Mar 21, 2024 Canada Announces Plans to Curb Temporary Residents and Align Immigration with Labour Market Needs Canada's Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, has announced a strategic plan to reduce the proportion of temporary residents in the country from 6.2% to 5% over the next few years. This decision comes in response to concerns over Canada's ability to provide housing and essential services, such as primary health care,... Read More
Jan 22, 2024 Canada Implements Stricter Measures to Reform International Student Program Update: As usual, IRCC bungled the role of what, from a policy perspective, is a good decision to curb low value degree-mill schools and to protect the quality of education in Canada for international students. But the requirement imposed that requires the provinces to provide applicants with a letter of... Read More
Jan 13, 2024 First Express Entry Draw of 2024 In the latest draw, IRCC extended invitations to 1,510 candidates to apply for immigration. This round was a general draw, encompassing candidates from various Express Entry managed programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). Unlike targeted draws,... Read More
Dec 15, 2023 Canada Extends Support for International Students: Updates on Temporary Policies In a recent announcement, Minister Miller shed light on crucial updates regarding three temporary policies affecting international students, all of which were originally set to conclude at the close of 2023. Let's delve into the details of these extensions and how they impact the experiences of international students in Canada.... Read More
Dec 7, 2023 Latest Express Entry General Draw Has a High Score IRCC's most recent draw on 5 December under the Express Entry system for General candidates (meaning Skilled Workers, Canadian Experience Class, etc) had a cut-off score of 561. The latter is a high score, meaning that many individuals in Canada hoping to receive an Invitation to Apply were not given... Read More
Dec 7, 2023 Immigration Minister Introduces Stricter Criteria for International Students In a press conference held on Thursday, Immigration Minister Marc Miller declared that the federal government is taking significant steps to address fraud and abuse within Canada's international student program by imposing stricter limitations on study permits. Expressing a firm stance, Miller emphasized that "enough is enough." Effective January 1,... Read More
Oct 19, 2023 Auditor General Releases Critical Report on IRCC Processing Times As a law firm, we move with our clients through their immigration journeys, and sometimes the ride is bumpy with regard to processing times. A recent report from the Auditor General, released last Thursday, has cast a critical spotlight on some systemic issues that are serious for Immigration, Refugees, and... Read More
Sep 20, 2023 Reforming Canada’s International Student System: A Senate Call to Action Reforming Canada’s International Student System: A Senate Call to Action In a recent article by Nicholas Keung, the Toronto Star's immigration reporter, he discusses a Senate report that urges the Canadian government to overhaul its international student system to preserve the integrity of the country’s international education program. The report,... Read More
Sep 19, 2023 Express Entry Round 19 September 2023 IRCC held an invitation round for its Express Entry program, under the general or unspecified category. The draw invites 3,200 general candidates under the Canadian Experience Class and the Skilled Worker Class who score a minimum of 531 points to apply for Permanent Residence. More details below: No Program Specified... Read More
Sep 8, 2023 IRCC Moves from a True Annual Lottery System to a ‘Year In, Year Out’ System for its Parental Sponsorship Program Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will accept up to 15,000 complete applications under the Parents and Grandparents sponsorship program. On October 10, 2023, IRCC will initiate the process of sending out invitations to 24,200 potential sponsors who have expressed interest in the program, with the... Read More
Jul 6, 2023 Hire H-1B Visa Holders on Canada’s new Open Work Permit – Limited Opportunity! Dear Canadian Business Leaders, We are delighted to inform you about an exciting new development in immigration policy that can greatly enhance your ability to secure skilled personnel from the high-tech sector in the United States. As of July 16, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has initiated a... Read More
Jun 27, 2023 Study authorization extended for work permit holders In a recent development, the Canadian government has announced a new measure that aims to empower temporary foreign workers to pursue their educational dreams and create new opportunities. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a temporary policy change that removes the restrictions on the length... Read More