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Syed Khan July 25, 2021

On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) announced a record number of 30,000 applications for the 2021 intake of the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) using a lottery system. The PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada. Parents and grandparents who are approved under this program are granted permanent residence and may later apply for Canadian citizenship.

This historic lottery will take place from September 20-27, and invitations will be sent over the course of two weeks. Those who expressed an interest to sponsor in 2020, but were not invited to apply, may be considered in the upcoming PGP 2021 lottery draw. Those invited will have 60 days to submit their sponsorship applications to the Canadian government.

Key Points:

• IRCC aims to receive up to 40,000 complete applications in 2021—10,000 from the 2020 intake process and 30,000 from 2021.
• IRCC invites more people to apply than the number of applications it aims to receive because not all sponsors who are invited to apply to submit an application.
• Individuals who wish to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada under the sought-after PGP need to meet the program’s eligibility criteria.
• PGP sponsorship applicants must be 18 years of age or older, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or status First Nations and have the means to support the family member they are sponsoring.
• Selected potential sponsors will have their income assessed for tax years 2020, 2019, and 2018.
• Sponsors must also prove that they have sufficient income to support all family members for whom they will be financially responsible, including themselves, once they become sponsors.
• Applicants are encouraged to check how much money they will need to support the number of people for whom they will be financially responsible before submitting an application to the PGP.
• In order to confirm whether they’ve been selected, potential sponsors should check the email account they used to submit their 2020 interest to sponsor form. They will also be able to check their status online using their 2020 confirmation number.
• Misplaced confirmation numbers can be retrieved using the Lost My Confirmation Number tool, which will be available online once all the invitations have been sent.
• Those not invited to apply may consider applying for a super visa, which would allow a parent or grandparent to visit them in Canada for up to two years at a time, without the need to renew their status. A super visa allows multiple entries for up to 10 years.
• Sponsors residing outside of the Canadian province of Quebec who are invited to apply and their co-signers (if applicable) will have to provide Notices of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for each of the three aforementioned taxation years.

What is the MNI?

Minimum Necessary Income (MNI) is a key eligibility factor for the PGP. IRCC will assess each sponsor’s MNI for 2020, 2019, and 2018 tax years. This proof of necessary income is only to be provided after interest in sponsorship has been expressed via the online form. However, applicants who are selected and invited to apply but do not meet the MNI requirement will see their application refused.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, IRCC will assess your MNI only for the 2020 tax year, but it will not assess the usual MNI plus 30 percent. In addition, applicants can count Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) towards their MNI for the 2020 tax year.

Details of the undertaking to be signed:

The IRCC requires a signed undertaking from interested sponsors. This undertaking dictates how long the sponsor will be financially responsible for the family members they are sponsoring from the time they become permanent residents of Canada.

The length of the undertaking for parents and grandparents is 20 years for residents of all Canadian provinces except Quebec.

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 – July 25, 2021

Saskatchewan PNP invited a total of 280 Canadian immigration hopefuls to apply for being provincially nominated by Saskatchewan for their permanent residence in Canada. Saskatchewan PNP is officially referred to as the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program [SINP]. All the provinces and territories in Canada – with the exception of Quebec province and Nunavut territory – are a part of the Canadian PNP.

Summary of the draw:

• The minimum score – the Expression of Interest [EOI] score – dropped to EOI 77 from the EOI 80 requirement in the previous July 8 SINP draw.
• Invitations issued in the latest SINP draw went out to candidates eligible for the International Skilled Worker [ISW] immigration pathways or ‘streams’ of Saskatchewan Express Entry or Occupations In-Demand
• The selection of EOIs is limited by the SINP occupation-wise so that – [1] nominations don’t exceed the employment demand in Saskatchewan, and [2] nominees with positive employment prospects in Saskatchewan are selected.
• With the latest round of invitations, Saskatchewan PNP has invited a total of 4,465 candidates in 2021 so far.

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

Date: 24 July 2021

Canada’s immigration department invited candidates with at least a score of 357. Candidates needed to be eligible for the CEC in order to be invited. A total of 4,500 Express Entry candidates received invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence on July 22.

In the last CEC invitation round, 4,500 candidates were invited and the cutoff score was 369. This draw matches the second lowest score for a CEC draw, ever. The lowest was when the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited CEC candidates with scores of at >75 on February 13.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a points-based system that manages immigration applications for the three Federal High Skilled programs, which include the: 

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

Some PNPs also use Express Entry to invite candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

If you are eligible for an Express Entry-managed program, you will get a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS awards points based on skilled work experience, education, age, official language skills, and other factors.

The difference between PNP and CEC draws:

PNP and CEC draws have very drastic scoring requirements. PNP candidates automatically get 600 points added to their score, unlike CEC candidates. CEC candidates are not competing for invitations from other programs. As a result, IRCC takes more off the top allowing for cutoff scores to dip into the lower levels.

How the pandemic has affected draws?

Due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the IRCC has been holding only PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific draws as the candidates invited are likely to already be living in Canada, and do not have to undergo travel and other procedures.

Canada set a target to welcome 401,000 new immigrants to Canada this year, according to its immigration levels plan. All this, provided that the number of cases of COVID-19 and its variants is kept at a minimum. So far, Canada has invited 94,304 Express Entry candidates to apply. Around 100,000 people are expected to come through the Express Entry system. This year, Canada has doubled the number of Express Entry candidates compared to last year.

This large number comes from the historic February 13 draw where IRCC invited every CEC-eligible candidate in the pool, a total of 27,332 people. 87% of those invited that day applied for permanent residence before the 90-day deadline, according to an IRCC email.

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 – 23 July 23, 2021

Alberta PNP – officially the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program [AINP] has released details of the most recent draw to be held by the province. Run by the governments of Alberta and Canada, the AINP is an economic immigration program that nominates individuals for permanent residence within the province.

As the Alberta Express Entry Stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry system, the ranking score of the candidate, as per the Comprehensive Ranking System [CRS], is taken into consideration.  The minimum CRS requirement in the latest AINP draw was that of CRS 301, a 1-point drop from the CRS 302 requirement of the previous June 29 AINP draw.

AINP nominees must have –

• the skills for filling job shortages in the labor market in Alberta, (or)
• be planning to buy or start a business in Alberta.

Those able to secure a nomination through the PNP for permanent residence in Canada may then apply – along with their spouse or common law partner, and dependent children – for permanent resident status.

Canada PR through the PNP route is a 2-step process. A PNP nomination is worth 600 CRS points for an IRCC Express Entry candidate. Hence, an individual with a CRS 301 that is issued an invitation by AINP in the latest draw would end up with a cumulative CRS 901 points score.

These AINP invitations are also referred to as Notification of Interest [NOI] Letters.

With the latest AINP draw – the 14th Alberta PNP draw to be held in 2021 – a total of 2,613 have been invited by the AINP so far this year to apply for being nominated by the province for Canada PR. While the first part is that of securing a PNP nomination, the next part of the process is that of applying to the federal government of Canada for permanent residence 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

Syed Khan – 22 July 2021

Starting from July 22, 2021, spouses included in applications submitted under the Quebec Experience Program will have to show knowledge of spoken French with a minimum level of 4 on the Quebec Scale of Proficiency in French for Adult Immigrants.

Spouses will have to show a declaration of knowledge of French and submit it with one of the following documents:

• A final transcript attesting the successful completion of at least 3 years of full-time study of French at the secondary or post-secondary level
• A document from a professional order such as a license to practice, a final transcript attesting of successful completion of at least three years of studies or an attestation of successful completion of the French language exam by the Office québécois de la langue française for professional orders;
• Attestations of French test results or diplomas such as TEF, TCF, or TEFAQ;
• Attestation of successful completion of a French course in Quebec in a recognized education institution.
• Demonstrating a minimum level of proficiency in spoken French is an essential component of all applications to the Quebec Experience Program (Programme de l’expérience québécoise, or PEQ).
• Applicants must demonstrate a minimum level of 7 of both listening and speaking ability on the Quebec Scale of Proficiency in French for Adult Immigrants

What is the PEQ?

The PEQ is a popular immigration program that provides a fast track to PR for temporary foreign workers and international students who resided in Quebec. A large percentage of immigrants selected under the Quebec skilled worker category fall under PEQ. This program enables Quebec to benefit more smoothly from the contribution of people who have mastered French, are already in the province, and are well-integrated into Quebec society. The PEQ allows the issuance of a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), the first step toward permanent residence in Canada. The PEQ is divided into two streams, one for international graduates and one for temporary foreign workers.

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 – 22 July 2021

The FSSW is an enhanced PNP stream, which is aligned with the Express Entry system. Candidates who received a Notification Of Interest (NOI) in this draw should create an Express Entry profile after July 21, 2020. This is the fourth FSSW draw of the year and it brings the total number of NOIs issued through this stream to 489.

Eligibility for FSSW

• This program is for people who meet the eligibility requirements for the Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
• Candidates need a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of at least 7 in French, and 6 in English.
• The candidates should have enough funds to cover settlement costs in Ontario.

Summary of the FSSW draw:

• Candidates need to have a profile in the Express Entry System with a CRS score between 461 and 467.
• The invited candidates will be contacted by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), and have 45 days to apply online for their provincial nomination.

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 – 21 July 2021

Canada invited 462 Express Entry candidates to apply for permanent residence on July 21. All of the invited candidates have previously received a nomination from a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The cut-off score was 734. In the previous PNP draw, 627 candidates were invited. The score requirement was 760. The new draw rendered fewer invitations and also a lower score cutoff.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is a points-based system that manages immigration applications for the three Federal High Skilled programs, which include the:

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

Some PNPs also use Express Entry to invite candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.

If you are eligible for an Express Entry-managed program, you will get a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS awards points based on skilled work experience, education, age, official language skills, and other factors.

The difference between PNP and CEC draws:

PNP and CEC draws have very drastic scoring requirements. PNP candidates automatically get 600 points added to their score, unlike CEC candidates. CEC candidates are not competing for invitations from other programs. As a result, IRCC takes more off the top allowing for cutoff scores to dip into the lower levels.

How the pandemic has affected draws?

Due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the IRCC has been holding only PNP- and Canadian Experience Class (CEC)-specific draws as the candidates invited are likely to already be living in Canada, and do not have to undergo travel and other procedures.

Canada set a target to welcome 401,000 new immigrants to Canada this year, according to its immigration levels plan. All this, provided that the number of cases of COVID-19 and its variants is kept at a minimum. So far, Canada has invited 94,304 Express Entry candidates to apply. Around 100,000 people are expected to come through the Express Entry system. This year, Canada has doubled the number of Express Entry candidates compared to last year.

This large number comes from the historic February 13 draw where IRCC invited every CEC-eligible candidate in the pool, a total of 27,332 people. 87% of those invited that day applied for permanent residence before the 90-day deadline, according to an IRCC email.

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 – 20 July 2021

Canada, yesterday in a press conference held by Health Canada, announced the reopening of its borders to fully vaccinated tourists. The new measures come into effect starting August 9 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

What does this mean for travelers?

Fully vaccinated travelers no longer have to undergo an on-arrival and day eight testing, although they may be subject to random testing at the border.  Before coming to Canada, all documents need to be submitted to the ArriveCan app or website.

Vaccinations approved :

Fully vaccinated travelers must have the recommended dosage of a vaccine approved for use in Canada. These include :

• Astra Zeneca
•  Pfizer
•  Moderna
•  Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)

The final injection must have been received at least 14 days prior to entry. Vaccination certificates must be in French or English, or else, a certified translation should be shown at the border.

Measures for unvaccinated children:

• Unvaccinated dependents of fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to complete the full 14-day quarantine.
• This has no effect on all entry and testing requirements, including on-arrival and day eight testing.
• Children will have to avoid group settings such as school and daycare in the two weeks following their arrival to Canada.

Testing requirements:

• Starting August 9, Canadian citizens and permanent residents traveling to the U.S. for less than 72 hours can do their pre-entry arrival test in Canada.
• This means that they do not have to take a second test in the U.S. in order to be allowed back in.
• Those who have recovered from COVID-19 but continue to test positive can present their test taken between 14 to 180 days prior to arrival.
• Fully vaccinated travelers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected for an on-arrival test.

A summary of the updates and rules announced are as follows :

• Fully vaccinated U.S. tourists can enter Canada starting August 9
• The hotel quarantine policy ends on August 9
• Fully vaccinated children of Canadians, and other exempt travelers to have amended quarantine starting August 9
• India flight ban extended to August 21
• Fully vaccinated tourists from all countries can enter September 7
• Airports in Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal are now accepting international flights

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 – 19 July 2021

Health Canada, lead by Health Minister Patty Hajdu has scheduled a press conference for 1:30 pm Eastern Time. Officials are expected to announce updates on the easing of border restrictions along with updates on Canada’s ban on direct flights to India.

On Sunday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair tweeted that he discussed border measures with U.S. officials. Canada will now allow funny vaccinated tourists from the United States into the country in mid-August and tourists from the rest of the world by early September. The Canadian government has remained silent on updates as to when flights from India be unsuspended.

On April 22, 2021, Canada introduced a travel ban on flights coming from India due to rising cases of COVID-19 and its variants. All passenger and business flights from the country were suspended. What remains to be seen is if the government provides an update to whether flights & immigrants from India will be allowed.

Canada’s largest percentage of new immigrants and international students are accounted to India. India has sent out 20% of new permanent residents and 30% of new students in search of academic opportunities to Canada. Programs such as Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and other skilled worker opportunities offer a successful integration into the country’s work market. Due to these, a large percent of new immigrants to Canada are former international students.

Canada has relaxed a lot of rules regarding travel restrictions over the past month due to its success in keeping COVID-19 cases to a record low. Provinces across the country have reopened and now observe relaxed social distancing requirements. Starting July, COPR holders are allowed to travel to Canada with fully vaccinated travelers exempt from the mandatory quarantine.

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 – 18 July, 2021

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has announced a new open work permit option for
essential workers and international student graduates in Canada.
International student graduates can now apply for a new Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP),
and temporary residents who applied for permanent residence can avail themselves of an open
work permit starting July 26, while the results of their application are announced. The new
pathways are open to applications until November 5, 2021.

What does the new open work permit entail?
Express Entry is a permanent program under the Canadian government, whereas the new
temporary residence to permanent residence (TR to PR) pathways are not. Earlier, these
immigration applicants could not apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), due to
Canadian policy.

Those who have applied for the new programs do not have to worry about the expiration of their
temporary status. If their current permit expires before the IRCC processes their application,
they can apply for this new work permit under the new rules.

Without this new open work permit, applicants are at the risk of being deported even if they
have already started an application with the IRCC. The work permits issued under this policy will
be valid until December 31, 2022.

Quote by The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration,
Refugees and Citizenship
“Our new path to permanent residence for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates
is a major step forward—the size, speed, and scope of which is unprecedented, this new open
work permit ensures that those who have been playing critical roles throughout the pandemic

can continue their extraordinary service.” said Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino in a
news release by the government.
How to be eligible for the new open work permit?
In order to be eligible for this one-time open work permit, applicants must provide relevant
documents proving that they :

● Have applied under one of the new permanent residence pathways provided by
the Government of Canada
● Were authorized to work at the time of submitting their application
● Hold a valid work permit that expires within the next four months
● Hold temporary residence status, maintained status, or are eligible to restore
their status at the time of submitting their open work permit application
● Living in Canada at the time of submitting their open work permit application
● Were employed in any occupation at the time of submitting their permanent
residence application
● Pass the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the
time their application was submitted.

The applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children over the age of 18, can
also avail the new open work permit as long as they are also in Canada at the time of submitting
the application.
More details on how to apply for the new open work permit online will be added to IRCC’s
website on July 26, 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