Canadian Immigration News

Sponsored spouses and common-law partners will no longer pass through a period of conditional permanent resident status, after the Liberal government of Canada, as expected, removed the provision, which was first introduced in 2012 by the previous Conservative government.

Foreign workers currently employed in the province of New Brunswick have a fresh opportunity to obtain Canadian permanent residence, after the provincial government reopened its Express Entry Labour Market stream (EELMS) to these workers only. This enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream is part of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), through which the province welcomes new permanent residents who can settle quickly.

Nova Scotia welcomed nearly 5,500 new immigrants in 2016, more than at any time in the last seven decades. The province's Minister of Immigration, Lena Diab, stated in the provincial legislature that the results show that Nova Scotia is well on the way to achieving its goal of welcoming 7,000 immigrants per year by 2024.

In a surprising update, the government of Ontario has announced that over the next week it will be issuing targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to Express Entry candidates who work in one of many religious occupations. The province states that the move aims 'to improve the responsiveness of the program to labour market demands.'

Sponsors lucky enough to be invited to submit an application to sponsor their parent(s) or grandparents(s) for immigration to Canada have a deadline of July 24 to submit a complete application, including supporting documents.

The deadline looms for the 10,000 sponsors selected at random by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) earlier this week under the Parent And Grandparent Program (PGP).

The government of Alberta, with federal approval, has launched an Employer Liaison Service that aims to match open job positions with qualified local workers. As part of this two-year pilot program, Albertan companies will not be allowed to avail of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) when hiring in any of 29 high-skilled occupations.

A total of 222 workers, international graduates, and entrepreneurs have been invited to apply to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) in the province's latest immigration draw, which took place on April 19, 2017. Of these Invitations to Appy (ITAs) issued, 16 were to Entrepreneur candidates. The remaining 206 were issued to candidates in five sub-categories managed through the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Individuals who received an ITA from BC are now in a position to submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate, with which they may then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent resident status.

The latest Express Entry draw, which took place on April 19, 2017, has issued 3,665 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent resident status to candidates in the Express Entry pool with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of 415 or above. Marking the lowest CRS requirement yet, this draw brings the total number of ITAs issued since the introduction of the Express Entry system in January, 2015, to over 100,000.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has broken two of its own records in its most recent Express Entry draw, which took place on April 12, 2017. This draw saw more Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to candidates in the Express Entry pool than any other single draw since the Express Entry system was introduced in January, 2015. Moreover, the minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score a candidate needed in order receive an ITA dropped to 423, the lowest yet required.

Thirty months after she first due to accept honorary Canadian citizenship, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has finally addressed Parliament upon becoming just the sixth person ever to receive the distinction.

Ms. Yousafzai, a citizen of Pakistan, was originally scheduled to be granted the honour by former prime minister Stephen Harper on the day a gunman stormed Parliament Hill on October 22, 2014.