Provincial Nominee Programs

As of August 1, 2014 new regulations came into force concerning the definition of dependent children. The age at which a child will be considered a dependant has been changed from under 22 to under 19. In addition, the exception for full-time students has also been abolished. The following is the new definition of a dependent child:

Currently, the TFWP is refusing to process LMIA applications for 10 low-wage/lower-skilled occupations from employers that are included in the Accommodation and Food services sector and the Retail trade sector in economic regions across Canada that have an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. These occupations are as below:

Canada is now accepting applications to its two new caregiver immigration pilots.

Caregivers, who came to Canada after November 30th 2014, can apply under new three-month pilot project of permanent residency

The head of one of the main organizations pushing for an immigration pilot for Ontario’s northern regions has provided new details of his vision for the program.
Charles Cirtwill, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Policy Institute, detailed a number of key issues

The first ever Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Immigration Agreement was signed by Canada’s Minister of Immigration John McCallum and Newfoundland’s Minister of Advanced Education and Skill, Gerry Byrne, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, this week. This agreement intends to improve connections between the provincial and federal governments in order to encourage immigration to Newfoundland and Labrador.

International entrepreneurs who wish to operate a business in Newfoundland and Labrador will have four more opportunities to submit an Expression of Interest in 2019.

The first of two application intake periods for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) has reached its cap of 3,500 submitted applications. The next submission period, which will welcome up to 2,800 applications begins on January 18, 2016 .

Nova Scotia will reopen for the first time since 2015 “in the coming weeks,” the province has announced. The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream is part of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), and is one of two NSNP streams aligned with the federal government’s Express Entry immigration selection system.

Candidates in the Express Entry selection pool have another potential option to secure a provincial nomination certificate, with both categories of the nova Scotia demand stream having opened for new applications as of May 8, 2017. Nova Scotia has proven to be an increasingly popular Canadian immigration destination over recent years.

NSNP also updates Entrepreneur and International Graduate Entrepreneur streams

Canada’s federal government has increased the number of citizenship judges it employs from 5 to 14 just months after it relaxed the requirements for obtaining Canadian citizenship

A recent report from the Institute de la statistique du Québec says that more Quebecers are leaving to live in other provinces. In 2012, 8,700 Quebecers left to live in another province. In 2013, that number increased to 13,100 people. Most people are leaving to live in Ontario (7,100) and Alberta (4,700). The losses experienced in 2013 were the most significant since 1998.

Nursing profession is in High Demand throughout Canada

The second Express Entry of the March, and the 57th in total, has taken place. A total of 3,749 candidates were issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for immigration to Canada, with each invited candidate having 441 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points at the time the draw was performed.

Ontario has issued 30 ITAs under the Entrepreneur Stream and BC issued 177 ITAs in a general draw.

Ontario issued 725 letters of interest to candidates in the Master’s Graduate stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) invited 535 candidates from the Masters Graduate Stream. Candidates required a score of 35 and above.

In the latest report, job vacancies and payroll employment remain high, while unemployment sees decreases in September.

The Canadian province of Ontario has announced that it is temporarily pausing the intake of applications for select streams through the Ontario Nominee program (OINP), while other OINP streams remain open.