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Tag Archives: COVID-19

Mission Ambedkar  /  Blog  /  COVID-19
23 Jun 2020
Canada - the best alternative after new immigration restrictions in United States

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

Categories canada, Canadian Experience, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Executive Order, express entry, immigration, immigration news, International Students, IRCC, News, Permanent Immigration, Permanent Residence, PGWP, residency requirements, Student Permit, students, Study Permit, Work Permit 0 Comments

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

Temporary foreign workers who can enter Canada!

Categories canada, CBSA, Coronavirus, COVID-19, entry, immigration, immigration news, IRCC, LMIA, News, Quarantine, Spouse, TFW, Travel, travellors, visit, Work Permit 0 Comments

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.

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!

18 Jun 2020
COVID-19 has not affected interest of immigrating to Canada

COVID-19 has not affected interest of immigrating to Canada

Categories canada, Coronavirus, COVID-19, express entry, immigration, immigration news, News, Permanent Immigration, Permanent Residence, Travel 0 Comments

COVID-19 pandemic has not affected the interest of most prospective immigrants to Canada. Prospective immigrants still expect that Canada will endure less economic hardship than their own country.

World Education Services (WES) conducted a survey from April 15 to 21 to understand how COVID-19 has affected the intentions of prospective Canadian immigrants. The non-profit credential evaluation provider collected survey results from their clients, most of whom are in the pre-arrival phase and are on track to immigrate to Canada.

Of the 4,615 people who responded to survey, 38% say they are more interested in immigrating to Canada, 57% say that the pandemic does not impact their interest, and 5% say they are less interested. Among respondents from several countries (the Philippines, China, and Nigeria), more than half of prospective immigrants are, in fact, more interested in immigrating because of the pandemic.

All the respondents were outside of Canada at the time when the survey was conducted. More than half of the people surveyed from the Philippines (64%), China (64%), and Nigeria (58%) said they are more interested in immigrating to Canada because of COVID-19. There was largely no impact on the desire to immigrate to Canada for respondents from Pakistan (58%), the U.K. (59%), the U.S. (57%), India (64%), and France (73%).

Respondents who reside in India, the largest source of economic immigrants to Canada through the Express Entry program, had somewhat fewer negative expectations of the economic impact on both Canada and their home country. However, an equal percentage expected a negative impact on jobs in their sector or occupation in India and in Canada. Just over half (52%) of prospective immigrants do not expect COVID-19 to impact their ability to pay for the costs of immigrating to Canada; however, more than a third (35%) do expect it to negatively impact their ability to pay the costs.

At the same time, more than a third of respondents (39%) say that personal and/or familial economic hardships would, in fact, make them more interested in immigrating. An economic recession (50%) or a decrease in the number of jobs in their occupation or sector (43%) in their home country would make many potential immigrants more interested in immigrating.

However, almost a third (31%) reported that a decrease in the number of jobs in their sector/occupation in Canada would make them less interested in immigrating. While just over a third of respondents are considering delaying immigration to Canada, only 7% are considering immigration to another country. Among the 35% who are considering a delay, the top reasons are risks of travel, travel restrictions, a potential recession in Canada, and a decrease in the number of jobs in their occupation or sector in Canada.

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!

 

 

16 Jun 2020
Immigration application processing system set for massive revamp by the Canadian Government

Immigration application processing system set for massive revamp by the Canadian Government

Categories Biometrics, canada, Citizenship, Coronavirus, COVID-19, entry, GCMS, immigration, immigration news, International Students, IRCC, News, Permanent Immigration, Permanent Residence, students, Travel, VAC's, Work Permit 0 Comments

A complete overhaul of Canadian immigration application processing system is in the works as the government braces for post-pandemic demand for migration to Canada. When travel restrictions begin to ease, a significant surge of applications and support requirements is anticipated, putting tremendous demand on IRCC’s global operations, and supporting branches.

Meanwhile, the government has closed or significantly scaled back many of its immigration operations, including all in-person interviews and the collection of biometrics, while many private visa centers around the globe that have contracts with Canada are also closed. In the face of so many challenges, IRCC has made great efforts to adapt, for instance, by prioritizing applications from Canadians returning to Canada, vulnerable people and people who perform or support essential services.

 How the government is looking to improve application processing system?

The government is seeking to be proactive by developing new strategies, processes, and digital systems to enable it to better fulfill its mandate. For an example, IRCC would like to adapt digital processes whenever possible to minimize the need for in-person or paper-based applications. This would not only protect the safety of IRCC and the public but could also result in more efficient and faster application processing.

Ways to modernize application processing system

Develop Digital Intake Solutions: Including the provision and implementation of digital intake tools to reduce/replace physical presence and paper-based requirements for client services and processing with digital alternatives

Develop and Implement Physical Distancing Required Digital Tools: Including the provision and implementation of tools to address new physical distancing requirements, reducing physical presence requirements of both our clients and employees with digital alternatives (i.e. online citizenship testing, virtual interviewing, etc.)

Implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Including RPA solutions to rapidly automate simple, high volume processes, dealing with employee shortages as well as allowing employees to focus on more complex and sensitive cases.

Analytics Solutions: Including data analytics solutions to provide insights into operational volumes and processing capacities to allow IRCC to effectively respond to rapid changes in the Canadian and Global situation.

Cyber security Strategy and Services: Including the provision of tools and strategic advice to address IRCC’s increased Cyber security threat because of COVID-19.

Legacy Integration Solutions: Including the provision of technology solutions to integrate digital tools and solutions with IRCC’s case management system environment (GCMS Integration)

Advisory Services: Including the provision of advisory services to help manage the initiatives and respond to emerging operational challenges because of COVID-19.

Canada will see a major spike in permanent and temporary resident arrivals once the global health and economic situation improves. Prior pandemic, Canada was welcoming record numbers of immigrants, foreign workers, and international students. By modernizing the application processing system, the IRCC should be in a stronger position to accommodate even more immigrants once the pandemic is over.

12 Jun 2020
Canada Plans To Grant Permanent Residency To Asylum Seekers Working In Healthcare During COVID-19 Outbreak

Canada plans to grant Permanent Residency to asylum seekers working in healthcare during COVID-19 outbreak

Categories canada, Coronavirus, COVID-19, immigration, immigration news, IRCC, News, Permanent Immigration, Permanent Residence, Quarantine, Quebec, Travel 0 Comments

Canadian government is working on a temporary program that would give asylum seekers a pathway to permanent residence if they worked in healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic. This program could be launched in the next few weeks according to Radio Canada reports. Although the number of people who would be benefited is unknown, but it is expected to be in the thousands. Quebec is said to be home to most asylum seekers who could be eligible for the new program.

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria presented by the immigration minister is as follows.

The candidates must:

  • be an asylum seeker, even if the original application had failed, or if the claim is still pending;
  • have requested asylum before the date that the measure will be announced;
  • hold a valid work permit;
  • have worked in the health field; and
  • have worked for at least four weeks, or 120 hours, between January 25, 2020 and until the date of the announcement of the special measure.

However, asylum seekers working in other fields, even if they were essential during the pandemic, are not included in the proposed program.

Calls for recognition

There have been growing calls to recognize the contribution of asylum seekers who have served as “guardian angels” during the pandemic. Since 2017, tens of thousands of people have crossed into Canada from the U.S. at Roxham Road, which leads into Quebec. Advocates raised concern they may not be able to stay in Canada when deportations, which have nearly ground to a halt during the COVID-19 crisis, resume.

Asylum seekers in Quebec

La Maison d’Haïti, a Quebec-based support organization for migrants, estimates as many as 1,000 asylum seekers are currently working in the province’s health sector. Many are still working through the pandemic although some had their claims rejected while other are still waiting on decisions from the government. Still many requests for the regularization of the status of asylum seekers currently on the front lines in care facilities have been submitted to the Government of Quebec based on humanitarian grounds.

Asylum seekers to be benefited

Radio Canada was able to obtain a copy of the presentation made by Immigration Minister to Prime Minister and the Cabinet Committee.  The proposed measure is not just limited to workers in long-term care facilities, but also includes workers in hospitals such as nurses, attendants, housekeepers, security, and others. However, the program proposed must be approved before it can go into effect.

Recruitment of immigrants to work in healthcare part of new Quebec reforms

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government recently announced a plan to recruit immigrants to work as orderlies in the province’s long-term care homes. This also includes a pilot program to provide permanent residence to up to 550 experienced healthcare workers per year.

Contact us for consultation and assessment.

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