, eligible candidates can apply with the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency.

Here is an interesting read>> How to qualify for permanent residence under Canada PNP?

Contact CanApprove to get the necessary legal and documentation support for immigration. We also provide free counseling sessions to help you choose the best immigration program matching your work profile.

Ontario Nominates Express Entry Candidates To Qualify For Canada PR

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) recently held its first provincial draw of 2021.

A total of 484 Notification of Interest (NOIs) were issued to eligible candidates who already had their profile registered in the Express Entry system. This effectively meant that Ontario nominated candidates to apply for permanent residence under its ‘enhanced’ provincial streams.

Candidates need not have a job offer to apply under the ‘enhanced’ provincial streams, however, required to meet all the mandatory federal and provincial requirements – work experience, provincial ties, language proficiency, financial stability, or any other requirement as set by the OINP.

Preference To Bilingual Express Entry Candidates

The provincial draw held on January 13 invited candidates under the French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades streams. These candidates had their profiles registered in the Express Entry pool between January 13, 2020, and January 13, 2021.

More than half of the invited candidates qualified under the Skilled Trades Stream. OINP allows candidates currently living in Ontario and having a minimum of one-year full-time work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in a skilled trade listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Group 72, 73, or 82 under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC). They are also required to be registered in the federal Express Entry pool in order to be eligible.

The 338 Skilled Trades Stream candidates who received NOIs in today’s draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 434 and 460.

Further, the remaining NOIs went to The French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) which prefers Express Entry candidates who speak English and French. In order to qualify, these candidates need to meet the eligibility requirements of the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The 146 FSSW candidates who received NOIs in today’s draw had a CRS score between 456 and 460.

Securing Permanent Residence In Canada

All candidates with a provincial nomination as in the present case may fetch upto 600 additional points. This will get reflected in their overall CRS score that forms the basis of their nomination to apply for Canada PR.

Each nomination draw releases a unique qualifying CRS as the previous PNP-specific Express Entry draw had a CRS requirement of 741 points.

Further, Canada is expected to issue 80,000 or more ITAs for provincial nominations in 2021. Now is the good time to visit your nearest immigration consultant to determine your eligibility.

CanApprove is a regional leader and a licensed consultant for Canadian immigration. Book your free consultation to get started.

Express Entry: 4,626 CEC Candidates Nominated For Canada PR

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have returned to the phase where it held back-to-back Express Entry draws inviting a specific set of candidates to apply for Canada PR. Such candidates either had a prior provincial nomination or qualified for Canada Experience Class (CEC) program.

Soon after inviting nominees for a new PNP-specific draw, Canada opened another round of invitations on January 21 targeting candidates with prior work experience inside Canada.

Canada is expected to target over 110,000 new immigrants through the Express Entry Canada PR pathway. Further, any foreign skilled worker, business entrepreneur even without work experience inside Canada may qualify for permanent residence and eventually citizenship in a quick time.

Quick Highlights of January 21 Express Entry Draw

IRCC invited only CEC-candidates contrary to the regular all-program draw that typically includes candidates qualifying under either the Federal Skills Worker Program (FSWP) or the Federal Skills Trades Program (FSTP) or those with a prior provincial nomination, apart from Canada Experience Class (CEC).

January 21 Express Entry draw included:

1.Nomination Draw Size: Unlike the recent PNP-specific draw where only 374 candidates were invited, the CEC-specific draw usually invites a large number of candidates. IRCC posted an exuberant draw size of 4,626 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canada PR in this draw. However, it was slightly less than the previous CEC-specific draw.

Any foreign skilled workers, preferably graduating in Canada, and with at least one year of work experience inside Canada may qualify for a CEC-specific draw.

2.Qualifying CRS points: Any profile that is registered in the federal Express Entry pool will be ranked and evaluated out of a total of 1200 points based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). It considered human capital factors like age, education, work experience outside Canada, language proficiency in English/French, spouse adaptability, Canadian study experience, etc. Candidates who receive provincial nominations through ‘enhanced’ PNP streams will get an additional 600 points towards their CRS score.

January 21 draw selected candidates having a minimum CRS score of 454 which is slightly lower than the previous CEC-specific draw held on January 7.

Usually, IRCC applies a tie-break rule to avoid confusion in the rankings due to the same CRS score of two or more candidates. No such rule was applied in this draw.

All the selected candidates will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) if their application for Canada PR is successful. Hereon, candidates need to plan for their travel to Canada and later, apply for their PR card. Further, they can even think of securing citizenship after 3 years of stay in Canada.

Recently, IRCC reported that about 50% of new permanent residents who came to Canada between 2005 and 2015 (2.8 million) were able to secure their citizenship by December 31, 2018.

With 10000 ITAs already been issued for Canada PR in January 2021, now is a good time to consult your immigration agency and determine your eligibility for Canadian immigration.

CanApprove is offering free consultation and a chance to improve your work profile to qualify for a Canada residence visa in a quick time.

Canada Holds Yet Another PNP-Specific Express Entry Draw

Today is January 21 and Canada had already held three Express Entry nomination draws in 2021.

In continuance with the trend set by the alternative PNP and CEC Express Entry draws, the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 374 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates who are registered in the federal pool and having a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 741.

January 20 PNP-specific draw saw an increase in draw size and a decline in the CRS cut-off score compared with the last PNP-only draw. The reason for favouring program-specific candidates as opposed to all-program draws which majorly included Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) candidates could be the ongoing travel restrictions.

Candidates qualifying for FSWP need not have a prior work experience inside Canada or even a job offer as compared to other programs under Express Entry to qualify for permanent residence.

Qualify For Canada PR Through Express Entry

Canada Express Entry is a long-drawn two-step process. As it manages the application database for three federal immigration programs – the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), the Federal Skills Trades (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) – aspirants are first required to qualify for individual program requirements. Such eligible profiles are assessed and ranked on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Core human factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience are used to calculate a CRS profile score.

The second step will involve the fortnightly nomination draws held by IRCC. The high-ranking candidates based on the CRS score get ITAs for permanent residence.

Additionally, Canada PNP is the second main pathway to welcome foreign skilled immigrants. It supports the local labor market demands of provinces as well as fulfil the regional aspiration of ushering in development through immigration.

Most PNPs have an Express Entry-aligned PNP stream to nominate candidates already present in the federal databse. All the nominated candidates are eligible to obtain the additional 600 CRS points upon receiving a provincial nomination invitation. This would effectively guarantee an ITA for Canada PR, as shown in the hypothetical example below.

“Brian has rich work experience as a registered psychiatric nurse and has been recently offered full-time employment with a hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. He got nominated by BC through its ‘enhanced’ Health Care Professional stream for his job offer. He has a total work experience of 5 years and more. He is just 32 years old and his language proficiency stands at CLB 7 in all four categories. He has no dependents.

Based on the above factors, Brain scored a CRS score of 320. But after receiving a provincial nomination from BC, his overall CRS score jumped to 920. Now, he is eligible to receive an ITA for Canada PR in this draw.”

Current Trends

Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, Express Entry had a record-breaking year in 2020. Canada ended up issuing 108,350 ITAs last year as against the target of 91,800 ITAs. Under the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will target at least 110,000 ITAs for Canada PR every year.

So far, Canada seems on track with its first two Express Entry draws held on January 6 and January 7. With the January 20 draw, IRCC has issued 5,374 ITAs for Canada PR to date, more than the number it issued at the same time in 2020.

We could soon anticipate a further increase in total ITAs and a decrease in CRS requirements with a CEC-only draw later this week.

If you think, you are eligible to qualify under Express Entry for Canada PR, contact us for legal and other documentation support.

Alberta Invites Express Entry Candidates To Apply For A Provincial Nomination

The Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP) was at its peak – inviting Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as 360 – back in 2019 and early 2020. Several skilled workers were able to immigrate to Canada and stand a chance to qualify for permanent residence owing to easy nomination criteria.

However, due to COVID-19, Alberta cut short its planned annual allocation from 6,250 nomination certificates to 4,000 nomination certificates which it had exhausted by the first half of 2020.

Now back since June 2020, the provincial authorities at Alberta released the details of the latest January 8 ‘enhanced’ Express Entry stream draw.

The province had invited 50 eligible candidates who were already in the federal Express Entry pool to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence. All the invited candidates are expected to have a valid Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) requirement of at least 406.

In addition to this, all the invited candidates belonged to a certain group of occupations. The AINP provides a list of occupations that they will not consider. Any other occupation may be considered.

Ask our consultants or take this free assessment to know your chances of immigration.

How To Qualify For Alberta Express Entry Stream For Canada PR?

Express Entry is a federal database that manages permanent residence applications for the three federal immigration streams:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Candidates will be assessed based on multiple factors such as their age, education, work experience, and language ability and are ranked according to the CRS. The highest-ranking candidates which are determined by a unique minimum CRS score in each nomination draw receive invitations to apply for permanent residence.

Such candidates may also apply for a provincial nomination from Alberta, as well as other provinces with Express Entry-aligned PNPs. They would be required to have prior work experience in an eligible occupation or demonstrate provincial ties. Upon receiving a provincial nomination, they will be awarded an additional 600 CRS points. This would effectively guarantee an ITA for Canada PR in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

You may be also want to read >> How To Get Canada PR Through Express Entry Even With Low CRS?

As of yet, no comment has been made from the provincial authorities on the total number of nominations that the AINP will be issuing in 2021.

However, other participating provinces such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba had already held their first PNP draws of 2021. Even IRCC started off the year with PNP-specific Express Entry draws. Eligible candidates including foreign skilled workers having prior work experience inside or outside of Canada, recent international graduates, and tech workers having specialized work experience in the IT sector, received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination and eventually permanent residence.

Canada PNP is still the best alternative to Express Entry for permanent residency. All you need is to choose your immigration consultant wisely for prompt legal and documentation support for immigration or otherwise.

Book your free consultation with our experts today!

272 Candidates Receive Nominations From Manitoba PNP For Canada PR

Manitoba held its first nomination draw of 2021 on January 14th, issuing 272 invitations to eligible candidates to apply for provincial nominations. All invitations went to skilled workers and international graduates under the ‘enhanced’ Express Entry stream & ‘base’ streams such as Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas.

Canada Provincial Nominee Programs started off the year 2021 on a positive note with British Columbia issuing the first nomination draw. It was soon followed by Saskatchewan inviting eligible candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. Even Canada Express Entry conducted PNP-specific draws, issuing 250 ITAs for Canada PR.

Interesting Read>> How To Qualify For Canada PR Under Canada PNP?

Major Highlights Of January 14 MPNP Draw

‘Enhanced’ Express Entry Stream: Out of the total 272 invitations issued by the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), the number of Express Entry candidates who received invitations in the draw was 18.

All the invited Express Entry candidates had a registered Express Entry profile in the federal pool, a job seeker validation code, and work experience in an occupation featured in the In-demand Occupations list of Manitoba.

The federal Express Entry pool is a database of interested applicants willing to obtain permanent residence in Canada. Typically, the federal pool of candidates manages three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class. However, certain streams under the various Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) can select candidates from the pool.

The candidates who are nominated by Manitoba will get 600 additional CRS score points. This will effectively guarantee them an invitation to apply for a permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

‘Base’ Occupations In-Demand Stream: 236 candidates qualified for Skilled Workers in Manitoba stream and having with a minimum provincial score of 461 received invitations. Another 7 candidates were invited under Skilled Workers Overseas having a minimum score of 722. The remaining 29 invitations went to the International Education stream and had no EoI score requirements.

Any foreign skilled worker may be eligible for a provincial nomination from Manitoba and can apply from outside Canada. All they will need is to:

have a previous connection to the province in the form of close family members or friends living in the province,
previous work or study experience in the province, or
an invitation received through the Strategic Recruitment Initiatives of MPNP.

Furthermore, the Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates must have a full-time permanent job offer from a Manitoba employer. International students who have graduated from the higher education institutions of Manitoba will stand eligible to receive an invitation for provincial nomination if they possess the in-demand skills as listed by the province.

Further, Manitoba is looking to promote immigration to the province by setting up a new department that will keep immigration as the base for implementing the COVID-19 recovery plan. Through the new department, MPNP aims to align the higher education institutions of the province with the labor market needs. It will ensure job opportunities for new immigrants.

Take this free assessment online or contact our consultants directly to determine your eligibility.

Canadian government reveals new immigration priorities

Canada’s New Immigration Mandate Letter 2021: Reveals New Priorities

After a long wait since October 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally provided immigration minister Merco Mendicino a mandate letter this January 15.

A mandate letter is supposed to be a guideline that outlines the goals of the current government and what it expects the immigration minister and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to pursue during its tenure.

This new mandate letter supplements the one that was already provided by Trudeau to Mendicino in December 2019. The purpose of the new letter is to incorporate new objectives borne out of the COVID-19 crisis.

Immigration Will Remain Central To Canada’s Economy And Society

Canada will continue to welcome newcomers to support the country’s economic growth and post-COVID recovery. Major economic class immigration streams; family reunification programs will receive more attention by focusing more on sectoral and regional pilot programs.

Canada PR pathways will focus more on occupations like health care and other critical services. There may be a possibility of additional permanent residence pathways for temporary foreign workers residing in Canada.

Immigration settlement programs will be boosted by enhancing co-operation between the federal and provincial/territorial governments. It would include support to newcomers in French-language training.

The new mandate letter only reinforces the exuberant target set by Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023. Over 200,000 foreign talent including skilled workers, students, business individuals will receive permanent residence annually over the next three years.

CanApprove understands that the underlying theme of the new mandate letter is to continue to operate the immigration system to the best of its abilities during the pandemic. As the leading immigration and legal advisor in the region, we hope to offer you genuine consultancy and personalized attention. We have an excellent track record of over two decades in offering eligibility advice, overseas education counseling, and documentation for visa to settle in Canada.

Book your free consultation with us today!

Nova Scotia approved 3517 immigration candidates for Canada PR last year

Should You Consider Nova Scotia PNP For Canada PR 2021?

Nova Scotia has set the stage for economic recovery by admitting more than the allocated number of immigrants by the end of 2020.

The maritime Canadian province is said to have admitted close to 3,517 new permanent residents. Most of these immigrants had work experiences in essential services, such as care assistants, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers, or who were already living on a temporary visa in Canada. However, COVID-19 travel restrictions have delayed the traveling of these immigrants to Canada.

The province’s immigration minister Lena Diab was quoted in a press conference saying,

“Immigration will play an important role in our economy as we recover from this pandemic. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to identify labor needs in key essential service sectors and employers who need specialized skills and talent to create economic growth.”

The impact of the pandemic was clearly seen in the decline of overall immigration levels in 2020 compared to 2019. However, the province continued to process applications through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). This reinforces the general empathy and dependence on immigration in Canada.

How To Apply For Canada PR Through Nova Scotia?

Come 2021, the province seems to focus on attracting foreign talent with specialized skills or occupations that match identified labor shortages. Further, the province seeks to retain international students after they graduate from any institution in the province.

Any eligible foreigner can apply for receiving a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia in two ways: the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), and the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP).

Eight different immigration streams under the NSNP:

‘Enhanced’ PNP streams –

Nova Scotia Experience: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and work experience in Nova Scotia for at least one year;
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and who meet specific labor market needs;
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and who have a job offer as a family physician or specialist physician;

‘Base’ PNP streams –

Physician Stream: for physicians who have a job offer in Nova Scotia and are not in the Express Entry system;
Skilled Worker Stream: for skilled workers who have received a job offer in the province;
Occupation In-Demand Stream: for workers with a job offer in an occupation that is deemed “in-demand;”
Entrepreneur Stream: for individuals who wish to start a business in the province; and
International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: for international graduates who wish to start a business in the province.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility based on your specific profile.

To apply under the AIP, candidates must have a job offer from a designated employer and must have an individualized settlement plan. Atlantic Canada consists of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Being a pioneer in immigration, overseas education, and legal consultancy for more than two decades, CanApprove has become the natural choice in the region for aspiring immigrants. Avail of our proven services to ensure approval of immigration applications in quick time. Book your free session with one of our advisors today!

Parents and Grandparents Program What to expect in 2021

Family Immigration To Gain Momentum In 2021 For Canada PR

It has been just over a week since Canada held its lottery draw for Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2020, IRCC has now issued a maximum quota of 10,000 invitations to eligible sponsors to apply under the PGP 2020.

Canada has built a solid plan for its recovery post-pandemic. The new Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023 aims at welcoming 105,000 immigrants each year through exclusive family reunification programs – Super Visa, PGP, and other dependents on usual economic-class programs.

Super Visa allows the parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to come to Canada as visitors for a period of up to two consecutive years.

On the other hand, PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents are allowed to sponsor their parents and grandparents to permanently immigrate to Canada. Further, they may qualify to receive permanent residence status. All eligible immigrants will enjoy benefits on par with other permanent residence holders including the freedom to work, obtain health care, get full protection under Canadian law and the Charter of Rights and Freedom, and eventually apply for Canadian citizenship.

Take this free assessment online to determine how to immigrate to Canada along with your family.

How To Sponsor Parents and Grandparents To Immigrate to Canada?

IRCC will be soon updating us on the details of the 2021 PGP process. However, to stand eligible for PGP in 2021, follow the below steps:

Step 1: Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria.
Step 2: Complete an Interest to Sponsor form on IRCC’s website between the said deadline.
Step 3: IRCC will hold a lottery draw to invite up to 30,000 sponsors. These sponsors will be given 60 days to submit completed sponsorship applications.

According to the website of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the average processing time for an application is between 20 and 24 months.

2021 is said to be a record year for PGP as Canada had earlier announced the following changes:

Canada had temporarily eased the income requirements for family class immigration including the PGP in the wake of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the sponsor’s income needs to meet only the Minimum Necessary Income(MNI). Earlier, the sponsor’s income was required to be MNI plus 30 percent.
The sponsor must have met the minimum income requirement for at least the last three taxation years.
The sponsor needs to sign an undertaking agreement saying that they would pay back any social assistance that the sponsored individuals claim. For sponsors outside Quebec, the undertaking period is 20 years.

Economic-class immigration programs like Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program, business immigration streams also allow spouse/common-law partner and dependent children, if any, to accompany the primary applicant.

This goes on to tell a lot about the liberal immigration stance adopted by Canada to support its economy, aging demography, and low birth rate problem through rising immigration.

Contact our immigration consultants today to determine your eligibility!

Saskatchewan issues 385 invitations in its first 2021 PNP draw

SINP Nominates 385 Eligible Candidates For Canada PR

After British Columbia, Saskatchewan held its first PNP draw of 2021 on January 7, inviting eligible immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence (PR).

All the candidates have been invited under the ‘enhanced’ Express Entry & ‘base’ Occupations In-Demand Saskatchewan PNP streams.

‘Enhanced’ Express Entry Stream: Out of the total 385 invitations, 148 invitations went to candidates who already had their profiles in the federal Express Entry pool. Currently, the province has a list of 79 in-demand occupations.

The federal Express Entry pool is a database of interested applicants willing to obtain permanent residence in Canada. Originally, the federal pool of candidates manage three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

However, certain streams under the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) can select candidates from the pool.

‘Base’ Occupations In-Demand Stream: Out of the total 385 invitations, 237 invitations went to candidates who have specific work skills that are in-demand in Saskatchewan.

Those candidates who barely qualify to register a federal Express Entry profile may be nominated under the Occupations In-Demand sub-category.

Interesting Read>> How To Qualify For Canada PR Under Canada PNP?

Check your eligibility by filling this free assessment online.

How To Get Nominated In Future Saskatchewan PNP Draws?

In order to be considered for nominations under the upcoming Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program (SINP) draws, candidates must register their Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the provincial authority.

Candidates need to demonstrate their commitment to meaningfully settle in Saskatchewan by demonstrating their work experience, education, language ability, age, and connections to the province.

Saskatchewan gives candidates a score out of 100 according to the International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid. The province favors candidates with bilingual capability in both English and French. The highest-scoring candidates are then issued an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan.

Regardless of the provincial category, all invited candidates need an EOI score of at least 71 in order to be invited. It is also to be noted that the points requirement is that all the invited candidates must have valid Educational Credential Assessments.

Additionally, candidates already in the federal Express Entry pool need to register another EOI and choose Saskatchewan.

On successfully receiving an invitation to apply (ITA) for a provincial nomination, candidates are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. It will effectively guarantee an ITA for Canada PR in the subsequent Express Entry draw conducted by IRCC.

We could see Canada inviting over 80,000 new permanent residents through various PNP streams. This would include business entrepreneurs, international students graduates in that province, foreign skilled workers, specifically skilled tech workers, critical workers, etc. Moreover, 2021 began with Express Entry Draws#171 that invited only those candidates who had a prior provincial nomination to apply for Canada PR.

Take the first step towards securing Canada PR by booking a free consultation session with us!

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