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Economic Programs

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

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

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.

Immigration programs beyond the Express Entry

There are over 100 programs. On the provincial and community level, there are 64 provincial nominee programs and 11 community programs for workers and international students. A job offer is usually needed but there are a few exceptions. For business immigrants, there are 21 provincial nominee programs.
On the federal level, there is a program for caretakers and some pilot programs for foreign workers and international students. For business immigrants, there are also two business programs (self-employed and start-up visa).
These permanent residence programs all lead directly to Permanent Residency. But there are also temporary residence programs that can eventually lead to permanent residency. If you like to learn more book an initial consultation.

New open work permit available for TR to PR applicants

Starting July 26, 2021, TR to PR pathway applicants will be eligible for an open work permit while their application is being processed.
To qualify for this one-time open work permit, you must show that at the time you submitted successfully an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams:

  • held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit,
  • were employed in any occupation and
  • met the language requirements of the stream under which you applied.

You must also show that at the time you submit your open work permit, you:

  • are in Canada and
  • hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months or
  • have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore your status.

No need to flagpole when you have a Letter of Introduction for a Study Permit or Work Permit

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, you can’t leave and re-enter Canada to present your letter of Introduction for examination (in other words, you can’t travel to a port of entry to flagpole or travel to another country and return). Therefore, IRCC has developed a process to conduct the examination and issuance of the work or study permit.  This pilot process is now in place until August 31, 2021. More information on the website of IRCC. 

BC PNP Tech Pilot extended indefinitely

The BC PNP Tech Pilot just became BC PNP Tech. The BC PNP Tech offers people in 29 tech occupations a prioritized pathway to permanent residency.

BC PNP Tech helps employers address their talent needs by providing a fast-tracked, permanent immigration pathway for in-demand foreign workers and international students. The complete list of the 29 in-demand tech occupations can be downloaded from the BC PNP website.  The job offer must be for at least one year (365 days), and the job offer must have at least 120 days remaining at the time of application to the BC PNP.  More information on the BC PNP Website 

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