icanhelpimmigration

Syed Khan – December 18, 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has laid out the policy priorities in a mandate letter written to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser on December 16. The immigration minister is expected to present his first Immigration Levels Plan, after assuming office, to the parliament in February 2022.

In the letter, Trudeau has outlined 13 issues that call for action like refugees, citizenship, temporary workers, economic immigration, processing times, reunification of families, and francophone immigration.

The main theme of the letter highlights the need to prioritize and continue policies that fortify Canada’s immigration and refugee framework, bring in more newcomers to all Canadian provinces, which will, in turn, support Canada’s financial recuperation from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It goes on to encourage policies that will assist Afghans and human rights activists and to ‘continue to fortify family reunification and minimize application processing times, particularly those affected by COVID-19.’

Some of the important points to note from the letter are:

• Working towards bringing in more immigrants as has been stated in the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan.

Immigration Plan target:	Year:
401,000 new immigrants	2021
411,000 new immigrants	2022
421,000 new immigrants	2023

• Expanding programs and pathways for international students and temporary foreign workers to get permanent residence through Express Entry.

• Introducing more immigration programs for Afghans and human rights activists.

• Increase the quota of the number of eligible refugees from 20,000 to 40,000 at least.

• Work in partnership with the United States to modernize the Safe Third Country Agreement. The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States (U.S.) is part of the U.S.–Canada Smart Border Action Plan. Under the Agreement, refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in, unless they qualify for an exception to the Agreement. The Agreement helps both governments better manage access to the refugee system in each country for people crossing the Canada–U.S. land border. The two countries signed the Agreement on December 5, 2002, and it came into effect on December 29, 2004. To date, the U.S. is the only country that is designated as a safe third country by Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

• Developing the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Program and welcoming at least 2,000 skilled refugees.

• Expanding the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. This is a community-driven program designed to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities by creating a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers who want to work and live in one of the participating communities.

• Making the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program permanent. Launched in 2017, this program helps employers in Atlantic Canada hire foreign skilled workers who want to immigrate to Atlantic Canada and international graduates who want to stay in Atlantic Canada after they graduate.

• Expanding the Municipal Nominee Program

• Establishing a safe and trustworthy employer system for Canadian companies that use the Temporary Foreign Worker program to hire new talent.

• Developing and streamlining the Global Talent Stream by making work permit renewals hassle free, keeping the processing time under two weeks and establishing a hotline for the employers.

• Improving foreign credential recognition.

• Developing policies to establishing rights and status for undocumented workers that contribute to Canada. Reducing application processing times for such workers, including COVID-19 delays.

• To accept online applications for programs that seek family reunification and issuing a temporary resident status to applicants’ spouses and children living abroad while their applications are under processing.

• Establishing an understanding with Quebec to work towards supporting the knowledge of the French language of immigrants.

• Working towards supporting better francophone immigration across all Canadian provinces.

Efforts made by the IRCC:

The IRCC, in previous announcements, has stated that it will accept 40,000 permanent residence applications from international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution. In May, the IRCC launched 6 new temporary streams and announced that it would be accepting more applications than ever in the following sectors:

Name / Type of occupation	The number of applications to be accepted:
Temporary workers in the healthcare sector	20,000
Temporary workers in non-healthcare essential occupations	30,000

The full mandate letter can be read here ( https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters/2021/12/16/minister-immigration-refugees-and-citizenship-mandate-letter )

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 17, 2021

In the latest draw, the Prince Edward Island immigration has issued invitations to 125 skilled worker and entrepreneur candidates. On 16 December, the province issued invitations through three streams. They are as follows:

• Labor Impact stream
• Express Entry stream
• Business Impact stream

The summary of the draw is as follows:

Name of the stream:	The number of invites issued:	The minimum score required to qualify:
Labor Impact and Express Entry	114	N/A
Business Impact	11	67

It was PEI’s last draw of the year. It has issued invites to 1,854 candidates in all of 2021. The summary of total invites issued in 2021 are as follows:

Name of the stream:	The number of invites issued:
Labor Impact and Express Entry	1,697
Business Impact	157

The PEI Express Entry Category has two pathways towards Canadian permanent residence, they are as follows:

1. Skilled Worker Stream
2. Critical Worker Stream

The Express Entry category operates by considering applicants who are already in the Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination which adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score. This guarantees the candidate an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian immigration.

Graduates of publicly funded designated learning institutions in Canada are eligible to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit upon graduation. PGWP holders who are seeking nomination under Express Entry are required to meet a minimum of nine months’ work experience with a PEI employer prior to being considered for immigration pathways if you:

• hold a PGWP and graduated from an institution outside of PEI
• have a spousal open work permit as a result of a spouse’s study permit from an institution outside of PEI
• have a minimum of four months prior to the expiry of your PGWP at time of submission of Expression of Interest

Requirements for Skilled Worker Stream:

• have a full‐time, non-seasonal (permanent or minimum of two years) job offer from a PEI employer in a high skilled occupation defined by the National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, or B
• have at least two years of full‐time work experience in the past five years
• have a valid work permit to be working in Canada
• have legal status in country of residence
• have successfully completed a post‐secondary degree or diploma (minimum two-year program)
• be between the ages of 18 and 59
• have sufficient English and/or French language ability to perform the job offered. Language ability can be verified by one of the following: o a language test from an IRCC-approved testing institute within the past two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4; or o PEIW-02: Workforce Job Offer Form indicating employer is comfortable with the employee’s proficiency in English and/or French to perform tasks associated with the job position being offered
• have sufficient financial resources for the applicant and family to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) to be able to establish in PEI
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

Requirements for Critical Worker Stream:

• have a full‐time, non-seasonal (i.e., permanent or minimum of two years) job offer from a PEI employer in an intermediate-skilled position, defined by the National Occupation Code (NOC) skill level C or D
• have worked a minimum of six months full‐time for the PEI employer
• have a valid work permit and legal status in Canada
• possess a minimum education of secondary school diploma
• be between the ages of 18 and 59
• have a minimum two years of full‐time work experience or relevant education in the past five years
• provide a language test from an IRCC-approved testing institute within the past two years with a minimum score of CLB/NCLC 4
• have sufficient financial resources to pay all immigration costs (including travel expenses) for you and your family to be able to establish in PEI
• demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in PEI.

For more information, candidates can view the detailed PEI workforce application guide: ( https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/workforce_application_guide_2021_v2.pdf ) or contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 16, 2021

The British Columbia immigration, in its latest draw held on 14 December, issued 71 invitations to skilled workers and international graduates. The BC PNP Tech draws are aimed specifically at technology workers and feature up to four streams of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program.

About the BC PNP Tech draw:

● This draw was first launched in 2017 as a pilot project in response to the fast-

growing demand for talent in BC’s technology sector.

● It was made a permanent program in June 2021.

● The stream targets skilled workers and aims to expand the province’s pool of

skilled workers.

● Invitations are issued on a weekly basis to candidates who qualify and who have

a valid job offers in one of the 29 eligible occupations.

● The minimum duration of the job offers when applying for BC PNP Tech must be

full-time for a duration of 365 days or more.

The BC PNP offers interested candidates three ways to apply for PR. Each pathway is

categorized into several different categories’ candidates can apply in. Choosing the

category depends on your NOC skill level, work experience, type of job, etc.

Till now, in 2021, British Columbia Immigration has invited over 10,000 candidates through various BC PNP streams. The Skilled Worker Stream of BC PNP targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in the province. It functions on a points-based invite system.

The minimum score to qualify for each stream was 80 points on the grid, with each of the streams being as follows:

• SI – Skilled Worker stream
• SI – International Graduate stream
• EEBC – Express Entry BC Skilled Worker stream
• EEBC – Express Entry BC International Graduate stream

For this stream, the job offer must be:

• For one of the 29 targeted occupations
• For at least the duration of one full year
• Valid for at least 120 days at the time of application

Occupations targeted under this stream are:

• Civil engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Electrical and electronics engineers
• Chemical engineers
• Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
• Telecommunication carriers’ managers
• Computer and information systems managers
• Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
• Information systems analysts and consultants
• Database analysts and data administrators
• Software engineers and designers
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• Biological technologists and technicians
• Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
• Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
• Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
• Computer network technicians
• Web designers and developers
• Editors
• Translators, terminologists and interpreters
• Broadcast technicians
• Audio and video recording technicians
• User support technicians
• Information systems testing technicians
• Authors and writers
• Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts
• Other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
• Graphic designers and illustrators
• Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade

For more information, candidates can visit BC PNP (

https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/B-C-Provincial-Nominee-Program ) or

contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 15, 2021

Ontario Immigration has announced a new two-year immigration program that aims to attract $20 million investments from 100 international entrepreneurs. This program is aimed to help struggling businesses and create jobs in sectors like tourism and technology. It is set to be launched under the existing Entrepreneur Stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

Quote by Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development:

“As we continue to build back better, we want people across Ontario – no matter where they live – to find rewarding, well-paying careers in their communities. Our government is working for workers and spreading the jobs and opportunities that entrepreneurs bring to every corner of our province, not just our big cities. To improve this program, this project will better support entrepreneurs that apply and help connect them with business opportunities that best fit them”

After successfully operating their business for 18 to 20 months, these applicants will be nominated automatically for permanent residence by the Ontario Immigration.

The Minister also called for Ontario’s nomination allocation to be doubled from next year, from the current 9,000. This means that currently, Ontario can only nominate about 9,000 people every year for PR despite being one of the most popular destinations for immigrants to settle in.

This new program is one of the many steps taken by Ontario to increase immigration and attract newcomers to the province.

Ontario proposed a new provincial law in October that removes the requirement of foreign-trained professionals like lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, electricians and plumbers to get Canadian work experience and licensing in order to practice their professions in Ontario.

Under this new proposed law, the number of language tests for foreign professionals to obtain professional licensing will also be reduced and applications under this program will be sped up in order to help these working professionals settle in Canada quickly.

Quote by Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development regarding this new proposed law:

“Ontario is facing a generational labor shortage with hundreds of thousands of jobs going unfilled. However, all too often, newcomers in this province struggle to find jobs in their regulated profession for no other reason than bureaucracy and red tape”

For more information, candidates can visit OINP ( https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-immigrant-nominee-program-oinp ) or

contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 14, 2021

According to the report, vacancy rates in small businesses depend on the size of the organization. The smaller the company, the higher was its vacancy rate. Small businesses with 1 to 4 employees had a vacancy rate of 5.5% while large businesses having over 100 employees had a rate of 2.6%.

Small businesses in provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick reported the highest % of labor shortages with 64% and 60% respectively.

By sector, construction and transportation were worst affected by labor shortages, with 74% and 68%, respectively.

Canada’s tight labor market is forcing many companies to offer regular Covid-19 testing over vaccine mandates, while provinces like Quebec others are reversing previously announced inoculation requirements even as Omicron variant cases rise. (Source: CNN)

How can Immigration conciliate the tight labor market?

In a worrying statement made by the report, by 2050, Canada will have lost a significant portion of its working-age individuals and its future workforce. If the labor market approach and policies do not change, this shortage will be crippling for Canada’s economic growth. Immigration is one of the solutions towards reducing shortages but it needs to be streamlined and improved to attract more newcomers to work and settle down in the country.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is one such innovative program that allows Canadian employers the ability to temporarily hire foreign nationals in order to fill shortages in Canada’s labor force. It also ensures the rights and protections of these foreign workers.

Under this program, temporary foreign workers can be hired through the following streams:

• Global Talent Stream
• Foreign Agricultural Workers
• High-Wage Workers
• Low-Wage Workers
• In-Home Caregivers
• Foreign Academics

The biggest requirement towards a TFWP is the Labor Market Impact Assessment. Any employer or business looking to hire a foreign national through TFWP must first obtain an LMIA demonstrating that they were unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position. Only after obtaining this document can the employer officially hire a foreign national, thus enabling the newcomer to apply for a Canadian work permit or PR.

However, despite the popularity of TFWP, only 16% of the businesses used this program to hire. They stated that it was time-consuming and expensive for them to use as certain occupations do not qualify.

Improving the TFWP is needed, as it would allow for more pathways towards Permanent Residency and encourage more immigrants with better skills to apply for these jobs.

Efforts made by the IRCC:

The IRCC, in previous announcements, has stated that it will accept 40,000 permanent residence applications from international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution. In May, the IRCC launched 6 new temporary streams and announced that it would be accepting more applications than ever in the following sectors:

Name / Type of occupation	The number of applications to be accepted:
Temporary workers in the healthcare sector	20,000
Temporary workers in non-healthcare essential occupations	30,000

Canada has also announced an ambitious Immigration Levels Plan for 2021‒2023 that aims to bring in a record number of permanent residents and boost the economy.

Immigration Plan target:	Year:
401,000 new immigrants	2021
411,000 new immigrants	2022
421,000 new immigrants	2023

The full report by CFIB can be read here ( https://content.cfib-fcei.ca/sites/default/files/2021-12/labour-shortages-are-back-with-a-vengeance_1.pdf )

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 13, 2021

Canadian businesses are in dire need of new employees amidst long standing labor shortages even as the economy recovers post-pandemic.

In the findings published by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), more than 50% of small businesses in Canada have been affected negatively by labor shortages. They are facing difficulties in hiring staff and retaining them. Most of these businesses report a lack of skilled workers applying.

The report by CFIB explains the reasons why labor shortage conditions became so critical, the issues that existed before the onset of the pandemic, the role the pandemic played and the most effective solutions to help small business now and in the future.

According to CFIB’s Small Business Recovery Dashboard, over 33% of small businesses surveyed in the report have turned down sales or contracts and 30% have abandoned or delayed projects due to labor shortages.

Almost 22% surveyed also reported having temporarily reduced their staffing and 8% have permanently reduced their staffing or shut down their business. This labor shortage has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic but the lockdown is not the main cause for it.

Quote by Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice-president of national affairs at CFIB:

“Small businesses have a long and steep climb to recovery, and having the right workers in place or other tools to address labor shortages is a big part of that. They are already doing all they can to attract workers, but they need governments to do their part by adopting policies that increase productivity, connect job seekers with employers and don’t put the cost of hiring out of reach.”

Four in 25 businesses have reported having enough staff, but said they incur heavy additional costs to maintain the business as they have either increased minimum wages or provided hiring bonuses, a move which is uneconomical in the long run in maintaining small businesses. Rising higher wages imply higher labor costs, which in turn forces up prices and generates inflationary pressure.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 12, 2021

The IRCC, recently held its largest ever draw on 10 December, and has sent invites to Express Entry candidates to apply for PR. All these invitations were sent to candidates nominated via the PNP.

The applicants are ranked in the pool using the CRS, a points-based system. The candidates who scored the maximum CRS points are then invited to apply for permanent residence. The minimum cut off score to qualify was 698 (with the nomination). If more than one candidate has the lowest score, the cut-off is based on the date and time they submitted their Express Entry profiles.

Each invitation round has a set of instructions that are posted online at the time of the round and which are used by the IRCC to invite candidates from the Express Entry pool. The instructions include:

• The date and time of the invitation round
• The number of candidates to get an ITA
• The list of immigration program(s) included in the round

All throughout this year, the IRCC has targeted on inviting Express Entry candidates from Provincial Nominee Class and Canadian Experience Class. Up till now in 2021, the IRCC has issued 113,685 ITA’s.

The IRCC uses the Express Entry system to choose skilled workers based on their skills and ability to contribute to Canada’s economy. It manages applications for three economic immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local labor market needs.

For more information, candidates can visit the IRCC website ( https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/works.html ) or

contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 1, 2021

Newfoundland is aiming to introduce a number of programs designed to boost immigration. The provincial immigration recently announced that the provincial healthcare for international students, the Medical Care Plan (MCP), is now extended for a time period of 90 days after graduation.

The MCP for international students is now aligned with the length of study permits and will provide coverage while graduates seek career opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is instrumental to ensure that these students have time to look for jobs in the province and begin their careers after graduation.

This move comes after a series of new announcements by the province to provide support and backing to new immigrants and students in gaining work experience, getting intercultural training and help in finding jobs after graduation.

Quote by Honorable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills:

“The goal is to provide training that will foster a better understanding and appreciation of international students and their unique cultures, leading to improved outcomes for students while they study and after they graduate”

“By adopting an all-of-government approach to immigration and increasing our collaboration with organizations and post-secondary institutions such as Memorial University, we are aligning and redoubling efforts across departments and educational institutions, as illustrated today with these supports to help retain highly educated newcomers. There’s a lot of work to do to get to our goal and welcome 5,100 newcomers a year by 2026, and we plan to quickly get on with it.”

The programs proposed by the province include:

• A new, fully online application system is also being proposed, with an initial investment of $2 million. This will help in streamlining application processes and reduce processing times.
• On January 2, 2021, the province launched Priority Skills stream, a new stream aimed at individuals who wish to settle down in the province and have work experience in occupations in demand in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as have a high level of education and language ability
• Providing funding of $66,847 for the Retaining Global Talent project
• Providing funding of $26,612.76 for expanding the Professional Skills Development Program
• Providing funding of $27,278.00 towards the Supporting Newcomers in Newfoundland and Labrador project
• Funding over $100,000 to assist newcomers to access to English language testing at Grenfell Campus
• More initiatives have been announced to increase immigration staffing levels, and help develop English language skills for candidates. Including $357,000 for additional English as a Second Language instructors in the K-12 school system

For more information, candidates can visit the provincial website ( https://www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2021/ipgs/1202n04/ ) or contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 10, 2021

Alberta Immigration has announced changes to its Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program and eased the requirements needed to qualify for the Foreign Graduate Start Up Visa Stream and International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream. These changes were announced on 7 December and came into effect immediately.

About the Foreign Graduate Start Up Visa Stream:

The Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Stream is an economic immigration program that nominates talented and qualified foreign educated graduates from outside Canada for permanent residence upon launching start-up enterprises and innovative businesses in Alberta.

Changes in requirements for the Foreign Graduate Start Up Visa Stream

• Reduction in level of CLB from 7 to 5 for English or French or both.
• Completion of degree time in years increased from the last two years to the last ten years.
• International graduates or entrepreneurs who currently own and, or operate a business can qualify for permanent residence.

About the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream:

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream (IGEIS) allows Alberta to nominate qualified international graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions who want to establish or operate a business in Alberta to apply for permanent residence.

Changes in requirements for the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream:

• Removing the requirement of mandatory 6 months’ work experience.
• Removing the requirement to hold a valid Post Graduation Work permit in the last two years. Now candidates can qualify even if they have a PGWP regardless of the time period it has been valid for.
• International graduates or entrepreneurs who currently own and, or operate a business can qualify for permanent residence.

Steps to apply for the streams:

• The candidate should make an Express Entry profile on the website
• They should receive an NOI from Alberta Immigration when they apply via an Express Entry profile.
• The candidate checks their criteria and submits an application.
• Complete applications go into a pool of eligible applications for consideration for processing

The candidate receives a Notification of Interest if they:

• have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
• have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta
• are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
• have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 350

Adaptability Factors that increase chances of a candidate receiving an NOI:

• Has an Alberta job offer and/or work experience
• Is a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution
• Has had a parent, child, brother, and/or sister who is a permanent resident living in Alberta, or a Canadian citizen living in Alberta

Factors that decrease candidate’s likelihood of receiving an NOI:

• Candidate’s Express Entry profile expires in 5 months or less
• Candidate works in an occupation on the list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta set out on the online Government of Canada Refusal to Process a Labor Market Impact Assessment list on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list
• The candidate has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams

For more information, candidates can visit AINP ( https://www.alberta.ca/ainp.aspx ) or contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need

Syed Khan – December 09, 2021

Quebec Immigration has announced that Quebec based organizations will be able to sponsor refugees from 18 January to 16 February, revoking its earlier decision dated November 2020. The province has also banned organizations from participating that have submitted false information in the last two years.

The province will also spend $130 million in a new action plan and quell the current labor shortage. According to the latest Labor Force Survey of November, Quebec has the lowest unemployment rate, 4.5%, in all of Canada. Over 45,500 jobs were added by the province in the previous month.

Quote by Minister Nadine Girault:

“We have reached an important milestone in our collective sponsorship program in terms of ensuring the protection and well-being of refugees as we receive them here in the very welcoming society that is Quebec.”

Quote by Immigration Minister Jean Boulet:

“Our government is firmly committed to addressing the labor shortage in all regions of Quebec. Immigration is part of a set of solutions to help us get there. For several years, we have too often witnessed cases of professional immigrants, unable to work in their field of expertise, for lack of recognition of their professional skills. This is simply unacceptable, particularly in the current context where the difficulty of recruiting staff affects the growth of our economy and essential public services. With these new measures, immigrants will be able to practice their profession more quickly and will use their skills to serve the prosperity of Quebec.”

Key Points from the announcement:

• Organizations looking to sponsor can apply only two times during the course of the application period.
• Citizens or permanent residents cannot be a part of more than one sponsorship group.
• Projects in areas like skills assessment, recruitment, personalized support, refresher training, etc. will be developed and it is hoped that this will result in helping new immigrants find jobs in the labor market.
• 825 applications for the sponsorship of refugees will be accepted, in case more applications are received, a random draw will be held to select prospective applications.
• The spokespersons of the sponsors whose application will have been randomly drawn will receive, if applicable, a communication to their Arrima account, inviting them to submit the randomly drawn undertaking application within the deadline indicated by the Ministère.

For more information, candidates can visit the Quebec Immigration website ( https://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/immigrate-settle/humanitarian-immigration/collective-sponsorship/index.html ) or

contact ICanHelpImmigration Services for a detailed consultation.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit or Migrate to Canada, talk to I Can Help Immigration Services, Canada’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company to get the best help you need