Canadian Immigration News

The province of Manitoba has conducted the 23rd draw of its 'Expression of Interest' immigration system, part of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The latest draw took place on November 29, with a total of 179 candidates having been issued a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) to the MPNP.

Candidates eligible for one the MPNP for Skilled Workers sub-categories are ranked according to a unique points system that awards up to 1,000 points to each candidate. Of these LAAs issued, 150 were issued to candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba sub-category, each of whom had at least 713 points in the MPNP ranking system for skilled workers.

As of December 1, 2016, Mexican nationals will no longer be required to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) in order to enter Canada for temporary visits, work, or study. Instead, citizens of Mexico will need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before travelling to Canada by air. In preparation for this change, the government of Canada has announced that as of November 25, 2016, Mexican nationals may apply in advance for an eTA.

The International Skilled Worker - Occupations In-Demand sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is accepting 1,200 new applications, as of the morning of November 22, 2016. This highly popular Canadian immigration option allows skilled workers with experience in one of 21 in-demand occupations to make an application for a provincial nomination certificate, which may then be followed by an application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants do not require a job offer in order to make an application.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has advised Express Entry candidates for immigration to Canada who believe they may be affected by recent changes to the system to log in to their online account and answer new questions that have been added. By doing so, affected candidates may be awarded additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

On November 17, 2016, the province of British Columbia (BC) invited 310 individuals to apply for a provincial nomination certificate through the Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). This represents an increase of 43 percent in the number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) issued over the last draw, which took place on November 10, 2016.

A greater number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) have been issued than ever before in Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) latest draw from the Express Entry pool. A total of 2,427 ITAs were issued to candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 470 or higher. Consequently, for the third draw in a row, the number of ITAs issued is higher than any previous draw since the Express Entry system was introduced in 2015. The minimum CRS score required has also decreased for the third draw in a row.

The province of Manitoba will no longer penalize skilled worker immigration candidates who have a close relative in another province and no close relative in Manitoba.

On November 19, 2016, changes to the allocation of points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will come into force. The changes, which were first announced on November 10, 2016, include an extension of the submission period after an Invitation to Apply (ITA) is issued, reforms of the allocation of points for certain job offers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and the introduction of additional points for international graduates of Canadian study programs.

A total of 217 workers and international graduates who studied in Canada have been invited to apply to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) in a draw that took place on November 10, 2016. These individuals are now in a position to submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate to the BC PNP, after which they may apply to the federal government for permanent resident status.

Visitors to Canada who identify as neither male nor female will have the option of choosing 'other' when Canada's electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) requirement for visa-exempt visitors comes into full effect on Thursday, November 10.