Canadian Immigration News

Canada’s Express Entry immigration selection system, designed to welcome skilled workers from around the world quickly and simply, will reward candidates who can prove that they or their spouse or common-law partner have a sibling living in Canada. Candidates with French ability will also benefit from changes brought into effect on June 6, 2017.

A total of 3,877 candidates in the Express Entry pool have received an Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in the latest draw, conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on May 31, 2017. Candidates with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of 413 or above are now in a position to apply for Canadian permanent resident status, representing the lowest-ever CRS requirement for candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This draw follows just five days after two previous Express Entry draws, which took place simultaneously on May 26 and were restricted to the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and provincial nominees respectively.

The popular Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) has reopened for up to 1,900 new applications, as of May 29, 2017. The QIIP is Canada's only currently available passive investor immigration program, and throughout the years it has proven popular — the intake is expected to fill before the scheduled end date of the application cycle, February 23, 2018.

A maximum of 1,330 applications may be accepted for processing from nationals of the People's Republic of China, including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao.

The latest draw from Canada's Express Entry pool has seen 543 candidates invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. In a move that has not yet been seen in the history of the Express Entry system, two groups of candidates were singled out to receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs). In addition, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) established two different minimum scores under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). A total of 400 candidates in the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) with a minimum CRS score of 199, and 143 candidates with a provincial nomination and a minimum CRS score of 775, were issued ITAs, and are now in a position to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has invited 365 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination certificate in its latest immigration draw, which took place on May 24, 2017. A range of workers and international graduates in five sub-categories managed through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) are now in a position to apply for a provincial nomination certificate, with which they may then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent resident status.

Saskatchewan has conducted the largest ever draw for the Entrepreneur stream of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), with 142 international entrepreneurs having been invited to apply to the program following the May 24, 2017 draw. Another new record was set in this draw, as the points threshold required for a candidate to be invited to apply reached its lowest ever cut-off point of 80.

The International PhD Graduate stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has reached its intake limit for the most recent intake period. This stream of the OINP, which targets international graduates of PhD programs in the province, opened on May 1, 2017.

The International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) has reached its intake quota of 600 new applications for the most recent application intake cycle, which began on May 16. This intake cycle was the longest for some time, as the sub-category has often reached its intake within a couple of days, or even shorter, on previous occasions.

The latest Express Entry draw, which took place on May 17, 2017, saw Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent resident status issued to 3,687 candidates in the Express Entry pool with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 415 or above. This is the second time the minimum CRS requirement has dropped to 415, the lowest minimum requirement yet since the system was introduced in January, 2015.

For the first time in over three months, Saskatchewan has reopened its popular International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Up to 600 new applications will be accepted during this intake. In reopening this sub-category, Saskatchewan offers eligible candidates in the federal Express Entry pool a way of obtaining an enhanced provincial nomination certificate.