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Category Archives: immigration news

Mission Ambedkar  /  Blog  /  immigration news
04 Dec 2019

Biometrics collection services for temporary and permanent resident applicants available in Canada

Categories canada, immigration, immigration news, International Students, News, Permanent Residence, Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), travellors, visit, Work Permit 0 Comments

From December 03, 2019 foreign nationals applying from within Canada for temporary or permanent residence, or to extend or renew their visitor visa or work or study permit, will need to provide their biometrics at any of the 58 designated Service Canada locations across the country. Foreign nationals will need to give their biometrics (fingerprints and photo) when applying from within Canada for permanent residence, or as a

  • foreign worker (including extending a work permit)
  • international student (including extending a study permit)
  • visa-required visitor (including extending their stay)

Canada has collected biometrics (fingerprints and photos) on most foreign nationals applying for temporary or permanent residence since December 31, 2018.

People can apply online or by paper as they have always done. Applicants who receive a biometrics instruction letter will be able to give their fingerprints and photo at designated Service Canada locations across the country by appointment. The appointment must be made in advance through an easy online booking tool at canada.ca/biometrics.

Applicants, including those in Canada who will be travelling outside the country, can also give their biometrics at a visa application centre (VAC) in any country that they are legally allowed to enter. Canada has one of the most extensive networks of VACs worldwide, with 160 locations in 108 countries.

Quick facts

  • This is the final phase of Canada’s biometrics expansion program. As a result of this expansion, foreign nationals coming to, or applying from within the country will provide their fingerprints and photo.
  • There are some exemptions to the biometrics requirement, including applicants under 14 or over 79 years of age; U.S. nationals coming to visit, work or study temporarily in Canada; and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. coming to visit only.
  • Find out if you need to give biometrics.

30 Jul 2019

Temporary resident permit (TRP) for victims of family violence

Categories canada, Common-Law, Family Violence, immigration, immigration news, News, Permanent Residence, Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), Work Permit 0 Comments

Newcomers to Canada experiencing family violence can now apply for a temporary resident permit that will give them legal immigration status in Canada. This measure also extends access to an initial fee-exempt work permit and Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) coverage for these individuals if the conditions warrant such a response. The objective of the new rules is “to provide protection for vulnerable foreign nationals who are victims of family violence or impacted by it, by regularizing their status in Canada, when appropriate.”

Eligibility for a family violence TRP

Family violence is generally defined as any form of abuse or neglect inflicted by a family member. In this context, TRPs are intended for cases of family violence from a spouse or common-law partner. In assessing eligibility for a TRP, the IRCC considers if the foreign national is:

  • Physically located in Canada and experiencing abuse, including physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse or neglect, from their spouse or common-law partner while in Canada
  • Seeking permanent residence that is contingent on remaining in a genuine relationship in which there is abuse and if the relationship with the abusive spouse or common-law partner is critical for the continuation of the individual’s status in Canada

Examples of individuals who may be eligible include foreign nationals who:

  • Are applicants of the family class or spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SCLPC class) who have either already left their sponsor, due to abuse, or not yet left their sponsor, due to fear of losing their immigration status
  • Cannot be assessed for permanent residence because their sponsor (abusive spouse or common law partner) has withdrawn their family class or SCLPC class sponsorship application
  • Have been misled and made to believe by an abusive spouse or common-law partner that their family class or SCLPC class permanent residence application has been submitted and is in process when, in fact, no application has been submitted
  • Are temporary residents intending to apply for permanent residence through a genuine relationship that has become abusive, but who may not yet have an application in process

Dependent foreign national children of victims of family violence (both must be in Canada) are also eligible for a family violence TRP. Officers should be attuned to cases in which family law or custody issues may come into play.

Ineligible individuals who are not considered to be seeking permanent resident status, per the corresponding MI, include but are not restricted to the following:

  • Those seeking refugee protection
  • Those who have been granted refugee protection and reside in Canada as protected persons without the intention of seeking permanent resident status

For more details & information please visit the IRCC page.

12 Jul 2019

New Agri-Food Immigration Pilot for eligible agri-food workers

Categories Agri-Food Immigration Pilot, canada, express entry, immigration news, LMIA, News, Work Permit 0 Comments

Canada is launching a new 3-year economic immigration pilot that will fill labour shortages, particularly in meat processing and mushroom production, within the agri-food sector and help meet Canada’s ambitious export targets. Temporary foreign workers with Canadian experience in agri-food sector will have a new pathway to Canadian permanent residence starting in early 2020. This new pilot aims to attract and retain workers by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents. The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot complements Canada’s economic immigration strategy, which includes the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the Global Skills Strategy, a revitalized Express Entry and an expanded Provincial Nominee Program.

Quick Facts

Employers in the agri-food sector who intend to be part of the pilot will be eligible for a 2-year Labour Market Impact Assessment.

  • Temporary foreign workers will be able to apply under this pilot in early 2020.
  • A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, plus family members, will be accepted for processing in any given year. This represents a total of approximately 16,500 possible new permanent residents over the 3-year duration of the pilot.
  • Addressing these labour market needs will help key industries in Canada’s specialized agri-food sector grow.

The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot will test a new, industry-specific approach to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector, particularly in meat processing and mushroom production. While immigration in the agricultural sector is largely based on seasonal workers, this pilot aims to enhance the benefits of economic immigration to the agri-food sector by testing a new pathway to permanent residence. The pilot will seek to attract experienced, non-seasonal workers who can economically establish in Canada, and who support the ongoing labour needs of the agri-food sector.

In particular, the pilot will focus on attracting retail butchers, industrial butchers, food processing labourers, harvesting labourers, general farm workers, and farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers.

The occupations and industries eligible under the pilot include:

  • meat processing
    • retail butcher
    • industrial butcher
    • food processing labourer
  • harvesting labourer for year-round mushroom production and greenhouse crop production
  • general farm worker for year-round mushroom production, greenhouse crop production, or livestock raising
  • farm supervisor and specialized livestock worker for meat processing, year-round mushroom production, greenhouse crop production or livestock raising.

To be eligible to participate in the pilot, candidates must have:

  • 12 months of full-time, non-seasonal Canadian work experience in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, in an eligible occupation in processing meat products, raising livestock, or growing mushrooms or greenhouse crops
  • a Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French
  • an education at high school level or greater (Canadian equivalency)
  • an indeterminate job offer for full-time, non-seasonal work in Canada, outside of Quebec, at or above the prevailing wage

Details on how individuals may apply for permanent residence through this pilot will be available in early 2020.

 

 

11 Jan 2019

Canada’s unemployment rate hit record low in November

Categories immigration news, News 0 Comments

Canada’s unemployment rate reached a record low in November, according to Statistics Canada’s monthly Labour Force Survey released on December 07, 2018. Employment rose by 94,000 in November, driven by gains in full-time work. The unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points to 5.6%, the lowest since comparable data became available in 1976. Nearly 19 million people were employed in Canada in November, an increase of 0.5 per cent over the previous month. Six provinces saw employment increase in November, with Quebec and Alberta posting the highest gains. Ontario also saw employment rise with 20,000 more people employed in November. British Columbia also saw employment increase in November, with 16,000 more people employed than the previous month. At 4.4 per cent, the province’s unemployment remained among the lowest in Canada, despite a slight increase in November. The Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba also posted employment gains in November of 5,500 and 2,600, respectively.

In terms of industries, Statistics Canada said the most significant employment gains in November occurred in professional, scientific and technical services, which saw an increase of 26,000, with most of the growth in Ontario and Quebec. Employment in health care and social assistance was also up in November, with a gain of 19,000. Non-medicinal cannabis became legal in Canada on October 17, 2018. The number of people employed in cannabis-related jobs in November was 10,400, an increase of 7,500 (+266%) from 12 months earlier.

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