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In the latest Labour Market Priorities draw held on June 3, Nova Scotia invited 312 Express Entry candidates with eligible work experience as early childhood educators and assistants. The Labour Market Priorities Stream of Nova Scotia allows the province to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates to meet the labour market shortages in the province.

The June 3rd draw is the second draw under the Labour Market Priorities Stream that targeted Express Entry candidates with work experience as early childhood educators and assistants (National Occupational Classification 4214).

In order to be considered for provincial nomination under the Labour Market Priorities Stream, a candidate must produce:

• Proof that the candidate has received post-secondary education in early childhood education for children aged 0-8 years
• Proof that the candidate has completed a study program with a duration of two or more years at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute
• Letters of reference from employers to prove that the candidate has minimum five years of work experience in NOC 4214.

To be eligible to apply for provincial nomination under the stream, a candidate must:

• Receive Letter of Interest from the NSNP
• Submit the application within 30 days of receiving the Letter of Interest
• Minimum level of work experience to meet the requirements of the Express Entry stream for which you have qualified
• Sufficient funds to settle in Nova Scotia with family
• Legal status in the country of residence
• Meet the eligibility criteria which are in place when they receive the Letter of Interest.

The first step for a candidate to be considered for provincial nomination under the Labour Market Priorities stream is to create an Express Entry profile. The candidates selected in the latest draw were those who submitted their Express Entry profiles on or after August 8, 2018. Those who have received the Letters of Interest from Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) shall complete the online application form with all the required documents as attachments.

NSNP has conducted four Labour Market Priorities Stream draws from August 2018 till date. While two of these draws targeted early childhood educators, one draw targeted financial auditors and accountants and the other one, Express Entry candidates who listed French as their first official language.

If you are an Express Entry candidate, a provincial nomination may guarantee you an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the subsequent Express Entry draw. But to know which provincial nominee program is the best for you, you need the support of an expert immigration consultant. CanApprove, with more than two decades of experience in Canada migration, shall help you to choose the right immigration pathway so that your dream of migrating to Canada becomes a reality, faster than you thought! Contact us for more information.

Canada will be launching a two-year pilot program under which Canadian permanent residents of certain categories can sponsor non-accompanying family members, who were not declared at the time of applying, for permanent residence in Canada. The new pilot focuses on refugees and vulnerable migrants or those who were themselves sponsored as a spouse, partner or dependent child and they can apply for sponsorship under the new pilot program. The pilot will run from September 9, 2019, to September 9, 2021. Those applications which are already in process will also benefit.

Under Section 117(9) (d) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, the non-accompanying family members who were not declared by the sponsor while submitting the Canada PR application, are not eligible for a Family Class Sponsorship. Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) has termed the provision as “a significant barrier” to family reunification in Canada. It further pointed out that 117(9)(d) had a disproportionately negative effect on refugees and vulnerable migrants who failed to disclose a family member.

On a brief issued on the topic, the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) said although R.117(9)(d) affects all categories of immigrants, it has a disproportionately negative effect on refugees and vulnerable migrants who fail to disclose a family member. “Their reasons for doing so include fear of endangering the family member, gender-based oppression, lack of information, and unexpected life events. The regime set out in R.117(9)(d) is overbroad, excessive, and inflicts devastating harm on vulnerable people, especially children. “

Announcing the new pilot, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen said “Newcomers who failed to declare immediate family members as they first came to Canada were barred to sponsor them. Today, we right that wrong.”

Canada is a country that gives the highest priority to family reunification. So when you move to Canada, you need not leave your family behind! Contact us to know how you can sponsor your family members for permanent residence in Canada.

Nova Scotia has launched a new Occupation In Demand immigration pilot stream for candidates in one of the targeted intermediate-skilled occupations of the province.  The candidates also need to have an eligible job offer from a Nova Scotia employer to qualify under the stream.

Immigration pilot stream: Targeted occupations

Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) has revealed that the three-year pilot stream targets the professions that are “in high labour market demand” in Nova Scotia. However, these occupations may change according to the evolving labour market needs of the province.

Currently, the new Occupation in Demand Stream targets two specific occupations, which are categorized as Skill Level C under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC). They are:

NOC 3413 — Nurses aides, orderlies and patient service associates

NOC 7511 — Transport truck drivers

The candidates must have a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in one of these occupations in order to be eligible to apply for provincial nomination under this stream.

Eligibility requirements for the new NSNP immigration pilot stream

• Minimum one year of work experience in an eligible occupation
• Age between 21 years to 55 years
• Educational qualification equivalent to high school diploma
• Appropriate training, skills and/or accreditation for the job
• Language proficiency equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 proved through official language test results
• Financial capacity to successfully settle in Nova Scotia

The work experience and transferable skills of the candidates will be verified via reference letters from the employers and supporting documents of employment. With the new immigration pilot stream, the total number of immigration streams under NSNP has become eight.

Entrepreneur immigration streams updated

Nova Scotia has also updated its Entrepreneur and International Graduate Entrepreneur streams. Existing business owners will now be eligible under the Entrepreneur Stream and they will be able to include operating expenses towards the required minimum investment.

Besides, the business ownership requirements for international students to start a business in Nova Scotia will be reduced from 100 percent to one third.

Do you want to know which Canada PNP stream is best for you to migrate to Canada? We can help you to make an informed decision. Contact us now!

In the latest Express Entry draw held on May 29, 2019, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 3350 candidates to apply for permanent residence in Canada. This is the 118th Express Entry draw ever since the Express Entry system for managing economic immigration to Canada came into existence in January 2015.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score cut-off threshold in the latest draw was 470. Tie-break rule was applied in this draw too, the time stamp given being May 29, 2019 at 12:09:37 UTC. It means the candidates who had a CRS score above 470 and submitted their Express Entry profiles before the said date and time, were given priority in the May 29 draw.

The latest draw is also the 11th Express Entry draw held so far this year. With this draw, the total number of ITAs issued by the IRCC in 2019 has reached 35,100.

The May 29 draw is the first all-program draw since May 1, after a program-specific Express Entry draw was held on May 15. Only 500 candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Trades Program were invited in the May 15 draw.

In the year 2018, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) established a new Express Entry ITA record of 89,800 invitations issued in a single year. The total number of invitations to be issued in the years between 2019 and 2021 is about to increase further with higher admission targets set for these years through Express Entry. The minimum CRS score may also come down as the IRCC holds larger or more frequent draws during these years.

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

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

In the largest ever French-speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream draw held on May 22, Ontario issued Notifications of Interest to 360 Express Entry candidates. This number is more than the combined total of all the invitations issued through the French-speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream draws held by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) so far this year. With the latest draw, the total number of NOIs issued through FSSW this year has reached 549.

The invited candidates were those who had submitted their Express Entry profiles between May 22, 2018 and May 22, 2019. This immigration stream does not require the candidates to have minimum points. However, they need to have a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in French and 6 in English to qualify.

Requirements of Ontario Express Entry: French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream

>An active Express Entry profile

>Minimum one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time work experience under NOC occupation level 0, A or B;

>Canadian equivalent of Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD;

>Minimum CLB level 7 in TEF exam (French); AND minimum CLB 6 in IELTS exam (English)

>Intention to reside in the Province of Ontario.

The nomination allocation of Ontario for the year 2019 is 6900. A total of 250 nominations out of these are specifically set aside for temporary foreign workers in intermediate skilled occupations (National Occupation Classification C). Compared to last year, the nomination allocation for Ontario has increased by 4.5 per cent in 2019. Though Ontario reached the nomination limit in November 2018, an extra 250 nominations were allocated to the province, bringing the total nomination allocation for Ontario in 2018 to 6,850. The province conducted 44 French-Speaking Skilled Worker draws in 2018. In 2019, Ontario has conducted six draws under the same stream.

If you are a French speaker, French-speaking Skilled Worker is a great option for you to apply for Canada PR. Contact us for more information and guidance on Canada migration.

Canada is all set to introduce a new legislation to hold immigration and citizenship consultants to account and to protect vulnerable people from dishonest consultants, a news release issued by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has informed.  The proposed legislation is included in the 2019 Budget Implementation Act.

Under the law, the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (the College) will become the official watchdog of consultants across the country. The College will be empowered with the authority and tools needed to protect both the public and consultants in good-standing. These include “the authority for vigorous oversight, investigations and the means to root out fraudulent immigration and citizenship consultants and hold them accountable for their actions,” explains the news release.

The College will ensure that immigration and citizenship consultants operate in a professional and ethical manner. It will have the authority to enter the premises of a consultant for investigation when any wrongdoing is suspected and the ability to request court injunctions against unauthorized consultants.

The Government is also planning to entrust the College with implementing mandatory and robust training courses for those wishing to obtain an immigration and citizenship consulting license; introducing transparency on fees; establishing a better system for people to make formal complaints; and creating a victims’ compensation fund.

Further, when the proposed law comes into effect the current monetary penalty for offences will be doubled. The IRCC will be authorized to establish administrative penalties aimed at compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Citizenship Act.

Besides the implementation of new legislation, Canada Government is planning to launch extensive public awareness activities that will include establishing dedicated community outreach officers in visa offices abroad, to protect susceptible people from fraudulent consulting practices.

Ahmed Hussen, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said, “These changes will protect both Canadians and prospective newcomers as well as the many consultants in good-standing that are providing immigration and citizenship services ethically and professionally. While practicing law, I have seen the devastating effect these fraudulent “experts” have had on vulnerable people and I am committed to hold them to the highest standard. It is what is right, it is what is fair and it is time to put an end of an era of those preying on defenseless people.”

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Latest data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicate that the Indian population in Australia grew by 30 percent between the years 2016 and 2018. As per Census 2016 data, the number of Indians living in Australia was 455,389 in June 2016. The Indian population rose to 592,000 by June 2018, the preliminary estimates by the ABS show.

With this population increase, Indians have now become the third largest community in Australia, pushing the New Zealand born to the third place. At present, the Indian population constitutes 2.4% of the Australian population and the median age of Indian migrants is 34 years, the same as that of Australia-born residents.

Since the year 2016, Indians have been the largest source of migrants to Australia. In 2016-2017, a total of 183,608 PR visas were issued by Australia out of which, 38,854 visas were issued to Indians. In 2017-2018, the number of PR visas issued by Australia was 162,417 and the number of visas granted to Indians was 33,310.

The number of Indian students in Australia also reached a seven-year high in 2018. Data shows that around 70,000 students were studying in Australian universities and colleges in November 2017.

In June 2018, the total population of migrants in Australia was more than seven million. Overseas-born residents constituted more than 29 per cent of the population. The largest group of overseas-born residents in Australia continues to be the England-born diaspora. Second is the Chinese, with more than 651000 China-born residents living in the country.

Along with the migrant population, the Indian languages have also grown in Australia. The top Indian language spoken at home in Australia is Hindi, with 159,652 speakers. Second is Punjabi, with 132,496 speakers. These two languages are among the top 10 languages spoken in Australia. The other Indian languages that witnessed a significant increase in the number of speakers in Australia during this period are Tamil (73,161), Bengali (54,566), Malayalam (53,206), Gujarati (52,888), Telugu (34,435), Marathi (13,055) and Kannada (9701). Konkani, Kashmiri, Oriya and Sindhi are also being spoken in Australia, though speakers are a minority.

Australia has in store vast opportunities for qualified migrants. Contact us to explore your options to migrate to Australia.

Draw details of May 15 published by Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) imply 197 Express Entry candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score as low as 301 were invited.
Invitations issued and lowest score required in Alberta Express Entry draws in 2019

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Out of 15 draws held in 2019 so far, minimum score requirements ranged between 300 and 302 for 7 draws. For the previous draw held on May 2, 2019, minimum CRS score required was 400. Compared to this, the latest draw has invited candidates with CRS score as low as 301.

Express Entry System

The Express Entry system introduced in 2015 invites the candidates from the three main federal economic immigration categories listed below:

• Federal Skilled Worker Class

• Federal Skilled Trades Class

• Canadian Experience Class

AINP targets Express Entry candidates who can support the economic development of Alberta. The Express Entry candidates receiving invitation or Notification of Interest (NOI) from AINP can submit application for provincial nomination under Alberta Express Entry stream.

Candidates receive NOI if they meet the below criteria: –

• Active Express Entry profile in the Federal Express Entry pool.

• Statement of interest to immigrate permanently to Alberta.

• Occupation that can support Alberta’s economic development and diversification.

• Minimum CRS score of 300.

Your chances for selection are high if you have below requirements, even though not mandatory.

• Job offer/work experience in Alberta.

• A degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer.

• A parent, child, or sibling living in Alberta.

Selection process of AINP

A candidate with a CRS score of at least 300 and work experience in an occupation that can support Alberta’s economic development and diversification priorities will be eligible for Alberta Express Entry stream.

Express Entry Candidates who are nominated by a province receive an additional 600 points for their CRS score which ensure an invitation from Canadian government to apply for permanent residence.

Avail this golden opportunity to migrate to Canada, get a free eligibility assessment to understand your chances.