Canada’s immigration in second half of 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Canada’s immigration system where immigrants were affected by numerous disruptions like difficulties in accessing language testing, credentialing services, biometrics, or other government services while immigration professionals have also been working hard around the clock to adjust to all the policy changes related to immigration.

However, things are continuing to improve in the second half of 2020 such as

  • Immigration candidates can now book and complete an English language test, and obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
  • IRCC is giving candidates more time to submit their documentation, and are not refusing anyone if they are unable to submit a complete application due to COVID-19 interruptions
  • Canada is as committed as ever to welcoming immigrants to support its economy

But there are some of the major issues we should look out for in the remaining six months of 2020.

Travel Restrictions

The biggest issue is when the travel restrictions will be lifted with the U.S. and the rest of the world. Certainly, no one knows. It depends on how successful Canada and other countries will be in containing COVID-19. However, as soon as pandemic will be under control Canada can exempt more immigrants and lift the restrictions.

International Students

Another major issue is whether Canada will accommodate international students in time for the fall 2020 semester. Although IRCC is processing study permits but under current travel restrictions, international students who did not have a valid study permit prior to March 18 are unable to come to Canada. It is anticipated Canada may exempt new study permit holders who wish to begin their studies in Canada by September later this summer.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

Since the start of the pandemic, however, express entry draws have only focused on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates since they are less likely to experience coronavirus disruptions than overseas candidates. However, there are few important points to note:

  • Some of the CEC and PNP candidates now receiving ITAs are also overseas
  • By the time that successful candidates submit their permanent residency applications and they are processed by IRCC, we will be in 2021. At that point, hopefully, Canada’s border rules will have been eased
  • Why should FSWP and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates—some of whom are currently in Canada—be excluded from EE draw
  • It is more likely IRCC may include FSWP in EE draws

Family Class

Yet another important question right now is whether IRCC will renew the Open Work Permit Pilot before it expires on July 31. The pilot gives an open work permit to spouses and partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are waiting for their spousal sponsorship application to be processed. Given how beneficial this pilot is to Canadian families and the economy, we should expect it to be renewed.

Also, Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has been delayed due to its improvement by IRCC and the onset of COVID-19. However, IRCC may announce details about the program’s launch later in 2020.

Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023

Another biggest story in the next six months will be 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan announcement by the Government. By November 1st, we will know the extent to which COVID-19 is going to impact Canada’s short- and medium-term immigration goals.

Altogether, COVID-19 has not impacted Canada’s need for immigration, so there is a strong chance immigration levels will remain high in 2021 and beyond.

Need help staying in Canada!

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenging times in Canada and around the world. Many people are under distress and anxiety. We understand! Can-X is here to help you figure it out, so you can have peace of mind. You could be an international student, worker, or visitor looking to extend your stay in Canada. You may be seeking a pathway to permanent immigration. Or you may be looking to reunite with a loved one. Whatever the reason, contact us to discuss your immigration needs, and we’ll provide our insights and help as much as we can during these difficult times.

We Care!

Express Entry Year – End Report 2019

Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for the Federal Skilled Worker, the Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. The 2019 year-end report provides an overview of Express Entry and presents data from across all stages of the Express Entry continuum, including profile submissions, invitations to apply, applications, processing times, and admissions.  In 2019, 332,331 express entry profiles were submitted through the system, which represents an increase of nearly 20% from 2018 and more than 30% since 2017.

Highlights of the report

Nearly 110,000 new permanent residents were admitted through Express Entry

A total of 109,595 principal applicants and their family members were granted permanent residence through express entry in 2019, compared to 92,229 in 2018. This represents a year over year increase of 19%. Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates represented the largest proportion of all individuals admitted in 2019 with 58,173 admissions, followed by candidates in Canadian Experience Class (30,230) Provincial Nominee Program (20,014) and Federal Skilled Trades (1,178).

Most common primary occupations

Software engineers and designers were the most common primary occupation with 6,529 invited to apply for permanent residence. The most common arranged employment occupations went to computer programmers and interactive media developers.

Locations

Most people who received an invitation were already in Canada. Of all foreign countries India was the most common place to be issued ITAs, then the United States., Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. India was also the most common country of citizenship for ITA recipients. Then it was Nigeria, China, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

Most popular province of destination

About 62% of principal applicants choose Ontario as the province of their destination, slightly less than 2018 when 65% indicated the same. Interest increased considerably in Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Prince Edward Island.

Increase in median cut off scores

The CRS cut off ranged from 438 to 475 in 2019, making an average score of 461. In 2018 the average score was 442. This increase in average CRS cut-off score demonstrates that the express entry pool became more competitive last year. This increase was partially due to a larger pool size, as well as the increased number of candidates selected through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). PNP recipients automatically receive an additional 600 CRS points toward their overall score.

Female candidates in the express entry pool

The express entry pool in 2019 was made up of about 41% female candidates, up from 38% in 2018. However, profiles submitted by females were more often eligible for at least one program than those submitted by men. Of all the submissions by female candidates, 76% were eligible for at least one program compared to 69 per cent of those submitted by men. Most female candidates who received ITAs had administrative assistant listed as their primary occupation. Food service supervisors were the most common arranged employment occupation for female candidates. Female candidates made up 48% of those who were invited by French language proficiency and 47% of those invited to apply by siblings.

Overall, the most common primary occupations among female candidates who were invited to apply for permanent residence included more low-skilled occupations, in comparison to the most common primary occupations among men. Of all the applications for permanent residence through express entry in 2019, 43 per cent came from women.

How express entry works? 

  1. The Express Entry system manages applications for permanent residence in two steps. First, individuals express their interest in immigrating to Canada by completing an online profile, which is screened electronically to determine if the individual is eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for at least one of these programs are placed in the Express Entry pool and assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is determined by comparing information in their profile to a transparent scoring criteria. Candidates in the pool are ranked against one another according to their CRS score.

The CRS is the backbone of the Express Entry application management system. A CRS score comprises two components: core points and additional points. A candidate without an accompanying spouse can receive a maximum of 600 points under the core component, depending on the person’s human capital characteristics (e.g., age, education, official language proficiency, work experience). These factors help predict candidates’ potential for success in the Canadian labour market. 6 Under the additional points component, a candidate can receive points for having a provincial/territorial nomination (600 points), arranged employment (50 or 200 points), Canadian post-secondary education credentials (15 or 30 points), French language proficiency (15 or 30 points), or a sibling in Canada (15 points). With the exception of points awarded for a provincial/territorial nomination, which is high enough to virtually guarantee a candidate an ITA in the following round that includes the Provincial Nominee Program, additional points increase the probability that a given candidate will receive an ITA without guaranteeing that outcome. The maximum CRS score a candidate can achieve is capped at 1,200 points—600 points under the core component and 600 points under the additional points component. All information provided at the profile stage for the purpose of generating a CRS score is self-reported and must be supported with appropriate documentation from the candidate at the application stage or the application could be refused.

  1. Ministerial Instructions are regularly published specifying the number of invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence that will be sent to candidates in the Express Entry pool on a specific date. The Ministerial Instruction also specifies the economic program(s) for which the Express Entry ITA round will apply. For each round, invitations are issued to candidates, in descending CRS score rank order, until the maximum number of invitations specified in the associated Ministerial Instruction is met. The profiles of candidates who do not receive an ITA, or decline an ITA, remain in the pool for up to 12 months. Candidates that receive an ITA have 60 days to either decline the invitation or submit an online application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Candidates who receive an ITA but take no action within the 60-day period are withdrawn from the pool.
  1. Upon submission, an immigration officer assesses the application to verify the applicant’s CRS score, program eligibility, and admissibility. If the immigration officer is satisfied that all conditions have been met and that the applicants are not inadmissible, they are approved for a permanent resident visa. Applicants and their accompanying family members become permanent residents when they are admitted to Canada.
  1. The processing standard for applications sourced via express entry is six months for 80% of cases. Processing time is measured from the day a complete application is received until a final decision is made by an immigration officer.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has elicited unprecedented challenges for the country throughout the spring of 2020, the IRCC is monitoring express entry and exploring ways the system could be used to ensure that Canada continues to derive maximum benefit from economic immigration in a rapidly evolving environment.

How Can-X can help?

  • We make sure client qualifies for Express Entry (EE) program based on comprehensive assessment.
  • We help is creating Express Entry (EE) profile.
  • We review the documents and submit the final Permanent Residence application.
  • We track the application throughout the process while communicating with the government on client’s behalf.

Contact us for consultation and assessment.

Ontario issued 24 invitations to apply (ITAs) under the Entrepreneur Stream

Ontario invited 24 entrepreneurs in new immigration draw under entrepreneur stream. Candidates with scores of at least 134 were invited in draw conducted on June 24, 2020. Candidates with Expressions of Interest (EOI) received by the OINP between November 22, 2019 and June 19, 2020 were eligible. This is the fifth draw since the minimum eligibility requirements for the program underwent significant change.  A total of 70 entrepreneurs has been invited this year so far.

The required net worth for the proposed business within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was lowered from $1.5 million CAD to $800,000 CAD and outside the GTA from $800,000 CAD to $400,000 CAD. The minimum investment for the proposed business in the GTA was lowered from $1 million CAD to $600,000 CAD and outside the GTA from $500,000 CAD to $200,000 CAD. The required business experience of a candidate as an Owner or a Senior Manager had also changed. It is now required that a candidate has 24 months of experience within the last 60 months. Previously, a candidate was required to have 36 months of experience within the same time frame.

Entrepreneur Stream 

The Entrepreneur Stream is an immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). This stream is for entrepreneurs from outside of Canada interested in starting a new business or buying an existing business in Ontario. It gives an entrepreneur (and up to one foreign national business partner) the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence once their business has been established in Ontario.

The Entrepreneur Stream application is a two-stage process: 

Stage 1

  1. Registration: Register an expression of interest with OINP by email
  2. Application Submission: If invited, submit an online application
  3. Personal Interview: Entrepreneur and the business partner (if applicable) attend a mandatory in-person interview at the OINP office in Toronto. The purpose of the interview is to get a better understanding of the business plan and past experience.
  4. Performance Agreement: If stage 1 of the application (including the interview) is successful, the entrepreneur is asked to sign a performance agreement with the Government of Ontario. The performance agreement will outline the commitments that must be met in order to be nominated for permanent residence. The document will include, but may not be limited to:
    • a description of the business
    • investment amounts and timelines
    • number and types of jobs to be created for Canadian citizens or permanent residents
    • mandatory business milestones and achievements
    • time frames for commitments

Stage 2

  1. Work Permit: After signing performance agreement, the OINP office issues a temporary work permit support letter (WPSL) so that applicant and business partner (if applicable) can apply to IRCC for a temporary work permit
  2. Business Establishment: The entrepreneur has 20 months from the arrival date in Ontario to implement the business plan and meet all commitments under the performance agreement. OINP officers monitor the business to make sure the applicant stay on track to meeting the obligations under performance agreement. The applicant is also required to provide quarterly reports and a final report to OINP.
  3. Provincial Nomination: Based on final report, the OINP office confirm that the new business has met the commitments outlined in the performance agreement. Post confirmation, OINP office will ask for supporting documents to ensure that applicant and business partner (if applicable) meet the nomination requirements
    • Language: The applicant must be able to listen, read, write and speak English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4.
    • Residency: The applicant must be physically living in Ontario for 75 per cent of the time during which they are establishing their business.
    • Active Management: The applicant must be actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in the management of the business.
  4. Permanent Residency: The applicant can submit permanent residency (PR) application with IRCC within six months of nomination. The OINP performs post-nomination monitoring for a period of 36 months following the issuance of permanent resident status.

Program Requirements

To qualify under the Entrepreneur Stream, the applicant must have a viable business that is likely to provide material economic benefit to the economy of Ontario as a whole or to the local Ontario economy where the business will be located. The applicant and one business partner (if applicable) must both meet the eligibility requirements.

Business experience

The applicant must have at least 24 months of full-time business experience in the last 60 months. The experience must be as a business owner or as a senior manager (business management). As a business owner the applicant must have had an active role in the business and owned at least one-third of the business. As a senior manager the applicant must have had senior decision-making responsibilities in the business.

Net Worth

  • $800,000 CAD  – if the proposed business will be located within the GTA
  • $400,000 CAD  – if the proposed business will be located outside the GTA
  • $400,000 CAD – if the proposed business will be in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT)/Digital Communications sector (regardless of the proposed business location)

Personal investment funds and minimum equity

  • Within the Greater Toronto Area – The applicant must make a minimum personal investment of $600,000 CAD and control at least one-third of the equity in the business
  • Outside of the Greater Toronto Area – The applicant must make a minimum personal investment of $200,000 CAD and control at least one-third of the equity in the business
  • If the proposed business is in the information and communications technology/digital communications sector then regardless of location, the applicant must make a minimum personal investment of $200,000 CAD and control at least of one-third of the equity in the business.

Active involvement

The entrepreneur must be actively involved, on an ongoing basis, in the management of the business.

Capital investment purpose

The primary purpose of investing capital in the business must be to make a profit. It must not be to derive interest, dividends or capital gains.

Job creation

If the business will be located inside the Greater Toronto Area, the applicant must create at least two permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. If the business will be located outside the Greater Toronto Area or in the information and communications technology or digital communications sector, regardless of location, the applicant must create at least one permanent full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Jobs must be created within the first 20 months of establishing or acquiring the business, must be filled continuously for at least 10 months and must be paid at the median wage level for the position.

Additional requirements for purchasing an existing business

  • the entrepreneur must make at least one business-related visit to Ontario within 12 months from the date of registering an Expression of Interest
  • the business being purchased must have been in continuous operation by the same owner(s) for the previous 60 months
  • ownership of the business must be completely transferred to the applicant or any business partner
  • the applicant must use at least 10% of the personal investment towards improving or expanding the business in Ontario
  • the applicant must keep all permanent full-time employees that worked in the business prior to the transfer of ownership

General business requirements

In addition to meeting the minimum requirements, the proposed business must also meet the general requirements to participate in the Entrepreneur Stream:

Business purpose

The purpose of the proposed business must be to make a profit from active (earned) income not passive (unearned) income through the sale of goods and/or services.

Canadian and Ontario legal requirements

The proposed business must comply with any applicable federal, provincial or municipal legal, regulatory or licensing requirements that govern its operation. This includes Ontario labour laws, including but not limited to employment standards, health and safety and labour relations legislation.

Permanent business

The proposed business must be considered a permanent business in Ontario. Project-based/seasonal businesses are considered ineligible.

Business in Ontario

The proposed business must at all times have a place of business in Ontario.

Ineligible types of businesses 

The entrepreneur need to ensure that the proposed business is not one of the ineligible types listed below.

automated car wash business  ǀ holding companies  ǀ laundromats  ǀ pawnbrokers  ǀ pay day loan and related businesses  ǀ scrap metal recycling  ǀ tire recycling  ǀ a business involved in producing, distributing or selling pornography or sexually explicit products or services, or providing sexually oriented services  ǀ businesses which have been previously owned/operated by current or former OINP business stream nominees

If the proposed business will be located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the following types are also ineligible.

existing franchises in Ontario (new foreign franchises expanding into Ontario are permitted)  ǀ gas stations  ǀ bed and breakfasts

Expression of interest

An expression of interest (EOI) is the first step and, its not an application. There is no fee to register an EOI. The EOI is comprised of two components, for a maximum EOI score of 200 points:

  1. Self-Declared Score (126 points)
  2. Business Concept Score (74 points)

OINP will assess and score the Business Concept.  The business concept will need to score at least 37 of the available 74 points (50%) to be placed in the EOI selection pool. Whether the entrepreneur candidate will be issued an invitation to apply is based on the EOI rank in the selection pool. Only the top ranked candidates are invited to apply.

Expression of interest (EOI) registration 

  1. contact the OINP by email (business.immigration@ontario.ca) to express the interest in participating in the Entrepreneur stream and to request a copy of the EOI registration form
  2. once received, complete the EOI registration form
  3. submit the completed form by email to business.immigration@ontario.ca

The OINP will then assess and score the business concept. If the entrepreneur candidate do not meet the minimum stream criteria, the business concept will not be reviewed.

If the business concept is accepted, the EOI will be placed in a pool and will be ranked against other entrepreneur candidates. If entrepreneur candidate is invited to apply, he/she will receive an email with instructions on how to submit an online application through the OINP e-Filing Portal. The candidate has 90 calendar days to submit the online application from the date of invitation to apply.

Contact us for consultation and assessment.

Express Entry Draw: Lowest CRS since 2017 for CEC candidates

A total of 3,559 candidates were invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the Express Entry draw which took place on June 11, 2020. The cut-off CRS score in this draw was 437 which is the lowest CRS score recorded for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates since 2017. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now issued a total of 46,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA’s) in 2020 through the Express Entry system.

Current cut-off CRS score of 437 is a decrease of 3 points from the previous CEC draw held on May 28, 2020 which had a minimum score of 440. Today’s CEC draw was the second invitation round in 24 hours to issue Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry. Yesterday, IRCC issued 341 ITA’s to Express Entry candidates nominated through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The minimum CRS score for these candidates was 743. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Candidates receive an additional 600 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which is usually sufficient to trigger an invitation to apply (ITA) at the next round of invitations.

Since March 18, 2020, the Government of Canada has held thirteen Express Entry draws and invited provincial nominees and Canadian Experience Class candidates only, which shows the first quarter of the year 2020 has been great for Express Entry besides COVID-19 pandemic. Canada remains on pace to achieve its Express Entry target of 85,800 ITAs in 2020, with 46,000 ITAs so far. Still ahead of the number of ITAs issued at this time last year and the year before.

As per Government of Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2020-2022, Canada will welcome 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020, 351,000 in 2021, and 361,000 in 2022.

Express Entry is the application process for skilled workers in Canada or Overseas who want to settle in Canada permanently. Interested Candidates are required to submit an online application to express their interest by creating Express Entry (EE) profile and, providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education and some other details. After submitting the profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points. Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence. Express Entry manages applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

Need help staying in Canada!

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenging times in Canada and around the world. Many people are under distress and anxiety. We understand! Can-X is here to help you figure it out, so you can have peace of mind. You could be an international student, worker, or visitor looking to extend your stay in Canada. You may be seeking a pathway to permanent immigration. Or you may be looking to reunite with a loved one. Whatever the reason, contact us to discuss your immigration needs, and we’ll provide our insights and help as much as we can during these difficult times.

We Care!

Canada invites 341 PNP candidates in latest express entry (EE) draw

A total of 341 candidates who had already received an additional 600 points with a provincial nomination were invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence in the Express Entry draw which took place on June 10, 2020. The cut-off CRS score in this draw was 743. Since March 18, 2020, the government of Canada has held thirteen Express Entry draws and invited provincial nominees and Canadian Experience Class candidates only, which shows the first quarter of the year 2020 has been great for Express Entry besides COVID-19 pandemic.

PNPs have been active over the past few weeks, with PNP draws taking place in most Canadian provinces. All the provinces together have issued more than 2000 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination since the start of May.

Express Entry is the application process for skilled workers in Canada or Overseas who want to settle in Canada permanently. Interested Candidates are required to submit an online application to express their interest by creating Express Entry (EE) profile and, providing information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education and some other details. After submitting the profile, candidates get a score to determine their place in the pool using the point-based system called Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The CRS system considers skills, work experience, language ability, education and other factors (e.g. having a sibling in Canada, Canadian education or a valid job offer in Canada, etc.) to award points. Highest ranking candidates from Express Entry pool are regularly invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence. Express Entry manages applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

The Provincial Nominee Class (PNC) allows provincial and territorial governments to choose immigrants according to the economic needs of the province or territory. Nine Canadian provinces and two territories have provincial nominee programs which:

  • establish its own standards and processes by which it chooses its nominees,
  • try to nominate those candidates who would be most likely to settle effectively into the economic and social life of the region.

PNC has two (2) steps

  1. First apply to the province or territory where you want to live and be nominated
  2. After a province or territory nominates you, you must apply to IRCC for permanent residence. An IRCC officer will then assess your application based on Canadian immigration rules.

Each participating province and territory have at least one immigration stream that is connected to the Express Entry system and allows it to nominate Express Entry candidates for permanent residence in that province or territory. Express Entry candidates who are nominated by a province or territory receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score, moving them to the front of the line for an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Contact us for consultation and assistance!

Need help staying in Canada!

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenging times in Canada and around the world. Many people are under distress and anxiety. We understand! Can-X is here to help you figure it out, so you can have peace of mind. You could be an international student, worker, or visitor looking to extend your stay in Canada. You may be seeking a pathway to permanent immigration. Or you may be looking to reunite with a loved one. Or you may want to be a Canadian Citizen. Whatever the reason, contact us to discuss your immigration needs, and we’ll provide our insights and help as much as we can during these difficult times.

We Care!