Author Archives: Shobhit M

Canada invited 462 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on July 21. All invited candidates had previously received a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Provincial nominees in the Express Entry pool automatically get 600 points added to their score. Without the nomination, the lowest-scoring candidate would have had 134 points.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also published a cutoff time for the tie-break rule. Candidates who had the minimum score were only invited if they submitted their Express Entry profile before April 11, 2021 at 10:56:32 UTC.

PNP and CEC draws

Throughout the pandemic, IRCC has been holding only PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific draws. This is because these candidates are more likely to already be living in Canada, and less likely to be disrupted by public health measures like travel restrictions.

Corona virus-related measures in Canada are starting to roll back. Canada’s border is reopening to non-essential travel to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers in August. Then in September, the border will open to fully vaccinated people from all other countries. Canada set a target to welcome 401,000 new immigrants to Canada this year, according to its immigration levels plan. About a quarter of these are allotted to come through the Express Entry system.

PNP-only and CEC-only draws have very different score requirements. This is because PNP candidates automatically get 600 points added to their score. CEC candidates are not competing for invitations from other programs. As a result, IRCC takes more off the top allowing for cutoff scores to dip into the lower levels.

Canada is the largest country in North America. It consists of 10 provinces and 3 territories. It is the second largest country in the world territory wise. With its immigration friendly policies, it is a popular destination for people who want to immigrate. In this article, we set you on the right path to know it all about Canadian weather. Less confusion and realistic expectations will increase your chances of achieving success. Weather in Canada varies depending on where you are. It covers five time zones, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean.

There are four distinct seasons in Canada. Their climate and intensity vary across the country. Few things that you need to know about the weather before immigrating are given below :

Spring in Canada 

Spring is a beautiful time to visit Canada as tulips bloom and temperature is moderate. Spring first strikes on the west coast in February and ramps up in other parts of the country in late March and April. Spring extends through June. Temperature ranges from minus 7 to 19 degrees Celsius. Spring can have its cold days as it cannot be trusted and as it can snow through April, so make sure to pack a heavy jacket. There are many ski destinations where the season doesn’t end until May.

Summer in Canada

Temperature in summer ranges from 20 to 27 degrees Celsius in some regions. Humidity is widely prevalent in summer months. It is still comfortable in most of the regions. Halifax and Calgary are two places to visit in summer months. Canada’s northern regions have relatively cooler summers. Layering is the best option in summers because it tends to get cooler at night. Make sure to carry sunblock cream and bug spray in case you plan for outdoor activities.

Fall in Canada

The best time to visit Canada is during fall season because of the perfectly cool temperature and beautiful fall foliage. Temperature varies from minus 3 degrees in November to an average high of 19 degrees Celsius in September. In this season, trees begin their transformation to stunning shades of orange, red and yellow. Many people travel to see the spectacular fall foliage in Canada. High summer prices subside in fall and people go out for outdoor activities such as whale watching, hiking etc.  Similar to spring season, layering the key in fall as well. Slightly heavy jacket along with hats, scarves is recommended for  fall.

Winter in Canada

Winter temperatures get as low as 40 degrees Celsius in the interior provinces. Winter is generally December, January and February. Coolest places in Canada are mostly in the north, where temperatures regularly dip to minus 30 degrees and colder. The height of winter is freezing cold in most of the places. Population in the northern locales is relatively low and skiing is a popular sport in winters. Make sure to bundle up with a heavy coat, long underwear, thick wool socks and snow boots. Winnipeg, in Southern Manitoba, is the world’s coldest city with a population of at least 6,00,000.

Indians are now choosing Canada over the United States because of the outdated US immigration policies, immigration and policy experts have said testifying before a panel of US lawmakers, underlying that the per-country quota on issuing the green cards is driving Indian talent away from the United States. America’s immigration policies date back to the ’90s. While the world changed in these years, those policies remained the same. Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee-Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, National Foundation for American Policy Stuart Anderson said the backlog is increasing and, within a decade, more than 2 million people will be waiting in line for the green cards and they might have to wait for years and decades.

Without Congressional action, the total backlog for all three employment-based categories (EB 1, EB 2, EB 3) for Indians would increase from an estimated 9,15,497 individuals currently to an estimated 21,95,795 individuals by fiscal 2030, Anderson said, as reported by PTI.

In March 2021, employers filed 3,08,613 H-1B registrations for cap selection for FY 2022 for only 85,000 H-1B petitions, which effectively means over 72 per cent of H-1B registrations for high-skilled foreign nationals were rejected even before an adjudicator evaluated the application.

On the other hand, it is easier for international students to work in temporary status and then acquire permanent residence in Canada. Jennifer Young, CEO, Technology Councils of North America, said Canada’s pre-pandemic immigration rules allowed its companies to hire high-skilled foreign talent in even four weeks.

Less than three weeks after introducing the In-Demand Skills stream to the new Expression of Interest (EOI) system, Ontario has invited immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) also invited candidates registered for the Regional Immigration Pilot. Invited candidates under this stream had work experience in one of the following occupations, listed by sector in order of their National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

Health and agricultural occupations:

• NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
• NOC 8431 – general farm workers
• NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers
• NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers
• NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers

Manufacturing (outside Greater Toronto Area only):

• NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing
• NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators
• NOC 9417 – machining tool operators
• NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators
• NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators
• NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators
• NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators
• NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators
• NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
• NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
• NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors
• NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
• NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors

Invited candidates now have 14 calendar days to apply for a nomination from Ontario’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

About the In-Demand Skills Stream

This immigration program focuses more on provincial demand than occupation skill level. Foreign workers with eligible job offers in Ontario can apply for a nomination with nine months of cumulative work experience in the province within the past three years. Seasonal work experience is not eligible to meet the work requirement. Part-time work may be eligible if the candidate completed the required number of work hours. The number of work hours has to equal either 1,200 hours of paid employment in one job over the course of 18 months. Or, for those who had more than one job, it would mean working for at least 30 hours per week for nine months totalling 1,200 hours.

Regional Immigration Pilot

The Regional Immigration Pilot was launched to help address labour shortages in some of these communities. It allows the province to allocate 150 nominations in 2021 to three rural locations: Chatham-Kent, Cornwall, and Quinte West/Belleville. These municipalities demonstrated to the province that they have labour shortages in skilled occupations, and the ability to help newcomers get settled.

If you are eligible for any of the OINP Employer Job Offer streams and your full-time job offer is in one of the participating communities, you may be able to get a provincial nomination through the pilot.

There are three Employer Job Offer streams:

• Foreign Worker Stream, for workers with a skilled job offer in Ontario;
• International Student Stream, for international students with skilled job offers; and
• In-Demand Skills Stream, for workers in occupations that have labour shortages in Ontario.

Any nomination through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a major asset when applying for Canadian immigration. PNPs demonstrate to the federal government that this applicant supports regional labour market needs. The federal government has the final say in all Canadian immigration applications but the overwhelming majority of provincial nominees get approved for permanent residence.

B.C. invited 56 immigration candidates who work in key technology occupations to apply for a provincial nomination on July 13. These invitations were issued through the BC PNP Tech, which is part of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

Candidates who received invitations in this draw were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score of 80. Invited candidates have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

About the BC PNP Tech program

The BC PNP Tech was launched in May 2017 as a pilot project following a labour market study that found the biggest issue facing B.C.’s technology sector was access to talent. Due to the success of the project, B.C has recently announced that it would become a permanent program.

This fast-track immigration program is for in-demand tech workers and international students. Candidates need to be registered in one of B.C.’s existing provincial immigration streams and have a valid job offer of at least 12 months in one of 29 eligible occupations to qualify for this stream.

Invitations through the province’s tech program are sent out weekly to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirements.

Candidates who are invited to apply for a provincial nomination will need to submit a complete application. Once this is done, most tech applications will be processed within two to three months.

If they are approved, candidates will receive a nomination confirmation that can be used to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Program Class.

Ontario held three major PNP draws targeting foreign workers, international students, and candidates with a job offer in rural communities and invited a total of 1,685 candidates who had profiles in the new Expression of Interest (EOI) pool. Invited candidates are qualified for one of two Employer Job Offer streams. This is the largest number of invitations issued through the Employer Job Offer streams to date in 2021.

The biggest draw issued 1,211 invitations to candidates who were eligible for the Foreign Worker Stream. These candidates needed a score of at least 33. This was a general draw, which means that there were no targeted occupations, nor location requirements for this draw. Another 431 were invited to apply for a nomination in a general draw through the International Student Stream. These candidates needed an EOI score of at least 62 in order to be invited.

The OINP also issued 43 invitations to immigration candidates who were registered for the Regional Immigration Pilot and are qualified for the same two Employer Job Offer streams.

At the time of the release of the latest draw results, the province also issued instructions for submitting complete PNP applications. Among other details, the province instructs those applying under the Employer Job Offer stream to submit a printed and signed PDF copy of an attestation form. If this form is not submitted, the application will be returned as incomplete, the application fee will be refunded and the opportunity to apply to the program will be lost.

About the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream

The Ontario Foreign Worker Stream under the Employer Job Offer category is open to foreign nationals who have an eligible job offer from an employer in Ontario. You do not necessarily have to apply from within Canada, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible you need to accumulate the equivalent of two years of work experience in a skilled occupation, have an eligible job offer in Ontario, and intend to immigrate to the province, among other criteria.

If you want to apply for this Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs), you have to register an EOI profile on the Ontario website.

After registering your profile, it will go into the EOI pool. Ontario will give you a score based on the information you submit.

About the Employer Job Offer: International Student stream

The Ontario International Student Stream under the Employer Job Offer category is open to foreign nationals who have an eligible job offer from an employer in Ontario.

You do not necessarily have to apply from within Canada, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.

To be eligible you need to have completed a program at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution, have an eligible job offer in Ontario, and intend to immigrate to the province, among other criteria.

To receive an invitation to apply for this program, you have to register an EOI profile on the Ontario website. Your profile will then go into the EOI pool, and you will get a score based on the files you submit. Ontario awards points for human capital factors that the province has determined will indicate your ability to integrate into the labour market.

Regional Immigration Pilot

The Regional Immigration Pilot was launched to help address labour shortages in some of these communities. It allows the province to allocate 150 nominations in 2021 to three rural locations: Chatham-Kent, Cornwall, and Quinte West/Belleville. These municipalities demonstrated to the province that they have labour shortages in skilled occupations, and the ability to help newcomers get settled.

If you are eligible for any of the OINP Employer Job Offer streams and your full-time job offer is in one of the participating communities, you will be able to get a provincial nomination through the pilot.

Canada holds a new Express Entry PNP draw on July 7 in which they invited 627 candidates for Permanent Residency. The invitation round was only for candidates who had a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). These candidates needed a score of at least 760.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also published a cutoff time for the tie-break rule. Candidates who had the minimum score were only invited if they submitted their Express Entry profile before June 14, 2021 at 07:44:05 UTC.

Throughout the pandemic, IRCC has been holding only PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific draws. This is because these candidates are more likely to already be living in Canada, and less likely to be disrupted by public health measures like travel restrictions.

In recent PNP-specific draws, IRCC has been inviting high numbers of candidates. For the first time ever, IRCC invited more than 1,000 PNP candidates on June 23. Before that, the immigration department invited 940 candidates.

These high draw sizes could be part of a strategy to meet Canada’s immigration targets for 2021. The federal government has committed to welcoming 401,000 new immigrants to Canada this year. About a quarter of these are allotted to come through the Express Entry system. So far this year, Canada has invited 89,342 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence.

Canada has invited almost twice as many Express Entry candidates as we saw at the same time last year. The large number comes from the historic February 13 draw where IRCC invited every CEC-eligible candidate in the pool, a total of 27,332 people. About 87 per cent of those invited that day applied for permanent residence before the 90-day deadline, according to an IRCC email.

PNP-only and CEC-only draws have very different score requirements. PNP draws have higher cutoffs because of the 600-point award, while CEC draws have lower cutoffs because candidates are not competing for invitations from other programs. Which means IRCC takes more off the top, allowing for CEC cutoff scores to dip into the lower levels.

B.C. invited 52 immigration candidates who work in the IT sector to apply for a provincial nomination on June 29.
Candidates who received invitations in the draw which took place on 29th June were from the Skilled Worker and International Graduate subcategories and needed a minimum provincial score of 80.Invited candidates have 30 calendar days to apply for the nomination.

The BC PNP Tech was launched in May 2017 as a pilot project following a labour market study that found the biggest issue facing B.C.’s technology sector was access to talent. This year, B.C. announced that the program is becoming permanent.

This fast-track immigration program is for in-demand tech workers and international students.Invitations through the province’s tech program are sent out weekly to the top-scoring candidates who meet the eligibility requirements.

Candidates who are invited to apply for a provincial nomination have 30 days to submit a complete application. Once this is done, most tech applications will be processed within two to three months.

If they are approved, candidates will receive a nomination confirmation that can be used to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the Provincial Nominee Program Class.