British Columbia holds new Tech Pilot draw

Skilled Workers and International Graduates Receive Nominations From British Columbia

British Columbia (B.C.) is the only Canadian province that has been actively nominating immigration candidates under its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) since the start of 2021.

February 9 BC PNP Tech pilot draw issued 74 invitations to eligible candidates under the Express Entry BC (EEBC) and Skills Immigration (SI) categories.

Such eligible candidates who belonged to the skilled worker and international graduate subcategories needed a qualifying provincial nomination score of 80, as has been the case for Tech pilot draws.

Further, such candidates can apply with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

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

Qualify For BC PNP Tech Pilot

The BC PNP Tech Pilot was launched in 2017 to fast-track 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. Additionally, the candidates will have to qualify for any one immigration stream – EEBC or SI streams.

To qualify for EEBC or SI stream, candidates will first have to send their Expression of Interest (EOIs) through its Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). It is a point-based system that assesses applicants’ skilled and scores them on factors like level of education, work experience, proficiency in English, and employment offer in British Columbia. The candidates are scored out of a maximum of 200 points.

Why Immigrate To Canada Now?

Express Entry candidates can boost their Comprehensive Ranking System score by additional 600 points through a successful provincial nomination. It is enough to qualify for an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draw.

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.

So far, IRCC has issued 10,000 ITAs for Canada PR through Express Entry draws and aims to issue over 110,00 ITAs by the end of 2021. Additionally, 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, Business Immigration 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!

Book your free consultation and kickstart your immigration plans now!

29 Eligible Tech Occupation- BC PNP Tech Pilot

So far in 2021, BC PNP has 6 draws through its various PNP categories and streams and invited close to 1,000 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

Here is the occupation list which is eligible to qualify under the Tech Pilot draw:

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

Median Entry Wage For New Immigrants To Canada Hits A Record

Statistics Canada made an encouraging finding that immigrant wages were on the rise before the pandemic, for some groups even surpassed Canadian-born workers.

The median entry wage for new immigrants to Canada hit the highest in 2018, revealed a report of Statistics Canada published on February 1.

New immigrants were now reported to have a median entry wage of $30,100 in 2018. The same group had a median entry wage of $26,500 in 2017 for immigrants who landed in 2016.

Quoting the report, “Pre-admission experience, which can provide immigrants with language skills and knowledge of the job market, can help immigrants settle more quickly than those with no pre-admission experience.”

Check out our analysis of the present & future of Canada’s Immigration System.

Reasons For Higher Median Entry Wage

Immigrants with a study and work permit had the highest median entry wages with $44,000, while those with a work permit had only $39,100. A very encouraging fact for aspirants looking to work & settle in Canada is that both of these groups surpassed Canadians in median entry wages.

The report observed that certain socioeconomic characteristics of the immigrant candidate determined the record median entry wage in Canada. Such factors include language proficiency in English or French, prior work experience, and category of admission among others.

Immigrant outcomes also differed depending on what country they came from. Those from Iran, Egypt, and Algeria saw the highest increases in the median wage.

The report also showed that about 87% of immigrants who had prior work experience in any of the Canadian provinces before obtaining permanent residence preferred to stay in the province of admission. Ontario had the highest provincial retention rate, followed by Alberta and British Columbia.

In Canada, the overall retention rate after 10 years was 85.4 percent.

If you are looking to immigrate to Canada for work, study, or setting up a business, now is a great time to plan. Explore your visa options and build a strong immigration application with CanApprove. You may fill this free online assessment form to let our consultants guide you better.

BC PNP nominates Entrepreneurs, Skilled Workers, and International Graduates for Canada PR

BC PNP Draws: 216 Candidates Including Entrepreneurs Invited

British Columbia opens provincial nominations to 216 select candidates that include Entrepreneurs, Skilled Workers & International Graduates.

All the invitations to apply for provincial nominations went under two ‘enhanced’ & one ‘base’ category: Express Entry, Skills Immigration & Entrepreneur streams.

B.C. holds draws through its various PNP categories and streams on a weekly basis.

With the February 02, 2021, provincial draws, BC PNP has already issued 740 candidates who could later qualify for Canada PR.

Any candidates looking for a provincial nomination to work & settle in British Columbia must first register under its Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Here the applicants are evaluated and issued a score based on factors such as level of education, work experience, proficiency in English, and location of employment.

Further, take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for qualifying for a provincial nomination.

Entrepreneur Immigration

British Columbia activated its entrepreneur stream for the first time in two months.

The province aims to welcome eligible entrepreneurs who either wish to start a business or take over one. They are assessed & evaluated based on criteria such as their business experience, net worth, education, business plan, and the amount of investment in the province.

A total of 8 invitations with a qualifying cut-off score of 122 were invited. Contact our business advisors to get started.

BC PNP Express Entry Stream

Since the launch of Express Entry in 2015, most of the provincial nominee program streams have been aligned with the federal Express Entry pool. It allows these programs to pick & nominate eligible candidates from the federal pool for provincial nominations.

Candidates with a successfully provincial nomination also receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points which will effectively guarantee them an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

February 02, 2021, BC PNP draws had a qualifying cut-off score for Express Entry BC subcategories:

Skilled Worker: 104
International Graduate: 100

BC PNP Skills Immigration Stream

Candidates who already have a job offer in British Columbia may qualify for permanent residence under this stream.

There are five categories under SI, four of them are aligned with the federal government’s Express Entry system:

Skilled Worker Category – for people who have a job offer and several years of experience in a skilled occupation;
Healthcare Professional Category – physicians, nurses, psychiatric nurses, or allied health professionals with job offers in one of 11 eligible occupations may apply for this category;
International Graduate Category – for workers who have graduated from an eligible Canadian university or college in the last three years;
International Post-Graduate Category – Master’s or Ph.D. graduates from eligible B.C. post-secondaries in the natural, applied, or health sciences may apply for this category without a job offer.

There is Entry Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category – for entry-level or semi-skilled workers with jobs in tourism, hospitality, food processing, or long-haul trucking, or those in entry-level or semi-skilled positions living and working in the Northeast Development Region of British Columbia. This is the only SI category that does not apply to candidates in the Express Entry system.

The cut-off scores for the three Skills Immigration subcategories in the February 02 draws were:

Skilled Worker: 98
International Graduate: 98
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled: 79

Immigration laws and present travel restrictions are dynamic. You may need to consult a licensed immigration consultant for the latest update. Get in touch with CanApprove for all your immigration, business setup & education abroad needs.

Monthly Review: Australia Immigration & New Opportunities

Travel restrictions for foreigners in Australia are still in place. However, the updated Border Force Commissioner’s Guidelines have been updated to allow certain exemptions for temporary visa holders, business visa, immediate family members of Australian citizens or permanent residents.

Further, almost all of Australia’s State and Territory Migration programs have restarted or will recommence shortly. This complements the desire of the federal government to continue the immigration of eligible candidates to rebuild its economy post-pandemic.

Here we look at the latest news from January 2021.

You might be further interested in reading >> How Will Australia Immigration Be Like in 2021?

State Migration Program Updates For January 2021

Except for South Australia State Nominations, every other state program has been reopened for inviting eligible foreigners to work & settle in Australia.

Priority For Business Migration

Queensland State Nomination: Business and Skilled Migration Queensland (BSMQ) has reopened their 491 and 190 program from 1 February 2021. However, there is no occupation list information.

The ‘491 Small Business Owner’ program and Business Migration program are already open. BSMQ will prioritise businesses which are located in regional areas. Contact our business overseas advisors to get started.

New South Wales State Nomination: The NSW Government has already begun accepting applications for:

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) streams, and
the Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132) Significant Business History stream

Additionally, the Skilled Migration program is open, with invitation rounds focusing on applicants who are already in NSW who have nominated selected health, ICT, and engineering occupations.

Skilled Worker Nominations

Tasmania State Nomination: The Tasmanian program opened at 1pm on 29 January 2021. About 40% of skilled visa nomination places have been used. Read the full story here.

Western Australia State Nomination: The WA Government issued their first round of invitations on 15 January 2021, with a total of 349 places as follows:

178 invitations for a 190 visa
171 invitations for a 491 visa

The vast majority of applications went to EOIs in the ‘Graduate Stream – Higher Education Graduates’ (PhD, Masters, Bachelor degree graduates).

Victoria State Nomination

The Victorian State Government has a set timetable for submission windows and when invitations will be issued. According to their website, the next window will be open from 9 am on 2 February to 5 pm on 8 February (Eastern Daylight Savings Time).

Dates for the following rounds in March, April, and May have also been published.

COVID Testing for Travel

All travellers to Australia are required to undertake a COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departure. Negative test results must be presented to the flight crew before boarding.

Nominations Only Open For On-Shore Candidates

On-shore candidates are those already present in Australia and awaiting permanent visa options.

Northern Territory State Nomination: Currently open to onshore applicants currently living in the NT.

Australian Capital Territory State Nomination: The ACT program is focused on those already living and working in the territory, in occupations on their ‘Critical Skills List’. The next matrix selection round will be on or around 9 February 2021.

Immigration policies and travel requirements are highly dynamic and subjected to change without notice. Hence, we strongly recommend obtaining advice on your individual situation from a Registered Migration Agent.

CanApprove is a regional leader in immigration, legal & overseas education consultancy. Talk to one of our consultants today or take this free assessment and get to know your chances of study, work & settle in Australia.

Express Entry Candidates Qualifies Two Separate PNP For Canada PR

Two separate and recent Canada PNP draws from the provinces of Ontario and Alberta resulted in nominations of Express Entry candidates to apply for provincial nominations under their ‘enhanced’ provincial streams.

Over the past 5 years, the Express Entry system in Canada has truly emerged as the leading pathway for foreign skilled workers with/without work experience inside Canada to qualify for permanent residence.

Express Entry is a database and not a visa type in itself. It handles applications for three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skills Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canada Experience Class (CEC).

Since its inception in 2015, all the existing Canada Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) were aligned with the Express Entry system. This resulted in two divisions: ‘enhanced’ provincial streams that nominate eligible candidates in the federal pool and ‘base’ nomination streams that choose candidates outside the federal pool.

Any candidate registered in the federal Express Entry pool is scored and evaluated on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The points allotment under this system is based on human capital factors like age, education, work experience, language proficiency in English or French, and others.

Take this free assessment to determine your eligibility.

CRS Drops To 360 In New Alberta PNP Draw

Nearly after 6 months of inaction in 2020, Alberta conducted its first draw of 2021 on January 8. However, the required minimum CRS score was above 400 which was not the case with all other previous nomination draws from Alberta.

Soon on January 28, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) issued 100 new invitations to Express Entry candidates, who had scores of at least 360 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). These invited candidates can now apply for a provincial nomination under the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Ontario Opens Its Human Capital Priorities Stream

The Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) invited a total of 283 candidates, whose Comprehensive Ranking System scores ranged between 466 and 467.

Further, candidates with at least one year of work experience and only in the following jobs qualified for this draw:

Banking, credit, and other investment managers (NOC 0122);
Advertising, marketing, and public relations managers (NOC 0124);
Other business services managers (NOC 0125);
Corporate sales managers (NOC 0601);
Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 1111);
Financial and investment analysts (NOC 1112);
Human resources professionals (NOC 1121);
Professional occupations in business management consulting (NOC 1122);
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012); and
Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants (NOC 4163).

Further, the biggest advantage of receiving a provincial nomination is that the registered candidates get upto an additional 600 CRS points which may effectively guarantee their invitation to apply for permanent residence in the subsequent Express Entry draw.

Reviewing all PR nominations in the month of January 2021 – over 13,000 eligible candidates were welcomed through nominations. This only goes on to say the accommodative stance of Canadian immigration policy.

Canada is targeting to welcome nearly 200,000 new immigrants through economic-class programs in 2021 alone. Now is the best time to plan your immigration to Canada.

In order to quicken the process, contact a trusted and licensed immigration consultant like CanApprove.

Randstad released its predictions for 2021 on the top jobs in Canada.

Canada’s High Demand Jobs For 2021: Report

The Canadian economy is certainly recovering from the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Not only the movement of people were affected dramatically, but businesses all over the world took a heavy blow on their operations. However, as we are entering the second month of the new year 2021, it’s an excellent time to reclaim all the lost opportunities and qualify oneself to immigrate to Canada.

Industry sources expect more than two-thirds of Canadian employers to rehire employees who were laid off due to the pandemic. Experts and research agencies have already started to predict the outlook for 2021 in Canada.

Following this is Randstad Canada, a human resources consulting firm, released its predictions for 2021 on the top jobs in the country.

Also, by virtue of treating all immigrants in Canada on par with the locals, the job market is equally accessible and open for all the eligible foreign skilled immigrants and recent graduates.

Here’s the monthly review of Canada PR nomination draws- January 2021 edition.

Top 9 Jobs in Canada for 2021

Registered Nurse	Software Developer	Electrical Engineer
Accountant	HR Manager	Financial Advisor
Sales Associate	Customer Service Representative	Tech Sector

Search current job openings in Canada using our dedicated Job Search Portal.

Registered Nurse: Canada’s demography is undergoing a transition phase where there is more aging population. Although the ongoing pandemic may have amplified the need for nurses, there was already a shortage of registered nurses even before.

It is estimated that Canada will need 60,000 nurses by 2022 to help with the aging population. Read more about migrating to Canada as a Registered Nurse.

Tech Sector: Immigrants are influential in growing the sector in Canada. For this reason, there are immigration programs in Ontario and British Columbia that focus on recruiting for the technology sector. Tech talent is in high demand particularly in major urban centers like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal.

Software Developer: Thanks to the pandemic, the dependence of businesses across various industries on digital medium have increased drastically. The demand for qualified individuals who can code, design, and build applications and websites may even bigger this year in Canada.

Read more about migrating to Canada as an IT professional.

Electrical Engineer: Demand is particularly high for electrical engineers with a diverse skill set that goes beyond technical skills, such as communication skills and writing skills.

Financial Advisors & Accountants: Accountants are able to advise businesses on issues such as accessing government funding and financial tax breaks. They also help businesses make important decisions regarding growth.

While Financial advisors play an important role in offering support and advice to said individuals who may be facing difficulty in mortgage or rent payments, as well as debt.

HR Manager: HR managers develop relevant HR policies such as remote work policies and health and safety policies. They are also responsible for keeping up the morale of the employees during such a difficult time. Companies in Canada will continue to hire the best person in the industry.

Read more about migrating to Canada as a Management Professional.

Other semi-skilled jobs like drivers, welders, general laborers are also expected to be in high demand in 2021.

CanApprove also offers job search assistance in Canada apart from regular immigration and legal services. Talk to our consultants today to get started!

New Alberta immigration pathway now open for international graduates

New Entrepreneur Immigration Options For International Graduates in Alberta

Great news for qualified international graduates from outside Canada, as a new immigration pathway under Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP), opens to receive Expressions of Interest (EOI).

The office of Alberta’s Minister of Labour and Immigration confirmed in an email to CIC News about the launch of the new Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream on January 27, 2021. It also said that there is no set quota for applications, however, they reserve the right to limit application intake and provincial nominations under this stream.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) is a means for interested candidates to let AINP know their consent for a provincial nomination for permanent residence (PR) under a particular stream, in this case, the newly launched Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream

Interested candidates are required to take a questionnaire while submitting EOI online. It includes a series of questions on their education, work experience, and proficiency in English or French, among other factors. Further, the profiles are scored and ranked based on the questionnaire. Contact our Business Consultants to know more details and get maximum points.

Qualify For New Immigration Pathway With CanApprove

Interested candidates must have graduated from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada within the last 2 years and have an educational credential equivalent to a Canadian degree. Further,

Work Experience: a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience in the management or ownership of a business or work experience with a business incubator or business accelerator;
Business Plan: business plan with financial forecasts and a 10-minute presentation of the proposed business, focusing on what investors would like to see;
Language Proficiency: minimum CLB level of 7 for each skill in English or CLB of 7 for each skill in French;
Ability to show a minimum of 34% ownership if their business is located in an urban center or 51% if located in a regional area outside of Alberta’s two major cities, Calgary and Edmonton.

CanApprove is your best immigration consultant in the region with its vast experience as a business formation abroad consultant. Get in touch with our business consultants to know about your business prospects in Canada.

Other Ways Of Business Immigration Through AINP

Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP) offers two other streams for eligible entrepreneurs to migrate and run a business in Alberta. It includes:

Alberta Self-Employed Farmer Stream for applicants with farm management skills and enough financial resources to successfully run a farming business in Alberta;
International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream, designed to retain recent international student graduates from Alberta post-secondaries.

In addition to these, AINP also operates the Alberta Opportunity Stream and the Alberta Express Entry Stream for qualifying skilled workers and international graduates to work and settle in Canada. Most of these immigrants end up getting permanent residence and eventually, Canadian citizenship.

Are you interested in knowing your chances for immigration to Canada? Take this free assessment online or directly contact our consultants here.

Australia upgrades Global Tech Talent Visa Program

Australia Expands Global Tech Talent PR Program After Tripling Intake

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

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

Adding New Sectors

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

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

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

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

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

Features of the GTI Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch the full interview here:

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

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

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

Get in touch with CanApprove for further such updates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights On January 21 PEI PNP Draw

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ontario Nominates Express Entry Candidates To Qualify For Canada PR

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

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

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

Preference To Bilingual Express Entry Candidates

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

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

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

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

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

Securing Permanent Residence In Canada

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quick Highlights of January 21 Express Entry Draw

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

January 21 Express Entry draw included:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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