3400 ITAs issued in the first Express Entry draw of 2020 held on January 8

In the latest Express Entry draw held on January 8, the first draw to be held in 2020, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada invited 3400 candidates to apply for permanent residence. It shows an increase by 200 more ITAs compared to the previous draw held on December 19, 2019, where only 3200 ITAs were issued. The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score in the latest draw was 473 points.

Tie-break rule was applied in the draw and the time stamp given was December 27, 2019 at 13:35:09 UTC. It means only those candidates with the minimum CRS cut-off score and who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time, were considered to be invited in the draw.

It is true that compared to the previous draw, the CRS cut-off score has increased by a few points. However, Canada immigration experts think that the score may come down in the future with candidates having CRS score as low as 450s standing a chance to receive Invitations to Apply. In January 2019, candidates with a minimum CRS score of 438 received invitations in an all-program Express Entry draw. Canada has set a higher immigration target through Express Entry program for 2020-2021 and it is highly likely that the CRS cut-off score would come down in the future draws.

ccording to the updated Canada Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021 announced on October 31, 2018, nearly 256,000 immigration candidates will be admitted to Canada through Express Entry during these three years. Around 200,000 or so permanent residents will also arrive in Canada through provincial nominee programs during this period.

The Express Entry candidates who are nominated by a province will have 600 additional CRS score points added to their total CRS score, which guarantee them an ITA for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draw. International students graduated from Canadian institutions of higher education also have an advantage in the Express Entry system in the form of a few additional CRS score points.

Canada Express Entry is a fast-track option for skilled workers who wish to make Canada their permanent home. CanApprove has almost two decades of experience in helping hundreds of our happy clients to move to Canada permanently. Get in touch with our Canada immigration consultants for assistance and guidance to move to Canada permanently.

186 LAAs issued in latest Manitoba Expression of Interest draw

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited 186 candidates to apply for provincial nomination in the first Manitoba Expression of Interest draw of 2020 held on January 2. The Letters of Advice to Apply(LAAs) were issued to candidates belonging to Skilled Workers in Manitoba; Skilled Workers Overseas; and the International Education Streams.

The distribution of LAAs issued in the January 2 Expression of Interest draw is as follows:

Skilled workers in Manitoba: 122
Skilled Workers Overseas: 42
International Education: 22

The January 2 draw is the 80th EoI draw to be held after the program came into existence in April 2014.

Manitoba Expression of Interest: Express Entry

Among the total 186 candidates who received LAAs in the latest Manitoba Expression of Interest draw, 24 were candidates who had their profiles in the federal Express Entry system.

To receive an LAA in a Manitoba Expression of Interest draw, a candidate must submit a separate Expression of Interest profile to MPNP. They must also have eligible work experience in one of Manitoba’s in-demand occupations and meet other requirements.

Manitoba Expression of Interest

A candidate belonging to either Skilled Worker in Manitoba or Skilled Worker Overseas category must submit an Expression of Interest to the MPNP to receive an LAA. Each submitted EoI profile is assessed on the basis of a number of eligibility factors such as education, work experience, previous connections to the province and proficiency in either English or French. Based on this assessment, each profile is awarded a score out of 1000 and the highest scoring candidates are issued Letters of Interest to apply for provincial nomination from Manitoba.

In the January 2 Manitoba Expression of Interest draw, the minimum required score for Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream candidates was 534 and for Skilled Worker Overseas Stream candidates, the minimum score was 708.

If you wish to move to Canada, Provincial Nominee Program is a fast and simple pathway.Get in touch with the expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove to know your options to migrate to Canada through PNP.

Record number of immigrants entered Nova Scotia in 2019

The province of Nova Scotia set new a record last year by inducting the highest number of immigrants in its history. Till December 27, 2019, Nova Scotia immigration authorities gave approval to almost 2780 applications so that these immigrants can settle down here. This number is around 21 per cent more compared to the previous year.

Lena MetlegeDiab, the immigration minister of Nova Scotia, has also informed that the population of the province set a new record in 2019 in terms of growth. Moreover, the province’s population got younger and immigration helped the province to fill the constant labour needs in its major sectors to a great extent.

The year also stands out as far as Nova Scotia immigration is concerned as the authorities gave special attention to admitting more health professionals during this period.A total 84 continuing care assistants and 52 physicians including 33 family doctors and 19 specialists received permanent residence through Nova Scotia Nominee Program. The province of Nova Scotia has a high immigrant retention rate in the region, at 71%.

Nova Scotia Nominee Program

Under the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, immigrants with skills and work experience are able to settle down in the province permanently and thus help to boost the growth of the province’s economy and deal with its demographic challenges.

The major streams under the Nova Scotia Nominee Program are:

Nova Scotia Experience in Express Entry
Nova Scotia Demand in Express Entry
Nova Scotia Labor Market Priorities for Physicians in Express Entry
Nova Scotia Labor Market Priorities in Express Entry
Physicians
Skilled Workers
Occupations in Demand
International Graduate Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur program

High quality of life and numerous career opportunities are the two factors that make Nova Scotia an attractive immigration destination. The province is also known for its scenic landscapes with beautiful beaches, green forests, lakes, farmlands etc. With a calm and peaceful atmosphere, the province also remains to be one of the best places to raise your kids.

Explore the endless opportunities that await you in the province of Nova Scotia. Get in touch with the expert immigration consultants of CanApprove to know more about migrating to Canada through PNP.

Immigration to play a pivotal role in Canada’s economic growth in next decade

Canada is once again in the list of the world’s 10 largest economies and the population growth of the country thanks to immigration is a major reason for its economic development, the latest edition of the World Economic League Table report has revealed. The report is published annually by the Centre for Economics and Business Research based in the UK.

Canada attributes 75 percent of its population growth to immigration, mostly in the economic category. As population growth is crucial to sustain the economic growth of the country, Canada is gradually increasing the immigration levels. As a country with low birth rates a population aging at a fast rate, Canada still needs to rely on immigration to maintain a healthy population growth rate.

Studies indicate that by 2040, one in every four people in Canada will be above the age of 65. A sizeable labour force is needed to stimulate economic activity and bolster tax revenues in the country.

According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research,population growth caused by immigration has significantly contributed towards the economic strength of Canada. The Centre, in a press release accompanying the report, observes that those countries which successfully attract skilled migrants tend to grow faster. This statement is verified by the examples of Canada and Australia, which, the release says, are the two ‘western’ economies which are successful in attracting skilled migrants to the country. Canada is predicted to be the 8^th largest economy and Australia the 13^th largest.

Canada is currently the 10 largest economy in the world with a GDP of US$1.731 trillion (CAD$2.251 trillion) in 2019. The Centre was expecting Canada’s economy to continue to slip down the ranking in as in 2016. But its latest report, released on December 26, 2019, reveals that Canada’s economy is projected to rise to the ninth-largest in the world by 2024 and No. 8 by 2029.

Canada is fast turning into one of the most favourite immigration destinations with a stable economy and better living standards. Explore your options to migrate to Canada now by filling our free online assessment form.

Report reveals the top emerging jobs in Canada for 2020

The Canada immigration scenario continues to remain upbeat in the new year and the Canadian labour market still has huge demand for skilled foreign workers. Canada has high job vacancy rate and has numerous job vacancies, which means eligible candidates won’t find it difficult to get placed in the country.

LinkedIn recently released the Canada’s Emerging Jobs Report for 2020 which identifies the topmost emerging jobs in the country. The report, which analysed Canada’s job scenario using LinkedIn data has found that most of the emerging jobs in the country belong to the technology sector. It means the technology sector will continue to dominate Canada’s job scenario in 2020 too.

According to the LinkedIn Report, the top emerging jobs in Canada for 2020 are:

Artificial Intelligence Specialist
Site Reliability Engineer
Data Engineer
Data Scientist
Cyber security Specialist
Big Data Developer
DevOps Engineer
Full Stack Engineer
Experience Designer
Robotics Engineer
Customer Success Specialist
JavaScript Developer
Product Owner
Data Consultant
Cloud Engineer

Canada’s tech industry is going through fast changes and at present, most of the in-demand jobs in Canada are related to various fields of tech sector such as artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing and more. Other than job skills, soft skills such as communication and time management are also considered by the employers while selecting candidates. Further, a major boom is predicted in the gaming/online learning industry and banking sector in the coming years.

Canadian cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal will continue to be the top technology hubs in the country in 2020 too, says the LinkedIn report. The other major Canadian cities that currently witness an impressive growth in the technology sector include Kitchener, Calgary Waterloo and Ottawa. These cities too would soon turn into the favourite career destination for tech workers.

Express Entry program of Canada is upbeat and will remain the fastest pathway to obtain permanent residence in the country. The most important advantage enjoyed by the Express Entry candidates is that they can settle anywhere they please in Canada. At the same time, Provincial Nominee Programs will open doors for those candidates who have work experience in certain specified occupations.

Is your occupation in demand in Canada? Check with the expert immigration consultants of Canada! Contact us now!

2020 set to be a promising year for Canada immigration aspirants

The year 2019 was an eventful one in terms of Canada immigration, with a number of developments favourable for immigration aspirants taking place. The year 2020 too would be a promising year for those who wish to move to Canada permanently, believes Canada immigration experts. This is especially possible with Canada having set ambitious targets for immigration for the next few years and plans to welcome around one million newcomers by 2021.

Now let’s look into the major developments in Canada migration expected to take place in 2020.

Express Entry immigration to Canada

The year 2019 was a busy one for Express Entry migration and the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) issued a total of 85300 Invitations in the year through the Express Entry draws that are conducted regularly. Canada has set higher immigration targets for 2020 and it is expected that Canada would invite more number of immigration candidates to apply for permanent residence in the country this year.

Provincial Nominee Programs

According to the Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2019-2021, the country will be admitting 67,800 immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Programs. It indicates an increase of 11 percent compared to 2019. Ontario has asked the federal government to double the number of economic immigrants the province can admit through its provincial nominee program. Other provinces are also expected to follow suit and make the efforts to have their immigration allocations increased in 2020.

Regional immigration

Canada is increasingly giving importance to promote regional migration to the country. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot program was launched in 2017 as part of this goal. Through the program, almost 4000 more immigrants have come to Canada and settled in the four Atlantic provinces of the country. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot launched in 2019 too is expected to become more active in 2020 with 11 designated communities having already started to admit newcomers through the program.

The Liberal Party has promised to introduce a new Municipal Nominee Program during their election campaigns. The program is expected to help municipalities to choose immigrants to settle down in their region based on their specific labour market needs. Though the government has not revealed much detail about the program, it is expected to become operational soon.

According to Canada immigration experts, the federal government is likely to make several major announcements regarding immigration in 2020 and these would be in favourable for those who wish to make Canada their permanent home. Contact the expert immigration consultants of CanApprove if you wish to migrate to Canada.

New Brunswick to conduct information sessions on immigration

New Brunswick officials will conduct information sessions on various programs for migrating to the province in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Brussels, Belgium. The information sessions offer a good opportunity for professionals who wish to settle here.

The information session inKyiv, Ukraine, will be held on 3rd February 2020 and the sessions in Brussels, Belgium, will be held on 5th and 6th of February.

Information session in Kyiv

Those who have work experience in one of the following professional sectors may attend the information session to be held in Kiev on February 3rd:

Health Care
Skilled Trades and Manufacturing
Client and Customer Services
Tourism, Hospitality and Food & Beverage Services
Early Childhood Education
Information Technology (IT)

The candidates must have acquired the relevant work experience within the past five years.

Information Sessions in Brussels, Belgium

Those who have work experience in the following professional sectors/positions can attend the information sessions to be held in Brussels, Belgium on February 5^th and 6^th:

Insurance

NOC 1212 – Supervisors: Finance, and insurance office workers

NOC 1312 – Insurance Adjusters and claims examiners

NOC 1313 – Insurance Agents and Brokers

Finance

NOC 0111 – Finance Managers

NOC 1111 – Financial Auditors and Accountants

NOC 1112 – Financial and Investment Analysts

NOC 4163 – Business Development Officers and Marketing Researchers and Consultants

Health Care

NOC 3113 – Dentist

NOC 3012 – Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses

NOC 3233 – Licensed Practical Nurses

Skilled Trades

NOC 7231 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors

NOC 7232 – Tool and Die makers

NOC 7237 – Welders

The candidates must have acquired the work experience within the past five years.

Documents required

If you wish to attend one of these information sessions, you must keep the following documents ready for upload in .jpg or .pdf format

The photo page of passport
Visa for your current country of legal residence, if you are not residing in your country of citizenship
Your language test results (if you have appeared for a language test)
Your ECA report (if ECA of your educational qualifications has been done)
Your CV (optional)
Your Spouse’s CV (optional)

Once you register for the information session, you would receive an email confirming the registration. The New Brunswick immigration authorities would select the candidates to attend the information sessions from these registrations and send invitations. Only those candidates who are invited will be able to attend the information sessions.

New Brunswick has informed that the province would be conducting information sessions, recruitment events and emigration expos in Poland, Ukraine, Belgium and Netherlands in January and February.

New Brunswick is a favorite destination for Canada immigrants to settle down owing to the relaxed, healthy and affordable lifestyle of the province. Get in touch with the Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove to know more about the information sessions and various immigration programs of New Brunswick.

Provincial government releases practical guide to prepare for Quebec values test

A practical guide has been released by the Quebec government help the immigration candidates who appear for the Quebec values test. From January 1, 2020, it is mandatory for the immigration candidates to pass the Quebec values test in order to settle in Quebec. Those who pass the test will obtain an ‘Attestation of learning about democratic values and the Quebec values expressed by the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms’.

The practical guide for Quebec values test has been published in French language and it observes that knowledge about the Quebec’s values is essential for a new immigrant to integrate well to the Quehttps://www.canapprove.com/quebec-points-calculator/bec society. The guide has divided these values into five key principles:

Quebec is a French-speaking society
Quebec is a democratic society
Equality between women and men
The rights and responsibilities of Quebecers
Quebec is a secular society

Quebec values test

Candidates under the following Quebec immigration programs need to appear for the Quebec values test:

Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP)
Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
Quebec Entrepreneur Program
Quebec Self-Employed Program
Quebec Investor Program

It is necessary for a candidate to pass the Quebec values test for obtaining the Quebec Selection Certificate, without which they cannot apply for permanent residence in Canada. However, children below the age of 18 years and those with serious physical or cognitive impairments need not pass the test.

After passing the test, candidates will obtain the attestation, which proves that they have passed the test,which has to be submitted within 60 days after submitting their application for Quebec Selection Certificate. In order to pass, the candidate has to score at least 15 out of 20 or 75%. The attestation has a validity of two years. If in case a candidate fails in the test, their application for Quebec Selection Certificate is terminated. If that happens, they have to submit the application all over again. A candidate will get maximum three chances to pass the test.

Do you wish to know more about Quebec migration? Get in touch with the expert Quebec migration consultants of CanApprove in order to explore your options.

A look back at Canada immigration scenario in 2019

The year 2019 has almost ended and when looking back, we realize that it was one of the least eventful years in terms of Canada immigration. No major changes were introduced to the immigration system by the federal government and as a result, immigration matters remained almost stable during the year. The two major controversies related to Canada immigration that arose in the year 2019 were related to the scrapping of applications for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program and submitting applications to the Parents and Grandparents Program.

Quebec decided to scrap 16000 already existing applications for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program before starting to accept Expressions of Interest through the new Arrima system. However, the following Arrima draws gave priority to those candidates whose applications were scrapped earlier.

The Parents and Grandparents Program opened to accept application on January 28, 2019 on a first-come, first-served basis. But the online Interest to Sponsor forms were available only for a few minutes. According to IRCC, almost 100,000 tried to access the form but the maximum number of applications set to be accepted was 20000. So the system attracted widespread criticism as being unfair to applicants.

Express Entry

The year 2019 was stable as far as the Express Entry system is concerned as no major changes were introduced to the system. The draws remained almost consistent in size and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score witnessed a gradual increase over the year. In 2019, IRCC issued a total of 85300 ITAs.

Express Entry-aligned PNP streams

Ontario launched Tech Draws through the Human Capital Priorities Stream, which is linked to the federal Express Entry, in 2019. A new Labour Market Priorities stream exclusively for doctors was launched by Nova Scotia. Similarly, New Brunswick launched an Express Entry stream dedicated to candidates already living and working in the province this year. In another major development, Saskatchewan increased the number of occupations eligible under the Express Entry stream of Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program(SINP).

Looking forward to 2020

Canada immigration aspirants are looking forward to 2020 with a lot of hope as the year is predicted to be favourable for them. As per the 2018 immigration levels plan, Canada’s plan is to gradually increase the immigration levels. 350,000 newcomers are expected to be admitted to the country by 2021. The new Liberal government has plans to launch a Municipal Nominee Program for helping smaller communities in the country. The minimum allocation for the Program will be 5000 per year. Canada government also plans to make the Atlantic Immigration Pilot permanent and abolish the $630 citizenship application fee.

Convert your Canada immigration dream into reality in 2020! Contact the expert immigration consultants of CanApprove to explore your options!

Immigration leads to record-breaking population growth in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia witnessed a record breaking population growth during the period between October 1, 2018 and October 1, 2019, according to the data released by Statistics Canada. This unprecedented growth of population is mainly attributed to the increase in the number of new immigrants and inter-provincial migrants to the province. The data shows that the population of the province grew by 12,339 residents during the 12-months period. This is including the 7,165 immigrants who came to the province during this time period.

This number can be translated into 1.28 percent of growth, which is the fastest increase in population to have happened in a 12-months period, as per the data recorded since 1972. As on October 1, 2019, the total population of Nova Scotia is a record 976,768.

The population growth of Nova Scotia recorded during the third quarter of 2019 was another record breaker. The population of the province grew by 5373 during the period between July 1 and October 1, 2019. A total of 2471 new immigrants arrived in Nova Scotia during this period and according the Government of Nova Scotia, this is the highest number of immigrants to have come to Nova Scotia in a quarter, since the period after the Second World War.

Nova Scotia welcomed 1090 new residents during this period through inter-provincial migration. This is the 16th consecutive quarter where Nova Scotia is recording a positive net inter-provincial migration, says the government data.

In a news release recently, Lena MetlegeDiab, the Immigration Minister of Nova Scotia, said that these population numbers indicated the positive impact of immigration on the province. The minister says, “Immigration is a priority and is key to filling persistent labour needs and increasing our population.”

At the same time, the natural growth of population in Nova Scotia, which is the difference between the number of births and deaths, has been witnessing a downward trend since 2016. However, this is being compensated by the increased population growth thanks to immigration and inter-provincial migration.

Nova Scotia is a favourite destination for immigrants as the province offers high living standards and better career opportunities. Contact the expert immigration consultants of CanApprove to know more about Nova Scotia migration or explore your options to migrate to Canada.

Canada’s population grows at record level owing to high immigration levels

Canada recorded the highest level of population growth in the third quarter of 2019, mainly driven by the high immigration levels. Canada has been making conscious efforts in the past few decades to improve its population growth. The major reasons for a low population growth in the country are low birth rate and an aging population. Canada is trying to overcome these hurdles by keeping the immigration levels high as it is difficult for the country to sustain its economic growth without a healthy population growth rate.

The total population of Canada, as on October 1, 2019, is 37,797,496. It shows an increase of 208,234 compared to the total population as on July 1, 2019. This is for the first time Canada is recording an increase in population by 200000 within just one quarter. It means a population increase of 0.6 per cent, which is so far the highest growth rate recorded in Canada ever since the current demographic accounting system was set up in July 1971. The major reason for this record rate of population growth is attributed to be the increase in the number of immigrants and non-permanent residents such as temporary workers in the country.

In the third quarter of 2019, an estimated 103,751 immigrants arrived in Canada. Around 83.4 per cent of the total Canadian population growth in the third quarter of 2019 is attributed to both permanent and temporary migrants. Among the provinces, the highest rate of population growth was recorded in British Columbia, an increase of 0.7 per cent. The lowest rate of growth was recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador at 0.1 per cent.

Experts expect that the population of Canada would continue to grow thanks to increased levels of immigration. However, the natural population growth of the country is predicted to remain low, mainly owing to the country’s population aging fast and low birth rate.

With high standards of living and better career opportunities, Canada is attracting immigrants from across the world. If you wish to explore your options to migrate to Canada, get in touch with our expert immigration consultants to know more!

111 invitations issued in Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest draw

In the Expression of Interest draw held on December 19, which is the final draw of the year 2019, Prince Edward Island issued invitations to a total of 111 candidates. Of these, 100 invites went to Labour Impact and Express Entry stream candidates and the remaining 11 invites to Business Impact candidates. The minimum score of the Business Impact candidates invited in the latest draw is 140, which is 10 points more compared to the minimum score in the previous draw.

Prince Edward Island Expression of Interest

Prince Edward Island introduced the Expression of Interest system for accepting applications to its provincial nominee program streams in 2018. Ever since, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) has been conducting Expression of Interest draws every month. In the 12 PEI PNP Expression of Interest draws held in 2019, a total of 1639 candidates have received invitations to apply for provincial nomination. Of them, 1436 candidates belonged to the Labour Impact/Express Entry streams, while the remaining 193 candidates were from the Business Impact stream.

Prince Edward Island Express Entry stream

The Express Entry stream of PEI PNP allows the province to select eligible candidates from the federal Express Entry pool and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination. Those who successfully apply for and receive a provincial nomination from Prince Edward Island will have 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score points added to their total CRS score. It guarantees them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent federal Express Entry draw. PEI PNP’s Express Entry stream has two pathways—one that requires a job offer and one that does not require a job offer.

Prince Edward Island Labour Impact category

The Labour Impact category has two streams– Skilled Worker Stream and Critical Worker stream. The Skilled Worker stream is for those candidates who have a full-time employment job offer from a Prince Edward Island employer. To be eligible, the occupation must be classified under National Occupational Classification (NOC) “0”, “A” or “B”. Further, the candidate must have education qualifications equal to post-secondary level and their age must be between 21 and 55 years. The candidate must have minimum of two years of work experience which must have been acquired within the past five years. They must also demonstrate a sufficient level of language proficiency and enough settlement funds.

The Critical Worker Stream is meant for resolving the labour shortage in Prince Edward Island. Foreign workers who are already in Prince Edward Island, with employment in critical in-demand occupations may apply under this stream. This stream requires the candidate to have at least six months of work experience with the employer in Prince Edward Island who offers the employment. Besides, the candidate must have a valid Canadian work permit while applying through the Stream and the intention to settle in Prince Edward Island. Other eligibility requirements related to factors such as age, language proficiency and education level must also be met.

Is Canada PNP a viable option for you to migrate to Canada? Get in touch with the expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove to check your eligibility for Canada migration.

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