Canadian Immigration News

Up to 36,700 job positions will open up over the next 15 years in the Northwest Territories (NWT), and the NWT government is looking internationally to make sure that the territory continues to build a vibrant economy.

According to the government's Northwest Territories Immigration Strategy 2017-2022: Building a Skilled Workforce and a Vibrant Economy, 78 percent of these positions will typically require some form of post-secondary education and/or extensive work experience and seniority.

On July 4, the government of Ontario released the list of targeted Information and Communications Technology (ICT) occupations that were recently prioritized under the province’s Express Entry-aligned Human Capital Priorities Stream.

This stream is part of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

A total of 3,409 candidates have been issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the first Express Entry draw to occur since recent changes to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) were introduced on June 6, 2017. The latest draw, which took place on June 28, 2017, saw a minimum CRS score requirement of 449. Consequently, candidates in the Express Entry pool with a score of 449 or above at the time of the draw are now in a position to apply for Canadian permanent resident status.

The government of Ontario, Canada's most popular destination province for newcomers, is now publishing information on estimated processing times for streams within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), one of Canada's Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

Previously, this information was not publicly available.

Bill C-6, an act amending the Canadian Citizenship Act, has officially passed into law, placing current and future immigrants to Canada on a faster pathway to one of the world’s most desired citizenships.

C-6 received parliamentary Royal Assent in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, on the evening of June 19, 2017.

A total of 605 skilled workers in Manitoba and overseas have been invited to apply to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) in the province's two latest draws, which followed each other in quick succession. On May 30, a total of 401 candidates who had previously made a formal Expression of Interest in settling in Manitoba as a skilled worker were invited to submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate to the MPNP. This draw was followed by another on June 16, in which a further 204 candidates were invited to apply. Prior to these two draws, the MPNP had not invited skilled workers through the two sub-categories included in this draw since March 30.

The Employer Job Offer stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has reached its intake limit, and is no longer receiving applications. Ontario's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration has stated that 'The OINP is monitoring the intake of applications with respect to the limits of Ontario’s federal nomination allocation, and will determine if any more applications can be accepted for this stream in the months ahead.'

A new pilot program has launched, introducing two-week processing times for work permit applications for certain highly-skilled foreign workers. The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is part of the Canadian government’s Global Skills Strategy, an initiative designed to facilitate access to uniquely specialized foreign workers in order to promote Canada's economic growth and job creation. It is also part of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

The Express Entry system is now able to rank candidates in the Express Entry pool with tied scores under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) according to the date and time they submitted their profile. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced this feature, along with other changes to the CRS, on June 6, 2017.

A total of 346 workers and international graduates are now in a position to apply for provincial nomination after the latest draw of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), which took place on June 7, 2017. Invitations to apply (ITAs) have been issued to candidates in five sub-categories managed through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Successful applicants for provincial nomination receive a provincial nomination certificate, and may then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent resident status.