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!

Why Canadian Experience Class Applications Get Rejected

Why Canadian Experience Class Applications Get Rejected

The Canadian Experience Class is a favourable option for individuals moving toward Canadian permanent status who have work experience in Canada on a temporary work permit. The government of Canada recognize the number of skilled talent that we have in Canada already, so it assigns a specific allotment of places to skilled workers with Canadian work experience under its annual immigration plan.

Basic Requirements

Applicants must have the following in order to apply for the Canadian Experience Class:

• At least 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before applying;
• Gained their experience have gained your experience in Canada with the proper authorization;
• Meet the required language levels needed for their jobs for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening); and
• Plan to live outside the province of Quebec

Typically, candidates eligible for the Canadian Experience Class worked in Canada in one of the following ways:

• on an open work permit as the spouse of a partner who was working in Canada;
• on a post-graduate work permit, after completing full-time studies in Canada at a designated institution;
• receiving a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment;
• in a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exempt category; or
• on an open work permit under an international exchange programs

The process of changing from temporary to permanent resident appears simple to candidates. The reality is that there are a growing number of rejections/refusals that are handed to minor conflicts in their applications.

There are two main reasons why applications get rejected under the Canadian Experience Class:

NOC Code Conflicts

When candidates apply for residency under the Canadian Experience Class, they are required to present Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) with a National Occupational Classification (NOC) code for every skilled occupation that they have held in their careers. The NOC code provides a list of typical duties for someone working in that given position.

What occasionally happens is that a candidate who moved to Canada and has been issued a positive LMIA with a certain NOC code (i.e. NOC 2173 — Software engineer and designer) ended up working in a position that reflected the duties of another NOC code (i.e. for example NOC 2174 — Computer programmer and interactive media developer). This conflict can result in a rejection.

Documents Don’t Match Exactly

Candidates must submit a number of supporting documents when they complete their applications under the Canadian Experience Class. These documents relate to their work experience such as work reference letters, taxation documents, resumes, and positive LMIAs.

Some candidates have experienced their applications being refused because these documents don’t match precisely and thoroughly. CIC has rejected applications simply because a candidate’s work-related documents do not match up with each other. For example, the job description that is mentioned in a reference letter does not match with the one that is set by CIC on the given NOC code that was issued to the individual.

 

Want to avoid these mistakes from happening? Contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld to give you or your loved one the best chance.

 

 

 

Surge in International Students Choosing to Study in Canada, Transitioning to Permanent Residence

Surge in International Students Choosing to Study in Canada, Transitioning to Permanent Residence

 

According to new figures, there has been a significant increase in the number of international students who are enrolling in Canadian universities for the 2017/2018 academic school year. The increase has been credited to the growing notion that Canada is a stable and welcoming destination to pursue an education in after the various political events that have been happening on a worldwide scale. In more recent months, there has been an increased number of international students who are choosing to study in Canada, and immigrate after they have graduated.

In terms of hosting international students, Canada is a top 10 study destination worldwide. In 2008, a total of 128,411 study permits became effective in comparison to 2016 where this figure was 267,780—more than double the amount.

At the end of 2016, there were more than 414,000 active student permits. The actual number of international students in Canada differs from this amount as not all study permit holders may be in Canada currently, and many international students study in Canada without study permit.

Almost half of students study in Ontario, with British Columbia and Quebec following close behind as the most popular study destinations in Canada, as shown in the graph on the right. The Prairie provinces and the Atlantic provinces in the graph as a total of all schools in that region of Canada.

International Applications and Enrolment in Canadian Universities Surge

The surge of interest in Canada as an immigration and study destination has often been attributed to the election of Donald Trump as the President of the United States.

At Brock University, there was an increase of 30% in applications from international students wanting to study in Canada, and in the early stage of the admissions cycles. There was also a significant increase of 36% in the number of international students who accepted their admission offer.

The University of Toronto saw more than double the number of American students accepting their offers in 2017 in comparison to 2016.

In 2017, the University of Alberta received 82 % more applications to graduate programs from international students. It saw significant increases in the number of applicants from Iran (+196%), India (+152%) and the United States (+60%).

From Student Visa to Permanent Resident

International students who graduate from a Canadian institution may obtain a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP), which will allow them to work anywhere in Canada after their studies. This program was created in order to attract international students to Canada.

There has also been a surge of the number of PGWPs issued each year. Approximately 15,600 international students held PGWPs in 2008 and in 2016, this number rose to more than 101,000.

The work experience that is acquired during on a PGWP can contribute to an international graduate’s eligibility for permanent residency. It also provides a way to remain in Canada and work while a permanent residency application is in process.

If you are looking to obtain a student visa, applying to be a permanent resident or need any other sort of immigration assistance, contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld at 1-855-999-0224

 

 

 

Bill C-6 Passes Senate: Changes to Canadian Citizenship Requirements Impending

Bill C-6 Passes Senate: Changes to Canadian Citizenship Requirements Impending

A bill to change the Canadian Citizenship Act has been passed by the Senate with amendments, which bring the legislation closer to becoming law. As a result of the bill, immigrants coming to Canada would be able to apply for Canadian citizenship earlier and easier than before.

Bill C-6 passed the Senate on May 3, 2017 in a vote of 45 for, 29 against, and no abstentions. Senators in Ottawa have asked their colleagues in the House of Commons to review this bill, which could Canadian citizenship law. This bill includes the amendments that were added by the Senate after the draft bill was passed by the House of Commons in June 2016. In order for the bill to change Canadian citizenship law, it must receive royal consent.

What would these changes to Canadian citizenship requirements entail?

Bill C-6 would reduce the amount of time permanent resident would have to live in Canada before they were eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. This change to Canadian citizenship requirements would be from four out of six years to three out of five years. Additionally, applicants who had spent time in Canada on temporary status, such as on a student visa or work permit, would be able to count a portion of this time towards the proposed three-year requirement.

This bill would annul many part of the former Conservative government’s citizenship legislation, which would include a change that revoked Canadian citizenship from those who had dual citizenship and who had been convicted of treason, terrorism or espionage.

It would also annul the government’s authority to revoke citizenship for specific acts against the national interest of Canada. These acts include convictions of high treason, terrorism or spying offences, dependent on the sentence received, or for membership in armed force or armed group engaged in conflict with Canada where weapons were involved. This was also introduced by the former Conservative government.

Bill C-6 would remove the intent to provide provision, and an increased number of applicants would be immune from language proficiency requirements. A bill passed by the House of Commons in 2016 placed an age range from 18 to 54 for language testing, but was amended to 18 to 60 years old.

What amendments were made?

While being read in the Senate, there were a number of other amendments that were made to the bill. Among these amendments was a provision that requires the Immigration Minister to inform individuals who have their citizenship revoked as a result of misrepresentation or fraud that they have a right to appeal this decision in a federal court.

The Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act or Bill C-24, also introduced by the previous Conservative government, removed the right to a federal court hearing for those subject to revocation of citizenship in cased where the Canadian citizenship was acquired by fraud. When Bill C-24 came into effect, the individuals who were affected had 60 days to respond in writing after being informed that their citizenship would be revoked.

Another amendment to Bill C-6 would allow minors to apply for Canadian citizenship without the assistance from their parents. Under the current Canadian citizenship law, parents and children are treated as one when they are applying. This means that if the parent’s citizenship application is rejected, then the children or child would not be able to get citizenship either. In this case, the child would have to wait until they were 18 years old to make another application.

If you want to stay updated on the changes to Canadian citizenship requirements, make sure you subscribe to our newsletter.

 

 

Canadian immigration stream launch could be unexpected answer to Trump

Canadian immigration stream launch could be unexpected answer to Trump

 

Before U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Canada’s federal government began work on a new immigration stream program to attract highly skilled labour.

The latest news on immigration comes from Trump as he has ordered federal agencies to consider tightening visa regulations for foreign workers; therefore adding more uncertainty to the future of U.S. immigration policy. He argued that this was a long overdue reform on H-1B visas.

The H-1B program allows American companies to hire foreign workers in certain occupations, including industries like information technology, science and engineering. A large amount of the approximately 85,000 H-1B workers who come to the United States each year are employed in these fields since their expertise may not be available locally.

The contrast between U.S. and Canadian immigration systems

Less than three weeks ago, Canada reaffirmed its goal to make the process easier for Canadian companies to hire and bring in global talent in two weeks’ time. The new immigration stream is called the Global Talent Stream, which is part of the federal government’s Global Skills Strategy, is scheduled to launch as of June 12, 2017.

On the other side of the border, H-1B visas usually take three to six months to process. The premium processing option that ensured an answer in less time has already been cancelled by Trump’s administration.

Another noted difference between the two systems is how visas are allocated. In Canada, applications are assessed on merit in accordance with the program requirement, while the U.S. applications are allocated by lottery. The annual cap on applications and the winners chosen by lottery has always made the H-1B visa a problematic program.

Over five years, starting in 2017-2018, the government of Canada has stated that it will provide $279.8 million to support the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TWFP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

Welcome benefit to Canadian tech companies

The technology sector in Canada is currently experiencing rapid growth. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector employs more than 1.3 million people across the country and is the fifth-largest employer in Canada.

International workers may now start to look to Canada rather than to the U.S. in order to grow their careers in the technology sector. There are also a number of large tech companies currently located in the U.S. that are looking to set up satellite offices in Canada as a result of the current U.S. administration policies.

For foreign workers, a major plus to working in Canada is the opportunity to transition to permanent resident status. Workers who may have been interested in working in the U.S., or who have worked there but don’t see a future for themselves in the country, have usually developed or mastered their English ability and are typically well educated. These are important factors that are rewarded in numerous permanent immigration programs in Canada, including the federal economic programs managed under the Express Entry system.

If you are interested in applying for immigration under the Express Entry system, or any other methods, contact us today.

 

 

Ontario Government Resumes Delivering Express Entry Notification of Interest

Ontario Government Resumes Delivering Express Entry Notification of Interest  

The Ontario government has resumed delivering Notification of Interest (NOIs). They are being delivered to applicants who meet the Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream in the Express Entry program within the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

The issuing may begin the week of April 10-14, 2017. According to the government, NOIs will continue to be issued regularly throughout the year until they reach their annual allocation.

The HCP stream allows the candidates, who are invited by the OINP through the federal Express Entry pool, to make an application for a provincial nomination certificate. When obtained and added to the candidate’s Express Entry profile, the candidate will receive an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which would place him or her at the front of the line for selection in the subsequent draw from the pool.

The Ontario government advises that potential applicants should consider creating a new profile within the Express Entry system to make it easier for the province to identify their profile when it searches the federal government’s Express Entry pool. If candidates decide to create a new one, they are required to delete their old Express Entry profile.  This requires the candidates to re-register in the Canada Job Bank, which is still a mandatory step for those who don’t have a job offer when entering the pool.

Select Trades Also Targeted

In relation to the NOI issuance, the OINP announced that candidates in the construction sector of the skilled trades will be targeted, as these jobs are in demand in Ontario. Nevertheless, the NOI issuance is not restricted to candidates with this type of work experience — those in other occupations may also reach their NOIs.

The Express Entry occupation list for this round of NOIs includes:

• Carpenters
• Bricklayers
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
• Industrial electricians
• Plumbers
• Sheet metal workers
• Roofers and shinglers
• Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• Welders
• Tilesetters
• Boilermakers
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
• Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers

An annual survey of construction contractors, administered by the Ontario Construction Secretariat, for 2017 indicated that the economic outlook for the construction industry in Ontario is positive and that this confidence is held across the province.

Requirements for Eligibility

Candidates may be identified by the province and receive an NOI, if:

• They have a minimum CRS score of 400 or more CRS points; and
• They possess the required language ability, skilled work experience, education, and other characteristics to help them successfully establish and integrate into Ontario’s labour market and communities.

The candidates who are in the Express Entry pool cannot apply to HCP within the OINP until they receive an NOI. Only those who receive an NOI can submit an application for a provincial nomination certificate.

For the HCP stream the OINP only selects candidates who are eligible under the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Class.

The OINP allocation for 2017 is 6,000 new permanent residents. But the overall number of newcomers to Ontario will be higher than this number since many newcomers arrive through federal programs.

If you have received your NOI and need help submitting your application, contact the Immigration Law Office of Ronen Kurzfeld today!

 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Receives Additional Funding from Federal Budget

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Receives Additional Funding from Federal Budget

Over five years, starting in 2017-2018, the government of Canada has stated that it will provide $279.8 million to support the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TWFP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

An additional $49.8 million per year will be provided afterwards.

Both the TFWP and the IMP aid the entry of foreign workers to Canada. The TFWP is designed to grant workers to fill labour shortages in job markets where permanent residents or Canadian citizens are not available. The IMP, on the other hand, improves Canada’s cultural and economic interests. Categories in the IMP include workers under open work permits, Intra-Company Transfers and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced this funding as part of the federal government’s 2017 budget.

The budget also aims to ease newly-arrived immigrants’ settlement to Canada. The government will allocate funds to initiatives that will help new immigrants to Canada have their credentials acknowledged in the Canadian labour market.

In order to support a Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers, the 2017 budget proposed to allot $27.5 million over five years, starting in 2017-2018. After those five years, the budget will allot $5.5 million per year.  This employment strategy will have three components:

• Improved pre-arrival supports in order for new immigrants to begin the foreign credential recognition process before entering Canada;
• A loan program that will assist new immigrants with the cost of their foreign credentials recognized; and
• Targeted measure in order to test innovative approaches to aid skilled new immigrants get Canadian work experience in their field.

A Foreign Credential Recognition Loans pilot was introduced by the previous Conservative government in 2011. In its 2015 budget, they had allocated $35 million over five years to make this program permanent. This was never implemented because of the election that was held later that year. Nevertheless, government data showed that loans sped up the credential recognition process, which ultimately led to a 47% increase in full-time employment and eased reliance on income assistance from the government. The loan program has been restored by Trudeau’s Liberal government.

According to the federal government, these strategies will assist to reduce barriers and to support new immigrants as they put their skills and experience to work in the Canadian economy.

If you are looking to obtain a work permit in Canada, contact us today!