News

On October 7, 2021, Manitoba conducted a new draw in the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). In round #127, MPNP issued 350 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAA) in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba stream. The minimum score to get the LAA in this category was 446 points, 45 points more compared to draw #126. In the Skilled Workers Overseas stream, Manitoba issued 21 LAAs. The lowest score in the SWO category was 729 points, 11 points more than in the previous round. …

Alberta issued 275 invitations and updated the AINP inventory

On October 12, 2021, Alberta published the update of the inventory of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). Currently, there are around 600 Alberta Opportunity Stream applications and 600 Expressions of Interest in the Alberta Express Entry pool. In addition, on September 30, 2021, Alberta held a new round in the Alberta Express Entry Stream and issued 275 Notifications of Interest (NOI). The lowest score in this round was 300 points, the same as it was in the previous draw. …

Canada’s labour shortage becomes more severe

Due to the pandemic, the sharp decrease in the numbers of new immigrants has exacerbated the shortage of skilled workers in Canada. Recently, the Royal Bank of Canada released a report that pointed out that if Canadian employers and policymakers do not make changes, the shortage of skilled workers will continue to worsen in the next decade. The immigration trend in Canada always follows the demand of the labour market. The report stated that before the pandemic, …

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in employment trends in Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island experienced a sharp decline in employment trends due to business closures and other disruptions as a result of the pandemic during spring 2021. According to Occupational Outlook – Prince Edward Island 2020 – 2021, the province’s labour force declined by nearly 10% in both full-time and part-time employment. Despite some increase in certain in-demand jobs, there are still considerable risks for the province’s economic progress. Closed borders with the US, …

Nova Scotia invited carpenters and job offer holders

On October 7, 2021, Nova Scotia invited carpenters and job offer holders under the Labour Market Priorities Stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). In this round, the province issued Letters of Interest to Express Entry candidates who have a valid job offer from a Nova Scotia employer, have one year of skilled work experience related to the job, and have a Canadian high school credential or equivalent.  For the carpenter draw, candidates must have a primary occupation of a carpenter (NOC 7271), …

Ottawa introduced new instructions for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program

On October 8, 2021, the Government of Canada introduced new instructions for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIPP). According to the new regulations, when an AIPP applicant who has a permanent residence (PR) application in processing decides to change his or her employer, he/she has to inform the province and IRCC, get a modified endorsement certificate and request a letter of support from the province. In this situation, officers will put the AIPP PR application on hold until the required documentation is received. …

Ottawa continues to evacuate Afghans

In September, Canada managed to evacuate 75% of the 1,250 Canadian citizens and permanent residents and 15% of the vulnerable Afghans. After the withdrawal of US troops, Canada’s foreign affairs department announced that around 950 people have been able to leave Afghanistan, including 440 Canadian citizens, 150 permanent residents, and 350 family members. Canadian authorities did not specify how these people were able to leave Afghanistan, which is now under Taliban rule. Several tweets from Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau indicate that many people left on special charter flights to Qatar. …

An applicant’s PR application will be reviewed by the decision of the Federal Court

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada rejected an applicant’s permanent residency (PR) application for the reason of not submitting the document as proof of completed degree. The applicant, a former international student from the United Kingdom who came to Canada in September 2014 to complete a Master of Science degree at the University of Alberta requested a formal confirmation from the university, which IRCC later did not accept as proof. The Federal Court of Canada decided that considering the wording on the IRCC website, …

Nova Scotia wants to attract more people by launching a $2.5 million marketing campaign

Nova Scotia announced a $2.5-million marketing campaign to attract more immigrants to fix serious labour shortages in the province. According to provincial Immigration Minister Jill Balser, the province needs more people to ‘fill labour gaps, rebuild the economy and set a bold new course for business and financial growth.’ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions and delays in federal processing, immigration numbers have decreased in the province. Between January 2, 2020, and April 1, …

Canada implemented new vaccination requirements for travellers

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada introduced new vaccination requirements for air, rail, and marine travellers to limit the risk of spreading COVID-19. Starting from October 30, 2021, all travellers will be required to be fully vaccinated in order to travel. The Government established a short transition period that allows individuals to travel with a valid COVID-19 molecular test taken within 72 hours of travel. Mandatory vaccination requirements will be in place from December 1, …