Second Chance May Be Given to Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Applications

Second Chance May Be Given to Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Applications

A second invitation round for individuals to apply for sponsorship under the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) may be conducted, according to an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) representative.

If the IRCC chooses to organize a second draw, it may occur in the coming months.

The PGP Process

In January, the IRCC enforced a new method to receiving applications from permanent residents and Canada citizens who wished to sponsor their parents or grandparents in order to come to Canada. The Interest of Sponsor form was announced, which allowed individuals to express their interest in the PGP, and they could apply if their name was randomly selected.

Between Jan. 3 and Feb. 2, there were 95,000 individuals who submitted an online form. On Apr. 25, 10,000 potential sponsors were invited to submit application for sponsorship. Those who were invited have 90 days to complete and submit the application from the receipt of the invitation.

By Jun. 8, only 700 applications had been submitted and, of those, 15% were incomplete.

If the IRCC doesn’t receive the 10,000 applications within the designated time frame, additional individuals will be invited to apply. These individuals will be selected from a randomized list of Interest of Sponsor submissions.

The IRCC previously stated that individuals who didn’t receive an invitation from the first draw would have the option to apply again in 2018. But these individuals now have a renewed sense of hope.

According to the IRCC representative, they will take a tally in August or September this year to see how many spaces are left to meet the 10,000 cap.

In 2017, the IRCC has a goal to welcome 20,000 parents and grandparents as permanent residents. Since there is a target of 10,000 applications, there are spaces remaining to allow the IRCC to clear the backlog of applications from prior years.

Applicant Requirements

In order to sponsor a parent or grandparent, an individual must meet certain requirements. Both the sponsor and the sponsored relatives have to sign an agreement that states the sponsor commits to support said relatives financially. The sponsor must commit to make support himself or herself to the best of the individual’s ability. The PGP sponsor must also:

• Be a permanent resident or Canadian citizen;
• Be over the age of 18
• Meet a minimum income level for a specific time period (one year for sponsors living in Quebec, and three consecutive years for sponsors living in any other Canadian province or territory);
  • The income of both persons may be included if the sponsor is married or in a common-law relationship; and
• Sign an undertaking to reimburse any provincial benefits for social assistance that have been paid to the sponsored for a specific period of time (10 years for sponsors living in Quebec and 20 years for sponsors living in any other Canadian province or territory).

It remains unknown whether the same criteria will apply to the next application cycle.

Sponsorship brings your family closer together. Are you looking to apply for sponsorship to bring a loved one to Canada? Contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld to see how we can help.   

IRCC Revises CRS Ranking System to Address Tied Scores

IRCC Revises CRS Ranking System to Address Tied Scores

Express Entry pool candidates with a tied score under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) will now be ranked based on the precise time and date that they submitted their profiles. This new method was introduced on June 6, 2017 by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The main factor in determining a candidate’s ranking in the pool is still his or her CRS score. This new approach will only be used in the case of candidates with tied CRS scores—and the profiles are ranked based on the time and date of the submission. Older profiles will be ranked higher than profiles that were submitted more recently.

From this point on, the cut-off point for CRS’ future draws will be determined by the CRS scores and submission time stamp of the lowest-ranked candidates’ profiles. For example, if the IRCC wanted to issue 2,500 invitations to apply, the CRS score and time of submission of the 2,500^th candidate in the pool at the time of the draw will determine the minimum CRS requirement and the most recent time of submission required of that particular draw.

Below is a table that illustrates the submission time revision in action during a hypothetical future draw. This table is to be used an example only and is not based on any actual statistical data in respect to the IRCC draw. If the IRCC decided that 2,500 candidates would be invitations to apply in a draw, and the minimum CRS needed was 415, the following could potentially apply.

Rank	CRS Score	Time Stamp of Submission	Status
2497	415	December 23, 2016, at 12:56:39	Invited
2498	415	January 7, 2016, at 22:03:57	Invited
2499	415	January 31, 2016, at 04:36:27	Invited
2500	415	February 15, 2017, at 09:48:22	Invited
2501	415	February 15, 2017, at 16:17:34	Still in the pool
2502	415	June 7, 2017, at 19:03:59	Still in the pool

 

The IRCC states that candidates with a higher CRS score than the minimum will be ranked higher than those with a lower score, regardless of the time stamp on their submitted profiles.

Before June 6, 2017, Express Entry pool candidates were ranked by their CRS score alone. This meant that all the candidates who met the minimum CRS score received an invitation to apply, which made it difficult for the department to manage all the invitation rounds.

Updating and Modifying Profiles

When a candidate modifies his or her profile, the time stamp on the original submission will not be changed. For example, a candidate entered the Express Entry pool on February 15, 2017, at 09:48:22, with a CRS ranking score of 399. He decided to update his profile on June 7, 2017, in order to add his new language skills. The result of this addition moved his score to 415 points. Although his ranking in the pool would change to match the others with 415 points, his original time stamp of February 15, 2017, at 09:48:22 would remain the same. He would actually be ranked higher than other candidates with the same amount of points but submitted their profiles after that time.

But, if a candidate removes his or her profile and chooses to re-enter the Express Entry pool at a later time, the time stamp on the new profile is what would apply to the submission. The same thing applies if candidates re-submit their new profiles or their profiles expire.

Candidates who have submitted their profiles are not required to change anything based on this change. Their profiles will be updated automatically based on the information that was provided. This process may take up to two weeks.

Looking to apply for Express Entry? Contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld to see how we can better your chances of approval.

 

New Express Entry Stream for Tradespersons Launches in Ontario

New Express Entry Stream for Tradespersons Launches in Ontario

The Ontario government has announced a new stream to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) called the Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream.

Applicants who are successful will profit from an additional 600 points through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). They will also receive an invitation to apply at a following draw from the federal Express Entry pool.

This new Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream came into effect on May 31, 2017.

Candidates who are eligible under the Canadian Experience Class are the only ones who will be considered for nomination under this new stream. Candidates must demonstrate a desire to live in Ontario or “all provinces and territories” within their Express Entry profile. Before submitting an application, the candidate must receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the province of Ontario through his or her IRCC Express Entry online account.

Candidates need to also meet the following provincial criteria:

Residence Location: They must be currently living in Ontario with a valid work permit.

Work Experience: They must have at least 12 months of full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) work experience in the province of Ontario. This is required within two years from the date of the NOI issuance. This work experience must be in skilled trade that is listed in the Minor Group 633 or in the Major Group 72, 73 or 82 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.

Language: They must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or 5 in French or English. This proficiency must be proved by taking a standardized language test that is recognized by both the Ontario and Canadian government.

Intent: They must show the intention to live in Ontario.

Settlement Funds: They must have a minimum level of settlement funds.

Trade Certification (if required): They must hold a trade certification or licence from the Ontario College of Trades. This is only needed if the candidate has worked or is working in an occupation in Ontario that requires it.

The OINP will only issue NOIs to candidates who meets the above criteria and who are suitable under of the following NOC groups:

• Minor group 633: Butcher and bakers
• Major group 72: Industrial, electrical and construction trades
• Major group 73: Maintenance and equipment operation trades
• Major group 82: Supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production

Are you thinking about applying through the new Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream? Contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld today!