Last Updated On 26 November 2022, 6:54 PM EST (Toronto Time)
Today, Express Entry Draw invited 4,750 profiles to apply for permanent residency (PR). Applicants having a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 491 or above received the invitations.
CRS cut off score has reduced by only 3 points as compared to Express Entry draw on November 9, 2022. Furthermore, number of invites remained same as in the previous draw. This is the 11th all program Express Entry draw this year.
Below are the details of new All Program Express Entry draw.
- Number of invitations issued: 4,750
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 4,750 or above
- Date and time of round: November 23, 2022 15:42:46 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 491
- Tie-breaking rule: October 13, 2022 11:22:17 UTC
All program Express Entry draws include all the the Express Entry profiles under Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and Federal Skilled Trades (FST). Additionally, it also consider profiles under any of the aforementioned categories having a provincial nomination.
Next Express Entry draw cut off is projected to be around 485 as per CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of November 22, 2022 listed below.
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CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of November 22, 2022
Latest processing time for Express Entry as of November 22
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry – 14 months
- Canadian Experience Class – 19 months
- Federal Skilled Worker Program – 27 months
- Federal Skilled Trades Program – 49 months
Full List Of Canada Express Entry Draws In 2022
| Date | Immigration program | Invitations issued | CRS Score Cut-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 23, 2022 | No Program Specified | 4,750 | 491 |
| November 9, 2022 | No Program Specified | 4,750 | 494 |
| October 26, 2022 | No Program Specified | 4,750 | 496 |
| October 12, 2022 | No Program Specified | 4,250 | 500 |
| September 28, 2022 | No Program Specified | 3,750 | 504 |
| September 14, 2022 | No Program Specified | 3,250 | 510 |
| August 31, 2022 | No Program Specified | 2,750 | 516 |
| August 17, 2022 | No Program Specified | 2,250 | 525 |
| August 3, 2022 | No Program Specified | 2,000 | 533 |
| July 20, 2022 | No Program Specified | 1,750 | 542 |
| July 6, 2022 | No Program Specified | 1,500 | 557 |
| June 22, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 636 | 752 |
| June 8, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 932 | 796 |
| May 25, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 590 | 741 |
| May 11, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 545 | 753 |
| April 27, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 829 | 772 |
| April 13, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 787 | 782 |
| March 30, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 919 | 785 |
| March 16, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 924 | 754 |
| March 2, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,047 | 761 |
| February 16, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,082 | 710 |
| February 2, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,070 | 674 |
| January 19, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 1,036 | 745 |
| January 5, 2022 | Provincial Nominee Program | 392 | 808 |
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry system is the fastest way to get Canadian Permanent Residency (PR). It has processing time of 6 months after submission of documents following the ITA.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a points-based methodology, is used by Express Entry to rate applicant profiles. The highest-scoring applicants are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA), after which they can submit an application for permanent residence.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) all use Express Entry as their application management system (FSTP).
Candidates for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) who are in the Express Entry pool are already qualified for at least one of these programmes.
- New Minimum Wage In Canada And 5 Provinces Effective April 1
On April 1, 2023, the federal minimum wage in Canada will increase from $15.55 to $16.65 per hour in order to keep up with inflation.
As a result, about 26,000 Canadian workers who make less than the current wage will benefit from the raise.
The federal minimum wage in Canada is mandated for all federally regulated private sectors, including banking, postal and courier services, as well as interprovincial air, rail, road, and maritime transportation.
Furthermore, employees in these sectors get higher rate if their provincial or territory minimum pay is greater than the federal minimum wage.
The federal minimum wage in Canada is revised every year on April 1 based on the Consumer Price Index (inflation).
Previously, the federal minimum wage increased from $15 in 2021 to $15.55 on April 1, 2022.
The April 2023 hike in minimum wage is double ($1.10) as compared to that $0.55 raise last year.
New Minimum Wage In 5 Canadian Provinces Effective April 1
Apart from the rise in federal minimum wage in Canada, Manitoba and Yukon will also increase their provincial minimum wage effective April 1, 2023.
Minimum wage in Manitoba will increase by $0.65 to $14.15 per hour.
Manitoba’s minimum wage was increased on October 1, 2022 from $11.95 to $13.50 per hour.
Now Manitoba will revert to yearly changes based on province CPI, and it is anticipated that on October 1, 2023, the hourly wage will again increase to $15 per hour.
Furthermore, minimum wage in Yukon will also increase by $1.05 to $16.77 per hour.
Nova Scotia minimum wage is also set to increase to $14.50 per hour.
New Brunswick new minimum wage effective April 1, 2023 will be $14.75 per hour, up from $13.75.
The minimum wage will also rise for Newfoundland & Labrador by 80 cents per hour on April 1, 2023, reaching $14.50 per hour.
Minimum Wage By Province In Canada
Below listed are the latest minimum wage in Canada as of April 1, 2023.
Geography Minimum Wage Per Hour Next Raise Canada (Federally regulated private sectors) $16.65 April 1, 2024 Ontario $15.50 October 1, 2023 Manitoba $14.15 October 1, 2023 New Brunswick $14.75 April 1, 2024 (Expected) Nova Scotia $14.50 October 1, 2023 Saskatchewan $13.00 October 1, 2023 Newfoundland & Labrador $14.50 October 1, 2023 Alberta $15.00 To Be Decided (TBD) British Columbia $15.65 To Be Decided (TBD) Quebec $14.25 May 1, 2023 Nunavut $16.00 To Be Decided (TBD) Prince Edward Island $14.50 October 1, 2023 Northwest Territories $15.20 September 1, 2023 Yukon $16.77 April 1, 2024 What is Canada’s minimum wage 2023?
$16.65 per hour is the new minimum wage effective April 1, 2023 applicable to for all federally regulated private sectors. The federal regulated private sectors include banking, postal and courier services, as well as interprovincial air, rail, road, and maritime transportation.What is the highest minimum wage in Canada?
Yukon has the highest minimum wage at $16.77 per hour, followed by Federal minimum wage that is $16.65 per hour, and Nunavut which has the minimum wage of $16 per hour.What is minimum wage Ontario 2023 and when will it increase?
Starting in 2022, the minimum wage rates may rise yearly on October 1st. The new rates that will take effect on October 1 will be released no later than April 1.
Currently, $15.50 is the minimum wage in Ontario.What is the minimum wage in British Columbia?
$15.65 effective since June 1, 2022Federally regulated private sectors
- air transportation, including airlines, airports, aerodromes and aircraft operations
- banks, including authorized foreign banks
- grain elevators, feed and seed mills, feed warehouses and grain-seed cleaning plants
- First Nations band councils and Indigenous self-governments (certain activities)
- most federal Crown corporations, for example, Canada Post Corporation
- port services, marine shipping, ferries, tunnels, canals, bridges and pipelines (oil and gas) that cross international or provincial borders
- postal and courier services
- radio and television broadcasting
- railways that cross provincial or international borders and some short-line railways
- road transportation services, including trucks and buses, that cross provincial or international borders
- telecommunications, such as, telephone, Internet, telegraph and cable systems
- uranium mining and processing and atomic energy
- any business that is vital, essential or integral to the operation of one of the above activities
- Federally regulated public sector (parts II and IV of the Code only):
- the federal public service
- Parliament (such as, the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament)
- Private-sector firms and municipalities in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (part I of the Code only)
Canada Minimum wages 2023 - 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%
- New Express Entry Draw Sent Record 7,000 PR Invites
Today, IRCC sent out record 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR) through the new “no program specified” Express Entry Draw.
This is the largest all program Express Entry draw ever.
The Express Entry profiles with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 490 or above received the invitations.
The information about today’s Express Entry draw is as follows:
- No Program Specified
- Number of invitations issued: 7,000
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 7,000 or above
- Date and time of round: March 15, 2023 17:08:16 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 490
- Tie-breaking rule: February 16, 2023 10:33:06 UTC
All Express Entry profiles from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are eligible for the no program specified Express Entry draws.
Furthermore, profiles having a provincial nomination are also eligible for no program specified draw.
The next draw is expected to declare a cut off score around 485 for no program draw and 671 for PNP only draw, based on the CRS score distribution of applicants in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023.
The IRCC will start holding targeted Express Entry draws with new suggested categories after the first quarter of 2023. Know details here.
The table below displays the full CRS score distribution of all candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023.
CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 15, 2023
#image_title Latest Express Entry processing times as of March 14
As of March 14, Express Entry processing times increased for all the three categories as listed below:
- Canadian Experience Class – 12 months
- Federal Skilled Worker Program – 30 months
- Federal Skilled Trades Program – 70 months
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry – 11 months
What is Canada Express Entry System?
The easiest and fastest method to acquire Canadian PR is through the Express Entry procedure.
After accepting the invitation to apply (ITA) and uploading the required documents, the processing time is typically 6 months.
The Express Entry system rates candidate profiles using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a points-based approach.
An Invitation to Apply (ITA) is sent to profiles whose scores exceed the CRS cutoff in a draw. And the invited candidates then submit an application for permanent residency.
Applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program are managed via the Express Entry system (FSTP).
Candidates in the Express Entry pool who have a provincial nomination and a profile in one of the aforementioned programs get 600 additional points.
- 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.
- Express Entry: IRCC Has 65% More Staff Than Is Required
A new report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) on March 7 revealed analysis of IRCC’s Express Entry system.
This report estimates the costs of the Federal Skilled Workers Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Moreover, it also provided projections on IRCC staffing and meeting Express Entry processing standards to meet targets until 2027
Furthermore, the cost includes the gross spend on processing, pre-arrival services, and settlement services on these 3 programs.
According to the report, $792 million will be spent over the following five years to meet the target under Express Entry system.
Moreover, this cost will be offset by $743 million in application fee revenue. As a result, there will be a net total cost of $48 million on government.
In 2022-23, the net cost per accepted Permanent Resident is expected to be $91.
Express Entry Processing
IRCC has objective to process 80% of the Express Entry applications within 6 months of submission.
The PBO says that existing staffing levels at IRCC will be more than adequate to fulfil the processing time objective for the next 5 years.
Additionally, they estimate that IRCC has 65% more workers than is required to process Express Entry target in 2023.
As the number of applications grows, this percentage will decrease year by year, eventually reaching 4% in 2026-27.
Although, report highlights that IRCC has 65% more staff, but still Express Entry processing times are way higher than service standards.
This is mostly due to quite a high number of applications from backlog as well as resumption of new draws.
Express Entry Projections Until 2027
The report highlighted that the government often exceeded its immigration objectives in the three EE streams, in past year.
However, because the objectives are higher for 2023-2025, the PBO expects the targeted immigration levels to be reached rather than exceeded.
Furthermore, the PBO estimates that Express Entry targets may increase 7% annually after 2025, equivalent to the annual growth rate between 2015 and 2025.
The report also highlights below listed points:
- In 2020, fewer PRs were accepted through EE due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several persons who would have immigrated in 2020 instead came in 2021, resulting in increased admittance numbers in 2021.
- There were no draws for the three EE streams from September 2021 to July 2022. This enabled IRCC to address a backlog of applications that had accumulated during the pandemic’s early stages.
- The immigration objectives for the EE streams in 2022 were met before the end of the year. This is not likely to happen again in the foreseeable future.
Source: PBO Report
- Here Are New Updated IRCC Processing Times As Of March 7
This page includes the latest processing times reported by the IRCC as of March 7, 2023, along with a comparison to the processing times from the previous week.
To fully comprehend what these processing timeframes mean, please read the following details carefully.
The IRCC changed its processing tool in the beginning of 2022 so that it now provides correct data on normal processing times rather than merely service standard times.
These processing times are intended to provide prospective immigrants and visa seekers to Canada a rough idea of how long it could take for a decision to be made on their application.
These durations are based on information gathered over the preceding 6 months for 80% of the applications that have already been approved and are intended to provide latest weekly processing timelines.
This does not mean that it will take the same length of time to process your application.
This processing of your application may take longer or less time than shown because it is an average of the processing timings for 80% of the applications.
Remember that the application processing period starts when IRCC receives it and ends when the immigration officer decides whether to accept or reject it.
For more than a year, we have been tracking and comparing the processing timeframes for our readers as updated by the IRCC on a weekly basis.
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 + 6 months Renunciation of Citizenship 14 months – 1 month Search of citizenship records 16 months No Change New PR card 36 days – 3 Days PR card renewals 69 days – 2 Days *Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship): Applications submitted outside of Canada and the United States may take longer.
The IRCC is currently sending over acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) letters or emails to paper and online citizens who applied during the week of January 16, 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 – 1 month Parents or Grandparents PR 39 months No Change According to the most current IRCC figures, Canada’s immigration backlog has nearly hit one million people.
Moreover, 969,900 applications were handled within the IRCC service standard timelines. IRCC was processing around 2 million applications as of January 31, 2023.
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 – 4 months Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) 30 months – 1 month Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) 70 months (not updated
this week)No Change Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry 11 months No Change Non-Express Entry PNP 20 months – 1 month Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW) 20 months + 1 month Quebec Business Class 67 months No Change Federal Self-Employed 43 months + 1 month Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) 24 months + 1 month 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: 58 Days
Nigeria: 376 Days
United States: 24 Days
Pakistan: 166 Days
Philippines: 31 Days
UAE: 320 Days
Bangladesh: 185 Days
Sri Lanka: 135 Days
United Kingdom: 30 Days– 12 Days for India
+ 46 Days for Nigeria
No Change for United States
– 17 Days for Pakistan
– 2 Days for Philippines
+ 2 Days for UAE
– 18 Day for Bangladesh
+ 3 Days for Sri Lanka
– 5 Days for UKVisitor visa inside Canada Online: 12 days
Paper-Based: 32 days– 1 Day for online
No Change for paper-basedParents or Grandparents Super Visa Varies by country
India: 133 Days
Nigeria: 396 Days
United States: 121 Days
Pakistan: 422 Days
Philippines: 226 Days
UAE: 327 Days
Bangladesh: 253 Days
Sri Lanka: 304 Days
United Kingdom: 169 Days– 1 Day for India
No Change for Nigeria
– 4 Days for United States
+ 6 Days for Pakistan
– 2 Days for Philippines
+ 13 Days for UAE
+ 4 Days for Bangladesh
+ 24 Days for Sri Lanka
+ 1 Day for UKStudy Permit Outside Canada 10 Weeks No Change Visitor Extension (Visitor Record) Online: 181 days
Paper-Based: 91 days+ 6 Days (Online)
– 4 Days for Paper-BasedStudy Permit Inside Canada 4 Weeks No Change Study Permit Extension Online: 109 Days
Paper-Based: 107 Days– 9 Days (Online)
– 6 Days (Paper-Based)Work Permit Outside Canada* Varies by country
India: 8 Weeks
Nigeria: 27 Weeks
United States: 15 Weeks
Pakistan: 45 Weeks
Philippines: 12 Weeks
UAE: 42 Weeks
Bangladesh: 30 Weeks
Sri Lanka: 21 Weeks
United Kingdom: 11 WeeksNo Change for India
No Change for Nigeria
– 1 Week for United States
+ 2 Weeks for Pakistan
– 2 Weeks for Philippines
+ 6 Weeks for UAE
– 1 Week for Bangladesh
– 1 Weeks for Sri Lanka
– 1 Week for UKWork Permit Inside Canada Online: 156 Days
Paper-Based: 53 Days– 2 Days (Online)
– 5 Days for paper-basedInternational Experience Canada (Current Season) 3 Weeks + 1 Week Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) 25 Days + 3 Days Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) 5 minutes No Change *Applications for the critical job positions are currently being prioritized. Your processing time can be longer than indicated above if you are not applying for a position in a critical occupation.
- Victim Of Fraud; International Students In Canada Facing Removal Orders
Several international students in Canada are facing removal orders from the Canadian immigration department.
It is an unfortunate situation because most of these international students are actually victims of fraudulent agents.
These agents, who without their knowledge, submitted forged documents including fake offer letters or GICs.
Moreover, they are trapped by the outdated Canadian system since the immigration department is sending them removal order letters after 2-3 years of completion of their studies in Canada.
The removal order letters are being sent since 2021 offering these students to appeal the removal orders.
Some of these students are receiving letters now. According to one of the sources, the number of international students facing removal orders is in the multiple of 100s.
Recently, in a similar case of Karamjeet Kaur, the federal court upheld the decision by Immigration Division (ID) ordering her to leave Canada.
She now only has humanitarian and compassionate consideration of her case left.
Ironically, she came to Canada on a study permit in 2018 and her agent in India used the fake letter to get her file processed, which she was unaware of.
Karamjeet got a removal order in 2022 when she applied for her permanent residency (PR), 4 years after her entry to Canada.
However, in February 2023 Federal court ruled that it was her responsibility to call the college and confirm whether the offer letter was genuine or not.
Gaps In The Canadian Immigration System
International students have been protesting against these removal orders and pointing out gaps in the Canadian immigration system.
Offer letters or GICs or documents are not usually verified by students as they trust their consultants or agents back in India.
As per students, if the offer letter or GIC or any document was fake in their study permit application, the immigration department should have pointed out it at the time of issuing a visa to Canada.
IRCC offices in India, who are trained and experienced at catching forged documents in an applications were also deceived by the same fake documents.
If such officials are unable detect fake documents, then how a teenager or naive young student would have caught such a scam?
Rather, they themselves were victims of this fraud.
Moreover, when they landed at a Canadian airport and an immigration check was done, no official were able to point out the forged documents.
As in Karamjeet Kaur’s case, the agent told her after she landed in Canada, that he had some dispute with the college authorities, so she would have to change her college.
Being new at such a young age in Canada, in such a situation, no one reaches out to college and confirms whether their offer letter is fake or original.
Now that these scams are made public, definitely new students will be cautiously confirming all the documents are original or not. But at that time, nobody knew about these frauds.
After completing their studies in Canada, international students apply to the immigration department for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
Even at that point, the immigration department didn’t point out any inconsistencies and issued them work permit to legally work in Canada.
Most of these students are receiving removal orders after 3-4 years of coming to Canada at the time they applied for permanent residency (PR) under one or another program.
What is a removal order in these cases?
The common word used by most people is “deportation.” Deportation is the permanent ban from returning to Canada and people cannot return unless they apply for an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC).
However, most of these international students are facing an “exclusion order” because of “misrepresentation.” This means that they are removed from Canada for 5 years.
Misrepresentation is defined as intentional or unintentional misrepresentation or withholding substantial information on a relevant topic that causes or may cause an error in decision making.
International students now have the option to appeal their removal orders and the court will decide their fate.
- Know How Job Offers Without LMIA Work For Express Entry
While most employers need a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support your job offer for Express Entry, some jobs are LMIA-exempt.
However, LMIA-exempt job offers may not be as common as they have specific conditions and requirements.
Getting an LMIA-exempt job offer depends on the type of work you do and your employer.
Learn below when your employer does not require an LMIA and about the jobs that are LMIA-exempt.
Situations when your employer does not need an LMIA
If you meet the following requirements, your employer does not need an LMIA to support your job offer:
- You must have worked for an employer mentioned on your work permit for at least one year or have accumulated equivalent part-time experience.
- Have a valid job offer, and
- A valid work permit which is exempt from an LMIA under:
- International agreement
- Federal-provincial agreement
- “Canadian interests” category
If you meet the above requirements, you may be exempt from needing an LMIA under the below categories.
LMIA-Exempt Jobs
You may be excluded from needing an LMIA for Express Entry if your current temporary work is LMIA-exempt, mentions a specific employer or employers (for skilled trade jobs, up to two employers can make a job offer), and is:
- Part of an international agreement, such as CUSMA or GATS, and non-trade agreements. It can include professionals, traders and investors.
- It is an agreement between Canada and a province or territory, including “significant investment” projects.
- Exempt for “Canadian interests” for the following reasons:
- Providing “significant benefit“-if your employer can demonstrate that you will provide significant social, cultural, and economic benefit to Canada. This could include:
- General: such as self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc
- Workers transferred within a company, such as intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge – only those whose talents and experience will help Canada.
- Workers who are under Mobilité francophone
- Having Reciprocal employment- it allows foreign workers to get jobs in Canada while Canadians have similar opportunities in other countries
- The general category includes professional coaches and athletes working for Canadian teams.
- International Experience Canada – it is a work-abroad program for young professionals
- Individuals part of exchange programs such as visiting lecturers and professors
- Minister designated
- These include academic researchers, guest lecturers and visiting professors sponsored by a recognized federal program.
- Competitiveness and public policy
- fellows and medical residents
- Post-doctoral fellows and those who won academic awards from Canadian schools
- Religious and charity workers, excluding volunteers
- Providing “significant benefit“-if your employer can demonstrate that you will provide significant social, cultural, and economic benefit to Canada. This could include:
It is important to note that even though these jobs are exempt from LMIA, you still need a valid work permit. In addition, you must also meet the initial requirements that exempt employers from getting you an LMIA
Source: IRCC
- Canada Opens New IRCC Operation Centre For Faster Processing
Today, IRCC announced that Canada has opened a new application processing centre in Manila, Philippines.
This new centre is aimed at supporting the Indo-Pacific strategy for Canada immigration and to speed up the processing of immigration applications both domestically and internationally.
There are already more than 50 IRCC visa offices spread among Canadian high commissioners, consulates, and embassies across the world.
And, this new centre will be supported by 37 new employees to boost global immigration processing capacity and support Indo-Pacific strategy.
The new facility is housed inside the Canadian Embassy in Manila and will help to manage the large number of visa applications received from throughout the world.
Additionally, it will support continuing initiatives of IRCC to enhance customer service and assist in achieving Canada’s future plans of record immigration numbers.
Canada is aiming to welcome around 1.5 million immigrants, in accordance with immigration levels plan of 2023-2025.
960,000 individuals of Philippine origina reside in Canada, according to the census of 2021. Furthermore, an increasing number of Filipino residents come to the country to visit friends and family.
Moreover, Canada is also one of the top choice by Filipinos to study for higher education and eventually integrate into Canadian economy.
What is Indo-Pacific Strategy in regards to Canada Immigration
The Indo-Pacific region is the fastest-growing economic region in the world and a large source of new immigrants for Canada.
India, China, and the Philippines were the top three source countries for permanent residents to Canada in 2022.
The goal of Canada’s policy is to boost the capacity for processing applications locally and throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including New Delhi, Chandigarh, Islamabad, and Manila, with an initial expenditure of $74.6 million over five years.
With such a huge investment specifically for Indo-Pacific strategy, it is clearly evident how important this region is for Canada immigration.
These new resources will assist ongoing efforts to manage the huge amount of visa applications from the Indo-Pacific area, bringing more individuals to Canada—whether for visits, studies, employment, or permanent immigration—and doing so more promptly.
- New Express Entry Draw Today Invites 667 PNP Profiles
Express Entry Draw today issued 667 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residency (PR), targeting the profiles having a provincial nomination.
Invitations were sent to Express Entry profiles with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 748 or above.
This means Express Entry profiles having just the score of 148 + 600 points from provincial nomination were invited in this draw.
The CRS cut off score has reduced by only 43 points as compared to February 15 Express Entry PNP draw.
Below are the details of Express Entry draw announced today:
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Number of invitations issued: 667
- Rank required to be invited to apply: 667 or above
- Date and time of round: March 01, 2023, at 17:24:39 UTC
- CRS score of lowest-ranked candidate invited: 748
- Tie-breaking rule: December 12, 2022, at 10:48:12 UTC
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draws include all Express Entry profiles from the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) with an approved nomination from one of the Canadian provinces.
According to the CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 1, 2023, the next draw is expected to be no program specified or FSW or CEC targeted draw.
Reason is because only 606 profiles have a CRS score of 601-1200. Furthermore, there are only 2,129 profiles having a CRS score between 501-600.
We hope that this next draw comes later today or tomorrow similar to the FSW draw announced on February 2 after the PNP draw on February 1.
After the first quarter of 2023, the IRCC may begin conducting targeted Express Entry draws with new proposed categories.
Full CRS score distribution of applicants in the Express Entry pool as of March 1, 2023 is shown below.
CRS score distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool as of March 1, 2023
Latest processing time for Express Entry as of February 28
As of February 28, Express Entry processing times increased for all the three categories as listed below:
- Canadian Experience Class – 16 months
- Federal Skilled Worker Program – 31 months
- Federal Skilled Trades Program – 70 months
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry – 11 months
Canada Express Entry Draws
Date Immigration program Invitations issued CRS Score Cut-Off February 15, 2023 Provincial Nominee Program 699 791 February 2, 2023 Federal Skilled Worker 3,300 489 February 1, 2023 Provincial Nominee Program 893 733 January 18, 2023 No Program Specified 5,500 490 January 11, 2023 No Program Specified 5,500 507 November 23, 2022 No Program Specified 4,750 491 November 9, 2022 No Program Specified 4,750 494 October 26, 2022 No Program Specified 4,750 496 October 12, 2022 No Program Specified 4,250 500 September 28, 2022 No Program Specified 3,750 504 September 14, 2022 No Program Specified 3,250 510 August 31, 2022 No Program Specified 2,750 516 August 17, 2022 No Program Specified 2,250 525 August 3, 2022 No Program Specified 2,000 533 July 20, 2022 No Program Specified 1,750 542 July 6, 2022 No Program Specified 1,500 557 June 22, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 636 752 June 8, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 932 796 May 25, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 590 741 May 11, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 545 753 April 27, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 829 772 April 13, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 787 782 March 30, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 919 785 March 16, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 924 754 March 2, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 1,047 761 February 16, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 1,082 710 February 2, 2022 Provincial Nominee Program 1,070 674 What is Canada Express Entry System?
The Express Entry system is the quickest way to become a permanent resident (PR) of Canada.
It has a usual processing period of 6 months after accepting the invitation to apply (ITA) and submitting documents.
The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), a points-based system, is used to score applicant profiles in the Express Entry system.
Profiles with a score greater than the CRS cut off declared in a draw are sent an Invitation to Apply (ITA), which invites them to apply for permanent residency.
The Express Entry system manages applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Applicants in the Express Entry pool with profiles in one of the aforementioned programs and a provincial nomination receive 600 extra points.
Express Entry Frequently Asked Questions
Is TEER 3 Eligible For Express Entry system?
Yes, TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 are eligible for Express Entry system.
- New Updated IRCC Processing Times As Of February 28
This page covers the most recent official IRCC processing times as of February 28, 2023, as well as a comparison to the prior week’s processing timings.
Please read the following information carefully to understand what these processing times represent.
In 2022, the IRCC modified their processing tool to provide precise information on typical processing times rather than just service standard times.
The goal of these processing timeframes is to provide potential immigrants or 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 data collected over the previous 6 months for 80% of the applications that have previously been finalized and are designed to offer updated weekly processing timeframes.
This does not indicate that your application will be processed in the same amount of time.
Because this processing update represents an average of the processing times for 80% of the applications, it may take longer or shorter than the time shown.
Keep in mind that the processing time begins when IRCC receives the application and ends when the immigration officer determines whether to accept or refuse the application.
We have been monitoring and comparing the processing times that the IRCC officially publishes on a weekly basis for more than a year.
IRCC Processing Times for 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 24 months No Change Renunciation of Citizenship 15 months No Change Search of citizenship records 16 months No Change New PR card 39 days – 1 Day PR card renewals 71 days No Change The IRCC is now sending acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letters or emails to paper and online citizenship applicants who filed their applications during the week of January 12, 2023.
IRCC Processing Time for 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 14 months No Change Parents or Grandparents PR 39 months No Change According to the most recent official IRCC statistics, the Canadian immigration backlog has nearly reached 1 million.
Moreover, 969,900 applications were being handled in accordance with IRCC service standard timeframes. As of January 31, 2023, IRCC was processing approximately 2 million applications.
Processing time for 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 IRCC Processing time for Economic Class
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Canadian Experience Class (CEC) 16 months No Change Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) 31 months No Change Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) 70 months No Change Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry 11 months No Change Non-Express Entry PNP 21 months No Change Quebec Skilled Workers (QSW) 19 months No Change Quebec Business Class 67 months No Change Federal Self-Employed 42 months No Change Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) 23 months No Change Start-Up Visa 33 months No Change Processing Time for Temporary Residence Application
Application Type Current Processing Time Change From Last Week Visitor visa outside Canada Varies by country
India: 70 Days
Nigeria: 330 Days
United States: 24 Days
Pakistan: 183 Days
Philippines: 33 Days
UAE: 318 Days
Bangladesh: 203 Days
Sri Lanka: 132 Days
United Kingdom: 35 Days– 15 Days for India
+ 13 Days for Nigeria
– 3 Days for United States
– 3 Days for Pakistan
– 5 Days for Philippines
+ 2 Days for UAE
– 1 Day for Bangladesh
+ 22 Days for Sri Lanka
– 174 Days for UKVisitor visa inside Canada Online: 13 days
Paper-Based: 32 days– 1 Day for online
+ 5 Days for paper-basedParents or Grandparents Super Visa Varies by country
India: 134 Days
Nigeria: 396 Days
United States: 125 Days
Pakistan: 416 Days
Philippines: 228 Days
UAE: 314 Days
Bangladesh: 249 Days
Sri Lanka: 280 Days
United Kingdom: 168 Days+ 2 Days for India
No Change for Nigeria
– 139 Days for United States
– 12 Days for Pakistan
+ 18 Days for Philippines
+ 28 Days for UAE
+ 4 Days for Bangladesh
No Change for Sri Lanka
+ 5 Days for UKStudy Permit Outside Canada 10 Weeks No Change Visitor Extension (Visitor Record) Online: 175 days
Paper-Based: 95 days– 7 Days (Online)
+ 8 Days for Paper-BasedStudy Permit Inside Canada 4 Weeks – 1 Week Study Permit Extension Online: 118 Days
Paper-Based: 113 Days– 16 Days (Online)
+ 2 Days (Paper-Based)Work Permit Outside Canada* Varies by country
India: 8 Weeks
Nigeria: 27 Weeks
United States: 16 Weeks
Pakistan: 43 Weeks
Philippines: 14 Weeks
UAE: 36 Weeks
Bangladesh: 31 Weeks
Sri Lanka: 22 Weeks
United Kingdom: 12 WeeksNo Change for India
– 25 Weeks for Nigeria
No Change for United States
+ 3 Weeks for Pakistan
No Change for Philippines
– 3 Weeks for UAE
– 1 Week for Bangladesh
– 2 Weeks for Sri Lanka
+ 1 Week for UKWork Permit Inside Canada Online: 158 Days
Paper-Based: 58 Days– 1 Day (Online)
– 2 Days for paper-basedInternational Experience Canada (Current Season) 2 Weeks No Change Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) 22 Days No Change Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) 5 minutes No Change *Applications for the critical job positions are currently being prioritized. Your processing time can be longer than indicated above if you are not applying for a position in a critical occupation.
Source: IRCC
- Canada May Soon Introduce The New One-Click Citizenship Oath
Beginning in as soon as June 2023, new citizens of Canada may be able to take the oath without the necessity for a citizenship judge.
The Canada Gazette published on February 25, 2023 in regards to regulations amending the citizenship regulations (Oath of Citizenship).
This amendment is now open for a 30-day consultation period until March 27, 2023 and can come into force around June 2023 after consultation process is completed.
Critics believe that this will cheapen the processing of citizenship oath as swearing an oath has been a legal condition of becoming a citizen in this country since 1947.
In this oath, citizenship candidates make a solemn promise to uphold Canadian laws and fulfil their responsibilities as citizens.
As reported by Toronto Star, Daniel Bernhard (CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship) criticizes this move.
He says it will be as easy as to just read and click the terms and conditions to take oath of citizenship, as it has been to create any social media accounts such as Facebook or TikTok.
Latest statement by the immigration department says that new citizens would now be able to complete the requirements of citizenship by signing a written attestation online without a witness.
However, applicants would still have the choice to do so in front of a citizenship judge.
What Are The Exact Proposed Amendments?
Below are simplified version of official amendments to citizenship regulations.
- Any person (at least 14 years old) on the day they are given citizenship must, at the Minister’s invitation, take the oath of citizenship, whether in or outside of Canada,
- through the means that the Minister makes accessible or specifies for that purpose; or
- before the Minister, a person authorized in writing by the Minister to act on the Minister’s behalf, or a citizenship judge.
- An individual shall be delivered the citizenship certificate after they have taken the oath of citizenship.
- While taking the oath of citizenship as per the above listed regulation, the individual must sign the document provided by the Minister, verifying that they have taken the oath.
- Any person who has been granted citizenship may take the oath of citizenship in front of
- the Minister,
- a person the Minister has authorized in writing to act on their behalf,
- as well as a citizenship judge
February 14, 2023 Citizenship Oath Ceremony
Why new changes?
New statistics shows a 20-year decline in citizenship uptake, which could be the biggest reason for the proposed adjustment.
Lesser permanent residents are now converting to Canadian citizens.
Just 45.7% of permanent residents became citizens as per 2021 census, down from 60% in 2016 and 75.1% in 2001.
Although, the number of citizenship applications granted yearly having increased dramatically over the previous 5 years from 113,000 to 243,000.
But, the processing time for citizenship has doubled during the pandemic compared to the previous 12-month service standard.
As per IRCC data dated January 31, 2023 – there were total of 303,000 citizenship applications under processing.
Out of these, 83,000 applications were still being processed after exceeding the normal service standard. While 220,000 are still being processed under normal service standards.
- Any person (at least 14 years old) on the day they are given citizenship must, at the Minister’s invitation, take the oath of citizenship, whether in or outside of Canada,
- IRCC Makes New Extension For Visitors to Work Permit Policy By 2 Years
Today, IRCC announces new extension to temporary policy allowing visitor visa holders to apply for work permit within Canada, until 2025.
This extension came in as previous temporary policy was due to expire today. This is a huge news for visitor visa holders.
Canada implemented this policy during pandemic to fill in labour gaps with visitors in the country. Usually, foreign nationals holding a visitor visa cannot apply for work permit from within Canada.
As per IRCC news release, foreign nationals who are visiting Canada and obtain a genuine employment offer will be able to apply for and acquire a work permit without leaving the country.
Visitors applying under this public policy who have held a work permit within the past 12 months may also obtain temporary work permit to begin working for their new company.
So, this public policy has now been extended by two years, until February 28, 2025. Aim of the this extension is give firms in Canada another choice, since many are suffering major labour shortages.
Eligibility Criteria:
An applicant seeking benefit from this temporary public policy must:
- have a valid visitor status in Canada on the day they apply
- have a job offer backed by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment
- submit an application for an employer-specific work permit before February 28, 2025, and
- satisfy all other standard admissibility requirements
Candidates with visitor status who already held a work permit in last 12 months under this temporary policy are also eligible, if they meet below listed criteria:
- When you apply, you must be physically present in Canada.
- You must remain in Canada while your application is being processed.
- You will not be eligible for this public policy if you depart while your application is being processed.
- While applying for a work permit, you must be a visitor with valid status.
- If your visitor status has expired, you must restore it before applying for a work permit.
- applied for an employer-specific work permit between August 24, 2020, and February 28, 2025
- had a valid work permit in the 12 months before to applying for a new work permit
Candidates with visitor status who have held a valid work permit in the last 12 months can follow specific guidelines to get interim work authorization.
How To Get Interim Work Authorization:
Reiterating, Interim Work Authorization is only available to visitor visa holders who held a valid work permit in the last 12 months under this temporary policy.
After applying for work permit under this policy, applicants will need to fill out the IRCC Web form with message as specified by IRCC.
After filling out the webform, you will need to wait for an email from IRCC informing you that you may begin working. This might take up to 30 days (6 weeks).
- India Continues To Be Top Source Of Newcomers To Canada
IRCC released new data in February 2023 regarding new landed permanent residents (PRs) in Canada and international students last year.
This article enlists:
- top 10 source countries of permanent residents and destination province data
- top 10 source of international students, province-wise international student numbers, and total number of international students residing in Canada
Source of Permanent Residents and Destination Province
Around 46% of newcomers landed in Canada in 2022 were from Asia as per new IRCC data unveiled February 2023.
India continues to be the biggest source with more than 1/4th of newcomers to Canada. 118,095 Indians landed as permanent residents (PRs) in 2022.
This is 6 times higher than the second source of new immigrants, China. 31,815 Chinese nationals landed in Canada as PRs in 2022.
Below is the list of source countries for newcomers to Canada in 2022
Country Total immigrants for 2022 % age of immigrants in 2022 India 118,095 27% China 31,815 7.2% Afghanistan 23,735 5.4% Nigeria 22,085 5.05% Philippines 22,070 5.04% France 14,145 3.2% Pakistan 11,585 2.6% Iran 11,105 2.5% United States of America 10,400 2.3% Syria 8,500 1.9% List of Destination Province for Permanent Residents in 2022
Ontario continues to land highest proportion of permanent residents in 2022, but comparatively less (-6.7%) when compared to 2021.
Ontario is followed by Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in landed immigrants.
Quebec saw an increase of 3.4%, Saskatchewan 2.2%, and Alberta 1.4% as compared to 2021. However, British Columbia experienced -3.1% lesser immigration in contrast to 2021.
Province Permanent Residents in 2022 % of all PRs in 2022 Ontario 184,725 42.2% Quebec 68,685 15.7% British Columbia 61,215 14% Alberta 49,460 11.3% Manitoba 21,645 4.9% Saskatchewan 21,635 4.9% Nova Scotia 12,650 2.8% New Brunswick 10,205 2.3% Newfoundland and Labrador 3,490 0.7% Prince Edward Island 2,665 0.6% Yukon 455 0.1% Northwest Territories 235 0.0% Nunavut 45 0.0% Province not stated 20 0.0% Source of International Students Landed and Already In Canada
India again tops the list followed by China and Philippines for new international students landed in 2022.
Indian students account for more than half the total of international students entering Canada last year.
Country Number of Students
Coming in 2022India 226,450 China 52,165 Philippines 23,380 France 16,725 Nigeria 16,195 Iran 13,525 Korea 11,535 Japan 10,955 Mexico 10,405 Brazil 10,405 Furthermore, there were 319,130 international students from India already living and studying in Canada as of December 2022.
Number of Indian student is 3X the second leading source nation, China. There were almost 100K Chinese students studying in Canada.
Country Number of students already
living and studying in CanadaIndia 319,130 China 100,075 Philippines 32,455 France 27,135 Nigeria 21,660 Iran 21,115 Korea 16,505 Vietnam 16,140 Mexico 14,930 United States of America 14,485 Ontario being the largest province, continues to accommodate more than 400,000 international students.
This number is even higher when compared to the total of other Canadian provinces altogether. Moreover, this number is double from the second leading province, British Columbia.
In total, 377,785 international students were attending the education institution in rest of the Canadian provinces in 2022.
Province Number of Students Ontario 411,000 British Columbia 164,000 Quebec 93,000 Alberta 43,000 Manitoba 22,000 Nova Scotia 20,850 Saskatchewan 13,135 New Brunswick 11,140 Newfoundland and Labrador 6,175 Prince Edward Island 4,485
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