Express Entry

Alberta PNP invites candidates with CRS 318. BC holds a unique draw. PEI's monthly draw results are out.

This past week, three Canadian provinces held Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draws, inviting candidates to take the next step toward permanent residence.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (except for Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Provincial officials who manage these programs invite interested candidates to apply for a provincial nomination. While a provincial nomination is not the same as permanent residence, it can greatly increase one’s chances of obtaining permanent residency status.

For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations. In the Express Entry draw this week, Canada invited 924 PNP candidates to apply with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores of at least 754.

A look back at last month's Provincial Nominee Program updates and draw results from across the country.

A look back at last month's Provincial Nominee Program updates and draw results from across the country.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued nearly 5,000 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in March, a number similar to previous months.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued over 1,400 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in May.

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which began modestly in 1998 with the admission of approximately 200 people to Canada, will now see the intake of over 80,000 new permanent residents every year. At least 3,744 immigration candidates received invitations through a provincial immigration program this past month.

Canada is increasing the number of economic immigrants it welcomes through provincial nominee programs.

Three new Express Entry-linked PNP streams were created in 2018 and others were improved

Canada’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point in nearly a decade in November, Statistics Canada’s new Labour Force Survey reports.

Canada’s private sector job vacancy rate is maintaining record high levels, and a non-profit business organization is calling for all political parties in the upcoming Canadian federal election to take measures to tackle the labour shortage.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has begun the process to revoke the citizenship of up to 3,100 citizens who obtained it fraudulently. Minister Kenney first announced the investigations last year.
The Department has also been working on cases of those who are not yet citizens. Nearly 5,000 people with permanent resident status who are known to be implicated in residence fraud have been flagged for additional scrutiny should they attempt to enter Canada or obtain citizenship. The majority of these individuals are believed to be outside the country.
Finally, CIC has flagged the files of another 2,500 individuals where, for various reasons, there are concerns. These individuals will be watched closely should they make future applications. This makes a total of nearly 11,000 individuals tied to citizenship and residence fraud investigations.

The government of Canada has this week launched what it calls a ‘national conversation on immigration’, in which Canadians are being consulted on the present and future of Canada’s immigration policy. The government has provided a detailed questionnaire, and participants have until August 5 to submit their views across a range of topics.

ECAs allow Canadian immigration officials and future employers see how foreign education compares to Canadian education

Canada offers multiple immigration and work permit programs for highly-skilled tech workers.

Immigration ministers from across Canada met in New Brunswick to identify how to best achieve the country's immigration goals.

The Forum of Ministers Responsible (FMRI) for Immigration met in Saint John, New Brunswick on July 28 to discuss a host of major immigration policy issues.

Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario had the highest job vacancy rates among Canada's provinces

Canadians planning a trip to the European Union this summer may be required to get a visa if a dispute over the way Canada treats some EU citizens isn’t resolved by then. Visas are generally used to control the flow of people into a country and to prevent unwanted visitors, and Canada exempts dozens of countries from its visa requirements, including most EU member states.

Three Canadian cities of Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary are among the top five most livable cities in the world, according to The Economist magazine's Global Livability Report for 2017. The report ranks 140 cities based on their quality of life across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

As of May 2015 minimum 1,500 Canadian passports have been produced under a defective new system and opened the door to fraud and tampering, according to documents obtained by CBC/Radio-Canada.

The government of Canada has announced that new permanent resident card issued will have a fresh appearance and enhanced security features ‘to keep pace with changing technology.’

Amendments to the Canadian criminal code take effect December 18 that will carry more severe immigration-related consequences for permanent residents and foreign nationals convicted of an impaired driving offence.