Work Permit Archives - Page 4 of 9

02 Jul 2020

Ontario’s is re-opening and expanding its in-demand skills stream

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Ontario is re-opening and expanding one of its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams (in-demand skills stream). The in-demand skills stream is currently closed but will re-open on July 6, 2020. As of July 06, job offer from 13 additional positions located outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be accepted under the program. The purpose of the stream is to enhance responsiveness to program priorities and address labour shortages in specific in-demand occupations (e.g. agriculture, construction, trucking, and other low-to-semi-skilled NOC C or D occupations). This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada.

Program Requirements

Job Offer

Candidate must have a full-time and permanent job offer (i.e. a minimum of 1,560 hours in a year and no end date of the position). The job offer must be in an eligible occupation inside or outside of the GTA.

Eligible Occupation(s): The job offer must fall under following National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level C or D codes:

NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
NOC 7441 – residential and commercial installers and servicers
NOC 7511 – transport truck drivers
NOC 7521 – heavy equipment operators (except crane)
NOC 7611 – construction trades helpers and labourers
NOC 8431 – general farm workers
NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers
NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers
NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers

Expanded occupations: As of July 6, a job offers under the following 13 NOC codes (also levels C or D) will be valid for this stream:

NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing
NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators
NOC 9417 – machining tool operators
NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators
NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators
NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators
NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators
NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators
NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors, and testers
NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors
NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters, and metal finishing process operators
NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors

Wage/Salary

The wage/salary of the job offer must be equal or higher than the median wage level, for that occupation, in the specific region of Ontario where the worker is/will be working.

Work experience

Candidate must have at least 9 months of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work) in Ontario, in the same in-demand occupation (same NOC code) as the job offer. The candidate must have gained this work experience within the three years prior to submitting the application while legally living and working in Ontario.

Language

The candidate must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.

Education

The candidate must have a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma or credential, or its equivalent in another country. The candidate need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for overseas education from one of the following organizations, designated by IRCC:

Contact us for consultation and assessment.

26 Jun 2020

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

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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

Registration: Register an expression of interest with OINP by email
Application Submission: If invited, submit an online application
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.
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

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
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.
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.
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:

Self-Declared Score (126 points)
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

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
once received, complete the EOI registration form
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.

24 Jun 2020

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Canada facilitates settlement of immigrants in Yukon

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The Yukon is a sparsely populated territory in northwestern Canada, with an active and diverse labour market where employers often rely on seasonal workers. Yukon Community Pilot (YCP), a stream under the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP), was launched in January 2020 to help six targeted Yukon communities attract immigrants and facilitate their permanent settlement.

The participating Yukon communities are

Under the YCP stream, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exempt open work permit is issued to foreign national for 2 years for a specific community enabling the foreign national to work at multiple jobs in that community instead of single employer.

However, to qualify for the work permit, foreign national must

have a valid nomination for permanent residence from the Yukon
have 2 or 3 eligible job offers
have a signed letter of support from the Government of Yukon
meet the general requirements for a work permit

Job Offer Requirements in Yukon Community Pilot

They must all be in the same participating Yukon community
They must add up to at least 30 hours of work a week (equal to a full-time job)
They must be non-seasonal
In general, this means you have consistent and regularly scheduled paid employment throughout
the year
The wage must meet or exceed the minimum wage
Your experience must show that you can perform the duties of the jobs offered

IRCC will issue an open work permit to foreign nationals with a mandatory condition limiting the work location to the participating Yukon community. The work permits will be valid for 2 years. Work permit applications must be submitted electronically.

The spouse or common-law partner of the principal applicant may also be issued an open work permit only if

the principal applicant is employed in at least one NOC Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B
position
will be limited to the same community as the principal applicant’s place of employment
will be valid for a maximum of 2 years.

About the Yukon Nominee Program

The Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) is run by the Yukon Government in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the “Agreement for Canada-Yukon Cooperation on Immigration.” This partnership allows Yukon to nominate applicants who qualify to the federal government for permanent residency. The YNP streams for Skilled Workers and Critical Impact Workers is locally driven and based on the needs of Yukon employers.

When eligible Yukon employers cannot find Canadian citizens or permanent residents to fill permanent full-time jobs, they can find workers from outside of Canada. Yukon select internationally trained and experienced foreign workers who have the skills needed in the local labour market and nominate them to receive Canadian permanent resident visas to settle and work in Yukon.

The YNP has following streams

Processing time

Yukon Nominee Program is committed to timely processing of applications, greater transparency to clients and courteous, helpful customer service.

The applications are processed on a first-come-first-served basis. Processing times for Skilled Worker and Critical Impact Worker applications are 12 to 14 weeks from receipt of a complete application package. Processing times may increase with the volume of applications received.

Contact us for more information and/or assistance!

23 Jun 2020

Canada – the best alternative after new immigration restrictions in United States

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Canada – the best alternative after new immigration restrictions in United States

Despite the havoc the coronavirus has wreaked onto the global economy, Canada still recognizes that immigration supports the labour market and the country’s economic growth. The US president signed a new Executive Order to limit immigration to the United States for the rest of this year. The Executive Order takes effect on June 24, 2020 at 12:01 AM EDT and expires on December 31, 2020. America’s temporary ban on immigration and with the restrictions on permanent residency in the U.S., more people could eye Canada.

Immigration Matters: Growing Canada’s future

Thanks to immigration, Canada’s labour force continues to grow by a small amount every year. Immigrants help grow Canada’s future through their contribution to various industries. Because of its internationally recognized quality of life and post-secondary educational institutions, Canada attracts talent from around the world to help build the country’s economy and grow the science and technology sector. Immigrants account for 40% of computer programmers, 41% of engineers, 36% of all pharmacists and family physicians and more than 50% of all chemists.

Since 2015 to till date immigrants in Canada has increased by 26% whereas in US the immigration number has dropped by 7% from 2016 to 2018 and will continue to drop with new policies in place by the US government. According to the 2019-2021 multi-year levels plan released by IRCC, it plans to admit 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020 and another 350,000 in 2021.

Why Canada needs more immigration now?

Canada’s worker-to-retiree ratio is 4 to 1. By 2035, 5 million Canadians are set to retire, and some employers are already having trouble finding Canadian-born workers to fill jobs. Thus, Canada needs immigrants to stimulate Canada’s economy and support its fiscal standing.

Canada’s per capita immigration intake triple that of U.S.

Canada welcomes three times as many immigrants than the U.S. Canada has a population of about 38 million and is now welcoming around 340,000 immigrants per year (0.9% of its population) whereas the U.S. has a population of some 330 million and welcomes around 1.1 million immigrants per year (0.3% of its population). Nearly 60 per cent of Canada’s immigrants arrive under the economic class while U.S. admits about 10 per cent of its immigrants under this class.

Canada also offers Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) which allows international graduates to stay and work in Canada after completing their studies which further helps them to gain permanent residency in Canada. US on the other hand has a similar program Optional Practical Training program (OPT) allows graduates in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math to remain and work for up to 24 months in the U.S. after finishing their studies. However, US government has already imposed restrictions on H1B visa while restrictions on OPT program is also expected which may limit the pathway for both international students and skilled workers to permanent residency in US

Canada’s unwavering commitment to immigration during coronavirus pandemic

Though Canada has also enacted temporary restrictions on foreign travel as part of its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to the 2020-2022 Immigration Levels Plan that it announced in March 2020.

Canada is still allowing exempt immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers to enter the country. It has also announced more lenient measures to help accommodate immigration applicants who are not able to submit their complete documentation because of coronavirus-related disruptions.

The applications for permanent residence are still being approved and the federal and provincial governments are still holding immigration draws to invite more people to submit permanent residence applications.

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!

19 Jun 2020

Temporary foreign workers who can enter Canada!

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IRCC has provided updated guidance for temporary workers who are exempt from travel restrictions and can enter Canada while COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in place. Work permit holders are among those exempt from the travel restrictions if their trip to Canada is for essential reasons. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the current guidance to provide more clarity to its staff and work permit holders about what constitutes essential travel.

Temporary workers who are exempt from travel restrictions

The foreign nationals who are currently outside Canada are not subject to Canada’s travel restrictions if travelling to Canada for a non-optional or non-discretionary purpose:

Foreign nationals who hold a valid Canadian work permit (including an open work permit)
Foreign nationals who has a positive decision from IRCC (documented by a letter of introduction) on a work permit application but whose work permit has not yet been issued

Work-permit exempt foreign nationals seeking to work in critical occupations are prioritized

IRCC will continue to prioritize the processing of work permit exemption applications overseas and in Canada to work in health, safety, and food security reasons. These foreign nationals are not subject to travel restrictions and may not be subject to the mandatory 14 – day quarantine period currently in place for most people entering Canada. Critical occupations include:

providers of emergency services for the protection or preservation of life or property (e.g. firefighters and medical service providers)
Foreign nationals who qualify for an LMIA – exempt work permit and their work are related to the protection or preservation of life or property related to the COVID-19 response and maintenance of critical infrastructure or services
persons permitted to work as a student in a health field including as a medical elective or clinical clerk at a medical teaching institution in Canada, for the primary purpose of acquiring training, if they have written approval from the body that regulates that field
workers in the marine transportation sector who are essential for the movement of goods by vessel
persons who seek to enter Canada for the purpose of delivering, maintaining, or repairing medically necessary equipment or devices
persons who seek to enter Canada for the purpose of making medical deliveries of cells, blood and blood products, tissues, organs or other body parts that are required for patient care in Canada during or within a reasonable period of time after the expiry of the Order

Non-optional or non-discretionary travel scenarios (worker can come to Canada)

A foreign national has a valid work permit and ordinarily resides in Canada. Even if the person does not currently have a job in Canada, they can still enter the country since Canada is currently their primary residence.
A foreign national has a letter of introduction for an open work permit, has a valid job offer, and will be able to work once they enter Canada.
A foreign national has a letter of introduction for an employer-specific work permit, with a valid job offer, which they will be able to pursue upon entering Canada.

Optional travel scenarios (worker can not come to Canada)

A foreign national has a letter of introduction for an employer-specific work permit, but the business of their prospective employer is closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
A foreign national has a letter of introduction for an open work permit, has not secured a job contract and is simply planning to search for work opportunities in Canada.

Context-specific scenario

Officers will make discretionary decisions based on foreign national’s situation. Factors like foreign national’s current ties to Canada, whether they will be working in an essential occupation, and other motivations for travel to Canada such as whether an individual will be arriving to care for their children will be considered by the officer. For example, the spouse of the essential worker may be required to move to Canada to care for their children, given that schools are closed.

The Orders also exempt foreign nationals whose travel to Canada is authorized in writing by an officer or by a Global Affairs Canada (GAC) consular officer for the purpose of reuniting immediate family members (for example, a temporary worker is in Canada but their spouse and children went home to visit family and now cannot come back).

International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit applicants who received a letter of introduction and are outside Canada

IEC candidates who received a letter of introduction and have an offer of employment with an employer who is still operating during the COVID-19 outbreak may enter Canada. This applies to all IEC work permit holders under the three IEC categories (Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-op).

IRCC is still accepting and processing new work permit applications. Applicants outside of Canada can submit new work permit applications online. IRCC advises foreign nationals to ensure that their employer is currently allowed to operate based on the rules set out by the provincial or federal government that presides over the employer’s location. Applicants can also continue to submit applications to extend or to change conditions on their work permits from within Canada. Certain in-Canada applicants may still apply using paper applications if they meet one of the exemptions from the mandatory e-application requirement.