Express Entry

The end-of-year rush on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry nominations being issued continues, with Saskatchewan having announced on December 16, 2015 that, effective immediately, 500 additional applications will be accepted under the international skilled worker of Express entry as a sub-category of the Saskatchewan provincial nominee program (SINP).Saskatchewan also announced a corresponding increase to the year’s application quota for this sub-category, from 2,500 to 3,000. As this is an enhanced immigration stream, a successful nomination will result in applicants being awarded 600 points under the ranking system (CRS) and receiving an an invitation to apply (ITA) at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.

The Cap for  has reached its intake of 600 qualified candidates began on May 16. This intake cycle was the longest for some time, as the sub-category has often reached its intake within a couple of days, or even shorter, on previous occasions.

Accounting technicians, bakers and paramedical occupations among those invited in June 20 EOI draw

Computer programmers and interactive media developers are among 13 professions that have been added to Saskatchewan’s In-Demand Occupations List.

Saskatchewan held an Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw on November 28, inviting 460 skilled workers to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand candidates were invited in the November 28 selection round .

A recent study published by Statistics Canada has found that children of immigrants do better than children with Canadian-born parents in terms of socioeconomic outcomes, with children of immigrants graduating high school at a rate of 91.6%, compared with 88.8% for children who were Canadian at birth.

3,350 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for permanent residence

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will invite more sponsors of foreign parents and grandparents to submit an application under the Parent and grandparent program (PGP).

Due to a large application backlog in 2011, the federal government paused parental sponsorship program which allowed Canadians and permanent residents to sponsor and bring their foreign parents and grandparents to Canada.

You can still immigrate to Canada even if you have a low CRS.

The number of invitations issued to Express Entry candidates for immigration to Canada has increased to 1,000 in the latest draw from the pool, which took place on September 7, 2016. In addition, the number of accumulated points required in order for a candidate to receive an ITA decreased considerably, compared to the previous draw, from 538 to 491.

Sixteenth Express Entry draw from the pool was performed on September 8th 2015 by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and a total number of 1517 Invitations were issued to successful applicants who had acquired minimum 459 CRS points.

Rural communities in Canada are hoping to attract newcomers to the country and reversing dwindling population trends to strengthen local economies and address labour shortages.

Canada’s immigration authorities are increasingly rejecting Express Entry permanent residency applications where the applicant declares their spouse as non-accompanying, especially in cases where the spouse is already in Canada.

Many applicants use this strategy to improve their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, as single applicants can gain up to 40 extra points under the Core Human Capital category. This is often done when a spouse has weaker language or education credentials that would lower the applicant’s score.

However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is now issuing more refusals or procedural fairness letters (PFLs) in such cases, especially when both partners are already living in Canada on temporary permits, such as closed work permits and spousal open work permits.

According to immigration consultants, IRCC views the physical presence of a spouse in Canada as an indication of intent to settle permanently. Declaring the spouse as non-accompanying, in such cases, could be seen as withholding material facts, potentially leading to accusations of misrepresentation. This could result in not only refusal but also a five-year ban from reapplying.

If the spouse is genuinely outside Canada, applicants may still declare them as non-accompanying for reasons such as custody arrangements or employment obligations abroad, but they must provide a strong letter of explanation and supporting documentation. Applicants are also cautioned not to immediately sponsor the spouse after landing, as it could contradict the stated intent.

Although such declarations were previously accepted without issue, IRCC’s current approach has raised concerns over consistency in decision-making. Several rejected applicants are now turning to the Federal Court, and the outcomes could shape future immigration policy.

Meanwhile, Express Entry itself continues to evolve. IRCC now focuses more on category-based draws (e.g. French language, CEC, PNP, and occupation-specific draws). Since March 25, 2024, valid job offers no longer award additional CRS points, in an effort to curb fraudulent LMIA-based offers.

The best way to improve CRS scores is through legitimate means, such as boosting language test results, learning French, or exploring provincial nomination programs.

Canada's Start Up Program is growing, with 51 entrepreneurs having now become permanent residents of Canada through the program as of May 2, 2016.

Ottawa, November 16, 2015 – The Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada today issued the following statement:

The share of Canada’s growing population made up by immigrants has risen to 21.9 percent, up from 20.6 percent in 2011, and the majority of recent immigrants arrived through an economic immigration program.

Immigrant-owned businesses were responsible for what a new Statistics Canada study says was a “disproportionate share of net job creation” between 2003 and 2013 compared to businesses with Canadian-born owners.

The strike that began on April 19. PSAC has instructed its members to return to work as of 9 AM Eastern Time this morning, or their next available shift.