Quebec Immigrant Investor Program no longer accepting applications from Iran
December 16, 2011

Pursuant to sanctions imposed against Iran by the Government of Canada, Quebec Immigration announced that as of November 21, 2011 they will no longer accept applications under the Immigrant Investor Program from Iranians in Iran. Applications received after November 21, 2011 will be returned to the applicant. Applications received prior to November 21, 2011 will not be affected and should be processed as usual. Quebec Immigration however has not stated whether they will accept applications from Iranians living outside Iran.

Federal Skilled Worker Program; Restaurant and Food Services Managers cap reached
December 15, 2011

The cap of 500 complete applications has been reached for the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligible occupation Restaurant and Food Services Managers. The cap does not apply to applicants with a valid offer of arranged employment.

Quebec Skilled Worker Program; language proficiency tests now mandatory
December 6, 2011

Effective December 6, 2011 all new Quebec Skilled Worker applicants are required to submit the results of a standardized test if they wish to obtain selection points for their French or English language proficiency.

Federal Skilled Worker Program; Pharmacists cap reached
December 5, 2011

The cap of 500 complete applications has been reached for the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligible occupation Pharmacists. The cap does not apply to applicants with a valid offer of arranged employment.

CIC announces new Federal Skilled Worker category for international students studying towards a PhD in Canada
November 5, 2011

CIC has announced the creation of a new Federal Skilled Worker category for international students studying towards a PhD in Canada. To qualify, applicants must have completed at least 2 years of study towards a PhD, or graduated from a Canadian PhD program within the past 12 months. A maximum of 1,000 applications from this category will be considered for processing each year by CIC. The first cap year for the PhD stream begins on November 5, 2011.

CIC announces the introduction of the new "Parent and Grandparent Super Visa"
November 5, 2011

CIC has announced the introduction of the new "Parent and Grandparent Super Visa," which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple entry visa will allow applicants to remain in Canada for up to 24 months without having to renew their status. Applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for the duration of their stay. The visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011.

CIC announces 24 month moratorium on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents
November 5, 2011

CIC has announced that as of November 5, 2011 there will be a 24 month moratorium on new applications to sponsor parents and grandparents in order to reduce the current backlog. New applications received on or after November 5, 2011 will be returned to the applicant. The moratorium will not affect sponsorship applications for spouses, dependent or adopted children, or other eligible relatives.

Federal Skilled Worker Program; Registered Nurses cap reached
November 5, 2011

The cap of 500 complete applications has been reached for the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligible occupation Registered Nurses. The cap does not apply to applicants with a valid offer of arranged employment.

Federal Skilled Worker Program; Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management cap reached
August 23, 2011

The cap of 500 complete applications has been reached for the Federal Skilled Worker Program eligible occupation Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management. The cap does not apply to applicants with a valid offer of arranged employment.

Iranian sanctions impact on Federal / Quebec Immigrant Investor Programs
August 18, 2011

On July 22, 2011 the Government of Canada imposed sanctions on Iran by adopting the "Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations." As a result of these sanctions immigrant investor applicants who hold shares in certain Iraninan companies or have funds in Bank Mellat, Bank Melli, or Bank Saderat, are strongly encouraged to sell their shares or transfer their funds to another banking institution, either within or outside Iran.

Federal Immigrant Investor Program cap reached
July 20, 2011

The Federal Immigrant Investor Program is now closed as 700 complete applications have been received by the Government of Canada. The cap will reset on July 1, 2012. The cap does not apply to the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program.

Quebec Immigration will increase the investor category processing capacity
July 1, 2011

Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities, Kathleen Weil and the Minister of Economic Development, Clément Gignac, today announced the signing of a three-year agreement with Investissement Québec (IQ) to increase the annual processing capacity of the investor category. With this agreement around 15 new resources will be hired globally over the next few months in Montreal and Hong Kong, which should result in increased processing capacity by nearly 50%.

Quebec Investor changes coming this fall
July 1, 2011

Quebec Immigration announced they are looking ahead to changing certain procedures in the fall of 2011, in particular:

• The investor must make a deposit with the financial intermediary prior to submitting his application to Quebec Immigration. The proposed amount would be at least $10,000 CAD.
• The narrative document should be written in the candidate’s first language accompanied by an official translation, if the applicant does not have sufficient knowledge of English or French.

ICCRC becomes new regulatory body for immigration consultants
June 28, 2011

The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) was designated today by CIC Minister Jason Kenney as the new regulatory body for immigration consultants. A 120-day transitional period will be put in place to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of service for both CSIC members currently in good standing and their clients during the transition to the ICCRC. The transition period will end on October 28, 2011.

CIC Minister announces Federal Investor cap
June 24, 2011

CIC Minister Jason Kenney announced today that Canada is adjusting its intake of economic immigrants to further reduce the backlog and improve wait times. The Minister is introducing a cap of 700 new Federal Investor applications for the coming 12 months effective July 1, 2011. In addition, all new Federal Investor applications must be submitted to CIC offices in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.

CIC announces Federal Entrepreneurs moratorium
June 24, 2011

CIC announced today that it is introducing a temporary moratorium on new Federal Entrepreneur applications in order to prevent further processing delays. The Federal Entrepreneur program will also undergo a review in the coming months to ensure that Canada is able to attract and retain innovative entrepreneurs.

CIC announces Federal Skilled Workers cap
June 24, 2011

CIC announced today that a maximum of 10,000 new Federal Skilled Worker applications, without an offer of arranged employment, will be considered for processing each year. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 new Federal Skilled Worker applications per occupation will be considered for processing. For the unique purpose of calculating the cap, the cap year will begin on July 1, 2011 and end on June 30, 2012. The cap for subsequent years will also be calculated from July 1 to June 30.