Oct 27, 2023 Fraud Prevention for Foreign Students and Changes to Post-Graduate Work Permits IRCC has announced important changes to the study permit processing, in effect as of December 1st: - Starting December 1, 2023, post-secondary designated learning institutions (DLI) will be required to confirm every applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC. This new, enhanced verification process aims to protect prospective students from... Read More
Oct 19, 2023 Auditor General Releases Critical Report on IRCC Processing Times As a law firm, we move with our clients through their immigration journeys, and sometimes the ride is bumpy with regard to processing times. A recent report from the Auditor General, released last Thursday, has cast a critical spotlight on some systemic issues that are serious for Immigration, Refugees, and... Read More
Oct 10, 2023 Latest IRCC Express Entry Round: October 10, 2023 In the latest development in Canada's immigration landscape, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently conducted its first Express Entry draw for the month, inviting 3,725 candidates to apply for permanent residency on October 10, 2023. To receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in this draw, candidates needed to have a minimum... Read More
Oct 10, 2023 LMIA Low-Wage Cap Reverts back to 20% after October 30, 2023 Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) permits employers to hire foreign workers to temporarily occupy positions for which qualified Canadians cannot be found. The program has imposed cap limits on certain job titles since 2014. Employers operating a business with a minimum of 10 employees across the company are subject... Read More
Oct 10, 2023 Parents and Grandparents Lottery Opens Today Today Canadian government unfurls its annual opportunity for family reunification under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2023, a contentious lottery system that allows Canadian permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents. From October 10th to the 23rd, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will dispatch invitations to... Read More
Sep 26, 2023 Navigating the Path to Canadian Immigration for Transportation Professionals In recent times, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) inaugurated its Express Entry category-specific draw, focusing on professions within the transportation sector. This initiative marks Canada’s effort to address discernible employment gaps and shortages within its national labour market, although the strategy is not without its pros and cons. Rationale... Read More
Sep 20, 2023 Reforming Canada’s International Student System: A Senate Call to Action Reforming Canada’s International Student System: A Senate Call to Action In a recent article by Nicholas Keung, the Toronto Star's immigration reporter, he discusses a Senate report that urges the Canadian government to overhaul its international student system to preserve the integrity of the country’s international education program. The report,... Read More
Sep 19, 2023 Express Entry Round 19 September 2023 IRCC held an invitation round for its Express Entry program, under the general or unspecified category. The draw invites 3,200 general candidates under the Canadian Experience Class and the Skilled Worker Class who score a minimum of 531 points to apply for Permanent Residence. More details below: No Program Specified... Read More
Sep 8, 2023 IRCC Moves from a True Annual Lottery System to a ‘Year In, Year Out’ System for its Parental Sponsorship Program Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it will accept up to 15,000 complete applications under the Parents and Grandparents sponsorship program. On October 10, 2023, IRCC will initiate the process of sending out invitations to 24,200 potential sponsors who have expressed interest in the program, with the... Read More
Aug 30, 2023 Canada’s Shifts How it Selects Candidates Under Express Entry As we reported in May, Canada introduced pivotal shifts in how it issues Invitations To Apply under the Express Entry system, which governs Canadian Experience Class and Skilled Worker permanent residence applications. Transitioning from Points to Categories Until recently, Canada operated its Express Entry system using a purely points-based mechanism.... Read More
Aug 17, 2023 Latest IRCC Express Entry Round: July 15, 2023 In the most recent Express Entry draw held today, on August 15, 2023, a total of 4,300 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to eligible candidates. This draw encompassed the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program, Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP).... Read More
Jul 19, 2023 Open Work Permits for H1B Holders reached 10,000 Applicants in 48 hours. News Alert: IRCC's portal states that the brand new program that granted 3-year open work permits to H1B holders has already reached it's 10,000 applicant cap. The success of this program demonstrates how the U.S., which is unable to pass immigration law reform due to political gridlock, is a fertile... Read More