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Latest Quebec Arrima Draw Sent 998 New Invites For PR
Quebec held a new Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) draw and invited candidates for permanent selection on November 24, 2022.
Quebec invited 998 skilled workers from the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool to apply for permanent residence. The draw invited those with scores equal to or higher than 603 points. Check out in later part of this post/article on score calculation criteria.
Moreover, the draw targeted applicants with a legitimate job offer outside the Montreal Metropolitan Community and academic and professional expertise in a Quebec In-demand Occupation List.
What is Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program?
If you want to immigrate to Quebec to work permanently, the Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) is for you.
To apply to this program, you must first express your interest in immigrating to Quebec. Then, if your profile matches the criteria required in Quebec, you will get an invitation to apply for permanent selection.
Next, to be selected, you must have professional skills and training that will help boost your employment integration in Quebec. Additional factors for consideration include the following:
- Language abilities
- Age
- Spouse characteristics
- Having dependents such as children
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Score Calculation For Quebec Arrima Draw
Foreign nationals are categorized to identify the best applicant who will receive an invitation to apply for permanent selection. These candidates are ranked based on the following Human Capital factors.
This criteria group can score a maximum of 580 points, and it broke down into the following:
1. Knowledge of French
2. Knowledge of English and French
3. Points for Age
4. Length of professional experience
5. Level of education
Responding to Quebec’s labour requirements
Length of experience in the profession and workforce diagnosis
Workforce diagnostic for the profession is understood in terms of the list of medium-term diagnoses for the 500 professions in the current National Occupational Classification.
For the invitation, the profession is distinguished from full-time employment on the extraction date from the interest bank expression.
To be considered, experience in the profession must have been obtained within the five years preceding the date of extraction from the expression of interest bank.
1. Field of training
2. Québec diploma
3. Professional experience duration in Québec
4. Professional experience duration in Canada (outside Québec)
5. Valid job offer
Points classification for spouse or de-facto spouse
Level of education
2. Quebec diploma
Source: Gouvernement du Québec
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- IRCC Announces New Temporary Work Permit Policy For 2 YearsFriday, 2 December 2022, 10:05 PM EST
Today Sean Fraser, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), and Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced a new measure to help solve the labour shortage that will come in effect beginning January 2023.
Moving Forward in January 2023, Canada will extend work permit eligibility for spouses, common-law partners, and working-age dependents of temporary workers in all skill levels.
According to Fraser, this announcement will help employers find the workers to fill their labour gaps by extending family work permits. As a result, over 200,000 foreign workers will be able to work in Canada.
What’s New?
Previously, the spouses were only eligible for a work permit if the primary applicant was working in a high-skill occupation, for example, a job coming under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. However, today’s new announcement will help the working class emotionally, physically and financially by keeping their families together.
Now work permit holders working in any skill levels (TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) can apply for spousal open work permit for their spouses. Furthermore, they can also apply for an open work
Children qualify as dependants if they:
- are under 22 years old, and
- don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.
Children 22 years old or older (also known as an overage dependent children) qualify as dependants if they:
- have depended on their parents for financial support since before they were 22, and
- can’t financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
The New 2-year Temporary measure has 3 phases
Moving Forward in January 2023, Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada for spouses and working-age children. It is a phased approach for workers at all skill levels. The Policy would include workers’ families in healthcare, trades and hospitality. It is an incredible opportunity for foreign workers seeking to work in Canada and employers addressing their labour needs.
The 3 phases
- 1. Phase 1 enables family members of workers coming to Canada by applying for an open work permit through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program.
- 2. Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program following consultations.
- 3. Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess the operational feasibility of expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.
The government of Canada is not holding back from addressing the Nationwide labour shortage. According to IRCC, Immigration will play a crucial role in helping the economy for this cause. And the government will be implementing new measures to support employers with their staffing needs across all skill levels.
Source: IRCC
- Canada Healthcare System Incapable For Large Inflow Of New ImmigrantsThursday, 1 December 2022, 3:15 PM EST
We all know ongoing labour shortage in healthcare system of Canada. In certain cities, new immigrants are already not able to get a family doctor. Furthermore, surgeries and specialist doctors are triaging the patients based on severity of condition.
Adding more people to an already failing system is reckless, says Diane Francis, award-winning journalist and best-selling author. She says Canada’s healthcare system cannot handle the large inflow of immigrants.
Diane say that in the start of November, the government unveiled a plan to allow about 1.5 million additional immigrants into the country over the next three years. This approach will further strain Canada’s already overburdened health system.
With the new immigration levels plan, Canada would receive almost eight times as many permanent residents each year – per population than the U.K., and four times more than the United States, according to the BBC.
Learn about the current state of Canada’s healthcare system, the impact of massive immigration on the healthcare system and a possible solution.
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Problems in Canada’s healthcare system
The Liberal government wants more people to come to the country because they believe it is underpopulated and has an aging population. However, most immigrants wind up in Toronto and Vancouver, which are already overcrowded, have housing problems, and are dealing with looming healthcare issues.
Everyone is affected by health care, and Canadians increasingly face long wait times for surgeries, simple procedures, appointments, testing, and imaging. In addition, many people do not have a primary care physician, and emergency rooms are overburdened.
According to the BC Health Care Matters advocacy group, barely one in every five residents in British Columbia has a family doctor. The group has held rallies to draw attention to the problems plaguing British Columbia’s healthcare system, but storming provincial legislatures have been fruitless.
So instead, Canadians concerned about the state of their healthcare system should march on Ottawa and demand that mass immigration be halted until services can recover and develop to meet the current demand, explains the BC Health Care Matters advocacy group.
Undoubtedly, the government’s excessive immigration numbers of 400,000 per year have contributed to the system’s overstrained state. The most recent declaration that immigration will increase to 500,000 annually in 2025 is unsustainable.
Provinces want to have a say over the number of admitted immigrants
According to Francis, provinces should be permitted to sign off on the federal government’s immigration targets. Additionally, they should have more say on who is admitted to the country in the future. Since they are best positioned to know what skills are required in their labour markets and how many newcomers can be accommodated.
The country’s lack of adequate healthcare resources must be the top consideration for Ottawa. Everywhere in the country, pediatric wards are overloaded. Canada ranks considerably below several of its OECD counterparts in terms of the number of doctors and nurses per 1,000 residents.
With roughly one ICU bed for every 6,000 citizens in Ontario, Canada likewise falls behind the United States regarding the quantity of available intensive care beds. In comparison, there is one ICU bed for every 4,100 Americans.
A possible solution may be a responsive and moral federal immigration system. There should be a cap on the number of immigrants admitted to Canada until there are adequate numbers of family doctors, intensive care units, hospital beds, and other healthcare providers.
It would be irresponsible to cram more people into a failing system as a failing healthcare system would affect current and future Canadians.
- Know How Abused Spouses/Partners In Canada Can Get HelpThursday, 1 December 2022, 9:10 AM EST
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To maintain your status in Canada, you don’t have to continue being in an abusive relationship. However, if you leave the abusive person, they might threaten to deport you or take your children away. Nevertheless, abused spouses and partners can obtain help in Canada regardless of their status.
There used to be a restriction on some sponsored wives or partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Previously, sponsored spouses or partners were required to live with the sponsor to maintain permanent resident status. However, that condition no longer exists, and your status no longer depends on you living with your sponsor.
If you are a victim of abuse, below is how to obtain assistance and options to maintain your immigration status in Canada.
Learn how abused spouses or partners can obtain assistance
Some organizations can provide you with assistance or helpful information, and they also keep their services private. As a victim of abuse, you experience the following:
- Feeling very isolated in Canada.
- Your abuser may mislead you about your legal status in Canada.
- You may find it difficult to communicate with others.
- Might be concerned about your own and your children’s safety.
- Could struggle to converse in English or French.
- Maybe you are perplexed about your legal rights in Canada
It is important to remember that you are entitled to ask for assistance, and nothing is shameful about it.
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Options to maintain, retain or keep your immigration status in Canada
There are choices available to you if you are a victim of family violence but are reluctant to leave your abusive partner for fear of losing your immigration status in Canada.
- If you are legally admitted temporarily to Canada, you could be eligible to:
- Renew or extend your status
- If your temporary visa has expired, you may be able to:
- Restore your status
- Apply for a temporary permit to stay in Canada
- There are various immigration options accessible in Canada, such as applying for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
What exactly constitutes abuse or neglect?
Abuse is defined as behaviour that terrorizes, isolates, or controls another person. It could be in the form of actions or words. Abuse can occur as a pattern or as a single episode.
Neglect is the failure to provide care, which can result in serious harm. It can include not giving food, clothing, medical treatment, shelter, and other potentially harmful behaviour.
Abuse and neglect can take many forms. You may be subjected to more than one type of abuse as a victim.
The abuser could be your spouse, ex-spouse, partner or ex-partner, or another family member or acquaintance. Moreover, it could be a male or female, a family member of your spouse or partner.
Abuse and neglect types
Physical abuse
Contact that intimidates or injures is an example of physical abuse. It can include the following:
- Pushing or hitting
- burning or pinching
- Punching or slapping
- Stabbing or cutting
- Kicking
Sexual abuse
Any unwanted sexual contact or activity is considered sexual abuse. Even if you are in a relationship with your abuser, this is a crime in Canada. For instance, if someone:
- touches you or engages in sexual activity without your permission
- continues to engage in sexual activity after being asked to stop
- makes you perform dangerous or humiliating sexual acts
Emotional or psychological abuse
Some examples of emotional or psychological abuse are:
- To insult, humiliate or yell
- Threaten or harass
- disrespect, intimate, name-call
- Constant criticism or blame
- Break your things
- hurt or threaten family, friends or pets
- Isolate you or keep you away from seeing your family or friends
- threaten to hurt or take away your children
Controlling actions or behaviour
Controlling actions that restrict your freedom, like:
- Keeping your passport, ID, or other crucial documents hidden
- preventing you from leaving your home and keeping you there
- constantly examining and keeping an eye on your phone and internet usage
- restricting you from seeing your relatives and friends
Neglects examples
When a family member obligated to take care of you neglects to meet your fundamental needs, this is considered abuse. It might entail not:
- Giving enough warm clothing or food,
- Providing enough medical attention, and
- Taking enough medication to stop physical harm
Forced marriage
Forced marriage occurs when at least one of the parties to the marriage does not voluntarily give their consent, unlike arranged marriages, which occur with both parties consent.
Forced marriages occur when individuals are coerced to marry, usually by family members, using threats, physical assault, or emotional manipulation.
How to get help?
You can use one or all of the following to obtain help.
- In an emergency, dial 9-1-1 or your local police.
- For information on your citizenship or immigration status, contact our Client Support Centre at 1-888-242-2100.
- Select the option for victims of abuse and forced marriage to speak with an agent directly.
- They will inform you of your choices. It includes a fee-free permit designed for victims of domestic violence who need to flee their abusive husbands or partner.
- To find community, social, and health services, dial 2-1-1.
- Find more resources to help you deal with abuse and violence.
- Locate a women’s shelter if you are a woman fleeing violence.
- If you are a young person in need of support, call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or go to their website to speak with counsellors anonymously.
- New Canada Indo-Pacific Strategy To Shape Future Of ImmigrationWednesday, 30 November 2022, 9:49 PM EST
Today, (November 30, 2022) – IRCC published a news release providing insights on how new Canada Indo-Pacific Strategy shapes the future of immigration. Canada being a Pacific nation, that the Indo-Pacific area will play a big and deep role in Canada’s future.
According to the news release, the Indo-Pacific region will continue to be a key component of Canada’s immigration strategy since it is a significant source of new immigrants and the fastest-growing economic area in the world.
Global Affairs Canada is in charge of the Indo-Pacific Strategy for the Canadian government. However, it involves several other departments, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Over the first five years, the Indo-Pacific Strategy would invest over $2.3 billion in new projects. This article delves into these strategies and new projects.
The Indo-Pacific strategies
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, outlined as part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy how investing in the immigration system will allow Canada to thrive and prosper.
Minister Fraser says an investment of $74.6 million over five years, with an ongoing investment of $15.7 million, would increase the application processing capacity locally and in the Indo-Pacific area, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Islamabad, and Manila.
To bring more people to Canada—whether for visits, studies, employment, or permanent immigration—and doing so more quickly, these new resources will support ongoing efforts to handle the large volume of visa applications from the Indo-Pacific region. They will also help to improve processing times, explained the minister.
“The Indo-Pacific region is vital for Canada’s immigration and will continue to be in the future. Today’s announcement brings significant new funding to help boost Canada’s visa application processing capacity at home and abroad. As we look to record growth in admissions in the years ahead, this funding will help promote greater diversity among those looking to visit, study, work or live in Canada.” -The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
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Importance of Indo-Pacific international students
International students contribute significantly to Canada’s social and economic well-being. In recent years, the Indo-Pacific area has accounted for roughly two-thirds of all overseas students in Canada.
Thousands of those students become permanent residents in Canada each year, while thousands more return home after finishing their studies, bringing a personal connection to Canada with them.
The Indo-Pacific Strategy funding will help boost Canada’s International Student Program and promote greater regional diversity among students wishing to study in Canada.
Moreover, the Indo-Pacific area accounts for approximately 65% of all international students in Canada. The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development program, which is part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, will provide $14.2 million in funding over five years to encourage valuable exchanges and the sharing of expertise to introduce more education and research in shared areas of interest.
In addition, these initiatives will attract students by providing them with access to permanent residence and career opportunities that could lead to them remaining in Canada. India, China, and the Philippines were the top three source countries for permanent residents to Canada in 2021, accounting for 44% of total admissions.
As a result, Canada recognizes that international students frequently become the highly qualified workers that Canada requires to meet the challenges of the country’s economy today and in the future.
The future of the Indo-Pacific region is our future, and Canada has a role in shaping it. We are investing to promote peace and security throughout the region, create trade opportunities, connect people, strengthen international assistance and protect human rights, answering the call for expanded and deeper engagement in this region. We have put forward a truly Canadian strategy, one that involves every facet of our society and positions Canada as a reliable partner now and for generations to come. – The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Source: IRCC
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- Sponsoring Relatives To Canada: Here’s All You Need To KnowTuesday, 29 November 2022, 9:46 PM EST
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Canadian citizens, permanent residents or registered Indians under the Canadian Indian Act can sponsor certain relatives to immigrate to Canada under the Family Class. However, you must be 18 or older to sponsor a relative.
In this article, you can learn the following:
- Eligibility requirements to sponsor a relative
- Who can sponsor a relative?
- Responsibilities of a sponsor
- Who is ineligible to sponsor a relative?
- How to apply?
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Eligibility requirements to sponsor a relative
It is important to understand that to sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, you must agree to the following:
- Provide your relative financial support when they arrive
- Be capable of providing for your basic needs and those of your relative, including:
- shelter
- Clothing
- Food
- Ensure that your relative does not require any social assistance.
Who can sponsor a relative?
To sponsor a relative, you must be 18 years of age or older and be a:
- Canadian citizen, or
- Permanent resident, or
- a person registered as an Indian in Canada under the Canadian Indian Act
To sponsor eligible relatives, you must live in Canada unless you:
- Are a Canadian citizen living abroad, and
- Have plans to return to Canada when your relative immigrates, and
- You are sponsoring one of the following
- Spouse, or
- A conjugal or common-law partner, or
- Your dependent children who have no dependent children
If you live in Quebec, you must also meet Quebec’s requirements for sponsorship after IRCC approves you. It involves signing an undertaking with the province, which is a contract that legally binds your sponsorship.
Responsibilities of a sponsor
To sponsor a relative to become a Canadian permanent resident, you must:
- Meet the income requirements
- Agree in writing to provide financial support to your relative and any other qualified relatives accompanying them:
- Beginning with the date they are granted permanent residency
- For up to 20 years, depending on your relative’s age and how you are related
The person you are sponsoring must sign an agreement to make the necessary effort to support themselves. It includes sponsored dependent children who are 18 years old or older. Dependent children under the age of 19 are exempt from signing this agreement.
Who is ineligible to sponsor a relative?
You will not be able to sponsor your relative if the following applies to you:
- Are currently in prison
- have missed paying alimony or child support
- have declared bankruptcy and have not yet been released
- received social assistance for reasons other than a disability
- failed to repay an immigration loan, made late or missed payments
- Previously sponsored another relative and failed to meet the terms of the sponsorship agreement. Or were convicted of violent crimes or any offence against a relative or any sexual offence, depending on case details such as:
- the offence type
- the duration of the office
- Whether a record suspension (previously known as “pardons” in Canada) was granted
Other factors not on this list may prevent you from sponsoring a relative.
Who can you sponsor?
Under extremely rare circumstances, you can sponsor a relative such as a brother, sister, aunt, or uncle. Depending on your circumstances, there are two alternatives for who you can sponsor.
Sponsoring orphaned brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces or grandchild
You can only sponsor an orphaned sibling, sister, nephew, niece, or grandchild, provided they match all of the following criteria:
- They are blood-related or related by adoption
- Both parents, mother and father, have passed away
- They are below the age of 18
- Are single, unmarried or not in a conjugal or common-law relationship
You are not permitted to sponsor your sibling, niece, nephew, or grandchild if:
- They still have one living parent.
- Nobody is aware of where their parents are
- Parents abandoned them
- While one or both of their parents are living, someone other than their parents is caring for them
- Their parent is in prison or detained
Sponsoring other relatives
If you meet the following criteria, you may sponsor one blood or adopted relative of any age. Provided that the person sponsor does not have a surviving family that you could sponsor in their place, such as a:
- spouse, common-law or conjugal partner
- daughter or son
- parent or grandparent
- orphaned brother or sister, or
- nephew or niece, or
- grandchild
- The prospective sponsor has no relatives, neither an aunt nor an uncle nor any of the relatives mentioned above, who are:
- Permanent resident of Canada
- Canadian citizen
- Indian Act-registered person
Remember that you must include any dependant children or spouses travelling to Canada with the relative you want to sponsor on the same sponsorship application.
How to apply?
With the new digitalization, all applications must be submitted online beginning September 23, 2022. Below are the steps to apply to sponsor a relative online:
Step 1 – Apply to Sponsor a relative
- Use your checklist to ensure you have all the necessary forms and documentation.
- Along with your online application, upload the checklist.
Your visa office can also need more paperwork.
- Determine which visa office serves your region.
- See the list of nations and the offices that serve them if you’re unsure which one to use
- Your online application should also include supplementary documents and directions from the visa office.
For the Sponsor
The forms below must be downloaded and filled out by the sponsor. They also need to be digitally signed along with the person being sponsored. These include:
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking [IMM 1344]
- Important: you and the person you’re sponsoring must both digitally sign this application (if they are under 18, you may sign on their behalf)
- Financial Evaluation [IMM 1283] (PDF, 1.24 MB)
- Medical Condition Statement [IMM 0133] (PDF, 2.3 MB)
- Forms for granting access to your application or information to a third party – see Using an immigration representative. If applicable, have the parent or guardian not travelling with you download, fill, and sign this form by hand. Separation Declaration for Minors Travelling to Canada [IMM 5604] (PDF, 1.99 MB)
- Download, complete, and have your common-law partner sign this form by hand, if applicable.
The applicant you are sponsoring has to:
- Update their online application by uploading them.
- All applications, including those of any additional family members, must be signed electronically.
Step 2-The sponsored person’s next steps (or if under 18, their guardian or you on their behalf) will be as follows:
- Sign in or create a Permanent residence online application portal account
Fill out these digital forms online
- Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
- Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
The person filling out the forms must also upload the forms that the sponsor has completed `and signed.
Step 3-Steps for Applications using an Immigration Representative
If you want to appoint someone to represent on your behalf:
- Download a Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 1.48 MB) or Authority to release personal information to a designated individual form [IMM 5475] (PDF, 2.2 MB) – whichever applies
- Complete the form
- Get your immigration representative or other designated official to sign it digitally or by hand and upload it with your application.
You can receive guidance and assistance with your application from an immigration representative (an immigration consultant or attorney) for a fee. But they can’t:
- Create an account on the portal in your name
- Sign the application electronically using your account and password to access the portal.
A representative can submit forms through their own account and contact us on your behalf. They can:
- assist you in creating the documents you must upload and provide form-related information
- answer form questions
Additionally, you must type your name yourself after reading the declaration. It will be the legal prerequisite for your application to be regarded as “signed” under Canadian immigration law.
Application Photograph Requirement
- For each person on your application, you need one photo.
- Use the online application’s instructions to scan and upload the photo’s two sides.
Step 4- Online fee payment
Pay the application fee depending on the relative you will be sponsoring. These include:
- Child sponsorship: from $150
- Adult sponsorship: from $1,080
Step 5-Online Application form submission
Ensure the following before submitting the application:
- Respond to all questions
- Sign your application electronically (type your full name exactly as given in your passport)
- Include your receipt
- Upload the supporting documentation
Source: IRCC
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- Inland Vs Outland Canada Spousal Sponsorship Applications!Sunday, 27 November 2022, 8:45 AM EST
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” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/immigrationnewscanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/pexels-photo-4307920-e1669556208839.jpeg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/immigrationnewscanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/pexels-photo-4307920-e1669556208839.jpeg?fit=723%2C482&ssl=1″ />Inland Vs Outland Canada Spousal Sponsorship: When applying for spousal sponsorship, you have two options: either as an in-land or outland. Both application types have different processing times and requirements to maintain.
One frequently asked question is whether you should apply as an inland or outland applicant for spousal sponsorship. The answer depends on your situation and needs. For example, it is best to submit your application as an outland applicant if you need to travel or be outside Canada.
However, if you prefer to work and remain inside Canada, the most suitable option is to apply as an inland spousal applicant.
Often, most people want to take both options: to work in Canada and depart when needed. However, leaving Canada while your application is processing comes with several risks that can lead to application refusal or denied entry at the border.
Hence, inland applicants are strongly advised to remain in Canada while their application is processing. The main reason is that if you depart Canada, you may not be allowed to re-enter.
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- Know Here How To Sponsor Spouse Or Children For Canada PR!
Why should inland spousal sponsorship applicants not depart the country?
Considering that you enter Canada as a visitor, having family or spouse inside Canada sometimes serves as a disadvantage because, as a visitor, your stay in the country is limited to 6 months (if extension is not applied or status is changed).
Furthermore, when the border official is aware that your spouse or common-law partner is in Canada, it becomes harder, not easier, to enter. It may seem contradictory, but keep in mind that you are asking to enter as a guest at the port of entry, which means you are only visiting for a limited time and will return home after that.
If you have established your home with your spouse or common-law partner, you are not truly a genuine guest who intends to return home outside of Canada, and a border officer may reject your admission.
Frequently Asked Questions about Class Sponsorships in Canada
Can you depart Canada in case of an emergency?
If an emergency requires you to leave Canada, get in touch with a licensed immigration practitioner (consultant or lawyer) before you leave. It would help if you honestly weighed the importance of being allowed to travel against the risk you are taking with your application.
Nevertheless, there is documentation that you may prepare in advance that may help you at the port of entry upon your return.
What to do if you have already left Canada and were denied entry?
Unfortunately, you will need to start your sponsorship application again if you cannot return to Canada, this time with an outland spousal sponsorship application.
To begin a new application as an outland applicant, you must first withdraw your current ongoing application. Moreover, the $550 application fee may not be refundable if your application is already processed.
You may be eligible for a refund if your application is not yet processed, but it is not guaranteed, and the refund process can take months.
Remember that applying again comes with a new set of updated forms, proof of support with a more current date, and sometimes new police clearances.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that numerous applicants for inland sponsorship do arrive and depart successfully. Every time they leave the country, though, they run the possibility of having their application for permanent residence delayed or denied if they can’t get back into Canada immediately.
In addition, living together while the application was being processed is one of the requirements for approval of an inland sponsorship, so even if you are permitted to enter Canada again, a prolonged absence from the country can still present issues.
Can you change your application from inland to outland or vice versa?
No, even though the application materials will be identical, an inland sponsorship has a different legal structure and procedure than an outland sponsorship.
Even separate IRCC offices handle the processing of the applications. You cannot request that an application be changed to a different stream once filed under one stream. Withdrawing your spousal sponsorship and submitting a fresh application would be the option if you discover that you must switch categories for some reason.
For more details on spousal sponsorship, refer to official IRCC page.
- Recommendations To Improve Canada Immigration Made By CIMMSaturday, 26 November 2022, 2:03 PM EST
The Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) released a report, Promoting Fairness in Canada Immigration Decisions, where the Committee investigated visa outcomes in the immigration system. Upon examination, they found the system systematically and unjustifiably disfavours particular groups based on race and country of origin.
As a result, the Committee makes wide-ranging suggestions to improve the immigration system, which consistently disadvantages some groups depending on race and country of origin.
After hearing from several immigration advocates, lawyers, and settlement agency staff, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration decided to examine the immigration system.
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CIMM’s Key recommendations for the immigration system
IRCC will share their response to the CIMM report and recommendations in a few months. Meanwhile, below are the key recommendations:
- Visa officers should record applicant interviews to prevent miscommunication.
- Ottawa should expand the extraordinary measures already available to Ukrainians, such as the provision allowing for the sponsorship of extended family members to people from other nations and regions experiencing humanitarian crises.
- The Canadian government should establish a separate monitoring body responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), whose mandate should include dealing with racism and complaints concerning the agency.
- Immediate implementation of an Anti-Racism Quality Assurance process for decisions made by visa officers to investigate the impact of individual bias and systemic racism on decisions and refusal rates at visa offices
- Requesting that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) dedicate more resources to process caregiver permanent residency applications from all streams faster.
As per IRCC, they train all officers to assess all applications equally and use the same criteria regardless of their country of origin. With the upcoming reports, they are looking to examine the impact on racialized applicants and minority community members.
CIMM highlights longer wait times in application processing
According to the Committee’s information, waiting for durations for various refugee groups may differ depending on shifting government priorities and quotas.
A non-denominational charitable group called Remember Ministries’ executive director, Jennifer Miedema informed the Committee that fund allocation tells you where priorities are placed or who are the favoured demographics.
Miedema says that “the uneven distribution of delays equals the uneven distribution of suffering,” adding that even holding out hope for final resettlement could be harmful over a prolonged period of waiting and delay.
Further, she explains the impact on refugees, as their hopes are raised when they submit their applications, but they need to wait for a year or two without any response. As a result, it has a heavy impact on their mental health.
According to the Parliamentary Committee, the government should raise the overall number of refugees it welcomes to Canada during a crisis rather than backtrack on or delay receiving those whose applications are currently on hold.
They also want a complete racial equity assessment of Canada’s immigration and refugee system and to allocate more resources to process and give priority to privately sponsored refugees.
An increasing number of federal appeals
The number of people requesting federal appeals to become new Canadians has increased seven times in the last three years.
The court system is becoming overburdened with these judicial requests to contest allegedly unjust decisions made by visa officers and procedural delays. These applications are a judicial remedy in the immigration context that compels the IRCC to carry out a public legal obligation owed to an applicant.
The recording of candidate interviews has been recommended as a potential solution to help with court-ordered redeterminations of unsuccessful applications. According to Vancouver-based immigration lawyer Victor Ing, IRCC needs to be more transparent and honest with clients to avoid more mandamus applications.
Next, the Committee highlighted the increased wait times in the caregiver program.
The caregiver Program has the longest wait times
The Live-in Caregiver Program saw some of the longest wait times before and after the pandemic. For example, the average time to process caregiver visas in 2020 was about 57 months and two days. While in 2021, the wait time was 68 months plus one day to process applications.
As a result, 15,621 applications were pending or anticipated to be pending in the Home Child-Care Provider Pilot backlog as of December 31, 2021. In addition, there were 1,639 more applications in the Live-in Care Program’s database.
Arlene Ruiz, a licensed and regulated immigration consultant and a recruiter from Alexene Immigration & Employment Services, informed the Committee that many caregivers are from the Philippines. For them, the delays in application processing cause breakdowns in their marriages and children growing out of their dependent status.
Immigration attorney Steven Meurrens also mentions that the IRCC lacks transparency, which adds to the problem. For example, the processing times mentioned on IRCC are inaccurate. Further, the Access to Information Act shows that there have been no caregiver files processed since 2019.
Following this month’s announcement by the federal Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, that Canada aims to settle 500,000 new immigrants by 2025, a new report by the Parliament has been released.
The announcement comes after a record-breaking year for immigration to Canada in 2021, when more than 405,000 people arrived. The nation is also dealing with an unprecedented backlog of visa applications, with 2.2 million being processed by IRCC as of this month.
Source: CIMM Report
- Know Latest Average Weekly Earnings In Canada & All The ProvincesSaturday, 26 November 2022, 9:08 AM EST
On November 24, 2022 – Statistics Canada released September 2022 data for average weekly earnings in Canada and all provinces. Due to administrative steps that lead to the collection and compilation of data from our widely dispersed Canada, this data is typically delayed by two months.
In September 2022, the number of employees receiving pay or benefits from their employer increased by 85,300 (+0.5%), according to the Survey of Employment, Payrolls, and Hours. Average weekly earnings in Canada is at $1,175.37, an increase of 3.5% year-on-year.
Overall, the payroll employment were largest in Quebec (+39,100; +1.0%), Ontario (+15,300; +0.2%), British Columbia (+10,500; +0.4%) and Alberta (+10,400; +0.5%). The only province to see a decrease in payroll employment was Newfoundland and Labrador (-900; -0.4%).
Overall, average weekly earnings increased by 3.5% year on year in September 2022, slightly higher than the 3.2% increase in August. Below are the province-wise and industry-wise weekly earnings as per Statistics Canada.
Industry-Wise Weekly Earnings in Canada (Including overtime) – September 2022
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Province-Wise Weekly Earnings in Canada
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Canadian province has the highest average weekly earnings?
Nunavut has the highest weekly earnings at $1593.33 followed by Northwest Territories at $1560.30 and Yukon at $1334.02. However, these provinces have very low population being in the northern Canada.
Alberta has the average weekly earnings of $1266.05 among the major Canadian provinces followed by Ontario at $1206.70 and British Columbia at $1175.98.
How much is the average weekly earnings in Canada?
Canada has the average weekly earnings of $1,175.37 as per latest data by Statistics Canada released on November 24, 2022.
How much is the average weekly earnings in Ontario and British Columbia?
Ontario has the average weekly earnings of $1206.70, while British Columbia has average weekly earnings at $1175.98
How much is the average weekly earnings in Quebec?
Quebec has an average weekly earnings of $1118.25
Source: Statistics Canada
- Canada Open Work Permit – All You Need To KnowFriday, 25 November 2022, 9:19 AM EST
Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada; there are two types of work permits: open work permits and closed work permits. An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada. In contrast, closed work permits are employer-specific, enabling you to work for a specific employer under particular conditions.
With an open work permit, you do not require any job offer or LMIA from a Canadian employer. Moreover, you can work a maximum of 40 hours per week on an open work permit. It also comes with the benefit of working anywhere in Canada with any employer.
However, a person can apply an open work permit in 11 scenarios as instructed by IRCC. In this article, you can learn about the eligibility requirements of an open work permit for Canada.
Who can apply Canada open work permit?
According to IRCC, an open work permit is only available in certain circumstances, and you may be eligible if you meet the following:
- International students who have graduated from a designated learning institution and qualify for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
- Destitute students who can no longer afford to pay for their studies
- Employer employer-specific work permit holders who are being or are at risk of being exploited in their job in Canada
- Those who have applied for permanent residency in Canada and awaiting for decision on your application.
- Dependent family members of permanent resident applicants
- Common-law partner or spouse of a skilled worker or of an international student
- Spouse or common-law partner of Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program applicant
- Refugee claimant, refugee, protected person or their dependent family members
- You are subject to an unenforceable removal order, meaning you have requested a federal judicial review, pre-removal risk assessment, or humanitarian and compassionate considerations in response to a removal order
- A temporary resident permit holder
- Young workers who participate in special programs such as CUSMA.
Please note that an open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada, excluding those who are:
- Listed on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions and are ineligible, or
- Those who offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services, or erotic massages regularly
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Work Permit General Requirements
Depending on where you are when applying for an open work permit, you need to meet specific requirements. However, you must meet the following requirements regardless of where you are and the work permit type you apply for.
- Demonstrate to an official that you intend to depart Canada after your work permit expires;
- Prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and return home;
- Obey the law and have no criminal history (you may need to provide a police clearance if requested);
- Not pose a security risk to Canada;
- Be in good health and undergo a medical exam if needed
- Not plan to employers work for an employer included on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the requirements with the status “ineligible”;
- Have no intentions to work for a business that regularly provides striptease, exotic dance, escort services, or erotic massages; and
- Provide the officer with any additional documents they request to confirm your eligibility to enter the country.
How To Apply Canada Open Work Permit?
There are different instructions to apply for Canada work permit depending on location. It depends whether you want to apply work permit from within Canada or outside Canada or at a Port of Entry (POE). Click here to get instructions depending upon your situation.
- Canada Common-law Sponsorship – Errors You Need To AvoidSaturday, 19 November 2022, 8:30 PM EST
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Legal proof of a common-law relationship is more challenging to establish than legal proof of marriage. With a common-law relationship, you only have a collection of various pieces of evidence that, when taken together, form a picture of a committed relationship between two people.
Therefore, the burden of proof falls heavily on a common-law applicant. If you are a potential common law sponsorship applicant, here are 4 common errors you can avoid in your application.
Error 1: Not meeting the common-law definition before applying
Before submitting your application, you must confirm that you meet the IRCC’s common law definition. It requires you to have lived together continuously for at least a year to qualify for a common-law relationship.
Cohabitation, or living together, implies that you have lived at the same address as your partner for at least one year. If your partner is away to visit their family or due to any occasion, you should wait to apply until you have lived together continuously for 12 months.
If you have not lived with your partner for 12 continuous months, you do not meet the definition of a common-law relationship.
However, if you and your partner were both travelling to visit relatives for an occasion, your continuous time together would make you eligible for common-law. This is because you do not need to be inside Canada, but you need to be together.
Whether you can have time apart under the common-law standards always comes up. But, in most cases, obtaining common-law status can proceed during relatively brief and temporary absences. The general guideline is that if you want to become common-law partners, you shouldn’t be separated for more than two weeks.
Additionally, it doesn’t matter if you are currently living together or not, provided you have lived together for at least 12 continuous months and can prove it. You are regarded as common law as long as your relationship endures.
Another important aspect to remember is that you must have met the cohabitation requirements the day you sign your forms or apply together. Your application may be refused if you do not meet the eligibility requirements.
Error 2: Failing to provide evidence of a 12-month cohabitation
Living together for at least a year is the main factor that distinguishes a common-law from other types of relationships. Therefore, you must include supporting documentation with your application demonstrating that you both resided at the same place for a minimum of a year.
Some of the acceptable proofs include the following:
- Shared lease with both applicants’ names
- Receiving mail at the same address
- Your bank statements with the same address
- Shared bills
- Or any other evidence demonstrating your cohabitation
If you have relocated more than once in the past year, you should provide documentation connecting the two to each residence you have occupied.
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Error 3: No Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Status
A Statutory Declaration of Common-Law status, Form IMM 5409, is a specific form used to disclose the details of a common-law relationship for immigration.
You must submit this form with your applications if you are in a common-law relationship. Ensure that you fill out the form correctly and include it in all your applications.
Error 4: Not keeping copies of your IRCC application
When you apply for common-law sponsorship application, ensure that you keep copies of the entire filing. It is important because if IRCC requests more information, you may need to refer to the information you have already submitted.
To avoid sending the same evidence, ensure that you keep copies of your filing and gather and document sufficient evidence of your relationship. Additionally, keeping file copies can help you identify if a specific area lacks evidence.
Additionally, there is a chance that the officer may overlook your application. You must always be able to demonstrate what you sent and when it was received.
- New Immigration Plan Can Help With Alberta Labour ShortageSaturday, 19 November 2022, 5:01 PM EST
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As Canada intends to significantly increase the number of immigrants annually, groups in Alberta believe it will benefit businesses facing labour shortages. The immigration levels plan, which immigration minister Sean Fraser unveiled on November 1, 2022, calls for a massive influx of immigrants to enter the country: 465,000 in 2023, rising to 500,000 in 2025.
Government has a strong focus on admitting people based on their employment qualifications or experience. Alberta-based organizations want the government to ease limitations on immigrants choosing lower-paying positions and to support organizations that assist newcomers’ resettlement in ensuring that the new Canadians can genuinely help with the labour shortage.
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Calgary Chamber of Commerce Report on Immigration
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce released a report outlining the crucial role immigration plays in easing labour shortages.
President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Deborah Yedlin, explained that whether you work in the service industry, technology, energy, or the healthcare industry, everyone is searching for that last unit of labour. Immigration has become important to address the talent shortage that every business faces across the country.
Regarding the latest immigration levels plan, Yedlin accepts the new plan but suggests expanding the options to low-wage workers rather than solely focusing on highly skilled, technically trained experts.
According to Yedlin, there is a bit of a catch-22 with programs like the Alberta Opportunity Stream since you require prior work experience and language proficiency, which limits the pool of immigrants who can apply.
She explains that the government needs to figure out how to ensure that the ability to come and work is offered as an opportunity for a broader proportion of the immigrant population than it already is, including low-wage workers.
Affordable housing to attract immigrants
According to Randy Boissonault, a member of parliament for Edmonton Centre, Alberta’s lower cost of living can draw people.
Since all of the communities in Alberta have done an excellent job of continuing to create housing, Edmonton and Calgary are at the top of the list for affordable housing nationwide, according to Boissonault.
He anticipates that the hundreds of thousands of newcomers will be able to fill employment gaps in the IT industry.
On meeting the Alberta Machine Institute in the heart of Edmonton, they told Boissonault that many of their partners are searching for computer scientists and mathematicians who can significantly advance the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The provincial government oversees a program whose objective is to hasten the processing of visas for foreign workers hired by IT firms in Alberta.
Yedlin claimed that because Albertans frequently lack the qualifications required for a position, businesses are forced to rely heavily on immigration. She emphasizes the tech positions that have remained unfilled for a considerable time despite being advertised for months in Calgary.
Newcomer settlement organizations need more support.
Rispah Tremblay, senior manager of settlement services at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN), which assists newcomers in settling in the capital area, said the immigration levels plan presents some difficulties for other organizations.
Such that with increasing numbers, newcomer settlement organizations need additional resources, explained Tremblay.
Tremblay says that EMCN would require additional funding to pay employees who handle cases, assist clients in finding housing, and teach languages.
New immigrants might not be able to integrate into the Canadian workforce without the assistance of the staff members who assist newcomers with their settlement needs.
There must be an additional help to settle and get the right training or support they need as soon as they get here, she said. It will allow them to integrate and start working immediately.
Tremblay is also worried that the housing supply would start to run out with everyone migrating here. Although she hasn’t heard anything from the federal government on funding to support service expansion, she anticipates that discussions will begin in the spring.
- IRCC Increased Staff by 45%, But Processing Woes ContinueMonday, 14 November 2022, 5:14 PM EST
In Canada’s immigration department, new data indicate a significant increase in hiring. However, the processing continues to be slow. The operational capacity of Canada’s immigration department, IRCC has increased by 45 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, according to never-before-published data.
Canada has already received nearly as many applications for temporary and permanent residents as it did in 2019 before the pandemic in only eight months of 2022.
After a two-year slowdown, the country’s immigration system is already operating 45 percent above capacity in 2019. As a result, the number of applications for permanent and temporary residents processed through the system is expected to surpass the 3.2 million recorded last year before the pandemic.
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IRCC increased workforce, yet processing times continue to grow
Unprecedented data shows that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada now employs 8,104 front-line operations employees, up from 5,583 in March 2019, with the majority of the new employees hired since the start of 2022. This is true even if the number of employees on leave increased gradually from 559 in March 2019 to 733 in October.
Additionally, the number of workers who continued to telework decreased from about 100 per cent at the start of the pandemic to 71.8 per cent last month.
Richard Kurland, an immigration attorney and policy analyst, says more employees can process more files. As a result, it should lead to higher volumes of decisions when combined with the artificial intelligence decision-making system.
“You are using the A.I. to do the strenuous labour. Now that the files that require human contact are on track and heading in the correct direction, you have more people to handle them.
However, Immigration officials would prefer to see the following numbers in check, though:
- Web forms have become the primary method for applicants to contact the department, increasing from 1.61 million in 2020 to 2.26 million in 2021 and 2.42 million as of September this year;
- Another important inquiry tool is access-to-information requests, which increased from 98,042 before the pandemic to 204,549 in 2021 before falling to 122,016 so far this year;
- By 2022, there will have been 963 lawsuits filed against the immigration department, up from just 112 in 2019. These lawsuits sought a court order compelling authorities to process files.
Therefore, not all critics agree that the immigration system has stabilized.
Lack of clarity for the reasons for processing delays
Vancouver immigration attorney Steven Meurrens questioned why there were still backlogs despite having 45 percent more employees processing applications. He says he is confused why processing times “keep getting worse” in multiple programs and certain visa offices.
Further, he questioned if there are bugs with new technology or if certain visa postings have I.T. issues. Or other Technology-related concerns due to working from home. Unfortunately, since the department won’t reveal, it isn’t easy to deduce what’s happening from the statistics.
According to Ravi Jain of the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association, the department’s increased staffing levels did not correspond to the enormous delay in how people were experiencing the online immigration system. He wants a royal commission to investigate the backlogs and delays in immigration.
In my opinion, they weren’t really doing much, says Jain. But nevertheless, they cannot get away with this. Because it’s harming individuals in so many ways, it just seems “criminal” to me, said Jain.
Through the main immigration programs, Canada had received more than 2.9 million new applications for permanent and temporary residents as of August 31. Those figures will undoubtedly raise the total above the 3.2 million files in 2019, with four months left in 2022.
In comparison to the total of 3,225,130 (235,257 permanent and 2.99 million temporary residents) reported in 2019, immigration officers processed 2.25 million immigration petitions throughout the time period—207,590 permanent and 2.04 million temporary immigrants.
Source: Toronto Star