Today, John Stackhouse (senior vice president at RBC) and Valerie Walker (president of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), shared 4 ways Canada can keep global talent and prevent it from going elsewhere.
Processing of study visa for Canada continues to be slower and not meeting IRCC service standards. Generally, Student Direct Stream (SDS) program for study visa has a standard processing time of 20 calendar days. However, applicants have to wait for much longer to get their study visa result. In some cases, it may take up to 4 months.
In certain cases applicants received study visa approval after starting of their classes. This is discouraging for future study visa applicants. According to figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, more than 620,000 international students were studying in Canada in 2021, and that number has continued to rise.
Recent research from RBC Economics shows that International students are stranded in an overly complex immigration system, with no clear, quick path to study permits or permanent residency and job once they graduate from college.
As a result, losing global talent is one of the major concerns for Canada as the country has an ageing population. Other countries among the race of attracting global talent such as U.K., U.S., Australia are offering much faster processing of study visas.
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- New Announcement For International Students By IRCC Minister
Contribution of international students to build Canada
In November 1, 2022 new immigration levels plan announcement, IRCC Minister Sean Fraser acknowledged that international students contribute more than $23 billion annually. Moreover, international students have been the only source of new enrolments at post-secondary institutions in Canada since 2016.
In addition, when financial pressure is intense on Canadian institutions, the unsubsidized tuition costs paid by international students constitute a crucial source of income.
Canada’s labour market is losing a generation of workers. Additionally, improper alignment between the skills taught to employees and the labour market’s productivity is a problem. If Canada doesn’t change its direction soon, it’ll lag behind its competitors and be unable to address its most pressing problems.
4 Ways to improve international students program
As per John Stackhouse and Valerie Walker:
First, Canada must follow the example set by peers like the U.S. and the U.K. in making it simpler for students to study and stay. It’s a good start that the federal government is allowing international students to work longer hours and automating some visa renewal applications.
The best talent in the world won’t wait months for a work or study permit when they can obtain one from the U.K. in a matter of days. By working with the government to verify financial guarantees or educational credentials, post-secondary and financial institutions can reduced the processing times for study visa.
Second, Canada relies too heavily on students from China and India studying abroad. To increase the talent pool and reduce risk, Canada must do more to attract students from South America, other Asian nations, and francophone countries.
Third, Canada should pay more attention to in-demand skills for the country’s present and future labour markets and less to hiring goals. By forming alliances with groups like the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER), employers and post-secondary institutions can better match hiring practices to labour market demands.
As well as promote the expansion of programs related to in-demand professions like those in the net-zero economy, STEM fields, and healthcare.
Finally, Canada must put a stronger emphasis on the experience of international students. For example, while studying in this country, provinces and municipalities must allocate more funds to affordable housing, public transit, and health care, particularly mental health.
Additionally, a part of BHER’s mandate suggests expanding the chances for international students to engage in WIL could enhance their career prospects and overall Canadian experience.
- New Ontario-OINP Quota For 2023 Increases By 7,500
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) provincial nomination quota increases by around 70% for 2023.
For 2023 quota increases to 16,500 as compared to only 9,750 in 2022 and 9,000 in 2021.
This allocation for Ontario in 2023 makes up 36% of the total national allocation for provincial nominations.
Federal government immigration department allots number of nominations per year to all the provinces.
Ontario has been repeatedly calling on the Federal government to increase Ontario PNP quota since 2021 and now it is heard.
Furthermore, this quota is set to double by the year 2025 as per the OINP official press release on March 18, 2023.
So, the province will have more than 18,000 slots available under the OINP in 2025.
Year OINP Quota 2025 18,361 2024 ~17,000 2023 16,500 2022 9,750 2021 9,000 As per official Ontario data, there were around 300,000 open jobs in December 2022 and this new increase will help in addressing the labour gap.
In 2022, Ontario exhausted all of its allotted number of 9,750 immigrants under the OINP, including 3,900 skilled trades employees, 2,200 software and IT professionals, and approximately 100 nurses and personal support workers.
Click here for all the Ontario PNP Draws and Latest News.
Focus Shift Towards Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are operated by each of the province in Canada, but annual nomination allocation is provided IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
During pandemic, IRCC halted the Federal Express Entry all program draws and only held the PNP draws.
So, applicants started focusing on different PNPs across Canada. Now that Express Entry is moving towards the targeted draws this year, the focus tends to remain on provincial nominations.
As per immigration levels plan of 2023, PNPs have target of 105,500 as compared to only 82,800 for the Express Entry.
Moreover, provincial nomination adds 600 extra points to Express Entry profiles making it almost 100% to be selected in the next draw.
So far, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario has announced that their annual PNP allocation has been increased.
More than 40% increase in provincial nominations is expected for other provinces as well.
Foreign Workers in Canada as well as skilled workers outside Canada should assess their profile merits for different provincial nominee programs for better prospects.
New Announcement To Help Immigrant Workers
Today, Ontarian labour and immigration minister announce the Working for Workers Act of 2023, if passed would maintain its national leadership in offering ground-breaking rights for employees.
Changes to the Act, which were announced today, will increase safeguards for vulnerable and migratory workers by introducing the highest possible sanctions in Canada for organizations.
Furthermore, individuals found guilty of withholding a foreign national’s work permit or passport will be fined between $100,000 and $200,000.
With the help of legislation today, these penalties might be enhanced, meaning that these criminals would soon have to pay millions of dollars in fines for their unlawful conduct.
In addition to the penalty for each passport, anyone found guilty of keeping their passports would also face a fine of up to $500,000, a sentence of up to 12 months in jail, or both.
Companies found guilty might face fines of up to $1 million.
The maximum penalties for businesses found guilty of violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will rise from $1.5 million to $2 million if the government’s proposed revisions are approved.
As a result, Ontario would have the largest possible corporate penalties under Canadian occupational health and safety laws.
The government increased the maximum punishment for individuals to $500,000 and for corporate directors to $1,500,000 last spring.
Source: Ontario Newsroom
- Canada Announces New Open Work Permit For Turkish & Syrian Nationals
Today, immigration minister of Canada, the Honourable Sean Fraser announced new measures to support Turkish and Syrian temporary residents.
Effective from March 29, 2023 nationals of Türkiye and Syria will benefit from below listed new measures:
- extension of temporary status (study, work or visitor) within Canada free of charge.
- priority processing of immigration applications submitted by earthquake victims
- new open work permit of up to 3 years for temporary residents already in Canada.
- easier transition between temporary residents statuses.
- no requirement of passports and travel document requirements for the Canadian permanent residence applicants outside Canada.
- For Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Turkey and Syria, there will be no costs for temporary passports, passports with restricted validity, emergency travel papers, Canadian citizenship certificates, or permanent resident travel documents.
Applications for temporary residency from the impacted areas, both new and old, as well as applications for permanent residence, including applications for refugee resettlement, are all being processed on a priority basis.
This includes requests for visiting visas for members of a person’s immediate family who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents so they can visit their loved ones.
The purpose of these new immigration measures announced today is to assist Turkish and Syrian temporary residents who may not be able to leave Canada at this time owing to the devastation caused by the recent earthquakes in the area.
Over 16,000 applicants have applications being processed in Turkey and Syria as of February 8, 2023.
Among them, about 1,700 (750 permanent residents and 920 temporary residents) came from the earthquake-affected region.
These new measures will stay in effect until September 25, 2023.
As part of its resettlement programme, Canada is also collaborating with UN partners in the region to offer temporary housing to refugees who have been negatively affected while they wait for their applications to be reviewed.
Further details on how to apply for these new measures will be accessible on the IRCC website in the upcoming weeks.
- IRCC backlog drops to 910,400 despite increase in new applications
IRCC backlog drops by around 64,000 as per new official data updated by the Canadian immigration department on March 17.
IRCC backlog now stands at 910,400 which is an all-time low number since the processing woes started in pandemic.
This reduction in IRCC backlog has been registered along all the business lines including Citizenship(-7.2%), Permanent residency(-3.78%), and temporary residency(-8.28%).
Furthermore, there has been increase of 82,300 in new immigration applications as of February 28, 2023.
Canada immigration department was processing 1,052,200 files within IRCC service standards in the end of last month.
In total, IRCC was processing 1,962,600 immigration/visa applications as of February 28.
Date Backlog Total Applications
Under ProcessingFebruary 28, 2023 910,400 1,962,600 January 31, 2023 974,600 1,944,500 December 31, 2022 918,300 1,973,800 November 30, 2022 1,086,200 2,111,400 October 31, 2022 1,202,790 2,239,700 September 30, 2022 1,322,500 2,610,700 It is important to note that IRCC backlog data and service standard data are different as explained below.
For example, if the typical processing period for spousal sponsorship is 12 months, an application that is being processed within 12 months is “NOT” a backlog. Instead, it will be treated as regular processing.
But, if it surpasses the 12-month service threshold, then only it should be regarded a backlog.
The IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within these service standards. Learn more about IRCC service standards.
Application Type Overall Processing Inventory Backlog Within Service Standards Citizenship 299,000 77,000 222,000 Permanent Residence 622,600 335,400 287,200 Temporary Residence 1,041,000 498,000 543,000 Total 1,962,600 910,400 1052,200 IRCC Backlog Projections For 2023
1. Backlog Projections For Federal High Skilled
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 89% Feb 22 92% Mar 22 98% Apr 22 99% May 22 100% Jun 22 100% Jul 22 99% Aug 22 90% 86% Sep 22 68% 72% Oct 22 45% 59% Nov 22 31% 46% Dec 22 22% 20% Jan 23 20% 20% Feb 23 20% 20% Mar 23 – 20% Apr 23 – 20% May 23 – 20% 2. Backlog Projections For Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 56% Feb 22 55% Mar 22 54% Apr 22 51% May 22 47% Jun 22 45% Jul 22 43% Aug 22 42% 39% Sep 22 40% 35% Oct 22 42% 31% Nov 22 42% 28% Dec 22 41% 20% Jan 23 38% 40% Feb 23 32% 39% Mar 23 – 32% Apr 23 – 30% May 23 – 28% 3. Backlog Projections for Spouses, Partners and children applications
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 34% Feb 22 32% Mar 22 30% Apr 22 29% May 22 27% Jun 22 27% Jul 22 26% Aug 22 25% 24% Sep 22 25% 23% Oct 22 24% 22% Nov 22 24% 20% Dec 22 24% 19% Jan 23 24% 24% Feb 23 23% 24% Mar 23 – 24% Apr 23 – 24% May 23 – 24% 4. Citizenship Backlog Projections
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 46% Feb 22 45% Mar 22 42% Apr 22 40% May 22 39% Jun 22 37% Jul 22 35% Aug 22 30% 30% Sep 22 30% 30% Oct 22 28% 28% Nov 22 29% 27% Dec 22 28% 26% Jan 23 27% 26% Feb 23 26% 25% Mar 23 – 24% Apr 23 – 24% May 23 – 24% 5. Study Permit Applications’ Backlog Projections
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 42% Feb 22 34% Mar 22 27% Apr 22 32% May 22 31% Jun 22 30% Jul 22 31% Aug 22 38% 39% Sep 22 31% 42% Oct 22 26% 33% Nov 22 28% 31% Dec 22 32% 33% Jan 23 35% 36% Feb 23 29% 34% Mar 23 – 25% Apr 23 – 22% May 23 – 15% 6. Work Permit Applications’ Backlog Projections
**According to IRCC, about 73% of work visa applications originate from the Canada-Ukraine emergency travel permission.
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 48% Feb 22 51% Mar 22 29% Apr 22 23% May 22 26% Jun 22 28% Jul 22 28% Aug 22 34% 29% Sep 22 27% 35% Oct 22 23% 49% Nov 22 24% 55% Dec 22 25% 60% Jan 23 26% 26% Feb 23 23% 28% Mar 23 – 28% Apr 23 – 28% May 23 – 28% 7. Backlog Projections For Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Visitor Visa
**The Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel accounts for 20% of temporary resident visa or visitor visa applications, according to IRCC.
Month Backlog (Actual) Backlog (Projected) Jan 22 70% Feb 22 74% Mar 22 55% Apr 22 55% May 22 56% Jun 22 71% Jul 22 67% Aug 22 71% 68% Sep 22 74% 71% Oct 22 74% 70% Nov 22 70% 67% Dec 22 70% 77% Jan 23 68% 68% Feb 23 64% 68% Mar 23 – 65% Apr 23 – 59% May 23 – 50%
- IEC 2023 New Round Of Invitations Sent >1,500 Invites
The 10th IEC 2023 (International Experience Canada) draw sent over 1,500 invites under 3 categories, for the week commencing March 17, 2023.
Around 1,200 invitations were sent to the participants in pool for the IEC Working Holiday category from more than 30 different countries.
Only 7 countries are now left with Excellent chance of receiving an invitation in next IEC 2023 Working Holiday category next week.
These are Andorra, Croatia, Luxembourg, Norway, San Marino, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Applicants from rest of the countries under Working Holiday category have a low chance of receiving an invite based on candidates in pool and available spots.
This year, a total of 90,000 quota is allotted for IEC 2023, and around 65,000 invitations have already been distributed.
Moving forward, the IEC 2023 Young Professionals category receives more than 234 invitations. Furthermore, 177 applicants in pool are competing for 3,403 spots.
This week, 65 more spots have been added in the Young Professionals category for Taiwan.
Last week, extra spots were added for Greece under Working Holiday and Young Professionals category.
Similarly, IEC 2023 Working Holiday Quota for Korea and the United Kingdom was also raised in week ending February 24.
In addition, 148 invitations are distributed under the International Co-op (internship) category.
The current IEC season has a processing time of less than three weeks, according to the most recent IRCC processing report on March 7.
The statistics for each nation, including the number of invites, candidates in the pool, and available seats, is provided below.
IEC 2023 Working Holiday Category
Country Invitations Issued This Week Total Invitations Issued In 2023 Candidates In Pool Available Spots Andorra 0 10 1 19 Australia 150 3,556 289 Unlimited Austria 0 154 19 0 Belgium 27 674 38 282 Croatia 4 78 1 227 Czech Republic 18 616 36 599 Denmark 12 178 18 215 Estonia 5 78 7 65 France 0 16,885 3,652 0 Germany 101 2,477 203 2,740 Greece 8 225 12 160 Hong Kong 6 237 13 88 Ireland 125 4,626 326 7,636 Italy 42 1,222 85 1,008 Japan 110 3,081 239 4,076 Korea Republic 169 7,456 1,094 1,740 Latvia 6 72 1 0 Lithuania 18 304 32 24 Luxembourg 1 19 2 67 Netherlands 27 667 47 342 New Zealand 50 1,203 82 1,620 Norway 0 46 1 101 Poland 12 474 31 356 Portugal 18 517 48 1,378 San Marino 0 4 0 22 Slovakia 8 325 19 108 Slovenia 1 27 1 68 Spain 25 1,169 77 1,081 Sweden 21 181 14 478 United Kingdom 200 5,754 493 6,481 Total 1,164 52,315 6,881 30,981 IEC 2023 Young Professionals Category
Country Invitations Issued This Week Total Invitations Issued In 2023 Candidates In Pool Available Spots Australia 1 64 2 Unlimited Austria 1 6 1 60 Chile 25 290 16 157 Costa Rica 3 129 3 3 Croatia 0 6 0 17 Czech Republic 7 127 6 67 Estonia 0 3 0 8 France 110 1,546 72 1,281 France via Volontariat international en entreprise (VIE) 11 192 41 372 Germany 26 191 10 241 Greece 3 92 2 116 Ireland 2 61 6 141 Italy 3 130 3 151 Latvia 2 6 0 6 Lithuania 0 15 0 13 Luxembourg 0 0 0 10 Norway 0 5 0 10 Poland 5 33 0 96 Portugal 2 18 0 191 Slovakia 2 30 1 16 Slovenia 1 3 1 14 Spain 7 90 4 110 Spain via ICEX Vives Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable 50 Sweden 3 16 0 95 Switzerland 13 145 5 97 Taiwan 7 88 4 81 Total 234 3,286 177 3,403 International Co-op (Internship)
Country Invitations issued this week Total Invitations Issued In 2023 Candidates In Pool Available Spots France 142 2,556 90 2402 Ireland 1 7 2 44 Germany 3 47 2 136 Luxembourg 0 3 0 9 Switzerland 0 19 0 37 Taiwan 2 11 1 9 Total 148 2,643 95 2,637 Source: IEC 2023
- New OINP Draws Invite 615 Francophone Express Entry Profiles
March 16 – Today, Ontario Provincial Nominee Program officially known as Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) sent invites to 615 Francophone Express Entry profiles, in 2 new targeted draws.
These are the first 2 OINP draws of the year, targeting French-Speaking Express Entry profiles having Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 291-489.
Express Entry profiles created between March 16, 2022 and March 16, 2023 were considered for these draws.
Furthermore, Express Entry profiles with 98 NOC codes in health, education, finance, tech, trades, and other priority occupations.
Date Invitations CRS score range Express Entry Profile Creation Date Notes March 16, 2023 271 291-489 March 16, 2022 – March 16, 2023 Targeted at Tech, Trades and Other Priority occupations March 16, 2023 344 400-489 March 16, 2022 – March 16, 2023 Targeted at Health, Education and Finance occupations Ontario directly select the profiles from Express Entry pool and there is no separate application to be considered for this draw.
However, invited Express Entry profiles will have to apply and claim the provincial nomination from Ontario to receive 600 additional points.
List of Invited NOCs/Occupations Invited In OINP draw today
Health, Education and Finance occupations
- NOC 10010 – Financial managers
- NOC 10011 – Human resources managers
- NOC 12101 – Human resources and recruitment officers
- NOC 12102 – Procurement and purchasing agents and officers
- NOC 13100 – Administrative officers
- NOC 13110 – Administrative assistants
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 31112 – Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists
- NOC 31120 – Pharmacists
- NOC 31200 – Psychologists
- NOC 31202 – Physiotherapists
- NOC 31203 – Occupational Therapists
- NOC 31204 – Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
- NOC 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 31302 – Nurse practitioners
- NOC 31303 – Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
- NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurses
- NOC 32103 – Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- NOC 32109 – Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- NOC 32120 – Medical laboratory technologists
- NOC 32121 – Medical radiation technologists
- NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- NOC 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- NOC 40021 – School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education
- NOC 41200 – University professors and lecturers
- NOC 41210 – College and other vocational instructors
- NOC 41220 – Secondary school teachers
- NOC 41221 – Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
- NOC 41300 – Social Workers
- NOC 41301 – Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies
- NOC 41310 – Police investigators and other investigative occupations
- NOC 41321 – Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education)
- NOC 42201 – Social and community service workers
- NOC 42202 – Early childhood educators and assistants
- NOC 42203 – Instructors of Persons with Disabilities
- NOC 43100 – Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
Tech, Trades and Other Priority occupations
- NOC 20010 – Engineering managers
- NOC 20012 – Computer and Information Systems Managers
- NOC 21111 – Forestry professionals
- NOC 21112 – Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
- NOC 21120 – Public and environmental health and safety professionals
- NOC 21211 – Data Scientists
- NOC 21223 – Database Analysts and Data Administrators
- NOC 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers
- NOC 21231 – Software engineers and designers
- NOC 21232 – Software developers and programmers
- NOC 21233 – Web designers
- NOC 21234 – Web Developers and Programmers
- NOC 21300 – Civil engineers
- NOC 21301 – Mechanical engineers
- NOC 21310 – Electrical and electronic engineers
- NOC 21311 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers )
- NOC 21320 – Chemical engineers
- NOC 21321 – Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- NOC 21322 – Metallurgical and materials engineers
- NOC 21330 – Mining engineers
- NOC 21331 – Geological engineers
- NOC 22101 – Geological and mineral technologists and technicians
- NOC 22301 – Mechanical engineering technologies and technicians
- NOC 22302 – Industrial engineers and manufacturing technologists and technicians
- NOC 22313 – Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians, and inspectors
- NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors
- NOC 63201 – Butchers – retail and wholesale
- NOC 63202 – Bakers
- NOC 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
- NOC 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- NOC 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- NOC 72024 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
- NOC 72100 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
- NOC 72101 – Tool and die makers
- NOC 72104 – Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
- NOC 72106 – Welders and related machine operators
- NOC 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- NOC 72201 – Industrial electricians
- NOC 72204 – Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers
- NOC 72205 – Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians
- NOC 72300 – Plumbers
- NOC 72302 – Gas fitters
- NOC 72310 – Carpenters
- NOC 72311 – Cabinetmakers
- NOC 72320 – Bricklayers
- NOC 72400 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- NOC 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- NOC 72404 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
- NOC 72410 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
- NOC 72421 – Appliance servicers and repairers
- NOC 73100 – Concrete finishers
- NOC 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
- NOC 73110 – Roofers and shinglers
- NOC 73111 – Glaziers
- NOC 73112 – Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
- NOC 73402 – Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction
- NOC 82020 – Supervisors, mining and quarrying
- NOC 82030 – Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
- NOC 93200 – Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
- New Updated IRCC Processing Times As Of March 14
This page lists the latest processing times reported by the IRCC as of March 14, 2023, as well as a comparison to the previous week’s processing timings.
For more than a year, we have been recording and analyzing the processing times for our readers, which are officially updated weekly by the IRCC.
Please read the following information carefully to properly understand what these processing durations represent.
In early 2022, the IRCC modified its processing tool to offer accurate statistics on regular processing times rather than only service standard timeframes.
These processing timelines are meant to provide potential immigrants and visa applicants to Canada an indication of how long it may take for a decision to be reached on their application.
These times are based on information obtained over the last 6 months for 80% of previously processed applications and are meant to offer the most recent weekly processing timings.
This does not imply that your application will be processed in the same amount of time.
Because it is an average of the processing times for 80% of the applications, so processing of your application may take longer or shorter than displayed.
Please note that the processing time begins when the application is received by IRCC and concludes when the immigration officer determines whether to accept or reject it.
Citizenship & PR cards
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Citizenship grant 23 months No Change Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)* 14 months No Change Resumption of citizenship 30 months No Change Renunciation of Citizenship 14 months No Change Search of citizenship records 16 months No Change New PR card 34 days – 2 Days PR card renewals 67 days – 2 Days *Proof of citizenship (Citizenship certificate): Applications from countries other than Canada and the United States may take longer to process.
The IRCC is presently distributing acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letters or emails to paper and online citizens who applied between January 30, 2023.
Family Sponsorship
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada 16 months No Change Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada 13 months No Change Parents or Grandparents PR 39 months No Change Canadian Passport
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week In-Canada New Passport (Regular application submitted in person at Service Canada Centre – Passport services) 10 business days No Change In-Canada New Passport (Regular application submitted by mail to Service Canada Centre) 20 business days No Change In-Canda Urgent pick-up By the end of next business day No Change In-Canada Express pick-up 2-9 business days No Change Regular passport application mailed from outside Canada 20 business days No Change Economic Class Permanent Residency Processing Time
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Canadian Experience Class (CEC) 12 months No Change Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) 30 months No Change Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) 70 months (not updated
by IRCC since March 1)No Change Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry 11 months No Change Non-Express Entry PNP 20 months No Change Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW) 20 months No Change Quebec Business Class 67 months No Change Federal Self-Employed 43 months No Change Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) 24 months No Change Start-Up Visa 33 months No Change Temporary Residence Application
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Visitor visa outside Canada Varies by country
India: 50 Days
Nigeria: 359 Days
United States: 21 Days
Pakistan: 143 Days
Philippines: 30 Days
UAE: 320 Days
Bangladesh: 162 Days
Sri Lanka: 108 Days
United Kingdom: 30 Days– 8 Days for India
– 17 Days for Nigeria
– 3 Days for United States
– 23 Days for Pakistan
– 1 Day for Philippines
No change for UAE
– 23 Day for Bangladesh
– 27 Days for Sri Lanka
No Change for UKVisitor visa inside Canada Online: 11 days
Paper-Based: 33 days– 1 Day for online
+ 1 Day for paper-basedParents or Grandparents Super Visa Varies by country
India: 129 Days
Nigeria: 621 Days
United States: 121 Days
Pakistan: 420 Days
Philippines: 231 Days
UAE: 327 Days
Bangladesh: 253 Days
Sri Lanka: 306 Days
United Kingdom: 175 Days– 4 Days for India
+ 225 Days for Nigeria
No Change for United States
– 2 Days for Pakistan
+ 5 Days for Philippines
No Change for UAE
No Change for Bangladesh
+ 2 Days for Sri Lanka
+ 6 Days for UKStudy Permit Outside Canada 10 Weeks No Change Visitor Extension (Visitor Record) Online: 180 days
Paper-Based: 87 days– 1 Day (Online)
– 4 Days for Paper-BasedStudy Permit Inside Canada 3 Weeks – Week Study Permit Extension Online: 85 Days
Paper-Based: 104 Days– 24 Days (Online)
– 3 Days (Paper-Based)Work Permit Outside Canada* Varies by country
India: 8 Weeks
Nigeria: 25 Weeks
United States: 14 Weeks
Pakistan: 45 Weeks
Philippines: 12 Weeks
UAE: 39 Weeks
Bangladesh: 30 Weeks
Sri Lanka: 18 Weeks
United Kingdom: 12 WeeksNo Change for India
– 2 Weeks for Nigeria
– 1 Week for United States
No Change for Pakistan
No Change for Philippines
– 3 Weeks for UAE
No Change for Bangladesh
– 3 Weeks for Sri Lanka
+ 1 Week for UKWork Permit Inside Canada Online: 154 Days
Paper-Based: 29 Days– 2 Days (Online)
– 24 Days for paper-basedInternational Experience Canada (Current Season) 3 Weeks No Change Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) 24 Days + 1 Day Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) 5 minutes No Change *Applications for critical occupations are being prioritized at this time. If you are not applying for a position in an essential occupation, your processing time may be longer than stated above.
- Ontario-OINP Sent 906 Invites For PR In 2 New Draws
Today, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) sent 906 invitations to apply (ITA) for PR in 2 targeted draws, under Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream.
606 invitations are sent to OINP profiles having a score of 70 and above targeting at 53 Tech and healthcare occupations.
Furthermore, 300 invitations were sent to profiles having a score of 74 and above targeting at 54 Skilled Trades Occupations.
For both of the draws today, EOIs submitted to Ontario PNP between November 22, 2022 and March 14, 2023 were considered.
Below are the details of OINP Draws today.
Date Invitations Date profiles considered Score range Notes March 14, 2023 606 November 22, 2022 – March 14, 2023 70 and above Targeted at tech and health occupations. March 14, 2023 300 November 22, 2022 – March 14, 2023 74 and above Targeted at skilled trades occupations. January 24, 2023 620 November 22, 2022 – January 24, 2023 82 and above General Draw Overall, OINP Employer Job Offer: International Student stream has sent 1,526 invites in 2023.
Click here to Calculate Your Scores For International Student Stream
Tech and health occupations
- NOC 20012 – Computer and information systems managers
- NOC 21211 – Data Scientists
- NOC 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators
- NOC 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers
- NOC 21231 – Software engineers and designers
- NOC 21232 – Software developers and programmers
- NOC 21233 – Web designers
- NOC 21234 – Web developers and programmers
- NOC 21311 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers
- NOC 22221 – User support technicians
- NOC 22222 – Information systems testing technicians
- NOC 30010 – Managers in health care
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 31103 – Veterinarians
- NOC 31110 – Dentists
- NOC 31111 – Optometrists
- NOC 31112 – Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
- NOC 31120 – Pharmacists
- NOC 31121 – Dietitians and nutritionists
- NOC 31201 – Chiropractors
- NOC 31202 – Physiotherapists
- NOC 31203 – Occupational therapists
- NOC 31204 – Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
- NOC 31209 – Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- NOC 31300 – Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- NOC 31301 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 31302 – Nurse practitioners
- NOC 31303 – Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
- NOC 32100 – Opticians
- NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurses
- NOC 32102 – Paramedical occupations
- NOC 32103 – Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- NOC 32104 – Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
- NOC 32109 – Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- NOC 32110 – Denturists
- NOC 32111 – Dental hygienists and dental therapists
- NOC 32112 – Dental technologists and technicians
- NOC 32120 – Medical laboratory technologists
- NOC 32121 – Medical radiation technologists
- NOC 32122 – Medical sonographers
- NOC 32123 – Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists
- NOC 32124 – Pharmacy technicians
- NOC 32129 – Other medical technologists and technicians
- NOC 32200 – Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- NOC 32201 – Massage therapists
- NOC 32209 – Other practitioners of natural healing
- NOC 33100 – Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- NOC 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- NOC 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health servic
Skilled Trades occupations
- NOC 22212 – Drafting technologists and technicians
- NOC 22221 – User support technicians
- NOC 22222 – Information systems testing technicians
- NOC 22301 – Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- NOC 22302 – Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
- NOC 22311 – Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
- NOC 22312 – Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
- NOC 72010 – Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
- NOC 72011 – Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
- NOC 72012 – Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
- NOC 72013 – Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
- NOC 72014 – Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- NOC 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- NOC 72021 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
- NOC 72022 – Supervisors, printing and related occupations
- NOC 72024 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
- NOC 72101 – Tool and die makers
- NOC 72102 – Sheet metal workers
- NOC 72103 – Boilermakers
- NOC 72104 – Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
- NOC 72105 – Ironworkers
- NOC 72106 – Welders and related machine operators
- NOC 72200 – Electricians (except industrial and power system)
- NOC 72201 – Industrial electricians
- NOC 72203 – Electrical power line and cable workers
- NOC 72204 – Telecommunications line and cable installers and repairers
- NOC 72300 – Plumbers
- NOC 72301 – Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- NOC 72310 – Carpenters
- NOC 72320 – Bricklayers
- NOC 72321 – Insulators
- NOC 72400 – Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
- NOC 72401 – Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
- NOC 72402 – Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
- NOC 72403 – Railway carmen/women
- NOC 72404 – Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
- NOC 72406 – Elevator constructors and mechanics
- NOC 72410 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
- NOC 72422 – Electrical mechanics
- NOC 72423 – Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics
- NOC 72500 – Crane operators
- NOC 73100 – Concrete finishers
- NOC 73101 – Tilesetters
- NOC 73102 – Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
- NOC 73110 – Roofers and shinglers
- NOC 73111 – Glaziers
- NOC 73112 – Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
- NOC 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers
- NOC 73201 – General building maintenance workers and building superintendents
- NOC 73202 – Pest controllers and fumigators
- NOC 73209 – Other repairers and servicers
- NOC 73400 – Heavy equipment operators
- NOC 82031 – Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
- NOC 92100 – Power engineers and power systems operators
What is eligibility for Ontario PNP Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream
Eligibility criteria to create an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with OINP under International Student Stream:
- A full-time (1,560 hours per year) employment offer in a skilled occupation in TEER Category 0, 1, 2, or 3.
- Employment offer with salary that meets or exceeds the minimum wage for that occupation in the Ontario region where you will be working.
- A degree or diploma from an OINP-approved institution that takes at least two years to complete.
- Colleges and universities that are qualified are listed below.
- The job offer must be primarily for work in Ontario.
- Intend to reside in Ontario.
Click here to Calculate Your Scores For International Student Stream
- Full List Of High Demand Jobs In The Greater Toronto Area
High Demand Jobs In The Greater Toronto Area: People opt to relocate to Greater Toronto Area, Canada’s largest and most diverse urban area, for a variety of reasons including job opportunities.
Greater Toronto Area includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York.
Furthermore, GTA has more than 17% of total population in Canada. More the consumer, more the business, and more the job opportunities.
This article enlists most high demand jobs in the GTA to plan your career accordingly.
Most of these are also high demand occupations to get permanent residency (PR) via Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) or Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
1. Software Developer
A software developer designs, develops, and maintains software applications for businesses and organizations.
Average salary: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
2. Data Analyst
A data analyst gathers, analyses, and interprets enormous amounts of data to assist organizations in making sound decisions.
Average salary: $60,000 to $85,000 per year.
3. Financial Analyst
A financial analyst analyses financial data to assist firms in making investment choices and risk management.
Average salary: $60,000 to $85,000 per year
4. Business Development Manager
A business development manager is in charge of designing methods to improve a company’s client base and income.
Average salary: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
5. Registered Nurse
A registered nurse cares for and treats patients in a hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facility.
Average salary: $70,000 to $90,000 per year
6. Project Manager
A project manager is in charge of monitoring and managing projects from beginning to end, ensuring that they are finished on schedule and within budget.
Average salary: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
7. Sales Representative
Usually, in a business-to-business (B2B) setting, a sales person promotes and sells products or services to customers.
Average salary: $50,000 to $70,000 per year
8. Marketing Manager
A marketing manager is in charge of developing and implementing marketing strategies to promote a company’s goods or services.
Average salary: $75,000 to $100,000 per year
9. Human Resources Manager
A human resources manager is in charge of a company’s personnel recruiting, hiring, and management.
Average salary: $80,000 to $100,000 per year
10. Account Manager
An account manager is in charge of managing and sustaining client and customer relationships in order to assure their happiness and loyalty.
Average salary: $60,000 to $85,000 per year
11. Web Developer
A web developer creates websites and web applications for companies and organizations.This profession is expected to grow even further in coming years.
Average salary: $60,000 to $85,000 per year
12. Graphic Designer
A graphic designer makes visual designs for a company’s products or services, such as logos and marketing materials.
Average salary: $45,000 to $65,000 per year
13. Electrical Engineer
An electrical engineer is responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of electrical systems and equipment for businesses and organizations.
Average salary: $70,000 to $100,000 per year
14. Mechanical Engineer
A mechanical engineer is someone who designs, develops, and maintains mechanical systems and equipment for companies and organizations.
Average salary: $70,000 to $100,000 per year
15. Supply Chain Manager
A supply chain manager oversees the movement of products and services from suppliers to consumers.
Average salary: $80,000 to $100,000 per year
16. Operations Manager
An operations manager is in charge of a company’s or organization’s day-to-day operations.
Average salary: $80,000 to $100,000 per year
17. Customer Service Manager
A customer service manager is in charge of overseeing and developing a company’s customer service activities.
Average salary: $60,000 to $85,000 per year
18. IT Manager
An IT manager is in charge of overseeing and maintaining a company’s information technology.
Average salary: $80,000 to $100,000 per year
- Canada Spousal Sponsorship Refusal Reasons That You Must Avoid
As per new Immigration levels plan 2023-2025, Canada is aiming to reunite more than 240,000 couples via spousal sponsorship.
IRCC has service standard of processing 80% of the spousal sponsorship applications within 12 months.
However, IRCC has not yet recovered from pandemic backlog completely. The current processing time for inland spousal sponsorship is 13 months and for outland it is still 16 months.
Spousal sponsorship is designed to reunite couples allowing them to live together permanently in Canada.
Furthermore, there is no education or language proficiency requirement for spouses.
However, the application needs to be genuine and applicant must present all the documentation accurately to prove it so.
Although, all the applicants proceed cautiously, but still many get refusal due to one reason or another.
This article delves into 10 common refusal reasons that can be avoided to ensure that at least application is not rejected due to one of these.
1. Inadmissibility
Applicants who are found to be inadmissible due to criminal or medical reasons can have their sponsorship application refused.
For e.g., if the spouse have had a DUI (Driving Under Influence) conviction in their home country, then they might be considered criminally inadmissible.
You can read more on these here
2. Lack of Genuine Relationship
The application may be denied if the immigration officer feels that the connection between the sponsor and the sponsored spouse is not real or was entered into for immigration purposes.
Ironically, many spousal sponsorship applications get rejected because their application fails to establish a genuine relationship.
As a result, they have to then appeal the refusal which can take some time to get through. Long appeal durations have also taken toll onto the breakdown of relationship for many families.
So, it is always advisable to submit your application upfront with full strength.
3. Misrepresentation
The application may be declined if the sponsor or sponsored spouse gives incorrect information or misrepresents oneself throughout the application procedure.
Lying or sending false information or documents to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is a severe offence.
Furthermore, some applicants unknowingly may provide incorrect date or just an estimated date. If IRCC finds out that it is incorrect, then that applicant falls under misrepresentation.
Even if your unauthorized agent or consultant fills out incorrect information due to a clerical error, then also applicants are considered to be misrepresenting on their application.
4. Insufficient supporting documents
Failure to provide sufficient or suitable supporting documentation, such as marriage certificates, pictures, and shared financial records, might result in a denial.
Additionally, even a slight doubt of forged document (even if they are original) due to inconsistencies can result in refusal of spousal sponsorship.
Always remember, onus is on the applicants to prove that their relationship is genuine by providing strong paperwork which is consistent with each other.
5. Unsatisfactory Financial support
The sponsor must show that they have enough money to support their spouse once they arrive in Canada.
If they do not give appropriate financial support proofs, the application may be denied.
This can be in the form of pay stubs or balance in the saving account.
Always remember sponsoring spouse has 3 years of financial obligation and immigration officer do assess the financial situation of the sponsor.
6. Providing Inconsistent Answers in Interview
Immigration officer may call some sponsored spouses for an interview to clear out the doubts in application or just to establish if relationship is genuine.
This is a good chance for the sponsored spouse to satisfy the officer by provided correct and accurate answers.
Remember lies are always caught based on the answers that you provide or may result in inconsistencies.
In interviews, officer expects you to know almost all the details of your spouse including important dates and background.
7. Not Declaring all the dependents
It is important to declare all the dependents on the application. Furthermore, always declare your non-accompanying family members on family information form accurately.
The application may be denied if the sponsor fails to declare all of their dependents in their application or if their financial assistance is judged insufficient for all dependents.
8. Proof of Residency
The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Furthermore, they should be residing in Canada to submit a sponsorship application.
If they are unable to show adequate proof of residency, their application could be refused.
9. Previous Sponsorship Defaults
If a sponsor has previously failed to fulfil a sponsorship commitment, they may be judged ineligible to sponsor again.
Furthermore, the spouse is not be able to sponsor their partner, if previous sponsorship undertaking has not yet ended.
10. Incomplete Application
Always remember that an application can also be refused if the application form is incomplete or if the required fees are not paid, or if sufficient information is not provided.
Immigration officer always have the discretion of refusing an application or they may ask for additional documents.
So, submit your application with caution ensuring you are not leaving out any information.
- IEC 2023 New Round of Invitations Sent >2,200 Invites
IEC 2023 New Round of Invitations: The 9th International Experience Canada (IEC) 2023 draw sent out more than 2,200 invitations for the week ending March 10, 2023.
More than 1,841 invites were extended to potential participants in the IEC Working Holiday category from more than 30 different countries.
As of March 10, 2023 140 additional spots have been added to Working Holiday category and 160 to Young Professionals category for Greece.
Previously, IEC Working Holiday Quota for Korea and the United Kingdom was also increased on February 24, 2023.
Currently, there are around 31,757 available spots in Working Holiday category with more than 5,788 candidates in pool awaiting an invitation.
223 invites are issued under Young Professionals category. Furthermore, 235 candidates are in pool competing for 3,460 available spots.
Additionally, 166 invites are sent under the International Co-op (internship) category. Out of these, 163 invites are sent to citizens of France.
There are 127 candidates in pool and 2,732 available spots in the International Co-op (internship) category.
This year, a total of 90,000 quota is allotted for IEC 2023, and around 62,000 invitations have already been distributed.
Below listed is the country-wise data on number of invitations, candidate in pool, and available spots under all the 3 categories.
Working Holiday Category of IEC 2023
Country Invitations Issued
This WeekTotal Invitations
Issued In 2023Candidates
In PoolAvailable
SpotsAndorra 2 10 0 18 Australia 225 3,406 249 Unlimited Austria 0 154 16 0 Belgium 20 647 31 297 Croatia 3 74 3 229 Czech Republic 25 598 31 612 Denmark 12 166 15 223 Estonia 7 73 7 68 France 0 16,885 3,054 0 Germany 173 2,376 165 2,826 Greece 10 217 8 168 Hong Kong 9 231 9 92 Ireland 275 4,501 254 7,718 Italy 75 1,180 70 1,033 Japan 199 2,971 182 4,183 Korea Republic 195 7,287 1,037 1,919 Latvia 0 66 6 0 Lithuania 24 286 30 34 Luxembourg 0 18 0 67 Netherlands 55 640 44 362 New Zealand 74 1,153 59 1,653 Norway 9 46 0 102 Poland 30 462 20 364 Portugal 31 499 30 1,388 San Marino 0 4 0 22 Slovakia 15 317 13 112 Slovenia 0 26 1 69 Spain 76 1,144 42 1,097 Sweden 10 160 21 488 United Kingdom 287 5,554 391 6,613 Total 1,841 51,151 5,788 31,757 IEC has already issued 2,292 invitations to Chile, 63 to Costa Rica, and 2,553 to Taiwan. We are not tracking data for these countries because chances of receiving an invite in next week’s draw are very low for these countries.
Young Professionals Category of IEC 2023
Country Invitations Issued This Week Total Invitations Issued In 2023 Candidates
In PoolAvailable Spots Australia 9 63 2 Unlimited Austria 1 5 1 59 Chile 20 265 24 165 Costa Rica 6 126 3 3 Croatia 0 6 0 17 Czech Republic 8 120 6 72 Estonia 0 3 0 8 France 102 1,436 98 1,338 France via Volontariat international en entreprise (VIE) 15 181 39 382 Germany 12 165 19 257 Greece 6 89 4 118 Ireland 3 59 2 140 Italy 9 127 3 152 Latvia 0 4 2 7 Lithuania 0 15 0 13 Luxembourg 0 0 0 10 Norway 1 5 0 11 Poland 0 28 4 99 Portugal 0 16 1 193 Slovakia 3 28 1 17 Slovenia 1 2 1 14 Spain 7 83 4 113 Spain via ICEX Vives Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable 50 Sweden 2 13 1 96 Switzerland 10 132 12 106 Taiwan 8 81 8 20 Total 223 3,052 235 3,460 International Co-op (Internship)
Country Invitations issued
this weekTotal Invitations
Issued In 2023Candidates
In PoolAvailable
SpotsFrance 163 2,414 122 2,493 Ireland 0 6 1 45 Germany 0 44 2 139 Luxembourg 0 3 0 9 Switzerland 3 19 0 37 Taiwan 0 9 2 9 Total 166 2,495 127 2,732 Source: IEC 2023
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