British Columbia

Rapid growing of workers and skilled workers in agriculture and agri-food in Canada is an alarming sign to select more foreigners through immigration programs in this field of expertise to work in this industry. 

Candidates for Canadian immigration with Information and Communications Technology experience will want to take note of Canada.ai, a new information hub showcasing developments and research in Canada’s burgeoning Artificial Intelligence industry. The policy was recently unveiled in Toronto, Ontario, at TechTO, one of the largest gatherings of Canada’s technology sector.

A Statistics Canada report reveals job vacancies are reaching all-time highs in Canada.

The number of job vacancies in Canada reached a record-high of 1,012,900 in March, more than the previous record of 988,300 in September 2021. There was an increase in 186,400 vacancies between February and March. The job vacancy rate, which measures the number of vacant positions as a proportion of vacant and filled positions, matched the record high of 5.9% also observed last September (not seasonally adjusted).

IRCC announced a cap of 292,000 new study permits for college and undergraduate students out of an overall intake of 360,000 for 2024, aimed at managing "unsustainable growth" in the international student program.

Effective March 1, 2023, new measures will make it easier for Iranians already in Canada to extend their temporary stay and move between temporary streams.

In 2022 over 550,000 new study permits were issued for international students from 184 countries. Currently Canada has almost 810,000 New international students.

Late August was a busy period for PNPs in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia (BC)

Starting in fall 2013, in accordance with the proposed regulations, CIC would begin rolling out a new biometric requirement for temporary resident applicants (visitors, students and temporary workers) to provide their fingerprints and photograph when applying for a temporary resident visa, work permit, or study permit.

Canada's international student population is booming. Immigration Minister Marc Miller anticipates hosting around 900,000 international students in 2023, but internal documents suggest it might be even higher. Forecasts predict 1.4 million international student applications by 2027, with a rapid rise in study permit applications from 2019 to 2022.

Alberta PNP invites candidates with CRS 318. BC holds a unique draw. PEI's monthly draw results are out.

This past week, three Canadian provinces held Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, inviting candidates to take the next step toward permanent residence.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (except for Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Provincial officials who manage these programs invite interested candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. While a provincial nomination is not the same as permanent residence, it can greatly increase one’s chances of obtaining permanent residency status.

For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations. In the Express Entry draw this week, Canada invited 924 PNP candidates to apply with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 754.

A look back at last month's Provincial Nominee Program updates and draw results from across the country.

A look back at last month's Provincial Nominee Program updates and draw results from across the country.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued nearly 5,000 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in March, a number similar to previous months.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued over 1,400 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in May.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which began modestly in 1998 with the admission of approximately 200 people to Canada, will now see the intake of over 80,000 new permanent residents every year. At least 3,744 immigration candidates received invitations through a provincial immigration program this past month.

IRCC data show where foreign workers got jobs in Canada under the International Mobility Program last year.
Most of Canada’s foreign workers fall under the International Mobility Program (IMP). In 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued more than 315,000 work permits under the IMP alone. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) accounted for about 104,000 work permits issued.

After a five-week break, Canada has resumed mandatory random testing for fully vaccinated travellers arriving by air.

Immigration ministers from across Canada met in New Brunswick to identify how to best achieve the country's immigration goals.

The Forum of Ministers Responsible (FMRI) for Immigration met in Saint John, New Brunswick on July 28 to discuss a host of major immigration policy issues.

Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario had the highest job vacancy rates among Canada's provinces

February was a busy month for the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Tech Pilot with three consecutive draws. The province also announced it would stop posting the scores that guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to candidates applying through any of the BC PNP categories.

Quebec’s population growth slowed in 2015 as more Quebecers died, fewer babies were born and fewer immigrants settled in the province, but Quebec is expecting to reverse the trend in 2016, thanks to the arrival of Syrian refugees.