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Canadian tech firms continue hiring despite COVID-19 crisis

Canada’s tech sector continues to hire workers amid COVID-19 crisis

Canada‘s tech sector will be leading the economic recovery of the country post-coronavirus, predict a study. A white paper report named ‘The Post-Viral Pivot: How Canada’s Tech Startups Can Drive the Recovery from COVID-19’ recently published by the Innovation Economy Council (IEC) points out that all other industry sectors in Canada are increasingly depending on tech companies for cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, data privacy, advanced manufacturing, clean technology etc.

The report observes that tech companies are in fact growing despite the pandemic crisis. These companies stay afloat because either they are already in a position to respond to the changing demands of the market or they have succeeded in adapting themselves to the changes induced by COVID-19 in the market.

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According to the report, the following Canadian tech companies are hiring currently and they are expected to grow further amid the pandemic crisis:

Shopify

Shopify is a popular e-commerce company based in Ottawa, Canada. On May 8, the careers page of Shopify listed a total of 77 vacancies. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, Shopify witnessed an increase in business by 47 percent or $470 million during the same period in 2020.

Cyclica

Cyclica is a biotechnology company based out of Toronto, Ontario and the careers page of the company has featured three open positions–two in computational scientist and one in intermediate software developer roles. The company partnered with Mannin Research for developing treatments for COVID-19 recently.

Tealbook

This Toronto-based company offers a database of suppliers thus helping the businesses find the goods and services required for their operations. When the pandemic affected the supply chains, Tealbook offered free reports for businesses in April. The company is hiring senior developers and product managers.

Dialogue Technologies

The company based in Montreal offers virtual healthcare services. They offer special COVID-19 resources that include a free virtual tool named Cloe for addressing Corona-virus related questions. Dialogue Technologies is hiring for tech positions as well as finance, legal, HR, sales, and medical positions.

Mind Beacon

Mind Beacon based in Toronto offers digital mental health services. They are offering a free COVID-19 program named Stronger Minds for Canadians. Mind Beacon is hiring for health-related positions.

Options for immigration for tech workers

1. Global Talent Stream connects Canadian companies with foreign workers. Under the stream, selected candidates get work permit within just two weeks.

2.Ontario Tech Pilot: Ontario Tech Pilot stream aligned to the Express Entry allows candidates with work experience in six tech-related occupations to apply for a provincial nomination

3. British Columbia Tech Pilot stream: BC PNP conducts Tech Pilot draws almost every week. Candidates with a job offer in any one of the 29 tech occupations may receive invitations under either the Skills Immigration stream or the Express Entry BC stream.

Are you a tech worker planning to migrate to Canada? Explore your options to move to Canada permanently by filling our free online assessment form.

Canada PNP

Canada Provincial Nominee Programs remain active despite COVID-19 crisis

Despite the travel restrictions imposed by Canada in the wake of COVID-19 crisis, the Provincial Nominee Programs continue to be active and invite immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. The PNPs which remain the most active are:

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Alberta

Alberta has conducted a total of eight PNP draws since the start of this year. Three among these were held after the travel restrictions were introduced in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. The Alberta Express Entry stream draws invited candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score as low as 300. The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program has also made the application process more flexible for the candidates.

British Columbia

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) goes ahead with regular draws that invite candidates with job offers. The Tech Pilot draws that target tech workers are held every week. The province is also conducting regular Skills Immigration and BC Express Entry invitation rounds.

Manitoba

Manitoba has so far conducted nine draws since the start of this year and three among these were held after the travel restrictions were imposed. So far this year, Manitoba has issued a total of 1808 Letters of Advice to Apply to immigration candidates belonging to Skilled Worker in Manitoba, Skilled Worker Overseas and International Education.

Ontario

Ontario conducted three PNP draws in the last two weeks of April alone, which targeted Entrepreneurs, French-speakers and tradespeople. So far this year, Ontario has invited 1440 candidates under the Human Capital Priorities Stream, 549 under the French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream and 190 under the Skilled Trades Stream.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan has held a total of five PNP draws so far this year. The one held after the imposition of travel restrictions exclusively targeted Occupation In-demand candidates. A total of 205 candidates with work experience in any one of the 71 targeted occupations were invited in the draw.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia held its first PNP draw on April 27 that invited French-speaking Express Entry candidates for provincial nomination. The candidates required French language proficiency equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 8 and English language proficiency equal to CLB 6.

Explore your options to migrate to Canada through Provincial Nominee Program. Fill our free online assessment form to check your eligibility

Manitoba Draw 123 Invites

Manitoba Expression of Interest draw on May 7 invites 123 candidates

In the Manitoba Expression of Interest draw held on May 7, a total of 123 candidates belonging to three immigration categories under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program(MPNP) received Letters of Advice to Apply(LAAs) for provincial nomination.  While candidates under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category received 94 invitations, Skilled Workers Overseas candidates received 14 invitations and International Education Stream candidates received 15 invitations. The number of Express Entry candidates who received invitations in the draw was 14. With the latest draw, the total number of LAAs issued by MPNP so far this year has touched 1931.

Manitoba Draw 123 Invites

 

Manitoba Express of Interest

Those who wish to receive a provincial nomination through either the Skilled Workers in Manitoba or Skilled Workers Overseas category must first submit an Expression of Interest to the MPNP. Each Expression of Interest profile submitted in this manner is assessed on the basis of various eligibility factors such as education, work experience, previous connections to Manitoba and official language proficiency and awarded a score out of 1000. The candidates who score the highest are selected to apply for provincial nomination in the Manitoba Expression of Interest draws.

In the Manitoba Expression of Interest draw held on May 7, Skilled Workers in Manitoba candidates had to score a minimum of 475 points to be invited. The minimum score required for the Skilled Workers Overseas stream candidates was 802.

 

Manitoba Expression of Interest draw: Immigration streams

Under the Skilled Workers Overseas category, Manitoba nominates those candidates capable of meeting the labour market demands of the province. To be eligible under this category, the candidates must have a previous connection to the province in the form of close family members residing here or education/work experience or an invitation received through one of the Strategic Recruitment Initiatives of MPNP. It is not mandatory for the candidates to be present in Manitoba at the time of submitting the application.

At the same time, candidates are invited under the Skilled Workers Overseas stream directly under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative of MPNP. To qualify under the Stream, the candidate must have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Manitoba employer, besides meeting other criteria.

The International Education Stream targets candidates with certain in-demand skills, who have graduated from the higher education institutions of Manitoba.

Canada PNP is a viable and simple pathway for Canada migration, especially to those who do not have an Express Entry profile and those who have low CRS score. Check your eligibility for Canada migration through Provincial Nominee Program by filling our free online assessment form.

Canada will remain open to immigrants- Mendicino

Canada will continue to need immigrants, says Immigration Minister

Canada will remain open for immigrants after the COVID-19 crisis is over, informed Canada’s Minister for Immigration Marco Mendicino. In a discussion with the Canadian Bar Association’s Immigration Law Section, the Minister reiterated that immigration would remain key to the success and economic recovery of Canada post COVID-19. “We continue to rely on immigration, it will be an economic driver and this will be the North Star of our policy going forward,” said the Minister.

“COVID-19 will not change Canada’s long-term demographic trends. The country’s worker-to-retiree ratio is declining and the country will continue to need immigrants to drive economic growth, he said.

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It is for the first time Canada is facing a pandemic and economic challenges. But, Canada keeps growing despite these challenges, which is partly because it continued to welcome immigrants, the Minister observed.

The Canadian government will consult stakeholders before announcing its annual immigration levels plan this fall, he informed.

The staff members of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently work remotely and this has affected the processing of immigration applications. However, the remote operations set up by the IRCC helps the staff to access the tools they need to facilitate processing, said the Minister. The COVID-19 season has also led to some innovations and improvisations for IRCC as they could expedite the processing of seasonal agricultural workers under its Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), he added. With an aim to strengthen the country’s food supply, Canada is also planning to make the terms for work permits for temporary workers in the agricultural sector and seafood sector more flexible.

However, Canada faces certain challenges in bringing foreign workers to the country. The circumstances which are under the purview of the source countries as well as the market demand, which is likely to come down for some sectors, are among these.

The Minister also said Canada has taken certain concrete steps to support international students. The decision to make international students who take online classes eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permit(PGWP) is one among these. The Minister said the government was consulting post-secondary education institutions to devise steps to help international students who plan to enrol in the Designated Learning Institutions of Canada during the September intake.

Do you wish to migrate to Canada? If yes, start the preparations right away to grab the opportunities that will open up once the COVID-19 crisis is over. Contact our Canada immigration experts today!

Ontario invites 190 Skilled Trades candidates

Ontario invites 190 Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream candidates

In the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program(OINP) draw held on April 29, Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream candidates received 190 invitations to apply for provincial nomination. The draw targeted candidates with work experience in 14 skilled trades occupations. These are:

NOC code

Occupation
NOC 7235 Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters
NOC 7236 Ironworkers
NOC 7235 Electricians
NOC 7244 Electrical power line and cable workers
NOC 7252 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
NOC 7271 Carpenters
NOC 7282 Concrete finishers
NOC 7291 Roofers
NOC 7302 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
NOC 7312 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
NOC 7313 Refrigeration and AC mechanics
NOC 7316 Machine fitters
NOC 7381 Elevator constructors and mechanics
NOC 7371 Crane operators

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The candidates who have received Notifications of Interest(NoIs) may now apply for provincial nomination from Ontario. Those who are nominated by the province 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.

Eligibility requirements

The following are the eligibility requirements for an Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream candidate to apply for provincial nomination:

  • A valid Express Entry profile
  • Meet the eligibility requirements under the Canadian Experience Class
  • Intent to reside in Ontario
  • Having received an NoI from OINP

 

This is the fourth OINP draw to be held this year. In the draw held last week, 26 Entrepreneur Stream candidates received invitations. In the two other draws held this year, Ontario invited 1440 Human Capital Priorities Stream candidates and 242 French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream candidates.

Ontario’s immigration allocation from the federal government for this year is yet to be revealed. Last year, Ontario received an initial allocation of 6650, followed by an additional 700. The total number of principal applicants nominated by Ontario in 2019 was 7391.

Explore your options to migrate to Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program. Contact CanApprove’s expert Canada immigration consultants for more information.

French-speaking Express Entry candidates

French-speaking Express Entry candidates invited in Nova Scotia draw

Nova Scotia invited Express Entry candidates in the latest Labour Market Priorities Stream draw held on April 27. The draw targeted those candidates who had selected French as their first language. The number of candidates who received the invites and the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required to be invited are yet to be confirmed.

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The candidates were supposed to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 8 or higher in French, in all the four language abilities–reading, writing, listening and speaking, to be invited. They also needed to score at least CLB 6 in English in all the four language abilities. Further, all the selected candidates have a bachelor’s degree or have completed a study program at a university, college, trade or technical school with a duration of at least three years.

Those who have received letters of interest to apply for provincial nomination in the latest draw may submit the complete application within 60 calendar days along with documents proving their language ability and education qualifications.

Canada Express Entry

In the Canada Express Entry system, a candidate’s rank is determined on the basis of CRS score. The CRS score is awarded to each candidate on the basis of various human capital factors such as age, education, work experience, language proficiency etc. Those who obtain a provincial nomination will have 600 additional CRS score points added to their total score. It guarantees the nominated candidates an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

Labour Market Priorities Stream

The Labour Market Priorities Stream of Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) allows the province to select candidates with skills and qualifications to meet the labour market demands of the province, from the Express Entry pool. NSNP launched the Stream in 2018 and ever since, a total of 10 draws have been conducted. In these draws, Nova Scotia targeted various professionals including childhood education workers, financial auditors, accountants, social workers and nurses.

Explore your options to migrate to Canada through Provincial Nominee Program. Contact the expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove for more information.

Manitoba PNP

Latest Manitoba PNP draw invites 132 candidates

In the latest Manitoba PNP draw held on April 23, a total of 132 candidates received Letters of Advice (LAAs) to apply for provincial nomination. The invited candidates belong to Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream and Skilled Workers Overseas categories of Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

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Of the total number of LAAs issued in the April 23 Manitoba PNP draw, 93 went to candidates with a minimum score of 489 points. While International Education Stream candidates received 14 LAAs, the remaining 25 LAAs were issued to Skilled Workers Overseas candidates with a minimum score of 714. The Skilled Workers Overseas candidates were selected through Strategic Recruitment Initiative of MPNP. The number of Express Entry candidates who received LAAs in the latest Manitoba PNP draw is 7.

Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream

Candidates are invited under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream of Manitoba PNP on the basis of the specific requirements of the employers in the province. The Stream prioritizes candidates with a previous connection to Manitoba

Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream has two pathways. Manitoba Work Experience Pathway is for those who are currently working in Manitoba on temporary work permits. Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway is for applicants with a job offer from an approved employer in Manitoba.

Skilled Worker Overseas stream

The Skilled Worker Overseas Stream of Manitoba PNP has both a dedicated direct Express Entry pathway and a direct provincial pathway. The stream targets international skilled workers with work experience in one of the in-demand occupations of the province. The Stream gives preference to those candidates who have a close family member residing in the province and official language proficiency.

International Education Stream

International graduates from the post-secondary institutions of Manitoba can apply for provincial nomination through International Education Stream. The three pathways under the stream are:

  • Career Employment Pathway
  • Graduate Internship Pathway
  • Student Entrepreneur Pathway

Those who have completed a study program with a duration of at least one year in a post-secondary institution in Manitoba are eligible under this pathway. Further, the candidate must have full-time job offer in an In-demand occupation, which is related to their field of study. Graduate Internship Pathway is for Masters and Doctoral degree holders. For Student Entrepreneur Pathway, the candidate must have completed a post-secondary study program with a duration of at least two years in a Manitoba institution. The candidate must also have business operation experience of at least six months in Manitoba.

Canada PNP is a simple, viable and fast-track pathway for Canada immigration. Explore your eligibility for Canada PNP immigration by filling our free online assessment form

PEI PNP continues to receive EOIs despite COVID-19_1

PEI PNP still receiving Expressions of Interest despite COVID-19 crisis

The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) has urged the potential applicants to continue submitting Expressions of Interest for provincial nomination. The PEI PNP has informed that they may perform unscheduled draws in this period of uncertainty, a Canada immigration website quoted.

The third Expression of Interest draw of PEI PNP was scheduled to take place on March 19. But it had to be postponed indefinitely owing to the COVID-19 crisis. Yet another draw, planned on April 19, also had to be postponed.

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The immigration office of the PEI PNP is closed in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and the staff is working remotely. In these circumstances, it is uncertain when the next Expression of Interest draw of PEI PNP will be conducted.

PEI PNP Expression of Interest draw

The PEI PNP launched the Expression of Interest system in the start of 2018. Ever since, Expression of Interest draws are being conducted every month. The draw which was supposed to be held on March 19 would have been the third PEI PNP Expression of Interest draw of 2020. Through the Expression of Interest draws, PEI PNP invites candidates belonging to Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact streams.

The first PEI PNP Expression of Interest draw of 2020 was held on January 16, in which 123 candidates received invitations to apply. In the second draw held on February 20, a total of 153 candidates received invitations to apply for provincial nomination.

Anticipated PEI PNP Expression of Interest Draw Dates in 2020

May 21

June 18

July 16

August 20

September 17

October 15

November 19

December 17

Last year, PEI PNP issued a total of 1627 invitations through Expression of Interest draws. Of these, 1,436 invitations were issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, while the remaining 193 invitations went to Business Impact candidates.

Do you wish to migrate to Canada through Provincial Nominee Program? Then start the preparations right away! As the first step, contact the expert Canada immigration consultants of CanApprove who will make your immigration process hassle-free and smooth.

COVID-19: Canada adopts lenient measures for immigration applicants

COVID-19: Canada adopts lenient measures for immigration applicants

Canada has issued a number of instructions to immigrants and travellers to the country in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. As a measure to prevent the spread of the disease, Canada closed its borders for travellers except Canadian citizens and permanent residents on March 16. Family members of Canadians, air crew members and diplomats were also excluded from this ban. Further, Canada has cancelled all citizenship ceremonies, citizenship tests and retests and itinerant service trips till further notice.

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Applying for Canada immigration

In the current circumstances, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would not be refusing applications for non-compliance.  Those immigration applications which have already been submitted, will continue to be processed. But delays in processing are most likely to occur as some visa application centres are closed and some others are operating with minimum staff.

The immigration officials will continue to issue request letters for additional documents that have to be submitted as part of the immigration application.  The candidates must submit these documents within 90 days.  Those who have already received request letter, but cannot submit the documents, also have 90 days to fulfill the requirement.

Those who have been directed to submit biometric details within 30 days need to submit the same only within 90 days. The candidates who have been asked to submit complete application for immigration also get some extra time. If they cannot submit their complete application within 60 days, they may submit the incomplete application with an explanation letter as to why they are unable to submit the complete application. If they pay all the associated fees, they will get an additional 90 days to submit the complete application. The candidates who have received confirmation of their permanent residence status are also eligible for extra time.

Start the preparations to make your Canada immigration dream a reality right away! Get in touch with CanApprove for more information.

Double Express Entry Draw

Double Express Entry draw held on April 9 invites 3900 candidates

In the two Express Entry draws held in a gap of just a few hours on April 9, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited a total of 3900 candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada.  The first draw that exclusively targeted provincial nominees issued 606 invitations and the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score was 698.

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Tie-break rule was applied in this draw, time stamp given being December 18, 2020 at 11:29:51 UTC. It means not all candidates who had scored a minimum of 698 CRS points received invitations as the draw prioritized those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time.

A provincial nomination guarantees an Invitation to Apply for Canada PR from the IRCC for a candidate, as an additional 600 CRS score points are added to their total CRS score. Since the last all-program Express Entry draw held on March 4, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have issued a number of nominations through their streams aligned to Express Entry.

The second Express Entry draw held on the day targeted candidates belonging to Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The minimum CRS score required was 464 and a total of 3294 candidates were invited. IRCC is conducting an exclusive Express Entry draw for Canadian Experience Class for the second time in a gap of just one month.

To be eligible to apply for Canada immigration through Canadian Experience Class(CEC), one of the three major economic immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system, a candidate must have work experience of at least one year in Canada and meet other eligibility criteria. The tie-break rule was applied in this draw too and the time stamp given was January 4, 2020, at 12:16:45 UTC.

Probably because of the COVID-19 crisis, all-program Express Entry draws were not held the last one month. However, giving hope to immigration applicants, Canada continues to process the applications despite the COVID-19 crisis.

Express Entry draws held so far in 2020

Draw Number Date Number of ITAs issued Minimum CRS score
142 April 9 3,294 464(CEC-specific draw)
141 April 9 606 698(PNP-specific draw)
140 March 23 3232 467 (CEC-specific draw)
139 March 18   668 720(PNP-specific draw)
138 March 4 3900 471
137 February 19 4500 470
136 February 5 3500 472
135 January 22 3400 471
134 January 8 3400 473

Canada Express Entry offers simple and fast-track pathway for international skilled workers to migrate to the country. Check your eligibility for Express Entry migration by our free online assessment form.

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