icanhelpimmigration

Syed Khan – 4 August 2021

Canada added 231,000 jobs in June 2021. Ontario is one of the four provinces to make out employment growth in June. In the pandemic, the scope for additional job opportunities in nine occupations in the Canadian province of Ontario is increased. Other provinces include B.C., Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

The Canadian Federal government surveyed the impact of the pandemic in each province and territory. It found that Ontario has looked for 109 occupations, which witnessed the changes in employment in contrast to pre-COVID days.

Immigrant employment in June

Immigrants have seen a slow recovery phase. The employment rate was about 57% which is two points less compared to February 2020. While for Canadian-born workers who were employed at a rate of 60% were just 1% down compared to over the same period.

Recent immigrants from the past five years have a higher rate of employment. This is because the number of newcomers has fallen due to COVID travel restrictions to migrants.

Monitoring economic recovery

The employment rate is calculated based on the number of people employed and the percentage of people having above 15 years of age. This makes to understand how the employment rate and the labor market trends change comparatively.

Between February 2020 and June 2021, Canada’s population has increased slightly by more than 1 percent. To maintain the employment pace with population growth, the Canadian government has added 203,000 opportunities.

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 – 03 August 2021

Manitoba invited 375 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination on Jul 29. Invited candidates can now apply for a nomination from the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. If successful, the nomination will support their final application for Canadian permanent residence. A total of 42 invitations, also known as Letters of
Advice to Apply (LAAs), went to Express Entry candidates. Candidates overseas need
to demonstrate connections to Manitoba through the likes of close family ties, previous
experience in the province, or an invitation through one of Manitoba’s Strategic
Recruitment Initiatives. You do not need to be living in Manitoba at the time of your
application to be eligible.

Results of the latest draw:
● Skilled Workers in Manitoba— 285 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 400;
● Skilled Workers Overseas— 47 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 708; and
● International Education Stream — 43 invitations with no EOI score requirement.

What is the Manitoba immigration program?
If you want to benefit from a nomination from Manitoba, you need to register an
Expression of Interest with the MPNP. This puts you in a position to receive an LAA
through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.
Manitoba then ranks candidates out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as
well as their connections to the province. Manitoba manages its immigration programs
through the MPNP, which supports immigration applications to the federal government.
Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out permanent residency status, but
they can help an application along by issuing provincial nominations.
In order to receive an invitation under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, you
need to have a full-time job offer from a provincial employer.
International graduates who complete education in Manitoba can receive an invitation
under the International Education Stream if they can demonstrate that they have in-
demand skills. The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in
Manitoba streams are designed to allow the province to identify candidates who meet its
labor market needs.

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 – 2 Aug 2021

Even in COVID-19 pandemic times, Canada has continued to receive applications for
permanent residency. IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has
launched Virtual landings to confirm the PR status of the applicants.

Virtual landings for PR status confirmation
From March 2020, IRCC is not making the traditional in-person landing appointments
required to check the documents of Confirmation of Permanent Residency (CoPR).
Instead, the IRCC referred to virtual landing a few times to complete the process.
On June 21st, 2021, Canada announced that people with valid CoPRs (not in Canada)
could travel to Canada to complete their immigration process.

Canada PR confirmation portal
Presently, IRCC is using a new online permanent residence confirmation portal to
confirm the status of the permanent resident.
The new portal is convenient for people to check the status of their PR applications. It
also issues new PR cards at a faster pace. The new PR confirmation portal is not
similar to the Express Entry portal.
The PR confirmation portal is totally separate from the IRCC Express Entry portal you
used to submit your application for permanent residency.

How does the Permanent Resident confirmation portal work?
After receiving approval of the PR application from IRCC, an invitation is sent to check
and finalize the PR status in the PR confirmation portal if the individual who does not
have an account in the portal can confirm the email address to receive the details, of the
account of the new portal.
After receiving the confirmation, IRCC will create an account in the portal and send an
email with login details. Make a note that the account cannot be created individually.

IRCC will create an account under the principle applicant’s account for every applicant
under 18 or any other individuals who chose to act on behalf. This depends upon the
email id which the individual provides in the first email.

To finalize the PR application in the new portal, the individual need to:

● Confirm his/her presence in Canada
● Provide residence address
● Upload a photo which should be a digital photo or a scanned photo but not a
picture taken with a camera or a paper photo
After IRCC accepts the uploaded photo, it will show in the new portal. Later the PR card
is issued with the same photo. Then the IRCC sends you the PR card within a week
after submission.
The individual can use the online proof of PR status until they receive their PR card.

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 – 2 Aug 2021

Immigrants should have a minimum amount of capital under the Business visa for Canada. You cannot borrow this money from Ottawa as they cannot provide funds to immigrants under the start-up visa program.

Applicants must have sufficient cash to fund their Start-up in Canada. Receiving support from a trusted investor from your home country will require more funding to satisfy a Canadian investor.

It is better to work with a Canadian immigration lawyer, who is experienced in the Canadian start-up environment. He/she will make sure that you can address this important area to the best of your abilities.

Apart from capital & settlement funds required to finance your business, you will have to even cough up half of your salary to get a start-up visa. You have to sacrifice half of the pay that is required for household expenses such as: –

• Home
• Heating & other utilities
• Food
• Clothing
• Health insurance & transportation.

Applicants applying for a Business visa for Canada must be aware of the fact that most Canadians pay up to 50% of their income on housing & other utilities. A basic room in the affordable land areas in the country will cost you around $350/month. Anyway, rents can rise to $2500/month in a big city in Canada.

Apart from that, immigrants applying for a Canadian start-up visa should know about some other facts too. Provincial & territorial health programs won’t be able to cover the cost of all newcomers in Canada for three months.

Hence, in such a situation, this is what you can do to acquire funds for your Business visa for Canada-

• You must secure at least $200,000 of minimum investment from a designated Canadian venture capital fund.
• You have to secure at least $75,000 if the investment comes from a designated Canadian angel investor group.

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 – 31 July 2021

Canada is among the leading multicultural countries globally. A high quality of life, good and diverse job and business opportunities, world-class education, and a generally welcoming stance towards immigrants, all combine to make Canada one of the best countries to immigrate to.

Both the federal as well as provincial/territorial governments of Canada require and invite immigrants. The specific requirements vary from province to province and from territory to territory.

Federal draws by Canada, under the Express Entry system, are held through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada [IRCC].

The draws by the provincial and territorial governments, on the other hand, are held by the government of the province/territory concerned through the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP].

As per the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will be welcoming 401,000 newcomers in 2021. Of these, 108,500 will get Canada PR through the IRCC Express Entry system.

No all-program draws were held in July 2021 as well.

The last all-program draw to be held by IRCC was on December 23, 2020.

In July 2021, as has been the norm so far this year, IRCC continued alternating between inviting those with previous recent Canadian experience and those with a PNP nomination.

Of the total 10,089 invitations to apply [ITAs] issued in July 2021, while 9,000 ITAs went out to candidates eligible for the Canadian Experience Class [CEC], another 1,089 went out to provincial nominees.

A provincial nominee – nominated through any of the IRCC Express Entry linked PNP streams – is automatically allotted 600 CRS points, thereby boosting their profile towards the top of the pool of Canada immigration hopefuls.

The Comprehensive Ranking System [CRS] is a 1,200-points matrix, wherein 600 points are awarded based on human capital factors [age, education, language ability etc.], and 600 are set aside as ‘additional’ points.

As it is only the highest-ranked that receive invitations by IRCC, a PNP nomination [worth 600 points in itself] guarantees an ITA by IRCC in a subsequent IRCC draw to be held.

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 – 30 July 2021

Canada has expanded its fast-track program for international students to seven new countries. The Student Direct Stream (SDS) offers expedited processing of student permit to those looking to study at a Canadian designated learning institution (DLI). Potential international students to Canada first need to receive a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a DLI. IRCC launched the SDS in 2018 to students from India, China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. It expanded the program in 2019 to include Pakistan, Senegal, and Morocco.

The countries included are:

• Brazil
• Colombia
• Peru
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Costa Rica
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Study permit processing varies by country but it can take several months. The benefit of the SDS is that eligible participants can get their study permit application processed by IRCC within 20 calendar days on average.

What are DLI’s?

DLIs are universities, colleges, and other post-secondary educational institutions in Canada that are authorized by the government to welcome international students. Once a candidate receives an LOA, they then need to submit a study permit application to the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The purpose of the study permit is to authorize an individual to move to Canada to pursue their education.

Those from the above 14 countries wishing to apply for a study permit under the SDS need to meet the following criteria:

1. Language Test: Applicants must have obtained a score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS (either IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training) on each skill: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Francophone candidates need to obtain a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) equivalent of 7 in each skill on the Test d’Evaluation de Français
2. Proof of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate of at least $10,000 CAD: This needs to be from an eligible Canadian financial institution
3. Proof of full payment of tuition for the candidate’s first year
4. Letter of Acceptance from a Canadian designated learning institution
5. Most recent educational transcript
6. Proof of upfront medical exam: This requirement is for applicants who have lived or travelled for 6 months in designated countries or territories and/or their field of study requires an upfront medical exam

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Canada hosted a record 642,000 international students in 2019. Among the top 15 source countries, India, China, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, and Morocco are SDS participants.

Among today’s additions to the SDS, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru are likely to have the most significant impact on international student enrollment in Canada. Canada’s population of Brazilian students has increased nearly ten-fold over the last two decades while the Colombian student population has nearly quadrupled. Peru’s student population has increased five-fold since 2000. IRCC notes that nearly 16,000 study permits were issued to residents of the seven new SDS countries in 2019, of which about 10,000 went to those in Brazil and some 4,400 to students from Colombia.

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 – 29 July 2021

Canada’s Manitoba has held another round of invitations – the second to be held by the province this month – under the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP], also referred to as Canadian PNP. On July 27, 2021, Manitoba PNP invited 1,140 in Expression of Interest [EOI] Draw #122.

The previous MPNP draw was held on July 9, 2021.

Those invited can now proceed to apply to the MPNP for a nomination through the province for permanent residence in Canada.

Invitations by the MPNP are also referred to as letters of Advice to Apply [LAAs]. Generally, MPNP LAAs are issued to the immigration pathways of Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas [under the category of Skilled Worker Program], as well the International Education stream.

The MPNP has the following 7 immigration pathways under Candian PNP –

With the latest MPNP draw, a total of 6,139 have been invited to apply by Manitoba in the 17 MPNP draws held so far in 2021.

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 – 28 July 2021

The Canadian province of British Columbia has held another round of invitations under the Provincial Nominee Program [PNP]. On July 27, 2021, another 59 candidates – with a job offer in BC in any of the 29 tech occupations – were invited in the latest BC PNP Tech draw.

Earlier referred to as the “BC PNP Tech Pilot”, the same has now been extended permanently and renamed accordingly. It is through the BC PNP Tech that tech employers within the province gain the “continued ability to recruit and retain international talent” wherever local workers are unavailable.

The previous BC PNP draw was held on July 20, 2021. The draw before that – on July 13, 2021 – was the previous BC PNP Tech draw to be held. Those invited in the latest provincial draw by British Columbia can now submit their application for a BC PNP nomination for Canada PR.

The BC PNP Tech is an expedited pathway for a tech professional looking to acquire permanent residence in Canada while intending to settle within the province of British Columbia.

For an IRCC Express Entry candidate, a PNP nomination – through any of the IRCC Express Entry linked Canada immigration PNP pathways – is worth 600 CRS points in itself. Here, by ‘CRS’ is implied the Comprehensive Ranking System used for ranking profiles while in the IRCC Express Entry pool of candidates. Of the maximum 1,200 CRS points available, 600 can be availed through a PNP nomination.

A Canadian job offer or “arranged employment” in Canada, on the other hand, can only get you up to 200 CRS points.

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 – 27 July 2021

The U.S. lawmakers say that Indian talents in more numbers are attracted towards Canada than the U.S. because of its outdated and unchanged visa policies (H-1B, and immigration).

A large number of people choose Canada over the U.S. mainly because of the outdated immigration policies, and the limit of issuing Green Cards per-country quota is also driving Indians to opt for Canada over the U.S.

Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee-Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, National Foundation for American Policy Stuart Anderson said “the backlog is increasing and, within a decade, more than 2 million people will be waiting in line for the green cards and they might have to wait for years and decades”.

As the report from TPI, Anderson says that ‘without Congressional action, the total backlog for all three employment-based categories (EB 1, EB 2, EB 3) for Indians would increase from an estimated 9,15,497 individuals currently to an estimated 21,95,795 individuals by fiscal 2030’.

In March 2021, for FY 2022, 3,08,613 H-1B registrations for cap selections were filed by the employers for only 85,000 H-1B petitions. This means that over 72 percent of the

H-1B registrations for high skilled foreign nationals were rejected before evaluating the application by the adjudicator.

While in Canada, it is easy for international students to work on the temporary visa status and later acquire permanent residence. Jennifer Young, the CEO, Technology Councils of North America, says that the pre-immigration policies in Canada allowed its companies to employ high-skilled foreign experts within four weeks.

According to the U.S. government data analysis, there is a downfall in the graph of Indian students contributing to the U.S. universities. In 2016-2017, two-thirds were Indian students in the total number of international students. The number got even more reduced during 2018-2019, because of the U.S. visa policies. In Canada, the percentage of Indian students contributing to Canadian universities rose by 127 percent in the same duration. That is, the number of students in 2016 was 76,075, whereas, in

2018, the number increased to 1,72,625, as per the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

Comparatively, the Canadian immigration policies were better than the U.S. for both the students and the talented individuals.

The world has changed a lot since 1990, but the U.S. immigration policy remains the same. There is a huge demand for high-skilled technical labor in the U.S., but because of these outdated immigration policies, most of the people are not opting for the U.S. rather they are attracted towards Canada.

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 – 26 July 2021

The federal government said on Friday that many brave Afghans made incredible contributions to Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan; often at great personal risk. While over 800 were able to resettle in Canada over the past decade, many are still in Afghanistan. With the situation in the country deteriorating rapidly, many have become Taliban targets due to their work. 

Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced a special program to resettle the Afghans who were integral to Canada’s efforts in Afghanistan. The government said it is seized with the urgency of the situation and is working quickly to help those who put themselves at great risk to help Canada.

In recognition of their service to Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is implementing special immigration measures that will offer a path to protection in Canada for those at risk due to their work. The work at Global Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence is well underway to identify and assist individuals eligible for resettlement to Canada. Operational teams from IRCC, GAC, and DND are currently on the ground in Afghanistan to support these efforts. Starting immediately, IRCC will begin processing individuals referred to them by GAC and DND.

To protect their privacy, as well as the safety of extended family who may remain in Afghanistan, the government said it will not disclose the identity of those who will be resettled, how they will be evacuated or when. For security reasons, the government also will not comment on specific operational matters of its missions abroad.

Those eligible include interpreters who worked with the Canadian Armed Forces, cooks, drivers, cleaners, construction workers, security guards, and locally engaged staff employed at the Embassy of Canada to Afghanistan, and their family members. Criteria to be referred for resettlement are based on applicants’ significant or enduring relationship with the Government of Canada. Applicants must meet all usual admissibility requirements, including security, criminal and health screenings, and processing timelines will be expedited. Applicants will also be subject to existing COVID-19 public health measures and safety protocols.

Quotes from the officials:

Mendicino said: “So many Afghan citizens put themselves at risk to assist Canada, both during and after our military mission in Afghanistan. Now they face even greater threats from the Taliban, and we are doing everything possible to bring them to safety. Lives hang in the balance, which is why we’re taking timely and decisive action to support the Afghans who supported Canada, and offer them a future in this country. Canada will do right by those who did so much for us.”

Garneau said: “Canada has a responsibility to protect the brave people in Afghanistan who have helped us carry out our mission over 20 years to advance human rights, education, health, and security in their country. As violence spreads, ensuring the safety and security of all of our personnel, whether Canadian or Afghan, past or present, and the people who are helping us on the ground, is our top priority.”

Sajjan said: “I know first-hand about the important work of those who helped the Canadian Armed Forces while Canada was in Afghanistan. We owe it to those who served alongside our members in uniform to make sure that they and their families are safe. That is why the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence have been working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada from the beginning. We will continue that work until the Afghans who were integral to our work in Afghanistan are safe here in Canada.”

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