Author: lpen

Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a strategic outreach initiative launched by International Experience Canada (IEC) on February 13, 2025, designed to connect young Canadians with international opportunities. The program features immersive exhibitions in Toronto and Vancouver, highlighting partnerships with five nations: Belgium, Finland, Italy, South Korea, and New Zealand. Combining traditional exhibits with cutting-edge digital platforms,…

On February 3, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced major changes to work permit eligibility for family members of temporary foreign workers. These adjustments involve restricting work permit access for the spouses of low-skilled foreign workers and dependents of all foreign workers. In addition, the new regulations now restrict work permit access to spouses of foreign workers in…

Over the last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws in the pools of International Experience Canada (IEC). From January 27 to February 2, Canada invited 9,717 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of January 31, 25,642 candidates were registered in the pool and waiting for the invitation. In this round, there…

On January 28, 2025, British Columbia held the first draws of the year and invited business candidates under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). The BCPNP issued up to five invitations to candidates in the Base Category of the Entrepreneur Stream, designed for experienced businesspeople who want to start a new business or buy an existing business in British…

Thunder Bay's Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) has been chosen to lead the new Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), marking its second major immigration initiative. The program aims to address critical labour shortages by connecting rural employers with skilled international workers. CEO Jamie Taylor emphasized that this employer-focused program will build upon their previous success with RNIP, supporting the region's…

Quebec has launched three permanent immigration pilot programs targeting labour shortages in specific industries, effective January 13, 2025. The pilots, which will accept 600 applications each, focus on food processing workers, beneficiary attendants, and professionals in artificial intelligence, IT, and visual effects sectors. For the AI/IT program specifically, applications will be split equally between AI and IT components, with 150…

The 2025 International Experience Canada (IEC) quotas reveal both notable expansions and reductions across participating countries. Despite earlier concerns about potential cuts to temporary worker programs, the IEC has largely maintained its structure. However, some countries face substantial quota reductions, with Ireland experiencing the most dramatic decrease from 10,500 to 3,800 spots in the Working Holiday category. Meanwhile, South Korea…

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a cap of 1,010 permanent residence applications for the Agri-Food Pilot program in 2025, citing overwhelming demand. The program, which has successfully welcomed over 4,500 agri-food workers and their families since 2020, will accept applications until May 14, 2025, or until the cap is reached. This limitation comes as the pilot program,…

The Government of British Columbia announced that the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) is set to conduct its final immigration draw of 2024 on December 10, focusing on Skilled Workers and Entry Level & Semi-Skilled streams. While these streams will continue accepting registrations for future invitations, the Health Authority stream remains open for applications. Additionally, the International Post-Graduate stream…

The Government of Alberta published the results of the recent six invitation rounds under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). On November 8, 14, and 15, 2024, the AAIP invited 4, 150, and 412 candidates through the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Law Enforcement Pathway, Alberta Express Entry Stream - Priority Sector Pathway (construction), and Tourism and Hospitality Stream with…