Author: Mercedes Sanchez

On September 20, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the first-ever round of invitations in the Express Entry system for newcomers with work experience in transport occupations. Express Entry draw #264 issued 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to skilled workers with work experience in the transport sector. In this draw, the cut-off score was 435 points. The tie-breaking…

On September 18, 2023, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced the first category-based lottery under the Express Entry system for newcomers with work experience in transportation occupations. This initiative focuses on attracting skilled workers in the transportation sector, including truck drivers, pilots and aircraft assemblers. The goal is to address labour shortages and…

The number of spouses and common-law partners immigrating to Canada in July was nearly the same as in June. The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that 6,215 new permanent residents arrived in Canada through spousal sponsorship in July, while 50,015 new permanent residents arrived through this immigration program by the end of July. This is…

On September 12, 2023, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centers, the current average LMIA processing times have increased for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, In-Home Caregivers and High Wage Stream. Global Talent Stream - 9 business days (-1 day)…

On September 8, 2023, Canada amended section 11.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to implement recent changes to Express Entry and the introduction of category-based selection rounds. The IRCC has also added instructions to clarify the assessment of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, particularly with respect to education and credentials, for principal applicants invited by virtue of…

On September 7, 2023, the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) held the sixth round of invitations in Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Worker stream. In this round, the OINP issued 300 Invitations to Apply for the Francophone candidates. The Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) range of candidates who received the Notification of Interest from the OINP was between 308 and 434…

Saskatchewan is being criticized for limiting immigration to workers from only eight countries in their latest Express Entry and Skilled Worker Occupations-In-Demand draws. In mid-August, the province invited candidates from Ireland, India, Poland, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Public policy experts have raised concerns about Saskatchewan’s undermining of Canada’s points-based system. The province defends that the country-specific pilot is…

According to Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets, the number of non-permanent residents in Canada is much higher than the government's official estimate. This discrepancy underestimates the number of new homes needed to meet the country's growing housing needs. While the government estimates the number of non-permanent residents to be around one million in 2021, Tal's report…

On August 29, 2023, the Government of Alberta published the results of the new invitation rounds in the Alberta Express Entry Stream. The province held a new draw under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). On August 24, 2023, Alberta invited 168 candidates with Alberta job offer in the Family Connection pathway. The minimum score for this draw was 302,…