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.
News 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.
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/
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.
Students can start working while waiting for their Co-op work permit
As a temporary measure due to the COVID-19 situation, IRCC has announced that students who are outside of Canada can work while their study permit and co-op work permit are being processed. If their school and employer agree, they can either accept a Canadian work placement and begin working remotely from their home country or work for a company in their home country.
Students who are already in Canada, and have applied for a co-op work permit, may begin their co-op placement, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements (like studying full-time). Students may work full-time on the campus of the university or college. Off-campus, students can work a total of 20 hours per week during an academic term/semester, including both the hours for co-op and the hours for their regular paid job (if they have one). They can work full-time during scheduled breaks in the school year.
Expired or expiring PGWP holders get unique opportunity to apply for a new open work permit
Today, January 8, 2021, The Government of Canada announced a unique chance for international post-graduates with an expired or expiring Post-Graduate Work Permit to apply for another open work permit. Information on how to apply will probably follow soon on the website of IRCC.
Public Policy: Interim work authorization
The public policy allows former work permit holders with job offers to work while their restoration and work permit applications are being processed. If approved under this public policy, applicants may be authorized to start their employment while they await a decision on their restoration and work permit applications.
The public policy remains in effect until August 31, 2021. Eligible applications received on or before August 31, 2021, may benefit from this public policy.
More information on the website of IRCC.
Public Policy: Restoration exemption requirements
The public policy provides an exemption from the requirement to apply for restoration within 90 days of losing temporary resident status for all foreign nationals (former workers, students and visitors) in Canada. The period of 90 days has been extended for foreign nationals who had valid temporary resident status on or after January 30, 2020, but whose status expired on or before May 31, 2021. They will have until August 31, 2021, to apply to restore their status. If it’s been more than 90 days since your status expired you have until August 31, 2021, to apply to restore your status if you had a valid status on or after January 30, 2020, and your status expired on or before May 31, 2021. More information on the website of IRCC
Express Entry: Additional points for skilled workers with strong French Language skills
On 2020-10-27 IRCC announced that French-speaking and bilingual candidates will receive additional points under the Express Entry system. Express Entry is an online system used to manage applications for permanent residence from skilled workers. More information on the IRCC website.
Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program 2020 opens in October for three weeks
Over a 3-week period, from 12 p.m. EDT on October 13, 2020, to 12 p.m. EST on November 3, 2020, Canadians and permanent residents who wish to sponsor their parents and grandparents to come to Canada will have an opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form online. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will randomly select potential sponsors and send them an invitation to submit an application. Selected applicants will have 60 days to submit their application.
Details on for instance minimum income requirements are yet to be announced.
More information on the IRCC website here.
