Immigration is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial governments, Because of this, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) was established in 1998 to allow provinces to nominate the economic immigration candidates they feel have the best chance of economically establishing within the province.

The federal government releases the total number of PNP nominations each year in the Immigration Levels Plan and divides it among the provinces. The current immigration levels plan has a target of 117,500 new permanent residents admitted through the PNP per year by 2025.

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On March 10, provincial immigration ministers endorsed a new multi-year immigration plan for the provinces that allows provinces to see the number of new permanent resident admissions that can be expected for up to three years in the future.

Quebec does not have a PNP and is the only province in Canada that selects 100% of its economic immigrants. This is due to a unique agreement between the province and federal government.

Provincial immigration results in April 15-21

British Columbia

BC invited more than 203 candidates in the latest BC PNP draw on April 18.

The largest draw invited 158 candidates over five streams in a general draw, meaning no occupations were targeted. Candidates from the skilled worker stream (including Express Entry candidates) required minimum scores of 104. Those from the International Graduate stream required scores of 104 and Entry Level and Semi-Skilled candidates required a score of 85.

The province also targeted 29 candidates in the skilled worker and international graduate streams for early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202), 16 candidates in healthcare occupations and less than five candidates in other priority occupations. All targeted candidates needed a minimum score of 60.

Alberta

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has held two draws so far in April with results only published this week. Invitations were issued to candidates with profiles in the Express Entry application management system.

The first draw took place on April 5. There were 53 candidates invited under the Designated Healthcare Pathway: Alberta Job Offer stream with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores ranging from 300-600.

The second was on April 18 and invited 68 candidates from the Sector priority – Agriculture occupation with Alberta job offer stream, with CRS scores ranging from 300 to 700.

Saskatchewan

On April 20 Saskatchewan invited a total of 1067 candidates through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Among them, 444 were nominated from the occupations-in-demand category and the remaining 623 were Express Entry candidates.

All candidates required a minimum score of 69.

This was the first SINP draw in a month and is significantly larger than the March 23 draw in which only 496 candidates received nominations.

Manitoba

On April 17, Manitoba invited 28 candidates from Ukraine in alignment with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) special immigration measures for those affected by the current unrest in the region.

Candidates must still meet certain eligibility criteria under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. For example, they require a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)  of 4 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening as well as an established connection within the province. They must also be able to prove they have sufficient settlement funds.

Prince Edward Island

PEI invited 189 candidates on April 20 in the latest draw of the PEI PNP. Among those invited, 180 were in the Labour and Express stream and the remaining nine were Business and Entrepreneur nominees who met the minimum point threshold of 72.

This draw indicates a return to the normal draw pattern for the province. PEI typically holds PNP draws once a month, however in March the province invited candidates in three draws, the last being on March 30.

News Source: https://www.cicnews.com/2023/04/british-columbia-alberta-saskatchewan-manitoba-and-pei-invite-candidates-in-this-weeks-pnp-draws-0434630.html#gs.vn2hs3

On April 19, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), a union which represents over 155,000 public servants in Canada, began a strike.

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At a press conference on April 19, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said the impact of the strike could be “severe depending on the length of the work stoppage”. Fraser went on to say, “The full scale of the disruption has certain unknown facts that make it difficult to assess with certainty the precise timelines or delays an applicant may face.”

IRCC, Service Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) have made information available regarding the disruptions that both Canadians and newcomers can expect as a result of the strike.

 

Here we answer some of the questions that you may have about the strike’s impact on Canada’s immigration system.

Will IRCC process my application?

IRCC says it has limited capacity during a strike, so delays in processing applications are expected. This includes delays to applications currently being prioritized.

Minister Fraser said the length of delays will depend on the nature of the labour disruption. He said IRCC agents in international offices are still working to process what they can, with a priority on emergency situations where a person’s life may be threatened.

 

What if my work/study permit is about to expire?

You can apply online to extend your stay in Canada during the strike. You must meet the following conditions to maintain your status and remain in Canada until a decision is made on your application:

Your extension application must be submitted online (unless you are exempt).

The application must be complete by including:

 

• biometrics
• fees
• other applicable requirements

You must submit your application before your temporary residence status expires.

Can I still apply to live/work/study in Canada during the strike?

It is still possible to apply online or mail an application to IRCC. However, there will be processing delays.

Additionally, ESDC says there will be delays or disruptions in the collection of biometrics. Foreign nationals who apply for a visitor visa, a work or study permit (excluding United States nationals), permanent residence, or refugee or asylum status are required to submit biometric data (fingerprints and a photograph). An application without biometrics is not complete and may be rejected when IRCC resumes processing applications at normal service levels.

Are settlement services still available?

These services offered by non-governmental organizations are still available:

• settlement services from IRCC partner organizations
• health care through the Interim Federal Health Program
• visa application centres outside of Canada

Will there still be citizenship ceremonies?

Citizenship events scheduled while the strike is ongoing will be rescheduled. IRCC says some urgent applications may still be processed.

Is my in-person appointment with IRCC still happening?

Clients in Canada with immigration-related appointments will be contacted to re-schedule or cancel appointments.

 

Overseas interviews are proceeding as scheduled, unless advised otherwise by the IRCC office abroad.

Can I contact IRCC?

The IRCC Client Support Centre is experiencing service delays. The department says you can expect longer response times. This also applies to the IRCC webform.

IRCC is not answering social media enquiries.

Can I still access my online account?

Yes. You can still access online self-serve tools for application status tracking for:

• citizenship grant
• permanent resident family class
• Express Entry
• study permit
• work permit
• temporary resident visa

Can I still apply for an LMIA?

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is advising that there will be service disruption within the department.

Specifically, there will be disruptions to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which means that the department will be delayed in reviewing Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), a mandatory document for Canadian employers who wish to hire workers from abroad.

Can I get a Canadian Passport?

During the labour disruption, Service Canada is only processing domestic passport applications for emergency and humanitarian situations. Passport services are available only at specialized passport sites.

What if I am abroad and need consular or passport services?

You may experience delays with citizenship or passport services outside of Canada. You can still access your passport applications and submitted documents.

What is the strike all about?

The PSAC says it is seeking fair wages, a better work-life balance, more workplace inclusivity, and reduced layoffs through the creation of more jobs, rather than contracting positions to private organizations.

One of the key issues is that Union members want to continue to work remotely. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 75% of PSAC members moved to remote work (working from home). The PSAC says public service workers were as effective working remotely as when they were in the office and that 90% of workers want to continue working remotely.

They are also seeking a wage increase that better reflects the high cost of living in Canada as interest rates remain high and inflation is higher than the Bank of Canadas targeted 2% per year.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have updated its processing instructions to provide guidance about how they assess a principal applicant’s ability to become economically established under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

The PNP is the main pathway for economic-class immigrants in Canada. Each year, IRCC releases an Immigration Levels Plan, in which permanent residence admissions targets are outlined by immigration class and program. In 2023, the plan targets 105,000 new permanent residents through the PNP.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), there are conditions that an applicant must satisfy to be eligible for provincial nomination. The candidate must:

• have the ability to become economically established in Canada.
• be named in a nomination certificate issued by the government of a province or territory.
• intend to reside in the province or territory that nominated them.

The family and dependents of a PNP candidate may also be able to obtain permanent residency if the principal applicant meets the criteria outlined to become economically established.

Economically established

When IRCC says a candidate must be able to economically establish, this means the candidate needs to be able to support themself (and any eligible dependents) financially.

Getting a provincial nomination is usually considered sufficient proof of this ability because PNP applications contain much of the same information and have some similar eligibility criteria as an application for permanent residence to IRCC, even though they are two separate applications.

In instances where an immigration officer questions a candidate’s ability to become economically established, they may need to look beyond the provincial nomination and examine other factors. For example, the candidate’s current job (or job offer), language ability (test results, language of work experience, how they communicate in an interview), overall work experience and education. If the officer discovers anything that raises red flags, it can lead to further questions.

Officers will examine a candidate’s ability to economically establish on a case-by-case basis. For example, IRCC may have questions for a highly educated person who is nominated for a low or intermediate-skilled occupation. IRCC says this can be perceived as a bit of a mismatch, but it may adequately explain the candidate’s application. If the same candidate was offered a position that they were not trained for or experienced in, the officer can question the candidate’s labour market intentions.

Officers will compare the candidate’s occupation, based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, with the information provided to determine their ability to retain the job. If the officer has concerns, the candidate will be invited to address them.

Another example would be if an applicant is relying exclusively on the financial guarantee of a relative already residing in the province.

Intention to reside in a province

Intention is a key factor for applicants who wish to obtain permanent residence through a PNP. The immigration officer must be satisfied that the applicant intends to reside in the nominating province or territory before issuing the permanent resident visa.

The province or territory will assess this before nominating the candidate. Still, in cases where IRCC has cause to question the intent to reside, they will allow the candidate to address the concerns. This is in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness.

The growth of the PNP

Immigration is a shared responsibility between Canada’s provincial and federal governments. PNPs were established in 1998 to help spread the economic benefits of immigration throughout the country. Provincial governments can target local labour shortages and find candidates they believe are best suited to contribute to the provincial economy.

In its first year, Canada’s PNP admitted only 400 new permanent residents. The program has since been successful, and 117,500 will be admitted to Canada each year by the end of 2025.

Base and enhanced nominations

There are two types of PNP applications: base and enhanced.

Candidates apply for a base nomination by applying directly through a PNP stream that is not aligned with Express Entry. If a candidate is approved, they need to submit their provincial nomination certificate to IRCC with their application for permanent residence.

Enhanced nomination occurs when Express Entry candidates receive a nomination from a provincial government to apply through an Express Entry-aligned PNP stream. Express Entry candidates may get invited even if they did not apply for the PNP because provincial governments can view their profile within the federal Express Entry pool.

If they see a candidate they feel is well-suited to economically establish in the province, they may extend an invitation to apply for a PNP.

Express Entry is an application management system that oversees the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates in these programs are evaluated using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and awarded points based on factors such as language ability, education, work experience, and other human capital factors. Those with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence

If a candidate is invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and their application is then approved, they now have an enhanced nomination and an additional 600 CRS points. These points make it highly likely that a candidate will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

News Source: https://www.cicnews.com/2023/04/how-ircc-determines-if-a-pnp-candidate-can-economically-establish-in-canada-0434402.html#gs.vn4eo0

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions to get an open work permit and the freedom to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada. The program makes Canada one of the most sought-after countries for international students.

Current and prospective students in some private institutions of Canada’s Quebec will soon be ineligible for the country’s much-coveted post-graduation work permit.

The Canadian federal government announced that, starting September 1, 2023, international students studying at unsubsidised private institutions in Quebec will no longer be eligible for post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

The Quebec government had reached out to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to only allow graduates from public and subsidised private institutions apply for the PGWP.

“Making the change that Quebec requested to post-graduation work permit eligibility will improve the integrity of the programme, bring Quebec’s private institutions further in line with those of other provinces and protect our well-deserved reputation as a destination of choice for international students,” Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said.

Unsubsidized private learning institutions have been attracting a large number of international students since 2018. For the period of 2016–2018, approximately 4,900 international students received a study permit for one of these institutions.

During 2019–2021, the number jumped to 11,500.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions to get an open work permit and the freedom to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada.

The program makes Canada one of the most sought-after countries for international pupils.

A PGWP is valid for anywhere between 8 months to 3 years. The actual length depends on the length of your program at a Canadian DLI. IRCC provides the following guidelines on its website:

• If your program is less than 8 months long, you will not be eligible for a PGWP.
• For programs between 8 months and 2 years: The PGWP will be valid for the same length of your study program (e.g., a 10-month program will result in a 10-month PGWP)
• For programs of 2 years or more: PGWP will be valid for 3 years
• For more than one program: You may be able to combine your Canadian educational programs to get a PGWP as long as the programs are DLI eligible and each over 8 months in duration. The total length of the PGWP will correspond to the durations above.

Indians have remained the top benefactors of PR permits as well as student visas. There are over 622,000 foreign students in Canada, with Indians numbering 217,410 as of December 31, 2021.

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Toil and pain procure him some great foresee the pain and trouble that are bound not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that extremely painful or again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires these cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish in a free hours when our power choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents righteous indignation.

Toil and pain procure him some great foresee the pain and trouble that are bound not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that extremely painful or again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires these cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish in a free hours when our power choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents righteous indignation.

Toil and pain procure him some great foresee the pain and trouble that are bound not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that extremely painful or again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires these cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish in a free hours when our power choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents righteous indignation.

Toil and pain procure him some great foresee the pain and trouble that are bound not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that extremely painful or again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires these cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish in a free hours when our power choice is untrammelled and when nothing prevents righteous indignation.