Here Are Latest IRCC Processing Times As Of December 6!

IRCC updated their online processing tool, to offer accurate information on average processing times in the beginning of 2022. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced this update on March 31, 2022, to improve Canadian immigration system. This article enlists the latest processing times from the IRCC as of December 6, 2022.

The immigration backlog in Canada has decreased from 1.49 million on September 30, 2022 to 1.2 million as of October 31, 2022. IRCC updated this data on November 16, 2022. Furthermore, 1.04 million applications were still being processed within IRCC service standards. So, in total, IRCC had approximately 2.2 million applications under processing as of October 31.

What Updates Does the Processing Time Include

The processing period begins when the application is received by IRCC and concludes when the immigration officer makes a decision on the application. IRCC bases processing time on the time they take to process prior similar applications. Furthermore, the processing time may differ depending on whether the application was filed on paper or online.

These processing times are designed to offer new weekly timelines from the last 6 months’ data. Furthermore, it correlates the application volume with operational issues to assist future immigrants in better planning their journey.

Processing Times for Citizenship & PR cards

Application Type	Current Processing Time	Change From Last Week
Citizenship grant	24 months	No Change
Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)	16 months	No Change
Resumption of citizenship	34 months	No Change
Renunciation of Citizenship	16 months	– 1 month
Search of citizenship records	16 months	+ 1 month
New PR card	92 days	+ 1 Day
PR card renewals	87 days	– 2 Days

Processing Time for Family Sponsorship

Application Type	Current Processing Time	Change From Last Week
Spouse or common-law partner living outside Canada	18 months	– 2 months
Spouse or common-law partner living inside Canada	14 months	No Change
Parents or Grandparents PR	38 months	+ 1 month

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

Processing time for Economic Class

Application Type	Current Processing Time	Change From Last Week
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	20 months	+ 1 month
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)	29 months	+ 2 months
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)	62 months	+ 12 months
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) via Express Entry	13 months	– 1 month
Non-Express Entry PNP	22 months	No Change
Quebec Skilled Worker	21 months	– 1 month
Quebec Business Class	65 months	No Change
Federal Self-Employed	42 months	No Change
Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP)	12 months	– 2 months
Start-Up Visa	32 months	+ 1 month

Processing Time for Temporary Residence Application

Application Type	Current Processing Time	Change From Last Week
Visitor visa outside Canada	Varies by country India: 160 days Nigeria: 179 Days United States: 49 Days Pakistan: 257 Days Philippines: 115 Days UAE: 217 Days Bangladesh: 215 Days Sri Lanka: 212 Days United Kingdom: 133 Days	+ 2 Days for India – 5 Days for Nigeria – 7 Days for United States + 30 Days for Pakistan – 3 Days for Philippines + 19 Days for UAE + 66 Days for Bangladesh – 3 Days for Sri Lanka – 2 Days for UK
Visitor visa inside Canada	Online: 24 days Paper-Based: 46 days	+ 2 Days for online + 1 Day for paper-based
Parents or Grandparents Supervisa	Varies by country India: 163 Days Nigeria: 236 Days United States: 462 Days Pakistan: 240 Days Philippines: 181 Days UAE: 179 Days Bangladesh: 172 Days Sri Lanka: 277 Days United Kingdom: 179 Days	– 8 Days for India – 4 Days for Nigeria – 137 Days for United States – 2 Days for Pakistan + 1 Days for Philippines – 6 Days for UAE + 7 Days for Bangladesh + 7 Days for Sri Lanka – 6 Days for UK
Visitor Extension (Visitor Record)	Online: 198 days Paper-Based: 163 days	– 6 Days (Online) – 2 Days (Paper-Based)
Study Permit Outside Canada	9 Weeks	– 2 Weeks
Study Permit Inside Canada	3 Weeks	– 1 Week
Study Permit Extension	Online: 75 Days Paper-Based: 104 Days	+ 5 Day (Online) + 3 Days (Paper-Based)
Work Permit Outside Canada*	Varies by country India: 8 Weeks Nigeria: 27 Weeks United States: 18 Weeks Pakistan: 56 Weeks Philippines: 11 Weeks UAE: 32 Weeks Bangladesh: 38 Weeks Sri Lanka: 35 Weeks United Kingdom: 9 Weeks	– 5 Weeks for India – 4 Weeks for Nigeria + 4 Weeks for United States + 9 Weeks for Pakistan No Change for Philippines + 5 Weeks for UAE No Change for Bangladesh No Change for Sri Lanka – 1 Week for UK
Work Permit Inside Canada	Online: 168 Days Paper-Based: 81 Days	+ 2 Days (Online) – 3 for paper-based
International Experience Canada (Current Season)**	5 Weeks	No Change
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)	5 minutes	No Change

**Applications for critical occupations are being prioritized. If you are not applying for a job in a critical occupation, your processing time may be longer than shown above.*

Source: IRCC

Spousal Open Work Permit New IRCC temporary policy

New IRCC Temporary Policy For Spousal Open Work Permit Eligibility26 January 2023, 9:05 AM EST

Starting on January 30, 2023 – The IRCC will temporarily extend open work permit eligibility to spouses and dependent children of most work permit holders at all skill levels.

This temporary policy was initially announced by Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser on December 2, 2022.

As announced, phase 1 of this new temporary policy will now come in effect beginning January 30.

Phase	Effective Date
Phase 1 – allows family members of employees who come to Canada to apply for an open work visa through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program.	January 30, 2023
Phase 2 – Following consultations, the legislation will be expanded to include family members of employees from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.	To be decided
Phase 3 – Consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders will be conducted to examine the practical viability of expanding the measure to cover family members of agricultural employees.	To be decided

Before this temporary policy, spouses were only eligible for a spousal open work permit, if the principal applicant worked in a high-skill occupation, defined under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.

However, now spouses will be eligible for open work permit if the principal applicant is working in any occupation under TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/canada-open-work-permit-all-you-need-to-know/

IRCC shared eligibility and ineligibility under this new spousal open work permit temporary policy as mentioned below.

Who is eligible?

Spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child of a work permit holder is eligible, if the work permit holder in Canada:

works in a job of any TEER (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities) category (0 to 5), or
have an open work permit such as PGWP (post-graduation work permit holder) at all skill levels, or
are permanent resident applicant under economic class currently holding a valid work permit

Who is not eligible at this time?

Spouses and dependents of work permit holders in TEER 4 or 5 jobs are not eligible at this time, if the work permit holders are currently working:

under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program’s (SAWP) low-wage stream; and
the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s Agricultural Stream

Children qualify as dependants if they are:

unmarried or don’t have a common-law partner, and
less than 22 years of age

Children aged more than 22 years can also qualify as dependants only if they are:

unable to support themselves financially because of a physical or mental condition, and
rely on their parents for financially since before they were 22

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/new-ircc-instructions-for-post-graduate-work-permit-pgwp/

Canada Immigration Backlog Drops To 918,30024 January 2023, 4:18 PM EST

Finally, the Canada immigration backlog drops below 1 million. As per new updated IRCC data, overall backlog has now reduced to 918,300.

Additionally, 1.055 million applications are still being processed within IRCC service standards. This number has increased from 1.02 million since November 30 data.

The backlog has been continuously reducing since September 30, 2022 as follows:

Date	Backlog	Total Applications Under Processing
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

Overall, there were 1.97 million applications that were being processed at IRCC. This data has been updated by IRCC today and is true as of December 31, 2022.

IRCC minister confirmed that backlog data is different from service standard data.

For example, if spousal sponsorship specifies a processing period of 12 months, an application that is being processed within 12 months is “NOT” a backlog. Rather, it will be classified as standard processing.

However, if it surpasses the 12-month service requirement, it is referred to as a backlog.

It should be noted that IRCC’s goal is to complete 80% of applications within service standards. Click here to view the category-wise IRCC service standards.

Application Type	Overall Processing Inventory	Backlog	Within Service Standards
Citizenship	301,000	85,000	216,000
Permanent Residence	620,800	361,300	259,500
Temporary Residence	1,052,000	472,000	580,000
Total	1,973,800	918,300	1,055,500

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/ircc-considering-new-measures-to-clear-visitor-visa-backlog/

Below are the category-wise Canada Immigration backlog projections by IRCC

1. Federal High Skilled Backlog

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%
Feb 23	–	20%
Mar 23	–	20%

2. Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry) Backlog

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	–	40%
Feb 23	–	39%
Mar 23	–	38%

***3. Spouses, Partners and children applications* *Backlog***

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%
Feb 23	–	24%
Mar 23	–	24%

***4. Citizenship* *Backlog***

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	34%
Aug 22	31%	31%
Sep 22	31%	30%
Oct 22	28%	29%
Nov 22	27%	27%
Dec 22	28%	26%
Jan 23	–	26%
Feb 23	–	25%
Mar 23	–	24%

5. Study Permits Backlog

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	27%	31%
Dec 22	33%	33%
Jan 23	–	36%
Feb 23	–	33%
Mar 23	–	23%

6. Work Permits Backlog

**As per IRCC, approximately 73% of work permits applications are from the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel.

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	28%	55%
Dec 22	26%	60%
Jan 23	–	58%
Feb 23	–	47%
Mar 23	–	30%

7. Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Visitor Visa Backlog

**As per IRCC, approximately 20% of temporary resident visa or visitor visa applications are from the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel.

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%	66%
Jan 23	–	77%
Feb 23	–	76%
Mar 23	–	73%

Source: IRCC official website

Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) for Canada Immigration23 January 2023, 9:04 AM EST
Most immigration and visa programs for Canada require a police clearance certificate commonly known as PCC or just police certificate.

A PCC is a simple statement that you need to get from the police. It states if you have a criminal record/charges against you or not.

The purpose of this certificate is to assure that you are not a security risk to Canada. IRCC needs to know that you have not been involved in any criminal activity.

However, if you have a criminal record, IRCC will assess your admissibility on the basis of this certificate.

If the immigration officer feels that you with your past criminal activity pose a danger to Canada, they may deny your entry.

PCC can usually take around a month or more depending upon your country of birth/citizenship/long stay.

So, it is always advisable to apply it proactively to avoid unnecessary delays in processing.

This article lists everything you need to know about getting a police certificate.

When do you need a PCC for Canada immigration?

Most immigration programs in Canada require you to provide a police clearance certificate. Furthermore, you may also need a PCC for Canadian Citizenship.

If you are applying for a PR through any category (Express Entry, International Experience Candidate, or Provincial Nominee Programs) you need this certificate.

Every person aged 18 or over needs to prove that they are not criminally inadmissible. Furthermore, Any family member applying with the primary applicant also needs a certificate.

Also, spousal sponsorship also needs a police certificate.

So, anybody planning to come to Canada permanently or for a long period of time needs this certificate.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/overcoming-criminal-inadmissibility-in-canada-know-your-options/

What should the police certificate include?

Each country has a different police verification certificate. However, your certificate must include-
- Logo of the authority
- Date of issue
- A clear subject line that shows it is a police clearance certificate, judicial record extract, good conduct certificate, or similar
- Statement attesting lack of criminal record or list of offences
- Seal/sign of the official authority.
If your police certification is in another language, you must also provide an official/certified translation of the document and an affidavit with your application.

Where to get your police certificate from?

You need to get the certificate from the country of current residence (if outside Canada) and from each country you have resided in for more than 6 months since your 18th birthday.

The process of getting this differs from country to country. Click here to know “How to get a police certificate” depending upon your country of citizenship.

In some countries, this certificate is also called a judicial record extract or even a good conduct certificate.

So, it is important to ensure that the police certificate you are getting is accepted by CIC.

Also, if you’re unable to get a police certificate from your country, you’re responsible to show why you can’t get one.

To prove that you can’t get a police certificate, you must:
- show proof that you requested a police certificate from the correct authorities and
- write a letter explaining all the efforts you have taken to get one

IEC 2023: Second Draw of The Year Sent 7,118 New Invites21 January 2023, 9:29 AM EST

International Experience Canada – IEC 2023: IEC 2023 sent 7,118 in the second round of invitation for the week ending January 20, 2023.

6,370 invitations were sent under the Working Holiday category of IEC. There are currently 22,114 candidates in Working Holiday pool from 32 countries.

398 invites went to Young Professional category and 350 to international Co-op (internship) category.

Last week, the first round of invitation of IEC 2023 sent whopping 11,490 invitations. IEC current season has a processing time of 7 weeks as of January 18 IRCC processing update.

This article enlist the Countries with invitations issued as of January 20, 2023.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/iec-2023-is-now-open-here-is-the-country-wise-quota/

1. IEC 2023 Working Holiday

The type of work permit you get for Working Holiday is an open work permit.

This lets you work for almost any employer in Canada.

This category is for you if you:

don’t have a job offer
want to work for more than one employer in Canada
want to work in more than one location
like to earn some money so that you can travel

Country	Invitations Issued This Week (Jan 16 – 20)	Total Invitations (IEC 2023)	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Andorra	0	1	1	25
Australia	415	1,470	214	Unlimited
Austria	11	76	12	50
Belgium	89	327	45	519
Chile	N/A	N/A	5,955	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	5	28	805	61
Croatia	16	38	0	251
Czech Republic	89	326	29	796
Denmark	25	60	19	308
Estonia	13	31	5	90
France	1,621	2,804	9,764	5,063
Germany	N/A	N/A	1,283	To Be Announced
Greece	38	120	12	102
Hong Kong	34	122	11	125
Ireland	639	1,955	281	9,292
Italy	162	542	59	1,405
Japan	386	1,136	189	5,677
Korea Republic	1,200	2,220	2,755	2,617
Latvia	6	42	5	15
Lithuania	129	129	12	98
Luxembourg	1	10	1	73
Netherlands	81	323	42	222
New Zealand	170	547	76	2,119
Norway	8	24	2	115
Poland	48	235	27	485
Portugal	82	222	43	1,602
San Marino	0	0	2	25
Slovakia	160	160	24	219
Slovenia	4	17	1	71
Spain	190	517	82	456
Sweden	23	58	14	548
United Kingdom	725	2,604	344	3,363
*Total*	6,370	16,144	22,114	35,792

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/targeted-express-entry-draws-know-new-categories-proposed-by-ircc/

2. IEC 2023 Young Professionals

The type of work permit you get in the Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit.

This category is for you if

you have a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

Country	Invitations Issued This Week (Jan 16 – 20)	Total Invitations (IEC 2023)	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Australia	10	22	7	Unlimited
Austria	0	2	0	59
Chile	N/A	N/A	133	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	52	82	9	0
Croatia	2	3	0	18
Czech Republic	17	63	9	105
Estonia	1	2	0	9
France	208	723	116	1,768
Germany	N/A	N/A	91	To Be Announced
Greece	16	52	8	0
Ireland	7	27	5	139
Italy	16	69	9	172
Latvia	0	2	0	7
Lithuania	N/A	9	1	14
Luxembourg	0	0	0	10
Netherlands	14	48	6	143
Norway	1	2	0	13
Poland	4	19	3	99
Portugal	1	10	1	194
Slovakia	N/A	16	2	20
Slovenia	0	0	0	15
Spain	5	40	3	129
Sweden	2	10	0	95
Switzerland	8	48	14	166
Taiwan	9	39	4	32
Total	398	1,288	421	3,207

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/check-out-latest-ircc-processing-times-as-of-january-18/

3. IEC – International Co-op (Internship)

The type of work permit you get in the International Co-op (Internship) category is an employer-specific work permit.

This category is for you if

you’re a student registered at a post-secondary institution
you have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada
you need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

Country	Invitations Issued This Week (Jan 16 – 20)	Total Invitations (IEC 2023)	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Australia	0	0	0	Unlimited
Austria	1	1	0	19
Chile	N/A	N/A	1	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	0	0	0	5
Croatia	0	0	0	5
Czech Republic	0	0	0	5
Estonia	0	0	0	5
France	343	1,155	166	3,411
Germany		N/A	36	To Be Announced
Greece	0	0	0	10
Ireland	2	4	0	47
Italy	0	2	0	48
Latvia	0	0	0	2
Lithuania	0	0	0	5
Luxembourg	1	3	0	9
Norway	0	0	0	5
Poland	0	2	0	3
Portugal	0	0	0	50
Slovakia	0	0	0	5
Slovenia	0	0	0	5
Spain	0	2	0	49
Sweden	0	0	0	20
Switzerland	2	5	2	48
Taiwan	1	2	0	9
Total	350	1176	205	3,765

Source: IRCC

IRCC Doubles PR Quota For Out-Of-Status Construction Workers In GTA20 January 2023, 1:04 PM EST
Today, IRCC announced doubling the Permanent Residency (PR) quota, for the out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Julie Dzerowicz, Member of Parliament for Davenport and Peter Fonseca, Member of Parliament for Mississauga East-Cooksville made this announcement today, on the behalf of IRCC Minister Sean Fraser.

Out-Of-Status Construction Workers pilot program was initially announced in 2019 with allocation of PR spots to 500 out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Today, IRCC extended and expanded, doubling its scope to 1,000 out-of-status construction workers in the GTA.

GTA for this pilot program consists of City of Toronto and the regions of Durham, Halton, Peel, York. This pilot is currently open until January 2, 2024.

Eligibility For Out-Of Status Construction Workers Pilot Program?

Applicants with significant work experience in construction occupations in the GTA, family members in Canada, and a referral letter from the CLC.

Furthermore, they have no reason for being inadmissible other than overstaying their visa and working without authorization.

You can apply for permanent residency under this governmental policy, if you:
- have entered Canada as a temporary resident but currently have no status
- live in Canada and have been here for at least 5 years
- have worked a minimum of 4,680 hours in these 5 years (1 full-time job OR 1 or more part-time jobs OR a combination of full-time and part-time work)
- have family in Canada (mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin)
- be referred by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- be otherwise admissible to Canada
https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/new-noc-codes-in-canada-step-wise-guide-to-find-your-noc/

List of Eligible Occupations For Out-Of Status Construction Workers Pilot Program
- 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 72100 – Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
- 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 72202 – Power system electricians
- NOC 72203 – Electrical power line and cable workers
- NOC 72204 – Telecommunications line and cable workers
- NOC 72205 – Telecommunications installation and repair workers
- NOC 72300 – Plumbers
- NOC 72301 – Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- NOC 72302 – Gas fitters
- NOC 72310 – Carpenters
- NOC 72311 – Cabinetmakers
- NOC 72320 – Bricklayers
- NOC 72321 – Insulators
- NOC 72020 – Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- NOC 72021 – Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
- NOC 72022 – Supervisors, printing and related occupations
- NOC 72023 – Supervisors, railway transport operations
- NOC 72024 – Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators
- 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 72405 – Machine fitters
- NOC 72406 – Elevator constructors and mechanics
- NOC 72410 – Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
- NOC 72411 – Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators
- NOC 72420 – Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics
- NOC 72421 – Appliance servicers and repairers
- NOC 72422 – Electrical mechanics
- NOC 72423 – Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics
- NOC 72429 – Other small engine and small equipment repairers
- NOC 72500 – Crane operators
- NOC 72501 – Water well drillers
- NOC 72999 – Other technical trades and related occupations
- 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 73113 – Floor covering installers
- NOC 73200 – Residential and commercial installers and servicers
- NOC 73310 – Railway and yard locomotive engineers
- NOC 73311 – Railway conductors and brakemen/women
- NOC 73400 – Heavy equipment operators
- NOC 73401 – Printing press operators
- NOC 73402 – Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction
- NOC 75110 – Construction trades helpers and labourers

First IEC 2023 Round Of Invitations Sent 11,490 New Invites14 January 2023, 10:00 AM EST

International Experience Canada – IEC 2023 Open Pools: IEC 2023 sent 11,490 invitations in the first round of invitation to applicants for the week of January 9, 2023.

9,774 invitations were sent under the Working Holiday category of IEC. There are currently 23,425 candidates in Working Holiday pool from different countries.

This article enlist the Countries with invitations issued as of January 13, 2023.

Furthermore, these countries have 80%-99% chances of invitation in the round of invitations next week.

As per IRCC, these chances of invitation rating is affected by several factors, including the number of candidates who have:

accepted their invitations,
declined their invitations,
not yet responded to their invitations,
let their invitations expire, or
withdrawn their profiles.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/international-experience-canada-iec-is-now-open-for-2023/

1. IEC 2023 Working Holiday

The type of work permit you get for Working Holiday is an open work permit. This lets you work for almost any employer in Canada. This category is for you if you:

don’t have a job offer
want to work for more than one employer in Canada
want to work in more than one location
like to earn some money so that you can travel

Country	Invitations issued Until January 13, 2023	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Andorra	1	1	25
Australia	1,055	312	Unlimited
Austria	65	9	60
Belgium	238	71	592
Chile	N/A	5,349	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	23	760	66
Croatia	22	11	262
Czech Republic	237	77	856
Denmark	35	15	326
Estonia	18	10	99
France	1,183	9,958	6,232
Germany	N/A	1,099	To Be Announced
Greece	82	32	130
Hong Kong	88	26	147
Ireland	1,316	528	9,704
Italy	380	128	1,515
Japan	750	285	6,005
Korea Republic	1,020	3,393	3,384
Latvia	36	5	20
Lithuania	N/A	123	To Be Announced
Luxembourg	9	0	74
Netherlands	242	63	280
New Zealand	377	136	2,255
Norway	16	6	119
Poland	187	38	520
Portugal	140	67	1,661
San Marino	0	0	25
Slovakia	N/A	153	To Be Announced
Slovenia	13	1	72
Spain	327	162	593
Sweden	35	14	559
United Kingdom	1,879	593	3,855
Total	9,774	23,425	39,436

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/iec-2023-is-now-open-here-is-the-country-wise-quota/

2. IEC 2023 Young Professionals

The type of work permit you get in the Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit. This category is for you if

you have a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

Country	Invitations issued Until January 13, 2023	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Australia	12	5	Unlimited
Austria	2	0	59
Chile	N/A	121	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	30	49	0
Croatia	1	2	19
Czech Republic	46	14	117
Estonia	1	1	9
France	515	188	1,899
Germany	N/A	74	To Be Announced
Greece	36	14	0
Ireland	20	6	140
Italy	53	14	178
Latvia	2	0	7
Lithuania	N/A	9	To Be Announced
Luxembourg	0	0	10
Netherlands	34	10	152
Norway	1	1	14
Poland	15	3	101
Portugal	9	1	194
Slovakia	N/A	16	To Be Announced
Slovenia	0	0	15
Spain	35	5	133
Sweden	8	1	95
Switzerland	40	7	172
Taiwan	30	9	36
Total	890	550	3,350

3. IEC – International Co-op (Internship)

The type of work permit you get in the International Co-op (Internship) category is an employer-specific work permit. This category is for you if

you’re a student registered at a post-secondary institution
you have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada
you need to do this work placement or internship to complete your studies
you’ll work for the same employer in the same location during your stay in Canada

Country	Invitations issued Until January 13, 2023	Candidates In Pool	Available Spots
Australia	0	0	Unlimited
Austria	0	1	20
Chile	N/A	0	To Be Announced
Costa Rica	0	0	5
Croatia	0	0	5
Czech Republic	0	0	5
Estonia	0	0	5
France	812	264	3,664
Germany	N/A	33	To Be Announced
Greece	0	0	10
Ireland	2	1	48
Italy	2	0	49
Latvia	0	0	2
Lithuania	N/A	0	To Be Announced
Luxembourg	2	1	10
Norway	0	0	5
Poland	2	0	3
Portugal	0	0	50
Slovakia	N/A	0	To Be Announced
Slovenia	0	0	5
Spain	2	0	49
Sweden	0	0	20
Switzerland	3	2	49
Taiwan	1	1	9
Total	826	303	4,013

Source: IRCC

Canada Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program – Know How It Works9 January 2023, 9:10 AM EST
The Canada Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) permits employers to employ temporary foreign workers (TFW) when locals such as Canadians and permanent residents are unavailable.

These employers may hire TFWs from participating countries between January 1 and December 15 for a maximum of 8 months, provided they can offer the workers 240 hours of work in 6 weeks or less.

Learn more about the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, who can apply, the application process and more below.

Who can apply for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)?

To be eligible for this program, worker must be from participating countries. Furthermore, work activity must be on-farm primary agriculture and production must be in specific commodity categories.

Participating countries

You must be a national of the following countries to participate in this program:
- Mexico
- Caribbean countries of:
  - Anguilla
  - Antigua and Barbuda
  - Barbados
  - Dominica
  - Grenada
  - Jamaica
  - Montserrat
  - St. Kitts-Nevis
  - St. Lucia
  - St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  - Trinidad and Tobago
https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/ircc-announces-new-temporary-work-permit-policy-for-2-years/

National commodity list
- Apiary products
- Fruits, vegetables (including canning/processing of these products if grown on the farm)
- Mushrooms
- Flowers
- Nursery-grown trees including Christmas trees, greenhouses/nurseries
- Pedigreed canola seed
- Seed corn
- Grains
- Oil seeds
- Maple syrup
- Sod
- Tobacco
- Bovine
- Dairy
- Duck
- Horse
- Mink
- Poultry
- Sheep
- Swine
How to apply for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program?

Each foreign government has its method of recruiting and selecting employees. The governments of participating countries will:

Recruit and choose the workers and ensure employees have the essential documentation

Have to maintain a pool of qualified workers, and assign representatives to help the workers in Canada

The government of participating countries are also responsible to ensure selected workers are:
- experienced in farming
- at least 18 years of age
- able to satisfy the:
  - Canadian immigration laws, and
  - laws of the worker’s home country
https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/canada-open-work-permit-all-you-need-to-know/

Pay your application fees

Your fee amount and payment options depend on the location you are applying from. In addition, you may also need to pay for biometrics.

To learn more about the fee amount and how to pay, refer to this IRCC link. First, enter where you are applying from and the type of application you are submitting. Then, select the best fit options from the drop-down menu, and hit “Get payment instructions.”

Working with other employers

While in Canada, it is possible that you may need to work on more than one farm and have different employers. However, you do not need a new work permit to work for different employers.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that you will not be asked to work for a different employer on another farm without your consent.

Remember that if you are on an employer-specific work permit, you can only work for the employer listed on your work permit. Moreover, before you apply for this program, your employer must have a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Use National Occupation Classification 2021

With the implementation of the new TEER system, IRCC has updated to use the latest version of the National Occupation Classification (NOC), which is NOC 2021.

As a result, if you have on or after November 16, 2022, ensure that you use the NOC 2021 codes. Nevertheless, if you submitted your application before November 16, you can continue using the NOC 2016 in your application.

For more information of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, check out IRCC’s official page.
Implied Status Meaning For Visitors, Students Or Workers-All You Need To Know7 January 2023, 9:53 AM EST
Visitors, students, or foreign workers can lawfully remain in Canada until a decision is made on their application if they apply to extend their status before it expires. This time between the decision made and after expiry of temporary residents’ status is called implied status.

In this article, you can learn more about implied status and how it may affect the period of your authorized stay.
Canada implied status

Temporary residents must apply at least 30 days before their current permit expires to extend their stay in Canada.

If their application is being processed when their current permit expires, they can remain in Canada under the same conditions as their previous permit.

For example, a temporary worker who applies to extend their work visa before it expires can continue to work in Canada for the same company while waiting for a decision.

Nevertheless, the temporary worker must stop working on the day their existing permit expires unless they have applied for another permit.

This can be extension of their work permit to work for a different employer or changing to a study permit.

If the status extension application is approved, the applicant (and their family member) can remain in Canada as long as they comply with the new permit conditions.

Moreover, the new permit would include an issue date. It could imply a waiting period between the issuance of the new permit and the current permit’s expiration.

However, it will not be a problem if the person later decides to seek permanent residency. This waiting period between expiration of existing permit and issuance of new one will be considered legal stay in Canada.

Immigration officer will recognize that this period is covered by implied status.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/will-international-students-full-time-work-policy-extend/

Travelling outside Canada while having an implied status

It’s crucial to remember that implied status only applies while the applicant is still in Canada.

A temporary resident with implied status who departs the country may be allowed to return as a temporary resident if certain conditions are met, which may include the following:
- The individual does not require a temporary residence visa or is exempt, or
- Has a valid temporary resident visa (TRV)
However, until a decision is reached about the application for the extension of status, a person with implied status would not be able to resume work or study.

Additionally, the applicant must show the officer at the port of entry proof of enough financial support while awaiting the outcome.

Therefore, it is strongly advised that anyone with implied status who departs the country do so with documentation proving that they have applied for a permit extension.

Upon departing Canada, a person having implied status (either to work or study) effectively forfeits that right until a decision is made regarding the application to work or study in Canada.

For instance, a student who has applied to extend their study permit and leaves Canada might be permitted to return. However, until a decision is reached on the application, they will not be able to study in Canada.

However, they could have legally continued to study in Canada if they had stayed on implied status.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/trv-for-international-students-workers-why-how-to-apply/

How implied status affects the length of the authorized stay?

If the application for extension has been approved

If the extension application is approved, the document’s date of issuance shows when the decision on the application was made.

The applicant’s authorized stay period is now equal to the validity of the new document.

The border services officer may impose a period of stay, if the applicant leaves Canada and returns. Meanwhile, the application for an extension is refused before the end of this period.

In that case, the applicant may remain in Canada until the end of the stay specified by the border services officer.

If the extension application is refused

If the extension application is refused, the applicant is deemed in status until a decision is reached on their application.

Moreover, the 90-day restoration period begins on the date of refusal.

If the applicant leaves Canada and returns, the border services officer imposes a period of stay, and the application for extension is refused before the end of this period, the applicant may remain in Canada until the end of the stay specified by the border services officer.

If the extension application is withdrawn

There is no longer a pending extension application as of the day the withdrawal is registered, if the extension application is withdrawn. Consequently, the authorized stay period expires on that day.

If the applicant left Canada, the border services officer imposed a period of stay upon re-entry, and the extension request is withdrawn before the expiration of this period, the applicant may stay in Canada for the duration of the stay specified by the border services officer.

If the extension application is rejected

It is viewed as if the application was never submitted, if the application for an extension is rejected (deemed incomplete).

As a result, the applicant will continue to be in status until their current temporary resident status expires.

Source: IRCC

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/how-to-restore-temporary-residence-status-in-canada/

Canada Unemployment Rate Drops To 5% – New StatCan Report6 January 2023, 8:14 PM EST

January 6 – New Statistics Canada data shows that the unemployment rate decreased to 5% in December as compared to November 2022.

This unemployment rate is just above the record low of 4.9% recorded in June and July of 2022.

Sectors	December 2022 (in thousands)	%Age Change November to December 2022
Employees	17098.0	+ 0.5%
Public sector employees	4243.5	– 0.4%
Private sector employees	12854.5	+ 0.9%
Self-employed	2672.3	+ 0.4%

Overall, employment increased by 104,000 (+0.5%) in the month of December 2022.

Province-Wise Unemployment Rate In Canada

Provinces	Unemployment rate	Monthly changes (in pts)
Ontario	5.3%	– 0.2
Alberta	5.8%	No Change
British Columbia	4.2%	– 0.2
Quebec	4.0%	+ 0.2
Manitoba	4.4%	No Change
Saskatchewan	4.1%	– 0.1
New Brunswick	8.1%	+ 0.8
Nova Scotia	6.7%	+ 0.7
Prince Edward Island	5.6%	– 1.2
Newfoundland and Labrador	10.1%	– 0.6

In December, employment rose in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan. The other provinces saw minimal change.

Employees absent due to illness or disability were at 8.1% of the time in December, up from 6.8% in November.

This was greater than the pre-pandemic December average of 6.9% observed from 2017 to 2019.

Employment among young people aged 15 to 24 increased by 69,000 (+2.7%) in the last month of 2022.

There was a rise in full-time employment among non-students as well as an increase in part-time employment among students.

Industry-Wise Employment In Canada

Industry	December 2022 (in thousands)	%Age Change November to December 2022
Wholesale and retail trade	2855.3	-0.3
Health care and social assistance	2608.0	-0.7
Professional, scientific and technical services	1844.0	1.3
Manufacturing	1754.9	-0.4
Construction	1544.3	2.3
Educational services	1483.8	-0.7
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing	1362.9	0.2
Public administration	1154.6	0.9
Accommodation and food services	1099.0	1.2
Transportation and warehousing	1013.4	3.0
Information, culture and recreation	840.0	3.1
Other services (except public administration)	757.6	1.3
Business, building and other support services	711.9	0.4
Natural resources	334.8	-0.6
Agriculture	260.6	0.5
Utilities	145.3	-2.9

The number of construction workers increased by 35,000 (+2.3%). Increases were recorded in four provinces, with Ontario (+16,000; +2.7%) and Alberta (+13,000; +5.8%) leading the way.

Employment in transportation and warehousing increased by 29,000 (+3.0%) in December, recouping 18,000 lost in September and marking the industry’s first significant growth since November 2021.

Furthermore, employment in information, culture, and leisure increased by 25,000 (+3.1%) in December, following a 16,000 increase in November.

The number of individuals employed in professional, scientific, and technical services increased by 23,000 (+1.3%), with growth concentrated in Ontario (+22,000; +2.8%).

There were also more persons employed in accommodation and food services (+13,000; +1.2%), public administration (+11,000; +0.9%), and “other services” (+10,000; +1.3%).

However, employment in healthcare and social assistance dropped (-17,000; -0.7%), despite a record high number of job openings in the business in recent months.

Here Are Canada Work Permit Options Without an LMIA6 January 2023, 8:28 AM EST
Most people who move to Canada and want to settle here know about Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

An LMIA is a labor market test that the government requires when an employer is looking to hire a foreign national due to labor shortages.

However, there are a few ways that allow people to work in Canada temporarily without needing an LMIA. This is because of various economic, social, and cultural policy reasons.

One of the most common ways this happens is through the Canadian interests category of the International Mobility Program (IMP).

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/understanding-lmia-for-canada-here-is-all-you-need-to-know/

The IMP generally has four common streams that work without requiring an LMIA. These four streams are listed below –

1. Significant benefit

You may work in Canada without an LMIA if your work contributes significantly to the country’s culture or society. In this stream, foreign workers who want to perform duties that will benefit Canadians, get a work permit.

These duties should create or maintain social, cultural, or economic benefits. Also, you should help create new opportunities for the people of Canada.

Apart from this, there are other objective measures that you need to fulfill. You should have proof of-
- An official academic record shows you have a degree, diploma, or certificate. Having a similar achievement from a learning institution relating to their work area also works.
- Work from current or former employers. This should show that you have 10 or more years of experience in the occupation for which you’re coming to Canada
- Your membership in organizations requiring excellence of its members
- Any national or international awards or patents you received (if applicable)
- That you have ever been the judge of the work of others (if applicable)
- Receiving recognition for achievements and significant contributions to the field. This could be by peers, governmental organizations, or professional or business associations
- Your scientific or scholarly contributions to the field
- Whether you have held a leading role in an organization with a distinguished reputation.
A few programs that exist under this stream are –

Entrepreneurs/Self-Employed

If you want to start a business in Canada, this program is for you. However, you must be the sole or majority owner of the company. Also, you need to prove that your business will benefit Canadians greatly.

Intra-Company transfers

You can apply for a work permit under this stream if you are coming to Canada to work for an affiliate, parent company, subsidiary, or Canadian branch of their foreign employer.

PNP Nominees as Entrepreneurs

This stream is for potential nominees through PNP coming to Canada as an entrepreneur. They get work permit without LMIA to start and operate their business in Canada, once selected by a particular Entrepreneur stream.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/international-experience-canada-iec-is-now-open-for-2023/

2. Charitable and religious workers

Charitable and religious workers stream doesn’t need an LMIA. Under this, people who want to come to Canada and conduct religious or charitable duties, do not need an LMIA.

Charitable work is any work that aims to relieve poverty. Moreover, work done to advance education also falls under this.

So, any work that provided benefits to society is considered charitable. Note that any organization that is registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is seen as more credible.

If you are a volunteer for charitable work you do not need a work permit. Also, a standard charitable worker needs a work permit but remains LMIA-exempt

If you apply as a religious worker, you need to be part of, or share, the beliefs of the particular religious community where you intend to work or have the ability to teach or share other religious beliefs.

3. Reciprocal employment

Another common way of working in Canada without an LMIA is by getting employment opportunities in Canada as a product of similar opportunities provided to Canadians working abroad.

So, this stream provides work permits to people who perform duties in Canada that help create or maintain international relationships.

Also, it should provide employment opportunities to Canadian citizens or permanent residents in other countries too.

There are international agreements and international exchange programs that let them work here. These programs mutually benefit non-Canadians coming to work in this country and natural-born Canadians working in countries around the world.

For example, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement is a measure of reciprocal employment provided to Canadians in many international locations.

Also, programs like International Experience Canada (IEC) provide opportunities for Canadians to flourish through experiencing life abroad.

So people applying through the IMP from countries upholding working relationships with Canada don’t need an LMIA.

https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/new-ircc-instructions-for-post-graduate-work-permit-pgwp/

4. Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program is one of the most common prominent non-LMIA programs. It is a part of this stream.

This program provides international students who graduate from an eligible program an open work permit.

You can complete the program from any Canadian-designated learning institution. After this, you get a work permit for up to three years.

However, the actual length of a permit depends on the length of the educational program from which you graduate. You can work for a Canadian employer of your choice.

You do not need an existing job offer at the time of application. This program is one of the most popular ways through which Canada provides most of its non-LMIA work permits on an annual basis.

Also, this program provides work permits to the spouses of and common-law partners of full-time students and foreign nationals who have come to Canada as skilled workers.

Check Out Latest IRCC Processing Times As Of January 44 January 2023, 7:46 PM EST

Year 2023 has started, but IRCC is still dealing with processing unprecedented amount of applications.

This article enlists newly updated IRCC processing times as of January 4, 2023.

As per recent data, IRCC processed more than 5.2 million applications in 2022. This was more than double the files processed in 2021.

IRCC updated their online processing tool in 2022 to provide accurate information on average processing times.

These processing times are provided to offer Canada immigration/visa applicants an estimate of how long their applications may take to process.

In addition, prospective candidates wishing to apply for Canadian immigration/visa can get a sense of what to expect before filing their application.

According to the most recent official IRCC data, the Canadian immigration backlog stood at 1.09 million.

Furthermore, 1.02 million applications were still being handled in accordance with IRCC service standards. In total, IRCC was processing around 2.1 million applications as of November 30, 2022.

These processing times are to ensure that Canada immigration/visa applicants get a faint idea of their applications’ processing.

These processing times are meant to give new weekly processing time based on data collected over the past 6 months.

Additionally, the processing time begins when IRCC receives the application and ends when the immigration officer reaches a decision on the application.

IRCC Processing Times for Citizenship & PR cards

Application Type	Current Processing Time	Change From Last Week
Citizenship grant	24 months	No Change
Citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)	15 months	– 1 month
Resumption of citizenship	34 months	No Change
Renunciation of Citizenship	15 months	– 1 month
Search of citizenship records	16 months	No Change
New PR card	91 days	+ 2 days
PR card renewals	80 days	– 1 Day