Increased AINP Intake in 2018; New Streams Coming Soon

Alberta Announces Increased AINP Intake for 2018

Alberta has announced an increase in its Provincial Nominee Program allotment for 2018, up to 5,600 nominations. Alberta is receiving a slightly higher allotment in 2018 as a result of the federal government’s multi-year immigration plan announced in November of 2017. The federal plan includes an increased Provincial Nominee Program target of 55,000 for 2018, up eight per cent over 2017’s target of 51,000.

New streams coming in 2018

The AINP is currently divided into three immigration streams, the Strategic Recruitment Stream, Employer-Driven Stream and the Self-Employed Farmer Stream. In 2018, the Strategic Recruitment Stream and the Employer-Driven Stream and their sub-categories are due to be merged into one stream, called the Alberta Opportunity Stream. This change was originally expected to come into effect on Jan 2, but has been postponed while details of the program continue to be ironed out. The current streams shall continue to be in effect until the opening of the Alberta Opportunity Stream is announced.

Alberta is also expected to introduce a second stream aligned with the federal Express Entry pool in 2018, but the criteria for this stream have yet to be made public. The Alberta Express Entry Stream will allow the AINP to nominate a limited number of candidates in Express Entry pool, which includes candidates from the federal government’s three economic immigration classes — the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

According to the AINP, the following National Occupational Classification codes make up more than half of applications for provincial nomination certificates.

• 6311 – Food Service Supervisors
• 6211 – Retail Sales Supervisors
• 7511 – Transport Truck Drivers
• 6315 – Cleaning Supervisors
• 7284 – Plasterers, Drywall Installers and Finishers and Lathers
• 1241 – Administrative assistants
• 0631 – Restaurant and Food Services Managers
• 0621 – Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers
• 6421 – Retail Salespersons
• 1221 – Administrative Officers

www.prudentimmigration.ca

ITA's To Candidates With No Job Offer Increases Dramatically

2016 Changes to Express Entry CRS Providing Huge Increase in ITA’s to Candidates Without Job Offers

Stats recently released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveal that 90 per cent of Express Entry candidates who received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the first half of 2017 did not have a Canadian job offer, up from 62 per cent in the 11 months before IRCC reduced the number of points it awards for a job offer in November 2016.

The data suggests that this change has significantly shifted the number of ITAs for Canadian permanent residence in favour of candidates with greater human capital scores (age, level of English and French ability, education, work experience), namely candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Class. 

The data released by IRCC compares the ITA’s in the 11 months prior to the November 2016 changes and a six-month period after they were introduced. IRCC’s comparison confirms the following:

• The percentage of ITA’s without a Canadian job offer rose from 62 per cent to 90 per cent.

• The percentage of ITA’s who studied in Canada has increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.

• The percentage of Federal Skilled Worker candidates invited to apply increased from 25 percent to 48 per cent.

• The number of profiles deemed eligible for the Express Entry pool increased as a result of the changes.

Number of ITAs issued to candidates with and without job offers,
and with and without Canadian study experience

	Pre-November 2016 changes	Post-November 2016 changes
With job offer	10,795 (38%)	5,151 (10%)
Without job offer	17,614 (62%)	48,098 (90%)
With Canadian study experience	8,592 (30%)	21,433 (40%)
No Canadian study experience	19,817 (70%)	31,816 (60%)

While a job offer is not necessary to file an Express Entry profile or apply for permanent residence, the 600 CRS points allocated prior to the November 2016 changes provided a significant advantage to candidates who had one. That’s now changed with the reduction in job offer points (between 50 and 200), which IRCC says is making candidates in the Express Entry pool more reliant on their human capital scores to receive an ITA.

IRCC reports that the reduction in job offer points also appears to have had a significant impact on the occupation mix of invited Express Entry candidates. Following the job offer change, the top occupations now receiving ITA’s is as follows:

NOC 21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

NOC 11 – Professional occupations in business and finance

NOC 01-05 – Specialized middle management occupations

NOC 12 – Administrative and financial supervisors

NOC 22 – Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences

NOC 40 – Professional occupations in education services

NOC 62 – Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations

NOC 31 – Professional occupations in health (except Nursing)

NOC 05 – Middle management in retail and wholesale trade and customer services

NOC 63 – Service supervisors and specialized service occupations

Citizens of India were issued the most ITAs, both before and after the job offer change, with their share jumping by 12 percentage points after the change from 31 per cent of ITAs to 43 per cent. Chinese citizens were second, with 10 per cent post-change. Nigerian citizens placed third, with their share rising by two percentage points to five per cent of all ITAs in the six months after the job offer change in November 2016.

www.prudentimmigration.ca

Express Entry Invitations Now Given For 435 Points on CRS.

Candidates in the Express Entry pool for immigration to Canada with 435 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points were issued an Invitation to Apply(ITA) for Canadian permanent residence in the latest draw from the pool, which took place on September 6.

A total of 2,772 candidates were invited this time around, bringing the total number of ITAs issued so far this year to 66,549, far more than were issued in the whole of last year. More than half of all ITAs issued since Express Entry was first launched in January, 2015 have been issued in 2017.

Invited candidates have 90 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, including supporting documentation. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to complete the processing of applications within six months.

Contact us for help with your Express Entry profile, or for Applications for Permanent Residence.

More on this news here...

https://www.cicnews.com/2017/09/september-6-express-entry-draw-invites-candidates-with-435-or-more-crs-points-099530.html

Express Entry Issuing More ITAs for PR Based on Human Capital Factors

Improvements made to Canada’s Express Entry immigration selection system last November led to far more candidates being issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence based on their human capital factors alone, without needing to obtain additional points for factors such as obtaining a job offer or a provincial nomination.

Prior to the set of reforms that came into effect on November 19, 2017, around three-in-five (62 percent) of invited candidates had sufficient point totals under the Comprehensive Ranking System(CRS) to receive an ITA based on human capital alone. Over the period from November, 2016 to February, 2017, however, this share increased to 90 percent.

This fact is just one of many contained in a presentation that was put together by senior staff at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) last spring. Importantly, the information revealed that more candidates outside Canada, specifically those eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), were being invited to apply than previously following the changes made last November.

It was also found that more candidates in the Natural and Applied Sciences (including STEM occupations) were being invited to apply, with 35 percent of those invited between November and February being in these occupations, up from 28 percent. Meanwhile, the share of candidates in lower skilled occupations being invited decreased from 11 percent to three percent.

Informational Technology (IT) workers in particular have benefited from recent changes to Express Entry, with the number of candidates with IT work experience being invited to apply having increased over time.

Contact us today for help with your Express Entry profile or your Application for Permanent Residence.

More on this news here...

https://www.cicnews.com/2017/09/express-entry-reforms-in-2016-led-to-more-candidates-invited-based-on-human-capital-factors-099539.html

Express Entry CRS Invitation Threshold Now At 434

Contact Prudent Immigration to assist you with your Express Entry Profile, or if you have received an Invitation to Apply, we can help prepare your Permanent Residency Application.

A total of 3,035 candidates for immigration to Canada have been issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the latest draw from the Express Entry pool, which took place on August 23. Candidates with 434 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points at the time of the draw were invited to apply.

The August 23 draw is the third Express Entry draw to take place so far this month, and the fifth since changes to the CRS were implemented in early June.

Invited candidates have 90 days to submit a complete application for permanent residence, including supporting documents. The spouse/common-law partner of the principal applicant, as well as dependent children, may be included on the application.

The latest draw brings the number of ITAs issued so far this year to 63,777, a far higher figure than the total for the whole of 2016. Indeed, nearly half of all ITAs issued since Express Entry was first launched in January, 2015 have been issued in 2017.

More information here...

https://www.cicnews.com/2017/08/august-23-express-entry-draw-crs-cut-off-threshold-434-089488.html

N.W.T Releases New Immigration Program Aimed at Huge Labour Shortage

At least 28,000 jobs will open in the Northwest Territories within the next 15 years, thanks mostly to the territory's aging population.

A report from the Conference Board of Canada says filling those positions will be a challenge for the N.W.T. On June 30, the Government of the Northwest Territories released a new immigration plan to help address the territory's potential labour shortage.

The five-year strategy is to beef up the existing immigrant nominee program to encourage foreign nationals to settle in the territory, help increase the population, and fill jobs or create new ones. The plan also includes a focus on bringing more francophone immigrants into the nominee program.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, most of the 28,000 job openings — 98 per cent — will be to replace retirees or those moving away from the N.W.T.

More than half of those jobs will require university, college or apprenticeship training. Openings for low-skilled labour positions will represent less than 10 per cent of available jobs.

The nominee program has plenty of room to grow as the territory's population is on the decline.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/promote-immigration-nwt-nominee-1.4188206

New Express Entry Rules Benefit Candidates with Siblings In Canada, and More...

Additional Points for Siblings in Canada

The Express Entry system will begin awarding 15 points to candidates with siblings in Canada. To get these points, candidates will need to show that the sibling is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is living in Canada and is 18 years of age or older.

The sibling in Canada must share a mother or father with the principal Express Entry applicant or their spouse or common-law partner. This relationship can be through blood, marriage, common-law partnership or adoption.

Studies have shown that as newcomers build a new life in Canada, those with siblings benefit by having improved integration into Canadian society.

Additional Points for Strong French Language Skills

Express Entry candidates with strong French language skills, with or without English language skills, will be awarded additional points by the CRS. A total of 15 additional points will be awarded for test results of the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) at level 7 or higher in all four language skills in French (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and an English test result of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 or lower, or no English test at all.

A total of 30 additional points will be awarded for test results of the NCLC at level 7 or higher in all four skills in French and test results of CLB 5 or higher in all four language skills in English.

French-speaking newcomers contribute to the growth, vitality and prosperity of Francophone minority communities across Canada.

Job Bank Registration is Now Voluntary, Not Mandatory

Job Bank registration for Express Entry candidates becomes voluntary for all candidates. Candidates who meet the minimum entry criteria for Express Entry will be automatically placed into the pool and immediately eligible for invitation rounds.

All Express Entry Candidates who would like to start their job search can register for Job Bank. Employers will still be able to use all of their existing recruiting methods, including Job Bank, to find Express Entry candidates.

Candidates Ranked By Their CRS Score

The Express Entry system will rank candidates in the pool by their CRS score.  Where a CRS tie exists, all tied candidates will then be ranked based on the date and time of their profile submission.

Candidates who update their profile with any new information will keep their original date and time stamp.

A new time and date stamp will be issued to candidates:

• who choose to withdraw their profile  to complete a new one instead of updating their original profile, and,
• whose profile has expired and they complete and submit a new one.

Changes To Express Entry Effective November 19, 2016

As of November 19, there are some critical changes coming to the way that the Express Entry system will work. The most significant of these changes are:

• Points will be awarded for job offers of eligible candidates here on LMIA exempt work permits
• Job offers will only need to be a minimum of one year in duration once they receive permanent residence
• Points awarded for job offers will be reduced (from 600 previously to 50, or 200)
• Points will be awarded for study in Canada above high school
• Candidates will have 90 days to complete an application for permanent residence if they get an invitation to apply

More detailed information can be found at the attached links, or by contacting us at Prudent Immigration in Calgary. www.prudentimmigration.ca




http://www.cicnews.com/2016/11/canada-outlines-significant-changes-comprehensive-ranking-system-crs-express-entry-immigration-118652.html

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do;jsessionid=72c88b0fba9e8bda29c7b6d59e4a0112ec2b7a549ae41a29b95b4f8d604c1709.e34Rc3iMbx8Oai0Tbx0SaxuRbh50?crtr.sj1D=&crtr.mnthndVl=12&mthd=advSrch&crtr.dpt1D=6664&nid=1153419&crtr.lc1D=&crtr.tp1D=930&crtr.yrStrtVl=2008&crtr.kw=&crtr.dyStrtVl=1&crtr.aud1D=&crtr.mnthStrtVl=1&crtr.page=1&crtr.yrndVl=2016&crtr.dyndVl=31

Amendments Coming to Age of Dependent Child. Going Up From 19 to 22.

The Government of Canada has established as a priority for the immigration program the goal of family reunification, which is about giving family members the opportunity to live with or near each other, instead of being separated by borders and long distances. It is recognized that many young adults remain with their parents for a longer period of time. Given the importance placed on education, it is not unusual for some children to remain with their nuclear family while pursuing higher education before entering the labour market. The current definition of “dependent child” in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (the Regulations) is limited to persons less than 19 years of age and is therefore too restrictive.

This proposal would amend the definition of “dependent child” in the Regulations from “less than 19 years of age” to “less than 22 years of age,” thereby increasing the maximum age of dependent children.

Related amendments would be made to other sections of the Regulations, specifically those concerning fees, sponsorship duration, and residency obligations, to ensure consistency with the intention of those provisions, in line with the new definition of “dependent child.”

http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2016/2016-10-29/html/reg2-eng.php

Amendments Coming to PR Spousal Sponsorship Requirements

There is a condition applicable to certain permanent residents that requires a sponsored spouse or partner to cohabit with their sponsor for two years following their arrival in Canada to maintain their permanent resident status. If the couple does not cohabit for the required two years, only the sponsored spouse or partner is at risk of losing their permanent resident status, regardless of the reason the cohabitation ceased. This creates an imbalance between the sponsor and their spouse or partner, which can make the sponsored spouse or partner more vulnerable.

A sponsored spouse or partner can be vulnerable for many reasons, including age, gender, official language proficiency, isolation, and financial dependence on their sponsor. The two-year cohabitation requirement can compound these vulnerabilities, and spouses and partners who are victims of abuse or neglect are most at risk in these situations. While the conditional permanent residence provisions contain an exception to the cohabitation requirement in cases of abuse or neglect, there is a risk that sponsored spouses and partners could remain in abusive relationships. This could be due to a lack of knowledge about the exception, the perceived challenge of applying for and receiving an exception, or the fear of losing their immigration status.

The objective of the proposed repeal of the conditional permanent residence regulatory provisions is to eliminate the requirement for spouses or partners to cohabit with their sponsor for two years. This would help to ensure that sponsored spouses and partners are not placed at an increased risk of vulnerability. It would also support the Government’s commitment to family reunification and its emphasis on gender equality and combatting gender-based violence.

http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2016/2016-10-29/html/reg1-eng.php

Canada Opening It's Doors to Increased Immigration Numbers. Bring Your Skills!

The Liberal government is boosting the base number of immigrants allowed into Canada next year to 300,000, to help drive economic growth as the country grapples with an aging demographic. The government's economic growth council had recommended raising immigration levels to 450,000 over the next five years. The 2017 targets boost entries for those in the "economic" class — skilled workers, businesspeople and caregivers — to 172,500 from 160,600. In the family class, the number of sponsored spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents will climb to 84,000 from 80,000. Immigration plays a critical role in terms of the future of Canada, in particular in regions where the threat of depopulation is a reality. For example, If it weren't for immigration, the population of Manitoba would have declined in the last decade.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-immigration-levels-mccallum-1.3829496

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/programs/informationmorningns/advocate-says-we-need-to-accept-more-immigrants-1.3834195

Interest in Canadian Immigration from US Off the Charts

As the news came out last night of a Donald Trump presidency, interest about immigrating to Canada peaked so high that the official Canadian Immigration web site crashed. The prospect of American citizens moving north of the border is indeed very high. And there are a number of avenues for US citizens to do just that. Prudent Immigration can help determine which one is applicable to you and your family.

www.prudentimmigration.ca

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/move-to-canada-ottawas-immigration-website-crashed-as-donald-trump-approached-victory

Express Entry

Express Entry 

Express Entry is an electronic system for managing permanent residence applications under existing immigration programs.

Who can apply?

Express Entry is for skilled workers who currently work in Canada or in other countries. To apply, you must also qualify for one of following three existing immigration programs:

• Canadian Experience Class
• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program

There are various requirements for each program, including language skills, work experience and education.

How can I apply to Express Entry?

1. If you are found to be eligible for one of the three existing immigration program, let us create your Express Entry profile. It includes language test scores (IELTS, CELPIP or TEF), an Educational Credential Assessment (if needed) and documents your work experience.
2. Based on your profile, you will receive a score and be ranked against other applicants in the pool.
3. You can also try to improve your score to increase your chances of success by achieving higher English score and/or obtaining more eligible work experience.
4. Top scored candidates will get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
5. If you receive an invitation, you have only 60 days to complete and submit your PR application.We recommend that you provide us all the supporting documents in advance.
6. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processes most applications in six months or less.

www.prudentimmigration.ca