Canadian Immigration News

Multiple technical issues affecting the application process for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program have been causing frustration among individuals wishing to come to Canada through the program.

The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that, as of May 1, 2016, application fees for the Skilled Worker and Express Entry Skilled Worker categories will increase to $250 CAD per application. These categories form part of the Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP).

The Canadian province of Manitoba issued 150 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) between January 5, 2016 and April 20, 2016 under the Business Investor Stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), equivalent to 10 LAAs per week over the period in question. The majority of LAAs were issued to candidates from China.

The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) will be hosting a series of Express Entry information sessions for employers next week. The sessions will be run by the Office of Immigration and Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning, in conjunction with the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC).

The number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required in order for candidates in the Express Entry pool to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence has dropped in the latest draw from the Express Entry pool, which was conducted the morning of April 20, 2016. A total of 1,018 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to candidates with 468 or more CRS points, representing a slight decrease from the two previous draws, both of which selected candidates with 470 or more CRS points.

In what opposition parties have labeled a government backtrack, Quebec's Immigration Minister, Kathleen Weil, has said that the the province will maintain its current immigration levels of 50,000 for the next couple of years. Last month, the government of Quebec announced a proposal for a new immigration framework called 'Ensemble, nous sommes le Québec' (Together, We Are Quebec), with the government proposing that overall immigration levels could reach 60,000.

The number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required in order for candidates in the Express Entry pool to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence has remained at 470. The latest draw from the pool was conducted the morning of April 6, 2016, with 954 candidates for immigration to Canada receiving Invitations to Apply (ITAs).

The Canadian province of Quebec has announced reopening dates for its business immigration programs, including the popular Quebec Investor Program, which will reopen for up to 1,900 new applications on May 30, 2016. The Entrepreneur and Self-Employed categories reopen with immediate effect, though for only 50 applications each. Candidates for the Investor and Entrepreneur categories with advanced intermediate French proficiency are exempt from the application cap.

Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum, has announced that an additional 10,000 applications from private sponsorship groups wishing to help resettle Syrian refugees are scheduled to be processed this year.

The latest draw from the Express Entry pool, the 30th draw since the system was introduced last year, has seen a total of 1,014 candidates being issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. The draw took place on March 23, 2016, and each candidate who received an ITA had 470 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.