Changes to immigration programs in British Columbia

The Canadian company LYNX Air will not operate flights from 12:01 A.M. on 26 February 2024. CUAET visa holders should use other options to get to their destinations, if they have booked tickets for this company’s flights. Thousands of Ukrainians are planning to move by 31 March 2024 for opportunity of finding work in Canada and obtaining PR in Canada later.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has started accepting Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core test results for economic immigration programs on January 30, 2024.

Do not miss the event of the Ukrainian Consulate on November 17-18, 2023, which will be held at the Nova Scotia Consulate at 6860 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS, A1E 3B8.

The Government of Canada has introduced temporary measures to obtain an open work permit for foreigners, who arealready in Canada. Temporary residents who are in the process of applying for PR status in Canada have the opportunity to extend their work permit on a simplified basis until 31 December 2024. This policy supports provincial economies in attracting the best workers.

The province of Manitoba will be ending the special immigration measures that were introduced for temporary residents with CUAET visas. The local government is following the policy of the Federal Government of Canada, which has set 31 March 2024 as the end date for post-CUAET measures.

On 21 May 2024, a selection process will be held to apply for permanent residency in Canada under the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship programme. It is expected that 35,700 potential sponsors will receive invitations for parents and grandparents to receive PR status in Canada. Consequently, the IRCC expects to receive 20,500 complete applications.

Permanent resident status in Canada (PR in Canada) will be available under two additional immigration pilot programmes, which were previously announced by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration (IRCC). On 21 May 2024, the process of accepting applications from communities to participate in the programmes was launched. Applications will be accepted until 2 July 2024.

Temporary residents of Canada have become an integral part of the growth of the Canadian economy. Moving to Canada for work gives thousands of citizens of different countries a chance to participate in a truly global competition within Canada and subsequently obtain permanent resident status (PR in Canada). Ukrainian citizens are among the top ten temporary residents of Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programes (PNPs) in Canada allow to obtain permanent resident status (PR) in Canada, as well as federal immigration programes in Canada. Permanent resident status (PR) in Canada is possible under one of the 10 provincial nominee programes (PNPs) in Canada. In most cases, the key requirements are local provincial work experience and knowledge of English.

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It has become even easier to become a permanent resident of Canada through the Ontario provincial nominee program (OINP). On 4 July 2024, the list of occupations eligible for permanent resident status under the Ontario provincial nominee program (OINP) was expanded. From the National Occupational Classification (NOC) of Canada, 35 new occupations have been added to this provincial program.

Marc Miller, the head of the Immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada, has announced a new Bill C-71, which will allow repatriation to Canada, i.e., Canadian citizenship by descent. Those abroad who have even one parent who is already a Canadian citizen and who were also born abroad, i.e. who have gone from Canadian permanent residence to citizenship, will be eligible for repatriation to Canada.

On 10 May 2024, the Head of the IRCC Marc Miller chaired the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration. The event in Montreal was attended by ministers from all provinces and territories. The discussions focused on key issues related to the implementation of the immigration plans to 2027, PR status in Canada, and temporary residence in Canada.

Canada’s Northwest Territories provincial nominee program (PNP) has exhausted the number of nominations for obtaining permanent residency (PR) in Canada in 2024 already in July. It is expected that the consideration of nomineeapplications for permanent resident status (PR) in Canada under this provincial nominee program (PNP) will be completed this autumn.

On April 8, 2024, the new Immigration Services Act came into force in Saskatchewan. It is designed to improve the delivery of services through Saskatchewan’s immigration program, consolidate the requirements and rules of Saskatchewan’s immigration program into one legislation, and enable the Government of Saskatchewan to meet its plan to increase the province’s population to 1.4 million by 2030.

U.S. News & World Report, an American news magazine that annually conducts specialized research and assesses the level of development of countries, has published a ranking of the best countries in the world for 2024. This publication is one of the most authoritative in analyzing economic, political and social issues in different countries. According to the results, Canada was ranked 4th among the most successful countries in the world in 2024.

485,000 new permanent residents is the goal of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada plan to bring more workers to Canada on a permanent basis. The goal of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is to attract new permanent residents to help grow Canada’s economy, unite Canadian residents, and help people move to Canada from parts of the world that are affected by instability.

Starting on 1st of March 2024, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme accepts applications for Tourism and Hospitality stream. Acceptance of a limited number of applications, as well as the priority of consideration, makes it possible to get PR in these industries quite quickly.

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As early as autumn 2024, plans will be introduced to determine the number of temporary residents who will arrive in Canada over the next 3 years. This is the first time such innovations have been introduced in the Canadian immigration system.

Temporary and permanent residents have contributed to a significant increase in Canada’s population. On 1 April 2024, the number of Canada’s population exceeded 41 million. It took less than a year for Canada’s population to increase by 1 million people. Among the most populous provinces, Onatrio continues to lead the way with almost 16 million people, followed by Quebec with 9 million and British Columbia with 5.5 million.

The Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot immigration pathway in Saskatchewan is on hold as of January 2024. The requirements for immigration under this program are expected to be updated in the spring of 2024. But even now, workers in the healthcare and agricultural sectors can apply under this stream.

Permanent resident status in Canada may be granted to family members of the victims of the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crash. Minister Mark Miller announced this temporary measure on 28 October 2024. The program will run for one year and will end on 27 October 2025. Relatives both outside and inside Canada will be able to apply for permanent residency.

The experts say, that the easiest immigration route to Canada, is through Saskatchewan.

On November 1, 2023, Terry Jenson (MP) announced changes to the immigration process in Saskatchewan.

Cap of temporary residents in Canada is a matter of concern for Canadian agricultural business. This sector relies heavily on temporary residents in Canada, and it provides an opportunity to receive permanent resident status (PR in Canada) in the future. The change in the rules of emigration to Canada for temporary residents in Canada for work, who are now included in the same category as students in Canada, is a cause for concern.

In attracting temporary and permanent residents of Canada, the province of Alberta is in the lead. Newcomers to Canada, who moved to the province, accounted for 2/3 of all new residents in 2023. The 202,324 new residents in Alberta in 2023 provided the most massive population growth in the province since 1981. Alberta is also a leader in the inflow of residents from other Canadian provinces.

On 15 April 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the launch of a new pilot project for employment, relocation to Canada and receiving PR status in Canada – Innovation Stream Pilot under the Global Hypergrowth Project.

Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, continues to change the approach to Canada’s immigration policy after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began to lose support due to rising real estate prices.

The recent reorganization of Canada’s immigration system is leading to significant changes not only for temporary residents who are already in the country, but also for their families. Marc Miller, the head of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has announced the introduction of new restrictions on staying in the country for family members of certain categories of workers and students.

On 6 March 2024, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced, that the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, one of Canada’s most successful immigration programmes, will now be made permanent.

Permanent resident (PR) status in Manitoba will be expanded in 2025 with the launch of an additional immigration pathway. On November 15, the provincial government announced the launch of a new pilot project that will run for the next three years, and it is expected that employers in western and central Manitoba will be able to attract workers and offer them a simplified path to permanent residency in Canada.

On 22 January 2024, changes took place for some temporary residents of Canada, namely for students from abroad studying in Canada and their family members. This decision was announced by Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, during a press conference in Montreal.

On 17 April 2024, Nova Scotia suspended the acceptance of applications for PR status in Canada from the food services and accommodation sector. The number of applications from this sector has doubled, while the number of nominationsfor permanent residency in Canada from the federal Government of Canada remained at the last year’s level of 3500spaces for approval.

Ukrainians who came to Canada under CUAET visas and are currently residing in British Columbia have a wonderful opportunity to get Permanent Residency (PR) with minimal requirements.

As of May 2024, 210,865 people have been granted permanent resident status (PR in Canada). The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) remains on track to meet its ambitious goal of 485,000 new permanent residents (PR in Canada) in 2024. Countries in Asia and Africa continue to lead the way among the countries whose citizens will become new permanent residents in Canada in 2024.

On 18 September 2024, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Marc Miller and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault held a press conference to announce further historic changes to Canada’s immigration rules which will determine the further policy of admitting new immigrants over the next few years and ensure the sustainability and transparency of the system.

Temporary residents of Canada have the opportunity to find a job in various sectors of the Canadian economy, which is characterised by dynamism and stability of development. The majority of temporary residents of Canada subsequently obtain PR status in Canada through employment (economic immigration programmes to Canada). Despite the instability in the world, the Canadian economy continues to attract foreigners to work with the status of a temporary resident inCanada.

In just 45 days, the most anticipated immigration program for Ukrainians in Canada will launch.

Receiving permanent residency in Saskatchewan has become even easier for Ukrainians in 2024. Policy of theGovernment of Canada on attracting temporary residents in Canada for permanent residency has resulted in expandingthe list of occupations eligible for immigration. Long haul truck drivers and hospitality sector workers, who hold CUAET visas, can now apply for the Existing Work Permit category.

On 15 February 2024, Immigration Service of the Government of Alberta suspended the acceptance of new applications under the Alberta Opportunity Stream for those wishing to obtain PR in Canada. This pathway was one of the most popular in Alberta province.

Who is eligible and how to apply?

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31 March 2024 marked the end of the CUAET programme. This programme has enabled hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and their family members to obtain Canadian visas under a simplified procedure. Around 300,000 Ukrainians and their family members have already visited Canada, and most are planning to obtain PR status in Canada while currently in temporary resident status.

When temporary residents arrive in Canada, they usually look for any job that will help them get a foothold in their new place. These jobs are often referred to as “survival jobs” among people moving to Canada. These jobs are often paid at the minimum hourly wage in a particular province. The hourly rate is reviewed from time to time.

The new procedure for obtaining permanent residency in Canada through the Alberta Provincial Nomine Program will be implemented. The changes occurred at the initial stage of Expression of Interest (EOI). The reform of the process follows the recent introduction of a new system for selecting candidates for immigration in Alberta. The new rules will come into effect on 30 September 2024.

Starting from 3 October 2024, an open work permit can be obtained under Canadian Business Immigration (Start-Up Visa). The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has allowed entrepreneurs to work at jobs other than their business to provide additional income. Previously, entrepreneurs were allowed to work exclusively on the development of their own business project, which was a requirement for moving to Canada.

On May 30, 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency implemented restrictions for temporary residents of Canada at 12 of the most popular border crossings with the USA. These restrictions pertain to time limits on border crossings within a day to address document processing issues regarding immigration matters. Previously, immigration matters of Canada at the border were resolved within 24 hours.

The Government of Canada plans to simplify the requirements for employment of temporary residents starting next year. The changes will primarily affect the requirements for migrants in Canada who will benefit from improved employment conditions. Temporary workers will be allowed to change employers upon arrival in Canada if they continue to work in the same industry.

Canadian business immigration for Ukrainians has become even easier in 2024. On 1 July 2024, the updated parts of the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) came into force. This agreement was amended in 2023, and now the changes to Canadian business immigration for Ukrainians have come into force. Ukrainian businessmen, investors and professionals can now obtain a visa to Canada under a simplified procedure.

Starting from 8 November 2024, the rules for obtaining an LMIA (work invitation) for temporary workers in Canada will change if they fall into the category of high-wage employees. These workers will now be required to receive a salary 20% higher than the average salary for their position. It is expected that the 34,000 workers already in Canada will see their salaries rise by 5-8 CAD/hour.

The province of Ontario has determined 21,500 nominations in 2024 for receiving PR status in Canada through the Provincial Immigration Programme (OINP). This is an increase of 5,000 nominations compared to 2023. This is great news for Ukrainians and their families in Canada, as the majority of CUAET visa holders have settled in Ontario.

On 30 September 2024, new rules for submitting Expressions of Interest under the Alberta Provincial NomineeProgramme (AAIP) will come into effect. These applications will need to be submitted in order to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to begin the process of becoming a permanent resident of Canada. As expected, the selection of potential applicants will be based on points.

Mark Miller, the head of IRCC, announced on Tuesday, 30 April 2024, that the number of applications for PR cards under the Start-Up Visa Programme will be limited and applications for PR status in Canada under the Self-Employed Persons Programme will be suspended. This news regarding business immigration to Canada is yet another innovation from the IRCC in reforming the rules of emigration to Canada.

Temporary workers in Yukon will be granted PR status in Canada with greater support from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). On 1 October 2024, Marc Miller, the Head of IRCC, announced an agreement between the federal Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon on additional support measures for temporary workers in the territory on their way of applying for permanent resident status by 2027.

Canada has been ranked 4th among the best countries to live in 2024. The annual ranking is conducted by U.S. News. Canada received 94.1 points, behind Switzerland (100 points), Japan (96.6 points) and the United States (94.2 points). Canada has been in the top 5 in this ranking for the last 4 years. Having obtained permanent residence in Canada, you can permanently stay in one of the best countries in the world.

It is now possible to obtain permanent residency in Saskatchewan under one more pathway: Agriculture Talent. The provincial government has established a separate opportunity for agricultural workers within the framework of the provincial nominee program – the SINP. The news was announced on 30 August 2024. Employers in the province have an additional opportunity to attract workers to ensure economic growth.

Express Entry draws in January 2024

In January, three draws of general selections were held within a pool of applicants to get invitations for applying for PR in Canada.

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Starting June 11, the immigration programs of Alberta, which were previously on hold, will be resuming. Don’t miss your chance to learn about the new opportunities!

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The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made changes to one of the most popular employment streams. The changes will come into force on 26 September 2024. Employment under the LMIA will be suspended for some metropolitan areas (100,000 inhabitants or more) for low-paid occupations. The restrictions apply to metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% and above.

On Thursday, 24 October 2024, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, announced dramatic changes to immigration policy for the coming years. The federal government is reducing the previously announced numbers for granting permanent resident (PR) status in Canada. The new plan is expected to result in only 395,000 new permanent residents in 2025.

It has become known how many new permanent residents of Canada will be able to obtain this status in the province of Quebec in 2025. On 31 October 2024, Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Immigration of Quebec, announced the Immigration Plan for the province for the next year. The province of Quebec does not have a provincial nomineeprogram, but is known for its special system for the integration of newcomers.

A work permit for IT professionals in Canada will be issued under a simplified procedure that does not require an LMIA. Under one of the International Mobility Program streams, 8 employers have the opportunity to invite employees on special terms. The companies operate in the most advanced areas of the IT sector, so there is a wide range of vacancies for various specialists.

According to Canadian Government data as of October 14, 2023, nearly 200,000 Ukrainians have already arrived in Canada. However, almost 1,200,000 applications have been submitted.

471,550 people received PR in Canada according to IRCC data for 2023.

There were 40, 000 more PR cards issued comparing to 2022.

There are also available the consideration results of applications for Work Permits. There were 1,646,300 Work Permit applications including extensions processed, which is 503,330 more than in 2022.

PR status in Canada is usually obtained through the process of immigration to Canada. Provincial nominee programmes in Canada provide an opportunity to quickly receive an invitation to start the process of receiving permanent residence in Canada (PR in Canada). Local requirements for PR in Canada are aimed specifically at residents of a particular province. Thousands of newcomers with temporary resident status have obtained permanent residence in Canada bythis way.

Applications for permanent resident status (PR in Canada) under the Alberta Opportunity Stream will resume on 11 June 2024. Applications for PR in Canada will be accepted in accordance with the new rules for emigration to Canada, which are being introduced by the provincial Government of Alberta. The province has received a quota of 9,750 nominationsfor immigration to Canada in 2024.