Permanent Residence

Fewer draws and an updated NOC set the stage for a higher number of Express Entry ITAs in 2023.

Immigration Levels Plan Target for 2023

There are many options for foreign nationals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector looking to work in Canada

Canada's international student population has recovered quickly amid the pandemic.

Canada saw nearly 450,000 new study permits take effect last year, a staggering figure that easily broke the previous all-time record set in 2019.

Canada invited 919 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on March 30.

The job vacancies portion of this update revealed that Canada had over 1,000,000 job vacancies in May of this year.

Two thirds of Canadian businesses surveyed hire talent from abroad

Canada works hard to position itself as an ideal home for the best and the brightest global talent across all industries.

The Business Council of Canada (BCC) recently released a report in which 80 Canadian businesses were surveyed about how they use Canada’s immigration programs to hire skilled workers. The businesses surveyed cumulatively employ over 1.6 million workers. Two thirds of companies surveyed say they recruit talent overseas using Canada’s immigration system. The remaining third hires immigrants who have already relocated to Canada.

Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 looks to welcome over 450,000 new permanent residents per year by 2024. Canada offers a multitude of work permit and economic class immigration pathways.

According to the BCC survey, all employers agree that Canada’s labour shortage is widespread, and they face real difficulty finding skilled workers across all industries. Labour shortages are particularly pronounced in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

Canada’s tech sector has been hit hardest by labour shortages as industry growth and demand is outpacing the number of skilled workers. Professions such as computer science, engineering and information tech are in high demand.

Improvement factors:

Only half of respondents agree that the Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024 is adequate to address their business needs and the growing labour shortages. The remaining half indicated that the number of economic immigrants needs to be increased but acknowledged that this is not practical until the government has a plan in place to ensure there is adequate housing and other infrastructure to support new immigrants, such as childcare and healthcare.

Employers also believe they have a role to play in helping immigrants settle. This can take the form of language training, assisting employees in obtaining recognition of foreign credentials and relocation assistance.

Canadian businesses expect that competition for skilled immigrants will intensify over the next few years. This is especially true of recent graduates who they say face significant barriers in obtaining permanent residency in Canada due to the time it takes to gain sufficient work experience.

Canada is one of the world's most attractive destinations for international students.

Last year, Canada welcomed 450,000 new international students, an all-time record.

On January 18th, the Alberta added having relatives in the province to the province selection criteria.

Alberta invites 120 Express Entry candidates and BC targets tech occupations. 

Effective May 1st, Alberta is lifting restrictions on the hiring of new temporary foreign workers.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its policy regarding the collection of biometrics for permanent resident applicants.

You are eligible for Canadian citizenship if your parent is a Canadian, but you need to apply.

Record breaking admission in all classes in 2021

The Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 had targets of over 451,000 new permanent residents by the end of 2024 and nearly 432,000 for 2022.

This a primer for new Canadian PRs containing answers to a few of the most common questions about healthcare in Canada.

Here is how to determine if you can apply for Canadian citizenship.

Over 85% of Canadian immigrants become citizens, one of the highest rates in the world.

The benefits of Canadian citizenship include being able to live permanently in one of the world’s most peaceful and economically, socially, and politically stable societies, enjoying one of the world’s most powerful passports, and having the right to vote, among a host of other advantages.

IRCC updates timeline for online citizenship application access.

IRCC has also launched a new website to allow the public to track the immigration backlog.

The family class is a significant category for newcomers to Canada, facilitating the reunion of Canadian citizens or permanent residents with their family members who can obtain permanent residence in the country.

British Columbia has now issued over 1,300 invitations to apply for provincial nomination since the start of the year.
British Columbia invited 160 immigration candidates through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws held on February 22.