Latest Alberta Express Entry stream draw invites 132 candidates

The Express Entry stream draw of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) held on December 5 issued Notifications of Interest (NoIs) to 132 candidates to apply for provincial nomination for permanent residence in Canada. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of the candidates invited in the draw was 400.

Through the Express Entry stream, AINP selects eligible candidates to invite to apply for provincial nomination, from the federal Express Entry pool. The Express Entry candidates who successfully apply for and receive provincial nomination from Alberta will also have 600 additional CRS score points added to their total CRS score. This guarantees them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

The CRS cut-off score set for the December 5 AINP Express Entry stream draw is much lower in comparison to the cut-off scores for the federal Express Entry draws held this year. The lowest CRS cut-off score in a federal Express Entry draw this year so far was 438.

It is not necessary for a candidate to have a job offer from Alberta to be eligible for invitation under the Alberta Express Entry stream. However, if the candidate has one or more of the following advantages, they are more likely to be selected in the Alberta Express Entry stream draws:

A job offer or previous work experience in Canada
A degree obtained from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer
A parent, child or sibling residing in Alberta.

In the year 2019, Alberta conducted 31 provincial nomination draws. The nomination allocation for Alberta for the current year was 6000. AINP has issued all the 6000 certificates for the year. The province is expected to issue invitations again in January 2020.

The Express Entry stream of Alberta is the best pathway for immigration aspirants, especially those who are worried about their low CRS scores. In a few draws held this year, the province invited Express Entry candidates with CRS score as low as 300. Thus, AINP opens up opportunities for eligible skilled workers to move to Canada permanently and live/work/study in the province.

Canada PNP offers numerous options for immigration aspirants to make their dream come true, even if they have low CRS scores. Contact our expert Canada immigration consultants to know more about your options to migrate to Canada through provincial nominee programs.

Canada immigration via Express Entry & the PNP looks even brighter in 2020

The legacy of welcoming foreign skilled immigrants to Canada is all set to continue in 2020. The new year will see the target rise to 85,800, up from 81,400 in 2019, for the three federal Express Entry immigration programs – Federal Skilled Workers, Canada Experience Class and Federal Skilled Trades Program.

The Provincial Nominee Programs, or PNP, will also witness a rise in admission target from 61,000 to 67,800 in 2020. In the said scheme, nine Canadian provinces and two territories have immigration streams linked to the Express Entry system. These streams issue provincial nominations to eligible candidates from Express Entry pool.

IRCC issues a document named Invitation to Apply (ITA) to eligible candidates in the Express Entry pool. With an ITA, the eligible candidates may apply for a permanent residence in Canada.

Candidates in the Express Entry pool who receive a provincial nomination are eligible to get an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System score. Effectively, this guarantees an invitation from IRCC to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

Take a free assessment to improve your CRS score and know the best option to migrate to Canada.

It is also interesting to note that the rising target of Canada immigration via Express Entry and the PNP may have a downward impact on the minimum CRS score, enabling more people to be eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

A CRS score is based on core human capital factors like age, education qualification, work experience, proficiency in English or French. The CRS score under all-program Express Entry draw in 2019 alone touched its peak of 475 in October 30 draw. However, the minimum CRS hovered around 450-460 for the most part of the year. The enhanced provincial nomination streams have low as 300 (Alberta Express Entry stream) or no minimum CRS score requirements.

If you are looking to work & settle abroad, Canada offers tremendous opportunities that can change your life forever for good. Get in touch us to let us be your personal consultant & begin your process for immigration today!

Social and community service workers invited in latest NSNP Labour Market Priorities Stream draw

In the latest Labour Market Priorities stream draw held on December 5^th, Nova Scotia Nominee Program(NSNP) invited Express Entry candidates with work experience as social and community service workers. The occupation of the candidates invited in the latest draw is classified under National Occupation Classification(NOC) 4212-Social and Community Service Workers.

Through the Labour Market Priorities Stream, Nova Scotia selects candidates with specific work experience that is in demand in the province from the federal Express Entry pool and invites them to apply for provincial nomination. The December 5 Labour Market Priorities Stream draw is the sixth draw to be held under this stream in 2019. The earlier Labour Market Priorities draws had invited Express Entry candidates with work experience as nurses, carpenters, financial auditors and accountants.

The Express Entry candidates who successfully obtain provincial nomination through the Labour Market Priorities Stream and receive provincial nomination will also have 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) score points added to their total CRS score. It ensures them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada from the federal government in the subsequent Express Entry draw.

A job offer is not required for the candidate to be selected for invitation through the Labour Market Priorities stream. Those who receive invitation in a Labour Market Priorities stream draw may apply for provincial nomination within 30 days.

The candidates selected in the December 5^th Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream were required to meet the following criteria:

Primary occupation must be social worker or community social worker(NOC 4212)
Letters of reference from employers have to be submitted to prove that they have two or more years of full-time or equivalent part-time experience as a social worker or community service worker. The work experience must be acquired within five years before submitting the application
Minimum language proficiency equal to Canadian Language Benchmark score 7 in English or French in all the four abilities (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
Education qualification equal to a bachelor’s degree or must have completed a study program with a duration of three or more years at a university, college, trade or technical school or other eligible institute of higher education
Must have a valid Express Entry profile created on or after December 6, 2018.

Do you wish to migrate to Canada? Then Canada Provincial Nominee Programs can be a great option for you. Check your eligibility for free by filling our free online assessment form

New program for helping newcomers find affordable housing in Quebec

A new program has been launched in Quebec with an aim to help newcomers find affordable housing. Finding an affordable housing in Quebec has always been a serious challenge for newcomers when they arrived in Quebec for the first time.

The new project, named ‘Housing, key to a successful integration’, will help newcomers find affordable housing without much hassle in the province. The project is being run by the Fédération des Coopérativesd’HabitationIntermunicipale du Montréal Métropolitain (FECHIMM), a non-profit focusing on social housing. The City of Montreal and the Immigration Ministry of Quebec are financing the project.

The ultimate aim of the project is to help new immigrants integrate better and faster to the Quebec society. Under the program, newcomers would receive knowledge on affordable housing options as well as support throughout the process of finding an affordable home in Quebec.

FECHIMM has already made clear the purpose of the project, which is not to have more social housing units but to integrate newcomers better. The program will give newcomers an idea about social housing, co-ops in Quebec and how non-profits operate.

FECHIMM is the largest co-op housing federation in Quebec. As part of the program, it will work with partners to educate and share information with newcomers.

Most of the newcomers to Quebec, almost 70 percent,prefer to settle in the city of Montreal. Often they are compelled to spend an excessive amount on money on housing. FECCHIM’s project hopes to bring an end to this problem. According to FECHIMM’s data, around 20000 families live in around 600 co-ops in the Montreal area.

Are you looking for better career opportunities and living standards in another country? Then Quebec is the best destination for you. Get in touch with our expert immigration consultants to know more.

New South Wales invites applications from foreign skilled workers for Subclass 190 visa!

Skilled workers who wish to move to Australia permanently may now apply for nomination from the Australian state of New South Wales(New South Wales) under the Subclass 190 visa. Skilled Nominated Visa (190 visa) helps NSW to attract highly skilled foreign workers with work experience in a range of occupations to meet the labour market demands of the state.

Subclass 190 visa

A foreign skilled worker may apply for nomination from New South Wales if their occupation is included in the NSW 190 Priority Skilled Occupation List (NSW 190 List). Those who successfully receive nomination from NSW will have five points added to their total eligibility score for subclass 190 visa. However, in order to obtain the visa invited candidates will have to meet the eligibility criteria for both the state and the federal government. The candidate must also be willing to reside in NSW for at least the first two years after arriving in Australia.

Application process for Subclass 190 visa

The first step in the process of applying for Subclass 190 visa is to submit an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect. The candidates must also declare their interest for NSW nomination in the Expression of Interest. The candidates, if selected by NSW, would receive an invitation to apply for state nomination. The application can be submitted within 14 days after receiving the invitation. Those who receive provincial nomination from NSW may apply for the 190 visa within 60 days.

New South Wales has recently informed that, starting from January 2020, the state would not be accepting applications from those residing in another Australian state or territory at the time of application. If the candidate is applying from inside Australia, they must be residing in New South Wales itself.

The Australian states are keen about inviting skilled foreign workers who can contribute to the growth of their economy. If you wish to explore the vast opportunities that await you in Australia, get in touch with our expert consultants to kickstart your Australia migration journey.

Canada the most favorite destination for global tech companies, says report

Major global tech companies are keen to expand their presence to Canada, says the Scoring Canadian Tech Talent report by CBRE for 2019. Canada is attracting both tech talent and companies at record rates according to this report that ranked Canadian cities on the basis of competitive advantages and appeals to tech workers and employers.

Canadian cities have emerged as attractive destinations for both global and domestic tech companies. The Canadian city of Toronto alone added 80,100 new tech jobs during the five years between 2013 and 2018. At the same time, the total number of new tech jobs added in the entire country during the same period was 161700.

Many major global tech companies, especially the top US tech firms, find Canada as their first choice for expanding their presence. They intentionally choose to expand in Canada over other US cities. One of the major factors that make Canada attractive for these tech companies is the abundant availability of tech talent. Canada is now an abundant source of high-quality tech talent with deep pools of tech labour in Canadian cities and accommodative immigration policies. Moreover, Canadian universities produce highly educated tech workers including those specialized in tech fields such as AI research and multimedia production. Canada also facilitates substantial cost savings for global tech companies with high-quality tech talent available at a less prohibitive cost, when accounting for the discounted Canadian dollar compared to US dollars.

CBRE Research analyzed 20 leading cities of Canada and ranked their tech talent offering on the basis of 13 metrics. According to the Report, the top Canadian tech talent markets in 2019 are Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Waterloo Region and Montreal. The report says that these cities have the perfect settings for the tech talent companies to flourish, especially high concentration of tech talent.

Top 20 cities in Canada for tech talent:

Toronto, Ontario
Ottawa, Ontario
Vancouver, British Columbia
Waterloo, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Calgary, Alberta
Victoria, British Columbia
Quebec City, Quebec
Hamilton, Ontario
Edmonton, Alberta
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Oshawa, Ontario
Guelph, Ontario
London, Ontario
Regina, Saskatchewan
Winnipeg, Manitoba
St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Windsor, Ontario
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Moncton, Manitoba

Do you wish to explore the abundant career opportunities that await you in Canada? Get the help of expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove to explore your options for moving to Canada permanently.

Migrants’ contributions crucial for Australian economy’s growth, shows latest data

Migrants are making significant contributions to the growth of Australia’s economy, shows new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics(ABS). As per the data, median employee income of migrant taxpayers has increased from $49,438 in 2016-17 to $49,412 in the current financial year. Last year, the median employee income of skilled migrants was $59,304, which is much higher than the median income of all Australians. The median employee income of humanitarian migrants was $32,792 during the same period, according to the data.

All these bring to light the fact that the contribution of the migrants for the healthy growth of the Australian economy has been very crucial. The data further bust the myth that migrants are a drain on the country’s economy and government services.

The fact that migrants are earning a higher median income compared to all Australians can be interpreted as migrants are paying more taxes compared to others. Thus they strengthen the economy as the taxes they pay are used by the government to fund hospitals, schools and other public services.

Australia has recently introduced the Global Talent Independent program through which it plans to recruit 5000 high-skilled migrants. The program was launched by Australia with an aim to support the growth of the country’s knowledge economy. Australia has announced extending the post-study work visa rights to international students in the regional campuses of the country. The move aims to retain global talents for the benefit of the country’s economy. As part of efforts in this direction, Australia is also making the Global Talent Employer Sponsored program permanent.

Australia has recently adopted several important steps for promoting migration to the regional areas of the country. The country has plans to increase the number of visas to skilled workers who are willing to migrate to the country’s regions. Those immigrants who are willing to live in regions outside of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will enjoy priority processing of their applications. Further, international university graduates who reside in these locations will be able to apply for more time in Australia on a post-study work visa.

Do you wish to migrate to Australia? Then start the process now!Contact our expert Australia immigration consultants for a smooth and hassle-free Australia migration.

Quebec values test for immigration applicants from January 1, 2020

From January 1, 2020 onwards, the new immigrants to Quebec will have to attend a Quebec values test to prove that they have enough knowledge about the distinct values of the province. The new immigrants have to appear for the test within two years before applying for permanent residence, according to Gazette of Quebec, the official publication of the Quebec government.

According to Quebec Premier François Legault, the test will not be much different from the one that already exists in Canada about knowing Canada. By introducing the Quebec values test, the province aims to ensure that those immigrants who wish to live there have good knowledge of the values of Quebec.

The test will include 20 multiple choice and true or false questions. An example of the questions given by Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette goes like this: “Since March 27, 2019, Bill 21, the secularism of the state, says every new police officer cannot wear religious symbols on the job. True or false?” The questions will be related to various topics such as Quebec democracy, francophone culture, secularism, rights and responsibilities and equality between men and women. The test has to be completed within 90 minutes and the candidate has to score at least 75 percent marks to qualify.

The candidates who pass the Quebec values test and meet other eligibility criteria will obtain a Quebec Selection Certificate with which they may apply for permanent residence in Canada. Children and applicants with a medical condition that prevents them from taking the test need not attend the Quebec values test.

The immigration candidates have a choice to either attend the test directly or enroll in a course pertaining to the values of Quebec, prescribed by the minister, before attending the test. If the candidate fails in the test, they have an option to reappear for the same after two weeks. But if they fail in the test again, they may enroll for the course before appearing for the test for a third time. If the candidate fails once again, they will have to resubmit the immigration application from the scratch.

Quebec offers promising career opportunities and high standards of living to the qualified immigrants who wish to settle in the province. Explore your options to move to Quebec permanently by contacting our expert Quebec immigration consultants!

460 Express Entry, Occupations In-Demand candidates invited in November 28 Saskatchewan draw

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) draw held on November 28 invited 460 Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. While 200 invitations out of these were issued to candidates belonging to the Express Entry subcategory, the remaining 260 invitations went to Occupations In-Demand category candidates.

Saskatchewan Express Entry

The invited candidates under the Saskatchewan Express Entry sub-category, if successfully apply for and obtain a provincial nomination, will receive 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score points. This would guarantee them an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draw.

Saskatchewan Occupations In-Demand

Those who do not have an Express Entry profile may apply for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan through the Occupations In-Demand subcategory. Though a candidate does not require a job offer to be eligible under Express Entry or Occupations In-Demand subcategories, they must have at least one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study and meet other major criteria.

Saskatchewan Expression of Interest

The first step to be invited to apply for provincial nomination under either the Express Entry or the Occupations In-Demand subcategory is to create an Expression of Interest profile with the SINP. Each profile is assessed and awarded a score out of 100 based on various eligibility factors such as age, education, skilled work experience etc. The highest scoring candidates are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through the SINP Expression of Interest draws that are conducted regularly. In the November 28 draw, candidates in both the Express Entry and the Occupations In-Demand sub-categories were required to score at least 69 points to qualify. Besides, the candidates had to have their educational credential assessments done for degrees and diplomas obtained outside of Canada.

The SINP has conducted 15 draws and invited 5689 candidates since the province replaced its the limited In-Demand Occupations List with an Excluded Occupations List. This move expanded the number of eligible occupations for both Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories from 19 to more than 200. The following draws targeted candidates in a variety of eligible occupations. The November 28 draw invited candidates in 97 eligible occupations.

Canada PNP is a faster and simpler pathway for Canada migration. Contact our expert immigration consultants to explore your options for Canada migration through Provincial Nominee Programs.

Canada ranked the best country for immigration and investment in a recent study

The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index that ranked 50 countries on the basis of various quality factors has found Canada to be the best place for immigration and investment. Canada was also ranked third in overall ranking, while France and Germany emerged first and second, respectively.

The countries included in the study were ranked on the basis of 20,035 online interviews that involved participants above the age of 18 from 20 panel countries. Canada emerged the best in three out of six individual categories, which are immigration and investment, people and governance. Canada was also the only country among the top five to improve its place in governance, culture and tourism categories.

Canada is being ranked the best for immigration and investment for the second consecutive year. A number of factors have been taken into consideration for ranking countries under this category. These include the country’s power to attract people from around the world to live, work and study here, and also the quality of life and business environment in the country.

The score is awarded to each country for the immigration and investment factor based on five composite attributes–work and live, quality of life, educational qualifications, invest in business and equality in society.

The study asked the participants to attribute personality traits to the countries and 39 per cent found Canada to be friendly, while for 30 per cent Canada was trustworthy, for 29 percent happy and for 19 per cent, generous.

The study was conducted by GfK Social and Strategic Research, acquired by Ipsos on October 10, 2018. The data collected through online interviews with more than 20000 candidates from 20 panel countries was weighed on the basis of key demographic characteristics such as age , gender, and education of the 2018 online population in that country. The study also used race/ethnicity for sample balancing in the U.S., UK, South Africa, India, and Brazil. The field work was conducted during July 7-25, 2018. Fifty nations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and Middle East/Africa were measured in the study.

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CRS cut-off score drops further in November 27 Express Entry draw

In the Express Entry draw held on November 27, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC) invited 3600 candidates to apply for permanent residence. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for the invited candidates was 471 points. This is one point lower compared to the previous Express Entry draw held on November 13.

Tie-break rule was applied in the November 27 draw and the time stamp given was November 11, 2019 at 6:29:10 UTC. It means the draw prioritised eligible candidates who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time.

Though the minimum CRS cut off score touched a record high in the October 30 Express Entry draw, it has been showing a decreasing trend in the subsequent draws. The CRS cut-off score in the October 30 draw was 475 points.

The cut-off score in the latest draw is still comparatively high at 472 and the longer gap occurred between two all-program Express Entry draws occurred in October is assumed to be the reason. When the gap between two all-program Express Entry draws is longer, more eligible profiles enter the Express Entry pool. As a result, the CRS cut-off score is set high by the IRCC to select the most eligible candidates. However, as Canada plans to admit a high number of immigrants through Express Entry, the CRS cut-off score is expected to come down further in the near future.

The Immigration Levels Plan of Canada for 2019-2021 envisages to admit around 25600 candidates through Express Entry during the three-year plan period. Another 200000 candidates will be admitted through Provincial Nominee Programs during this period.

Minimum CRS requirements in the Express Entry draws held this year:

Date	Minimum CRS score	Number of ITAs issued
January 10, 2019	449	3900
January 23, 2019	443	3900
January 30, 2019	438	3350
February 20, 2019	457	3350
March 6. 2019	454	3350
March 20, 2019	452	3350
April 3, 2019	451	3350
April 17, 2019	451	3350
May 1, 2019	450	3350
May 15, 2019(Program-specific)	332	500
May 29, 2019	470	3350
June 12, 2019	465	3350
June 26, 2019	462	3350
July 10, 2019	460	3600
July 24, 2019	459	3600
August 12, 2019	466	3600
August 20, 2019	457	3600
September 4, 2019	463	3600
September 18, 2019	462	3600
October 2, 2019	464	3900
October 16, 2019 (Program-specific)	357	500
October 30, 2019	475	3900
November 14, 2019	472	3600
November 27, 2019	471	3600

Interested in Canada immigration through Express Entry? Contact us for more information and guidance

Tremendous rise recorded in Canada job vacancy rate in 3rd quarter of 2019

The job vacancy rate in the private sector of Canada witnessed a record high in the third quarter of 2019, revealed a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB).

The latest Help Wanted Report released by the Federation shows that the number of unfilled job vacancies in Canada’s private sector was around 433000 during the third quarter of 2019. This number is 1500 more compared to the second quarter of 2019 and 15000 more compared to the third quarter of 2018.

For the past five consecutive quarters, Canada has been witnessing a record high in job vacancy rates. Especially the small firms in Canada with employee strength less than five have been finding it difficult to fill the vacancies.

Among the Canadian provinces, Quebec recorded the highest job vacancy rate at four per cent. Second came British Columbia with a job vacancy rate of 3.8 per cent. In the third place was Ontario with a national average of 3.2 per cent. Though the vacancy rates in the Prairie provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador were still below the national average, they were slightly up compared to previous quarters.

Rising job vacancy rates were reported in sectors such as agriculture, information and hospitality. The personal services industry that includes businesses such as hairdressers, dry cleaners and funeral services also had a high vacancy rate of 4.9 per cent during July-October 2019. Job vacancy rate in the construction industry during this period was 4.7 per cent. At the same time,manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors witnessed a decline in job vacancy rates. The other major sectors that witnessed an increase in job vacancy rates during this period were hospitality (4.0 per cent), agriculture (3.7 per cent) and information (2.4 per cent). The lowest job vacancy rate was recorded with the natural resources sector, at 1.8 per cent.

The CFIB report points out that the most significant factors which lead to an increase in the number of job vacancy rates are future outlooks, growth intentions, business size and firm-specific job characteristics.

Canada offers great opportunities for foreign skilled workers to build a great career. Explore your options to migrate to Canada by getting in touch with our expert immigration consultants.

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