On June 7, 2022, enhancements to Canada’s super visa program were announced by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. These enhancements will make it easier for Canadians to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada and will allow super visa holders to stay for a longer period of time. These changes, which come into force on July 4, 2022, will increase the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada and people who have a super visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to 2 years at a time while in Canada. The enhancements will also allow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future. Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the necessary medical coverage that super visa applicants are required to have. Information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date. Read the full announcement here.
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Good News for EE candidates, international students and TR to PR applicants still waiting for decision.
April 22, 2022—Several measures were announced today by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
- Express Entry draws will soon resume and that invitations for candidates to apply for permanent residence will begin in early July, and the vast majority of new applications will be processed within the 6-month service standard.
- A new temporary policy will give recent international graduates with expiring temporary status an opportunity to stay in Canada longer so that they can continue to gain work experience and have a better chance at qualifying for permanent residency. Starting in the summer of 2022, former international students who are in Canada and have a post-graduation work permit expiring between January and December 2022 will qualify for an additional open work permit of up to 18 months.
- The temporary public policy implemented in August 2020, allows foreign nationals in Canada as visitors to apply for an employer-specific work permit without having to leave Canada and this temporary public policy has been extended to February 28, 2023.
- Those who applied for permanent residence through the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway last year and are still being processed as of this summer no longer be required to remain in Canada while their application is being processed and applicants who apply for an open work permit while waiting for their permanent residence application to be finalized will be able to get work permits valid until the end of 2024. To support family reunification, immediate family members who are outside Canada and who were included in a principal applicant’s permanent residence application will be eligible for their own open work permit.
Changes BC Provincial Nominee Program
On March 10, 2022, many changes to the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) were announced. All changes can be found in the new version of the BC PNP Skills Immigration Program Guide that is now available.
Key changes, effective March 10, 2022, include:
- Targeted invitations to apply will give priority access to select occupations in the care economy, specifically registrants whose occupation is on a pre-determined list of in-demand health occupations as well as early childhood educators.
- Healthcare assistants and dental assistants have been added to the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled category as eligible occupations.
- Targeted invitations to apply (priority access) replaces the registration points awarded for high demand occupations in the Labour Market Outlook.
- Periodic general draws will be conducted for other skilled and semi-skilled workers who meet program criteria.
- Invitations to apply can be based on various factors that support B.C. government priorities.
- The Healthcare Professional category has been replaced with the Health Authority category and is open to all occupations employed by a health authority.
- An overview of Strategic Priorities & Initiatives has been added to the website. There are no changes to BC PNP Tech.
- Workers in management occupations (grouped under Skill Type 0 in the NOC) may only register/apply under Skilled Worker categories; management occupations are not eligible under the International Graduates categories.
- The requirement of two years directly related experience under the Skilled Worker category is replaced with two years of skilled experience. NOTE: Points are rewarded for directly related work experience.
- Employer requirements are updated with new or clarified conditions.
- Other changes to the Skills Immigration categories include clarifying or adjusting criteria, and updating definitions.
Public policy allowing certain visitors in Canada to apply for a work permit
The temporary public policy that allows certain temporary residents in Canada with visitor status to apply for a work permit from within Canada has been extended until February 29, 2023. While all visitors in Canada can apply for an employer-specific work permit under this public policy, only those who held a work permit in the last 12 months may request interim authorization to work.
The public policy came into effect on August 24, 2020, and the eligibility criteria were expanded to allow all visitors who are in Canada with valid temporary resident status to apply inland for an employer-specific work permit, regardless of when they arrived in Canada. The public policy is being extended until February 28, 2023.
More information on the website of IRCC is here.
Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot
Home Child Care Provider Pilot is now closed to new applications for 2021but will reopen to new applications on January 1, 2022.
Home Support Worker Pilot is not closed and you can still apply in 2021 under this pilot.
More information on the website of IRCC.
What immigration improvements and opportunities to expect in 2022
The past two years have been challenging with closed borders, backlogs due to COVID-19 and long processing times. IRCC implemented temporary policies and programs to retain temporary workers inside Canada, often at the expense of temporary workers who are outside Canada. In 2021 IRCC launched several new portals for visa and PR applications. PR paper-based applications can now be submitted online and approved PR applicants can land virtually via the PR portal.
What does the new year have in store? One concrete plan has already been announced: the Atlantic Immigration Program. Other announcements will follow suit. Programs as the RNIP where communities and employers work together with IRCC to bring in workers that are needed and TR to PR Pathways where workers and students will have better opportunities to stay in Canada as Permanent Residents are to be expected. Last but not least we expect that family members will also get more opportunities to reunite with their spouse or parent in Canada.
When to expect these new programs and measures? That is hard to tell, but after reading the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Mandate Letter I am hopeful for 2022.
Atlantic Immigration Program
Building on the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on December 17, 2021, announced the launch of the Atlantic Immigration Program. This new permanent program will officially open on January 1, 2022.
The permanent program retains the 3 features: a focus on employers, enhanced settlement support and a collaborative approach across all Atlantic provinces. The changes include clarifying roles between partners, increasing employer support through training and strengthening program requirements to ensure newcomers can successfully establish themselves in the region.
Candidates with a valid endorsement can begin submitting applications for permanent residence under the new program on March 6, 2022.
For more details visit the IRCC website
Official opening of The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants
On November 23, 2021, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, marked the official opening of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. The College is now the official regulator of immigration and citizenship consultants across the country and replaces the previous regulator, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. With the change, new, higher standards for consultants have been introduced.
Licensed Immigration Consultants
In Canada, the only immigration consultants who can give you Canadian immigration advice in exchange for a fee or benefit are licensed immigration consultants (people licensed by the College). To check if your immigration consultant is licensed by the College, search for them in the Public Register.
Unauthorized practitioners
Should you be aware of an unauthorized practitioner, you can inform the College and they will take steps to ensure they are not practicing without authorization. Click here for our Unauthorized Practitioner form.
Student recruiters, labour recruiters, and travel agents
Some people may try to offer you immigration services as part of the other services they provide, such as:
For example, a travel agent may offer to help you with a visitor visa. A labour recruiter might offer to put together your work permit. Or a student agent or recruiter might say they will submit your student permit application with your school application.
In most cases, these people are not authorized to provide you with immigration services (they can do so only if they are also a Canadian lawyer, a Notaire du Québec, or a licensee of the College).
If the person you are working with says they are partnering with an RCIC or a RISIA, double-check by directly asking that RCIC or RISIA (use the contact information on our Public Register). Also, make sure you sign a retainer agreement directly with the RCIC. Also do not pay for services from an immigration consultant until:
You have verified that your consultant is licensed with the College.
You have communicated with the consultant using the contact information listed on our Public Register.
You have signed a Retainer Agreement or service agreement.
More information about the new College you find on the website https://college-ic.ca/
Public policy allowing visitors in Canada applying inland for work permit extended
All visitors who are in Canada with valid temporary resident status can apply inland for an employer-specific work permit, regardless of when they arrived in Canada. And under this public policy, those who held a work permit in the last 12 months may request interim authorization to work.
The original public policy came into effect on August 24, 2020 and is being extended until February 28, 2022.
More information on the IRCC website.
Paper PR applications go online
IRCC has been testing a new Permanent Resident Portal for applicants who are applying for Permanent Resident under the following programs:
- Provincial nominee program (non-Express Entry)
- Rural and northern immigration pilot
- Agri-food pilot
- Atlantic immigration program
- Start-up visa
- Self-employed people (federal and Quebec)
- Quebec-selected skilled workers, entrepreneurs and investors
- Sponsoring a spouse, partner, dependent child or other family
- Adopting a child through the immigration process
- Protected persons and convention refugees in Canada
- Humanitarian and compassionate grounds
- Temporary resident permit holders applying for permanent residence
- Home Support Worker Pilot
The applications themself do not change, but you will be uploading the documents and some forms in the portal while other forms are replaced by web forms that have almost the same format as the forms.
IRCC also implemented a Permanent Resident Online Portal for Immigration Representatives. That means that as of now we will also be able to apply online on your behalf. You will be able to see what is uploaded and filled out in the web forms and at the end sign the application when satisfied that everything is correct and accurate.
