Travelers to Canada will now need a negative COVID 19 test

Travelers To Canada Now Required To Obtain A Negative COVID-19 Test Report

In compliance with the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN mobile app to furnish personal information and a 14-day quarantine plan, travelers will now need to submit a negative COVID-19 test report before entering Canada.

The negative COVID-19 test will have to be taken three days before arriving in Canada. The nature of the test must be PCR, which is currently the widely used test for coronavirus. Further details are still being finalized and more information will be available next week.

Speaking at a press release, the public health minister Bill Blair also stated that the test requirement will not replace the 14-day quarantine requirement.

All the travelers are required by law to be quarantined for 14 days from the date of their arrival in Canada. They are required to submit a detailed plan for their quarantine – mentioning how they reach their place of quarantine, how will they obtain groceries, food, medicine, etc.

There is a penal award of upto six months in prison or up to CAD $750,000 in fines for not adhering to the quarantine plan.

Immigration Becomes Even More Attractive As Canada Approves COVID-19 Vaccine

Canada gave its first approval for a coronavirus vaccine on December 9, 2020. According to this vaccine tracker, just over 70,000 Pfizer vaccinations have been administered across Canada. Meanwhile, the Moderna vaccine has also started making its way into Canada.

Despite the lockdowns and travel restrictions worldwide, Canada continued to keep its immigration system active. Even during the early phase of worldwide lockdown, between April-June, Canada conducted regular Express Entry nomination draws and a few Provincial Nominee Program draws. Together, these draws resulted in inviting thousands of foreign immigrants outside Canada to apply for permanent residence.

Canada equally focused on Business immigration of young entrepreneurs, innovators as well as investors to start a business in any of the suitable provinces. British Columbia went ahead with introducing a new regional pilot program for Business Immigration for candidates with lower net worth and language proficiency criteria.

Ask our Senior Business Development consultant for more details.

Further, Canada secured the interest of international students who form a major part of the country’s forex income as well as the potential labor force. Statistics Canada had earlier noticed that over 50% of international students who completed their post-graduation course in Canada ended up obtaining permanent residence.

Canada has even made it easier for foreigners to obtain citizenship in quick time.

With the new Immigration levels plans, Canada is expected to target more than 200,000 economic-class immigrants annually till 2023. In addition to it, it has increased the annual allocations for family reunification programs for the same time period.

CanApprove recommends to take this free online assessment and determine your eligibility. Now is also the best time to plan your immigration to Canada.

Book a free appointment with one of our consultants today!

More than 1.4 million Canadian PR holders between 2005 2015 became Citizens by 2018

Your Path To Canada Citizenship May Get Easy

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in its November report noted in the report that out of the more than 2.8 million permanent residents who came to Canada between 2005 and 2015, about 50% of them got citizenship by December 31, 2018.

While the statistics put forth by the report is encouraging for young & aspiring Canada PR applicants, more recent immigrants are seeing a slower citizenship rate. This is to suggest that people are taking longer to become citizens. The report also gave recommendations on how to address certain issues in the current citizenship program.

How Can A Foreigner Apply For Canadian Citizenship?

Most foreigners take the permanent residency (PR) route to become citizens of Canada. It is a two-step process in which interested applicant fulfills certain human capital requirements like:

Young, working-age (25-33 years preferred);
Education qualification (a graduation degree preferred);
Work experience (at least one year of relevant experience in Canada or more than 3 years of work experience outside Canada preferred);
Language proficiency in English or French (bilingual candidates are given additional points)

Once the applicant comes good on the above factors, they are nominated to apply for Canada PR through economic-class pathways like Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Program, or other pathways through Business Immigration, spousal privilege, graduate visas, etc.

Take this free online assessment to determine your eligibility for your suitable Canada PR programs.

How Would Citizenship Process Change In Future?

Following the findings and recommendations from IRCC’s report, we may see some changes in the citizenship process in the upcoming year:

Improvement in the language verification process: The present tools in place for assessing language proficiency is found to be subjective. IRCC recommended creating a strategy to equip officers to validate language evidence and provide better support to assess language proficiency.

(Note: The present language assessment will remain in place. Any further changes shall be duly communicated by us. Until then, keep following our regular updates on Canada Immigration or contact our senior advisors.)

A new approach for knowledge requirement: The present knowledge test and study guide for the citizenship test is found to be complicated. IRCC will soon streamline the process to match the actual testing standards.

Also, the 2019 pre-poll promise of the currently elected Liberal Party to axe the Citizenship Fee is yet to be taken. It will encourage many immigrants to apply for citizenship.

Promote active engagement in Canadian communities: It has been generally understood that immigrants who become citizens have positive integration outcomes – well-developed economic, social connections, and a sense of belonging to Canada. However, IRCC has limited mechanisms in place to influence these outcomes. We could see changes in this aspect in the future.

Get more such updates on CanApprove.ae

Book your free consultation to kick-start your immigration plans.

How Will Australia Immigration Be Like in 2021?

Australia Immigration has suffered immensely from the unprecedented impact of COVID-19. From lockdown to border closure and travel ban, Australian Immigration has undergone a lot of changes in 2020.

As the battle against the pandemic is still on, Australia Immigration is showing signs of returning back to normalcy, giving focus to international student migration, business/investor programs, skilled migration as well as family reunification programs.

Let’s take a brief look at what is planned for 2021 in Australian Immigration.

Economic Recovery Through Immigration

Australia has maintained the immigration program level for the year 2021 at 160,000.

Whilst the quota remained the same as in 2020, the distribution of the quota will change. Economic-class immigration programs like Employer-Sponsored, Global Talent, Business Innovation, and Investment Program visas will be given priority. Family immigration programs will see an increase from 47,732 places to 77,300 in annual allocations.

Parallelly, regional migration from Australia to cities like Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast, Sun Shine Coast, Canberra Newcastle, etc. will be focussed by prioritizing onshore visa applicants (who already in Australia) and partner visa applicants.

Global Skilled Migration (GSM)

The major visa types under this workstream permanent visa program are Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190), Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489).

GSM program has been the most popular pathway for foreigners to apply for Australia PR. Come 2021, occupations in the health care, construction, and IT sectors will be prioritized over others for sake of economic recovery through the immigration of foreign skilled workers. There is also a possibility to see a decline in qualifying points which may benefit candidates with lesser human capital scores for immigration. The human capital comprises of age, education, work experience, language proficiency in English.

Business Innovation & Investment Program

The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) will be simplified from nine to four streams namely Business Innovation, Entrepreneur, Investor, Significant Investor.

To boost the economy, the number of places available in the BIIP is doubled to 13,500 places for the upcoming year.

In addition to it, changes to eligibility requirements include Business Innovation visa holders to hold business and personal assets of $1.25 million (up from $800,000) and have an annual turnover of $750,000 (up from $500,000) to prove their business acumen.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility.

International Student Migration

International students residing as well as graduating from any regional campus of a registered university or institution will be eligible for an extra one or two years of post-study work rights under subclass 485.

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. Till then, CanApprove wishes to advise all the aspirants to work on their skills enhancement to improve their chances of qualifying for Australian immigration.

Fix your free appointment with our expert immigration consultants for any further queries.

Canada Looks Up To Newcomers & International Students For Economic Recovery

Canada is no exception to the way pandemic has restricted travel worldwide. Despite this, the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the Canada Immigration spirits high by conducting regular nomination draws for Canada PR as well as process new applications for permanent residence.

Canada welcomed about 160,000 new immigrants since March 2020, the month when it first imposed international travel restrictions. This shows a greater need for Canada to attract eligible skilled workers, entrepreneurs, international students who are willing to work and settle in the country permanently.

Since the relaxations in travel to Canada with mandatory application of COVID-19 travel guidelines, new students applying for study permits, and new applications for permanent residence, entrepreneur immigration are welcome.

Canada realizes the importance of international students in migrating to Canada. Here are our top trends showing why International students thrive in Canada. Here is also a study by Remitly showing why Canada is the most preferred destination among the immigrants.

Pandemic Amplified The Need For New Talent In Canada

Canada managed to welcome over 341,000 new immigrants in 2019. The new Immigration Levels Plan is targeting 400,000 new immigrants every year till 2023.

The country has been undergoing a demographic transition phase where the aging population and the low birth rate are effectively countered by incentivizing both economic and family immigration programs. The pandemic only amplified the need for new talent.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility.

Canada Immigration Options

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) notes the majority of labor shortages in occupations that require at least a college diploma or an apprenticeship.

Further, over the next three years, Canada will target over 60% annual intakes through economic programs – Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canada Experience Class, Federal Skills Trades Program, Provincial Nominee Program, Entrepreneur Immigration.

Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs form the two most important pathways for skilled immigration to Canada. Any eligible candidates can create an online profile for the Express Entry system or submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile to the respective provincial program.

These profiles are ranked against each other based on human capital factors like age, education, work experience, language proficiency in English or French. In order to receive a provincial nomination, provincial ties need to be demonstrated.

Provincial ties could be any relatives living in the province, prior work experience in the province or graduated from any institution within the province, etc.

Book your free consultation with CanApprove to start planning your immigration to Canada.

Canadian immigration applicants now only need to submit highest degree for ECA 0

Canada Brings Changes To ECA Requirements

One of the most important documents for skilled immigration in Canada is Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

This document is used to verify that the foreign degrees, diplomas, and certificates have a valid Canadian equivalent and the applicant is thus qualified for immigration. ECAs are not needed if the applicant already has Canadian credentials in education.

World Education Society (WES) who is authorized by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced minor changes in mandatory submission of ECA.

As of November 2020, those who have a PhD do not need to submit a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree to be assessed. The same goes for those who have a master’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree.

The instructions are a little different for those who went to school in a francophone country, and there may be some outliers who will have to send in additional credentials.

Translations are not required for documents submitted in French. Most documents submitted in other languages will have to be translated, however there may be some exceptions depending on which documents WES requires.

Take this free assessment to determine your eligibility.

Will It Affect Express Entry?

Express Entry has been the most preferred choice for foreign skilled immigration since its inception in 2015.

Express Entry is a database for managing applications under three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Workers Program, the Canada Experience Class, and the Federal Skills Trades Program.

All the profiles registered in the Express Entry pool are ranked against each other under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) based on human capital factors like age, work experience, language proficiency in English or French & education.

People who apply for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry system may need an ECA if they had graduated from a foreign country for two important reasons:

To qualify for the Federal Skilled Workers Program, or
To earn Comprehensive Ranking System points for foreign education.

Additional points may be awarded to Express Entry candidates who are applying with a spouse or common-law partner if their partner also gets an ECA for their foreign credentials.

The validity of ECAs obtained for immigration purposes will remain active for not more than five years.

Contact our consultants to know more! Or Comment down below to express your interest.

Canada Ends 2020 By Issuing Another 5,000 Express Entry ITAs For Canada PR

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held its 170th Express Entry draws on December 23.

The actual tally of ITAs issued in 2020 now stands at 107,350.

Express Entry draws allows for the flexibility of inviting any foreign skilled workers with/without a job offer or without any Canadian work experience to apply for permanent residence.

Quick Highlights on 170th Express Entry Draw

1. Draw Size Remains At 5,000 ITAs: As in the previous Express Entry draws, IRCC issued 5,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence in Canada.

Candidates who qualified for three immigration programs – the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) – were eligible to be nominated in the December 9th draw.

We are anticipating the draw sizes to remain more or less the same in 2021 since:

The reduced refugees intake temporarily is replaced with more number of immigrants intakes under the economic class immigration
Over 60% of the annual target in the new Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023 is aimed through economic-class programs.

2. Decrease in Minimum CRS: Express Entry is not a Visa type but a profiles management system for federal immigration programs and specific provincial nominee programs.

Every registered profile in the Express Entry pool is evaluated using a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). This ranking system factors in the core human capital like age, work experience, education, and skills in English or French.

The profiles are scored upon a maximum of 1200 points.

December 23 Express Entry draw maintained the same level of qualifying CRS as 468 from the previous draw.

A recent update in CRS evaluation allows Canada to favor more bi-lingual candidates (proficiency in English and French) to qualify for Canada PR through Express Entry.

3. Tie-break rule: More than one candidate may end up with the same CRS score. Here is where IRCC uses its tie-break rule to rank a particular candidate higher.

The timestamp used in the latest draw was June 4, 2020, at 13:39:44 UTC in order to receive an invitation.

This meant that all candidates with a CRS score above 468 before the selected date and time were eligible to receive an ITA in this invitation round.

We have noticed that IRCC is clearing the Express Entry pool by inviting candidates who failed to get invitations earlier and now had a good chance of getting invited.

Fill-in this free online assessment to know more about your eligibility for various other immigration programs.

Express Entry Draws in 2020

Canada has now issued a total of 107,350 ITAs for permanent residence so far in 2020 as against its allocated target of 91,800 ITAs.

Despite the negative consequence of pandemic on immigration levels, WES Canada noted a rise in interest for Canadian immigration. Economic-class programs like Express Entry have served it well with record-breaking nominations for a permanent residence this year.

Table1: ITAs for Canada PR issued between January 2020 – December 2020

CEC- Canadian Experience Class; PNP- Provincial Nominee Program; FSTP- Federal Skills Trades Program

After initial lockdowns in March, IRCC innovated with the regular fortnightly Express Entry to prioritize foreign skilled workers already present in the country. Thereby, program-specific draws were conducted to invite candidates under the Canadian Experience Class or Provincial Nominee Program, or Federal Skilled Trades Program to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

However, since June 2020, when the Federal Skilled Worker Program assumed its significance, any foreign skilled worker who did not work in Canada before was eligible for Canada PR.

CanApprove senses a big pull for skilled immigrants- professionals, entrepreneurs/investors, students as well as their families to migrate to Canada in the coming years. We are not just any immigration consultant but a registered agent with the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).

Book an appointment with us to discuss the prospects of your Canadian immigration in 2021.

Ontario Gave Away More Than 8,000 Nominations In 2020: What Next In 2021?

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) was allocated upto 7,600 nominations out of the total 61,000 provincial nominations in 2020. However, the growing labor demand in Ontario prompted the province to exceed its target, finishing with 8,050 successful nominations across all streams.

Ontario held its last draws of the year on December 15. The OINP held a Tech Draw and issued 668 invitations to Express Entry candidates with at least one of work experience in certain tech occupations like:

NOC 0213 Computer and information systems managers
NOC 2147 Computer engineers
NOC 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
NOC 2173 Software engineers and designers
NOC 2174 Computer programmer and interactive media developers
NOC 2175 Web designers and developers

On the same day, Ontario also held business immigration draws under the OINP Entrepreneur Stream.

OINP Entrepreneur Stream in recent years has gathered enough clout to attract individuals having a minimum net worth of CAD 400,000 and looking to set-up a new business or buy an existing business in Ontario.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility.

Otherwise, contact our business immigration expert to know more.

Ontario PNP in 2021

In order to avoid the inherent difficulties with the first-come-first-serve system for application intakes, Ontario will switch to an Expression of Interest (EOI) system.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) system for application intake allows interest candidates to pre-register with the province and get their profile assessed according to the provincial points system. Such points will be allocated based on various factors such as education and language abilities

The pre-registered applicants form an application database from which the province can nominate eligible candidates when it deems necessary. Once a candidate receives a successful provincial nomination, they can apply with the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to attain permanent residence in Canada.

The immigration categories that are likely to have an EOI system from January 2021 include:

Employer Job Offer Category (Foreign Worker; International Student, and In-Demand Skills streams);
Masters Graduate; and
Ph.D. Graduate.

Ontario’s most-renowned immigration category- Human Capital Priorities Stream already has an EOI system in place. This stream targets Express Entry candidates. Other provinces, like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia already have similar EOI systems in place to manage their application intake.

This helps in avoiding the rush to apply for a particular category when the province opens a particular immigration category for intakes.

According to the new Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023, Canada may target upto 80,800 nominations each year only through provincial nominee programs.

Ontario was the most popular destination for immigrants in 2019. It nominated around 13,731 immigrants to apply for Canada PR. And it is also encouraging to know the fact that just over half of these applicants went through Express Entry-linked categories while the rest 49% went through the base streams.

Hence, it is safe to infer that any foreign skilled worker, an entrepreneur may stand a chance for a provincial nomination from Ontario PNP. In order to determine your eligibility based on your profile, book your free consultation session with our immigration experts today!

PEI PNP invites 195 Express Entry Labour and Business Impact candidates

Prince Edward Island Held Its Last Scheduled Draw Of The Year

Prince Edward Island (PEI) invited 195 eligible candidates in a new immigration draw held on December 17.

All the invited candidates belonged to Express Entry, Labour Impact, and Business Impact categories, thereby, focusing on a specific group of immigrants – skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and students.

Most of the invitations to apply for a provincial nomination, 174 in number, went to Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates. And the rest, 21 invitations went to Business Impact candidates.

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for various Canada PNP.

How To Get Provincial Nominations Under PEI PNP?

11 provinces/territorial governments have a unique arrangement with the federal government to invite candidates matching their specific labor demands to apply for Canada PR.

After the launch of Express Entry in 2015, all nominations made through any of the Provincial Nominee Programs are classified into two types: Enhanced nominations & Base nominations.

PEI PNP offers various streams (immigration programs targeted at the specific group) to attract foreign applicants like recent international graduates, skilled workers, entrepreneurs to receive provincial nominations. Further, these nominations can be submitted to IRCC to obtain permanent residence.

‘Enhanced’ Nomination Stream – PEI Express Entry Category

Being an ‘enhanced’ nomination stream, PEI PNP selects eligible profiles already registered in the federal Express Entry pool.

The federal pool consists of applicants qualifying for programs like – Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

These profiles are scored and ranked against each other based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The scores depend on factors like age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English and French.

If any Express Entry candidates receive a provincial nomination, they are awarded an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. It will guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

‘Base’ Nomination Stream – Labour & Business Impact

Under such streams, candidates who do not qualify for Express Entry registrations are nominated to meet the specific labor demand of the province.

The Labour Impact Category is for foreign nationals having a valid job offer in the province. The focus group of immigrants who would qualify under this category includes Skilled Worker, Critical Worker, and International Graduate.

The Business Impact Category is for foreign entrepreneurs willing to own and operate a business in the province. The invitations for this category are issued under the Work Permit Stream.

Just like any other province, Prince Edward Island also requires interested applicants to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile prior to consideration for a provincial nomination under this stream.

EOI profiles are given points based on the province’s unique points grid. The highest-scoring candidates are then invited to apply through monthly provincial draws.

December 17 PEI PNP issued 21 invitations under the Business Impact Category to candidates with a minimum EOI score of 85. However, the provincial release said nothing about the breakdown nor the minimum EOI score of how many Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates were invited.

If you are looking for a new beginning, choose from over 100+ immigration streams offered by Canada. Contact our team to book your free consultation session with our expert advisors.

Manitoba PNP Held Its Largest Draw Of The Year 2020

Manitoba conducted its 103rd PNP draw on December 17.

It was the biggest ever draw held by Manitoba PNP in 2020, resulting in 419 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination. Further, Manitoba has issued a total of 4,888 to potential newcomers in 2020.

December 17 PNP draw also nominated eligible candidates from the federal Express Entry pool. The invitations issued by Manitoba PNP are called Letter of Advice to Apply (LAAs).

Later, these LAAs can be forwarded to the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

The category-wise breakdown of December 17 Manitoba PNP draw results:

MPNP Category	Qualifying EOI score*	LAAs issues
Skilled Workers in Manitoba	375	329
Skilled Workers Overseas	706	50
International Education Stream	N/A	40

*The Skilled Worker categories operate through an ‘Expression of Interest‘ system, whereby eligible candidates complete a series of questions online and receive a score based on the answers they provide.

Contact our immigration advisors to know more.

Immigration Streams Offered By Manitoba PNP

Any skilled worker or international student who had graduated from any University/College in Manitoba may get nominated under the province’s Skilled Workers Overseas Category, Skilled Workers in Manitoba streams, or the International Education Stream.

Those candidates who are applying from outside Canada under the Skilled Workers Overseas Category need to have an established connection to Manitoba. An established connection to Manitoba would mean:

Demonstration of close family ties or friends in the province,
previous experience in Manitoba, or
an invitation under one of the MPNP’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives.

For candidates staying in Manitoba on a work permit and willing to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category must have a full-time permanent job offer from an employer in Manitoba.

For recent graduates from Manitoba institutions, they are required to have in-demand skills.

Express Entry Manitoba

Alternatively, any person who does not have any established connections in Manitoba nor a job offer in Manitoba nor graduated from any institution in Manitoba can still be nominated under Manitoba PNP to apply for Canada PR.

For which, such candidates must register their profile in the federal Express Entry system. Once their profiles are registered in the database, it is ranked based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score that considers human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability in English or French.

The maximum score is given out of a total of 1200 points.

One biggest advantage of having a provincial nomination is that the candidates get an additional 600 points. This will effectively guarantee an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canada PR from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

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

Improving Credential Recognition for Internationally-Trained Applicants

In order for newcomers to keep their skills up to date so they can rejoin their professions more quickly after arriving in Manitoba, the provincial government is taking adequate steps to reduce barriers to the successful and timely registration of internationally trained applicants to regulated professions.

“Regulated professions are responsible for protecting the public interest by ensuring a high standard of professional practice, and our government is working with Manitoba’s 30 regulated professions as the updated act would require them to take steps to improve their assessment and registration process”, said the provincial immigration minister, Eichler

Some of the 30 self-regulated professions in Manitoba include:

Colleges of Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, Pharmacists, Physicians, and Surgeons,
the Manitoba Dental Association,
Chartered Professional Accountants Manitoba,
Manitoba College of Social Workers and
Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association

Plan your immigration to Canada with your very own professional yet personal advisor! Choose CanApprove for its two+ decades of experience in Immigration, Legal, and Overseas Education consultancy services.

Take a free counseling session with us to the dice rolling!

Canadian immigration policy ranked among top five in the world

Why Immigrants From Middle East Choose Canada?

In a recently concluded survey by Migration Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), Canada’s immigration policy is ranked among the top five in the world.

Canada is now at the fourth position with overall 80 points behind Sweden with 86 points, Finland with 85 points, and Portugal with 81.

The MIPEX scores allow aspirants to gauge how well the policy support or hinder newcomers on their path to settling into Canadian society. Canada scored better in access to healthcare and citizenship for newcomers. And hence it is safe to conclude that the future of Canadian immigration is on the right track.

“Among English-speaking countries, Canada is becoming a more attractive and inclusive global destination,” says Thomas Huddleston, Director of Research for the Migration Policy Group.

Even though Canada is ranked number fourth in the world, Canada will still remain as the most preferred destination for immigrants from South Asia & the Middle East because of the following trends:

Easy Permanent Residence in Canada:

The unveiling of the Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023 signals the entry of more newcomers. It is expected to welcome 400,000 new immigrants each year until 2023.

Economic immigration programs like Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs, Entrepreneur programs will have a greater role in inviting upto 60% of the target newcomers in the upcoming years.

The federal Express Entry has already created a new record by issuing over 100,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canada PR in a single year as against the target of 91,870 ITAs in 2020. The targets are only expected to increase and actual invitations to exceed. The launch of the new Entrepreneur Immigration program like the British Columbia Regional Pilot is an attractive option to settle and start a business in Canada.

Canadian Immigration Minister appearing before the Immigration Committee assured a pathway to permanent residence for workers who are contributing to essential parts of the economy, ear-marking occupations like doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support workers.

Family Reunification in Canada:

The MIPEX index termed family reunification in Canada “favorable”. Family immigration programs are expected to jump upto 30000 sponsors for the Parents & Grandparents Program.

Click here to know why international students are thriving in Canada.

It is but natural for immigrants from the Middle East immigrants to choose Canada. Click here to read about a case study of Middle East immigrants moving to Canada

According to the MIPEX Index, anti-discrimination policies are Canada’s biggest strength. This goes on to justify the vibrant job market with equal participation for foreign skilled workers, lucrative business opportunities for foreign Entrepreneurs/Investors, favorable family reunification programs, and affordable study in Canada for international students.

Wait for no further, book your free counseling with us, and kick-start your plans for immigration!

Canada Immigration – 2020 Year In Review: Beyond COVID-19 Impact

2020 will go down in the history as the year of economic lockdowns and health emergencies.

The introduction of travel restrictions will impact Canada’s immigration system in the near future but it has not changed the rationale of Canada’s immigration policy.

Canada continues to be committed to welcoming global talent – foreign workers, students, entrepreneurs/investors – along with their families to support a strong economy and society.

In fact, a recently released WES report noted that the interest in Canadian Immigration increased despite the pandemic. Click here to read a case study of Middle East immigrants moving to Canada.

Keeping that in mind, let us observe the top events in Canadian Immigration 2020 and chart a roadmap for the future of Canadian Immigration.

Express Entry Crosses 100,000 ITAs for Canada PR

More than 60% of immigrants in Canada are welcomed as economic class skilled workers, and Express Entry is the main channel for Canada to manage their applications for Canada PR.

Applicants qualifying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) make up the lion’s share of successful Express Entry immigrants. However, with the announcement of travel restrictions on March 16, 2020, it was uncertain if the fortnightly Express Entry draws would continue.

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) improvised on their situation and scheduled the rare program-specific draws. For the next two-three months, IRCC invited Express Entry candidates who qualified only under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Finally, on July 8, FSWP candidates were once again included in an Express Entry draw and IRCC has stuck to “all-program draws” since September 2nd.

The major highlight of Express Entry draw story of the year is the sheer magnitude of the draw sizes. Since its launch, 2020 has been the most number of invitations issued, surpassing 100,000 invitations for Canada PR.

It spells good news for aspirants who want to apply for immigration to Canada as a skilled worker in 2021 and beyond!

Provincial Nominee Programs Fared Exceedingly Well

Even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian provinces still held nomination draws inviting immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Many of these invitations were issued through so-called “enhanced” nomination streams. Such streams allow the participating 11 provinces/territories to nominate candidates already registered with the federal Express Entry system.

Both PNPs from Ontario & British Columbia had already issued over 9,000 provincial nominations in 2020. Saskatchewan PNP introduced 10 new points available in the SINP ranking system for candidates who speak both French and English on November 24.

Nominations from provinces such as Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta remained active throughout the year. In addition to these, upcoming programs from Prince Edward Island PNP and Yukon PNP promise great scope for foreigners in Canada.

A visible portion of provincial nominations also went to Entrepreneurial candidates who are willing to settle and start a business in Canada.

To boost immigration, British Columbia introduced a new regional pilot in addition to its base program for Entrepreneur immigration. Follow the embedded link for more details.

Scope For International Students

IRCC made quick adjustments to accommodate existing international students affected by the travel restrictions by extending their eligibility for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

The PGWP enables international students to gain the work experience they need to be eligible for permanent residence, and eventually, make the transition to becoming the Canadian citizens of tomorrow. A recent report from Statistics Canada noted that over 50% of international students who completed a post-graduate course from any Canadian institution ended up attaining permanent residence status.

Further, it released special guidelines in connection with the provincial governments to welcome new international students in the new academic year.

Click here to know why international students thrive in Canada.

Follow our daily Education blogs to know more about choosing the right study course in Canada.

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

Immigration Levels Plan 2021 – 2023

Last year alone, Canada managed to welcome over 341,000 new immigrants to support its economy as well as society. The disruptions caused by the pandemic, challenges in confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) holders coming to Canada, and Canada’s coronavirus travel restrictions resulted in about welcoming 158,600 immigrants in the first 10 months of 2020.

But in the coming years, Canada will welcome over 400,000 immigrants for permanent residence annually. A snapshot of target levels & program-wise breakdown is as below:

	2021	2022	2023
Projected admissions-Targets	401,000	411,000	421,000
Federal economic, provincial/territorial nominees	208,500	213,900	217,500
Family Reunification	105,000	105,000	106,000

In the foreseeable future, IRCC will need time to process the backlog of applications caused by the pandemic and will need to modernize its systems so it can process applications more quickly after the pandemic is well behind us.

Being in the immigration & overseas education consultancy service for more than two decades, CanApprove strongly supports the findings of Remitly Study – noting Canada as the most popular immigration destination in recent years.

There are 100+ economic & family immigration pathways to choose to immigrate to Canada.

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British Columbia Held Its 27th Tech Pilot Draw in 2020

December 15 nomination draws from British Columbia issued invitations to immigration candidates through the Express Entry BC (EEBC) and Skills Immigration (SI) streams.

Invitations to apply for a provincial nomination were issued to 92 foreign tech workers and international students through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). Further, such candidates can apply with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

The BC PNP Tech Pilot was launched in 2017 to facilitate the immigration process for foreign tech workers and international students. Now, any eligible foreigner with a valid one-year job offer in one of the program’s specified 29 occupations can receive a provincial nomination for Canada PR.

In order to qualify under the BC PNP, candidates will have to create a separate profile under the province’s Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS).

The SIRS is a point-based system that assesses applicants’ skilled and scores them on factors like level of education, work experience, proficiency in English, and location of employment. The candidates are scored out of a maximum of 200 points.

December 15 draws selected candidates having a minimum provincial score of 80 in all categories – SI- Skilled Worker; SI- International Graduate; EEBC- Skilled Worker and EEBC- International Graduate

Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility.

Why Immigrate To Canada Now?

Canada needs to support its economy, aging demography, and improve its population rate. It hopes to seek a solution in increasing the immigration levels in the upcoming years.

Canada is planning to welcome 400,000 new immigrants annually including refugees. The new Immigration Levels Plan for 2021-2023 calls for over 60% intake through 80+ economic-class immigration streams – Federal Skilled Workers Programs, Canada Experience Class, Provincial Nominee Programs, etc.

Foreign skilled workers with/without work experience in Canada, international students aspiring to study and settle in Canada, and foreign entrepreneurs looking to establish their business in Canada are most likely to benefit.

The fact that Canada is the most preferred migrant destination, ahead of Australia and the USA is no less a reason to migrate to Canada!

Wait for no further and contact CanApprove to know your best immigration programs.

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29 Eligible Tech Occupation- BC PNP Tech Pilot

The province had recently extended the Tech Pilot to June 2021 and may extend beyond. Here is the list of eligible occupations:

Occupation	NOC
Telecommunication carriers managers	0131
Computer and information systems managers	0213
Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts	0512
Civil engineers	2131
Mechanical engineers	2132
Electrical and electronics engineers	2133
Chemical engineers	2134
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)	2147
Information systems analysts and consultants	2171
Database analysts and data administrators	2172
Software engineers and designers	2173
Computer programmers and interactive media developers	2174
Web designers and developers	2175
Biological technologists and technicians	2221
Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians	2241
Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)	2242
Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics	2243
Computer network technicians	2281
User support technicians	2282
Information systems testing technicians	2283
Authors and writers	5121
Editors	5122
Translators, terminologists, and interpreters	5125
Broadcast technicians	5224
Audio and video recording technicians	5225
Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, and the performing arts	5226
Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography, and the performing arts	5227
Graphic designers and illustrators	5241
Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade	6221

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29 Eligible Tech Occupation- BC PNP Tech Pilot

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