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On this page we will provide you with major updates in Canadian immigration laws, procedures and rules.
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Canadian Immigration and Citizenship
June 03, 2024
CIC will launch new pilot programs to better meet the needs of caregivers and the families they support in Canada. The new pilot programs will grant permanent residence status to caregivers on arrival in Canada and allow them to pursue other jobs at any time.
The new pilot programs will replace the Home Child Care Provider Pilot Program and the Home Support Worker Pilot Program, which are closing on June 19, 2024.
Some Mexican citizens now need a visa to enter Canada.
Posted on Friday, March 01, 2024 at 3:02PM Source
Reminder: Some Mexican citizens now need a visa to enter Canada. Previous electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) for most Mexican passport holders are no longer valid. Find out what to do if you’re planning travel to Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/eta-work-visa-mexico.html
Mexican citizens flying to Canada with a valid Canadian work or study permit are not affected. Their eTA will not be cancelled and they can continue to travel to Canada by air.
An eTA is for air travel only. All Mexican citizens need a visitor visa to travel to Canada by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship.
Mexican citizens without a valid work or study permit who are already in Canada may stay for as long as they are authorized, but their eTA will be cancelled. If they leave Canada and wish to return, they’ll need a visa or a new eTA, if eligible.
Mexican travellers to Canada may experience delays when arriving at Canadian airports due to the changing entry requirements.
Intake cap on international student permit applications
posted Jan 22, 2022, 10:01 PM by Milorad Borota
Today, IRCC announced that the Government of Canada will set an intake cap on international student permit applications to stabilize growth, for a period of two years.
For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023. Study permit renewals will not be impacted.
Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education are not included in the cap.
Current study permit holders will not be affected.
To implement the cap, as of January 22, 2024, every study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require an attestation letter from a province or territory.
Provinces and territories are expected to establish a process for issuing attestation letters to students by no later than March 31, 2024.
In order to better align the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, IRCC is changing the eligibility criteria:
-Starting September 1, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will no longer be eligible for a postgraduation work permit upon graduation.
-Graduates of master’s and other short graduate-level programs will soon be eligible to apply for a 3-year work permit.
In the weeks ahead, open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master's and doctoral programs.
The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.
Canadian government to make immigration to Canada much easier
posted Sep 27, 2021, 9:08 PM by Milorad Borota
torontosun.com
Lorne Gunter
Publishing date:Sep 26, 2021
Under the new guidelines, contained in a document marked “Draft” and covered by solicitor-client privilege, civil service officers who do an initial screening of immigration and refugee claims, plus the immigration and refugee judges who hear appeals of the officers’ decisions, are instructed to accept any applicant who has an “intersectional” claim.
Intersectionality is defined as two or more of “race, religion, indigeneity, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, culture, disability, or immigration status,” that “impact an individual’s lived experience of discrimination, marginalization or oppression.”
No longer will claimants need to prove, for instance, that they face torture or death if forced to return to their home countries. Nor will they have to satisfy the UN’s definition of a “refugee.”
Now, if they merely claim they have been discriminated against or persecuted for being poor and old, or Indigenous and holding political views targeted by some developing country’s strongman, in the Liberals come.
Canada to accept more immigrants this year than at any time in the country’s history.
posted Jul 23, 2021, 10:57 PM by Milorad Borota
In June, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship processed 45,100 applications for permanent residence, the largest number ever in one month, according to the office of Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino. In that same month, Canada welcomed 35,600 new permanent residents.
Such levels have Mr. Mendicino confident that his department will meet its goal of bringing in 401,000 new permanent residents this year, which would be the largest annual intake ever recorded.
Two new pathways to permanent residence for Hong Kong residents announced
posted Jun 8, 2021, 2:16 PM by Milorad Borota
June 08, 2021
Eligible Hong Kong residents in Canada can now apply for permanent residence through two new pathways that will be available until August 2026.
To apply, eligible Hong Kong residents must:
• have valid temporary resident status
• be in Canada when they apply for permanent residence and when it is granted
• meet the specified language and education requirements
Detailed information about who is eligible and how to apply is available on CIC website https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/hong-kong-residents-permanent-residence.html
New pathway to permanent residence for over 90,000 essential workers and international student graduates
posted Apr 14, 2021, 6:47 PM by Milorad Borota [ updated Jul 12, 2021, 4:51 PM]
Today Minister Mendicino announced a new pathway to permanent residence for over 90,000 essential workers and international student graduates who are actively contributing to Canada’s economy.
Starting May 6, 2021, this pathway will allow eligible international graduates, who studied in Canada, as well as temporary workers in health care and other essential occupations, to apply for permanent residence.
CIC will accept applications under these policies from May 6 - November 5 2021, or until a program stream has reached its limit:
• 20,000 temporary foreign workers in health care
• 30,000 temporary foreign workers in selected essential occupations
• 40,000 international graduates
Please note: to support the vitality of Francophone minority communities, 3 additional streams with no application limit have also been launched for French-speaking or bilingual candidates.
Learn more about the new pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates here.
Use CIC online eligibility tool to check if you qualify.
Temporary public policies: Temporary resident to permanent resident pathway – Who can apply
International students will be able to complete entire studies online, from abroad, and still get work permits in Canada.
posted Feb 12, 2021, 9:23 PM by Milorad Borota [ updated Feb 12, 2021, 9:23 PM]
Toronto Star
By Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter
Fri., Feb. 12, 2021
International students who are being kept out of Canada due to pandemic travel restrictions will still be eligible for coveted postgraduate work permits even if they complete their entire studies online from overseas.
New work permit being offered to international students in Canada
posted Jan 8, 2021, 8:46 PM by Milorad Borota [ updated Jan 9, 2021, 9:33 AM]
Canadian Press
Stephanie Levitz
Publishing date:Jan 08, 2021
OTTAWA — International students are being offered a new work permit by the federal government in a bid to convince more to settle here permanently.
Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino says former students who hold post-graduation work permits that have expired or will soon expire can now apply for open work permits.
He says that will allow affected students 18 more months to remain in Canada to try to find jobs.
Applications will be accepted until July 27, 2021.
The existing work permit program allows international postgraduate students to stay in Canada to work for up to three years after they finish studying.
Trying to convince international students to remain in Canada permanently has been a top priority for governments as they look to immigration to deal with persistent labour shortages.
Mandatory submission of COVID information digitally for travellers coming to Canada
posted Nov 5, 2020, 5:27 PM by Milorad Borota [ updated Nov 5, 2020, 5:27 PM]
November 2, 2020 - Ottawa, ON - Public Health Agency of Canada
As of November 21, it will be mandatory for travellers coming to Canada to submit COVID info digitally.
As of November 21, 2020, air travellers whose final destination is Canada will be required to submit their information electronically through ArriveCAN before they board their flight. This includes travel and contact information, quarantine plan (unless exempted under conditions set out in the Mandatory Isolation Order), and COVID-19 symptom self-assessment. Travellers must be ready to show their ArriveCAN receipt when seeking entry into Canada; a border services officer will verify that they have submitted their information digitally. Travellers who do not submit the required information digitally before boarding their flight could be subject to enforcement action, which can range from verbal warnings to $1,000 fine. Exceptions will be made for those unable to submit documents electronically due to personal circumstances, such as disability or inadequate infrastructure.
Starting on November 4, 2020, air travellers can expect to be reminded by their air carrier of the need to submit COVID-related information digitally through ArriveCAN prior to boarding their flight to Canada.
Please read more about his rule here...
Changes to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) as of October 1, 2020
posted Oct 1, 2020, 5:01 PM by Milorad Borota
Changes to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) as of October 1, 2020
As of October 1, 2020 the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has made several changes to its program:
· A new online portal is available to submit applications.
· Candidates must pay a fee to submit an application, as well for post-decision services (requests for nomination extensions, 204(c) Letters of Support and reconsiderations).
· Some AINP processes have changed with the introduction of fees:
o 204(c) Letters of Support are no longer issued at the time of nomination. Nominees must submit a request to be considered for a 204(c) Letter of Support.
o All requests for post-decision services must be sent by email.
o The steps for applying to the Self-Employed Farmer Stream have changed.
· Changes have been made to several of our temporary COVID-19 application and processing adjustments.
· Updates and corrections to AINP applications must be sent by email.
Visitors to apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada
posted Aug 24, 2020, 11:18 PM by Milorad Borota
New temporary public policy will allow visitors to apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada
Change intended to benefit employers who are still facing difficulties finding workers
August 24, 2020—Ottawa—Visitors who are currently in Canada and have a valid job offer will be able to apply for an employer-specific work permit and, if approved, receive the permit without having to leave the country, thanks to a new public policy announced today by the Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Temporary residence applicants who are applying from within Canada are exempt from providing biometrics
posted Aug 2, 2020, 8:47 PM by Milorad Borota
As a temporary measure, you’re exempt from giving biometrics if you’re applying from within Canada
to extend your stay as a student, worker or visitor
to restore your status as a student, worker or visitor
for a work or study permit
for a visitor visa
for a temporary resident permit
This applies to all new applications as well as applications already in progress.
It applies even if
your application form for a work permit, study permit or visitor visa says it’s for applicants outside Canada
our online application system asks you to pay a biometric fee (CAN$85)
This temporary measure does not apply if you’re outside Canada.
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