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COVID-19 Canadian Immigration Update: Key Changes Made by IRCC

March 20, 2020

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As the situation gets fluid due to COVID-19 pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made some changes in its procedures and deadlines to accommodate the needs of people who have been impacted.

Let’s look at some important updates made by IRCC to help all immigrants affected by COVID-19.

SPECIAL MEASURES

Specials measures from IRCC is implemented to help temporary and permanent residents, and applicants affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID‑19) if

A) you’re a Chinese, Iranian or South Korean national; or

B) you’re in China, Iran or South Korea; and

C) you’re affected by service disruptions or travel restrictions related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

Applications are not refused if you are unable to complete the next step due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for a visitor visa, work permit, study permit, and permanent residence applications, and 90 days will be granted automatically to complete these steps.
Biometrics deadline has been extended to 90 days if you are affected by service disruptions.

GENERAL PROCESSING MEASURES

IRCC states that the applications at this point of time will not be refused for non-compliance.
Applications that are currently in progress at the case processing centres, and Domestic Network of IRCC offices abroad, may experience delays.
Expedited processing of the applications is not foreseen now, however this may or may not change in near future.
Some Visa Application Centres are closed and are operating with minimal essential staff only temporarily.
New applicants have been strongly advised to apply online because of service disruptions due to COVID-19, as there are difficulties in receiving and processing applications submitted by mail or in person at a VAC
Biometric collection services have been suspended until further notice at Service Canada locations.
Considering safety, IRCC has cancelled all citizenship ceremonies, citizenship tests and retests, and itinerant service trips until further notice.
In-person appointments for permanent resident landing and refugee claims have been cancelled until April 13, 2020.

REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS

Offices may request additional documents required for your immigration and citizenship applications, such as passport, police certificates, biometric, medical examinations, and any other documents that must be issued by Chinese, Iranian or South Korean authorities, until further notice.
Processing Officers are required to send a request letter, allowing 90 days for the applicants to respond.
If a request for the document has already been made previously but the applicant was not able to comply with the deadline then the Officers will bring these applications forward and give an additional 90 days to respond.
The Biometrics Instruction Letter has 30 days to submit from the date the letter was issued, however, Officers will consider 90 days for the applicants to provide their biometrics, even though the deadline is mentioned as 30-days.

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE

Foreign nationals in temporary resident status and whose status is expiring soon can apply for extension to maintain their temporary resident status in Canada, provided that applicants must apply online and meet all requirements, including fees associated.
Foreign nationals whose application for extension is in progress will have the implied status and may remain in Canada until further decision is made on the application.
Foreign nationals whose Temporary Resident status has expired; you may apply for restoration of the status by paying the associated fees.
In cases where restoration is eligible, the Officer will conduct the assessment of applications and the Officer will issue a Visitor Record or an appropriate permit, with the conditions of the restoration status, and the document will be mailed.
However, if the applicant is no longer eligible for restoration, the Minister’s delegate decides on a disposition for the case with the following options – to refer the case to an admissibility hearing or issue a departure order or allow the foreign national to remain.
The IRCC will not be waiving any fees for temporary residence applications or extensions

PERMANENT RESIDENCE APPLICATIONS

New and complete permanent residence applications will be accepted as per normal procedures
If the new applications miss any supporting documents, for example, fees associated, applicants should include an explanation if they are affected by service disruptions. Applications then, can be prompted to be reviewed in 90 days. However, if the application is still incomplete in 60 days, Officers will request the documents giving additional 90 days to respond.
If the applications are incomplete without any explanations or due to reasons other than the service disruptions due to COVID, the applications can be rejected.
Incomplete files due to unavailable documents will be retained in the system and reviewed in 90 days.

CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS

Any appointments that are missed for knowledge tests, retests, interviews, hearings, or oath ceremonies will be rescheduled within a reasonable timeframe, once IRCC is notified of the clients who have returned to Canada.
Applicants will be provided with additional 30 days to send the documents to IRCC once the applicants notify the local office of their return from China, Iran or South Korea.
For Medical Opinion form, Officers will be providing additional 45 days upon their return to Canada to comply.
Permanent Residents applying for the citizenship after coming back to Canada from China, Iran or South Korea must meet the physical presence requirements as per the normal procedure. These extra days spent in the countries due to COVID will not be counted as days in Canada.

In this uncertain and difficult time, IRCC has been taking measures to help immigrants with their applications, but its definitely not the time to take anything for granted. If you need more information, please visit IRCC’s official website, it has lots of resources to help you with many questions you may have for your applications.

We are here to help you with any questions you may have for your immigration needs. As of now, we are working remotely to address your concerns, and help you meet your deadlines; you can reach us through Email or Assessment Form.

Let’s be together and help each other in any way we can, to overcome this extreme situation the entire world is facing!

Sources: IRCC

Special measures to help temporary and permanent residents and applicants

General processing measures: COVID-19 program delivery

Temporary residence: COVID-19 program delivery

Permanent residence: COVID-19 program delivery

Citizenship: COVID-19 program delivery

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Will OINP Accept Applications Again for International Student Stream in 2020?

March 6, 2020

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Well, it’s not a surprise that many of us are left frustrated with the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) application that opened only for a very short duration on March 03, 2020, with the wait times and the OINP system going through technical problems, that turned out to be a big disappointment for most of us! But let’s not get discouraged as the update on March 04, 2020, in Government of Ontario mentioned that the program might open again in 2020.

The Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream is one of the immigration streams under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, allowing international students with a job offer in Skill Type 0 or A or B, both inside and outside of Canada, to live and work permanently in Ontario province.

On March 3, 2020, OINP started accepting applications for Employer Job Offer: International Student, which was turned down shortly after having technical issues, and then re-opened for both International Student and Foreign Worker streams.

The OINP e-Filing Portal received overwhelming visits and the wait times were even more than the length of time the program was opened for.

OINP received 1332 successful registrations, under Employer Job Offer: International Student and Foreign Worker streams, compared to 2018, where 1254 applicants were able to register.

The candidates who were able to register themselves, now have a total of 14 days to submit their OINP application. Once you are nominated, you will have to apply through IRCC, who will be making a final decision for your permanent residence application. However, the program is still experiencing a high number of users, and it is advised to access the system during off-peak hours between 7 pm – 7 am EST.

The latest update on March 05, 2020, however, mentions that the program is not accepting applications currently. So, it remains unsure if OINP will be accepting more applications but let’s keep the window open as the program gives a little hope for re-opening sometime in 2020.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or confusion regarding the OINP application, we are here to help! START YOUR ASSESSMENT today, and our representative will get back to you and let you know how your immigration issues can be resolved, with proper guidance that lands you on the right track!

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Free Student Seminar for International Students on February 29, 2020

February 24, 2020

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Are you an international student who recently arrived in Canada? We have great news for you!

Gujarat Public Affairs Council of Canada (GPAC) is organizing a free student seminar for international students who recently came to Canada. This is a must-attend for students who are seeking immigration guidance or are still confused about what to expect after coming to Canada.

What is the seminar about?

Mr. Pradyuman Jhala, a senior practitioner at SPS Canada, is one of the panel speakers at the Student Seminar organized by GPAC. He will be speaking about the current immigration scenario and you will also get a chance to ask your queries about Canada Immigration in a face-to-face interaction at the free student seminar.

Here is what you can gain from the seminar:

1. Get all your questions regarding Canadian Immigration matters answered by experienced practitioners in the immigration field.

2. Get to know how to apply for Permanent Residency as Mr. Pradyuman Jhala gives out tips and advice regarding how to secure your Permanent Residency

3. Network with fellow students who have come to Canada at the same time as you.

Where and when is the seminar and how much does it cost?

This seminar will be held on the 29th of February,2020. This seminar will be free of cost for students and would be held at Gore Meadows Community Center from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm.

How to register for the seminar?

To register for this event, you can fill out the form in the following link: http://bit.ly/FreeStudentSeminar

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Latest Express Entry Draw || February 19

February 19, 2020

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About the latest draw

On February 19, the Government of Canada issued 4500 invitations to individuals to apply for permanent residency under the Express Entry Program. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for this round was 470. This score is 2 points lower than the previous draw which took place on February 5, 2020.

A tie-breaking rule was also applied, which indicates that not all individuals who had 470 points were invited to apply for permanent residency. Only those candidates who had applied before January 13, 2020, were invited.

With this round of invitations, the government of Canada has now issued 14,800 invitations in 2020.

CRS Trends

The average CRS Score cut-off for the past 6 months is 470. As you can see the CRS Score is on the rise and this is mainly due to a huge influx of newcomers coming into Canada with the hopes of settling into Canada later. There are no signs of this CRS score dropping below 465 anytime soon and potential candidates are advised to find out ways to increase their CRS score so that they can meet the cut.

Will the score go below 465 points? Even 450 points? See what our in-house experts have to say

Simple Answer. NO!

But, don’t be shocked! There is a logical explanation behind it.

Canada is becoming increasingly appealing to immigrants and every year more and more people are coming to Canada as a student, worker or with the hopes of finding a job with the aim to settle permanently. In the year 2019 alone, more than 330,800 permanent residencies were issued by the Government of Canada out of which 191,600 permanent residencies were issued under the Economic Programs.

The government of Canada has laid out its plans regarding immigration and aims to issue 691,000 permanent residencies in the year 2020 and 2021 under various immigration programs. But this number seems extremely small when compared to the number of people coming to Canada each year. In the year 2020 alone Canada is planning to bring in 400,000 international students. This means the competition is going to get tougher with every draw and the CRS score will gradually rise over the years.

Is your score below 465? Here is what you can do to increase your score

1. Retake your language test

2. Learn French and then give a second language test

3. Get a masters educational degree

4. Gain more work experience

5. Get an LMIA approved job offer

6. Find a job in Sault Ste. Marie (ON), Thunder Bay (ON), Brandon (MB), Altona/Rhineland (MB)

7. Apply through a Provincial Nominee Program by obtaining a job offer in one of the provinces.

Would you like to qualify for the next Express Entry draw? Take the Expert help, who has the right answers to your queries and help you overcome your immigration issues.

Simply Start your Assessment or Call (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada), +91 9586 226232 (Ahmedabad) or drop an E-mail at support@spscanada.com (Canada), support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad) for further information.

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New Opportunity to Move to Timmins, Ontario as a Permanent Resident – Limited Applications

February 14, 2020

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Source: IRCC, Canada

You now have a new option to add on to the list for Permanent Residence – Timmins! Timmins, being one of the 11 rural communities taking part in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program is making sure that the challenges of moving to a new place become easier for the transition for new immigrants, who are willing to live and work in these participating communities.

Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP)

The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot or RNIP is introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a connecting path to permanent residence, spreading the benefits of working in smaller Northern communities across Canada to attract skilled foreign workers. This program helps communities facing labor shortage due to various factors as declining birth rate, youth migration to populated areas, growth in retirement ages, and more.

How to file an application for Timmins

Step 1: Check the IRCC Federal Eligibility Requirements and make sure that you meet the requirements

Step 2: Secure a full-time employment in Timmins in the eligible sectors as below, including the RNIP offer Employment Form, signed by the employer.

Only the following NOC codes are eligible for the Timmins RNIP.

ELIGIBLE JOBS:

NON-ELIGIBLE JOBS

Step 3: If you are eligible in Step 1 and 2, Timmins Economic Development Corporation then prioritizes applicants with the highest scores, who are most likely to settle and contribute to local economy in Timmins.

Step 4: Once you have all the required documents, applications are to be submitted in an e-mail, with a non-refundable fee of $100 to the TEDC.

The completed applications are to be reviewed on a monthly basis by the Steering Committee, and the highest score will receive a formal community recommendation, which is valid for six months, to be submitted to IRCC’s Permanent Residence application process.

Timmins is almost there to open the application for RNIP, and in the meantime, it is best for you to consult regarding how you can create an application, taking help of a Senior Practitioner, who can guide you through, so you do not miss this perfect opportunity!

We assist you with your immigration needs and provide you with tailored solutions that match completely. With more than 15 years of experience, helping thousands of clients succeed in securing their immigration status, we can assure you what’s best for you!

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The OINP Tech Draw for 2020 Identifies more than 950 people with Technological Skills

January 23, 2020

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Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced their first Tech Draw of the year on January 15, 2020, inviting 954 Express Entry candidates for provincial nomination. Notifications of Interest (NOIs) have been issued to candidates who may qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream.

The OINP targeted candidates with a CRS between 460 and 472, and work experience in the following six NOC codes:

• 2173 Software engineers and designers

• 2174 Computer programmer and interactive media developers

• 2147 Computer engineers

• 2175 Web designers and developers

• 2172 Database analysts and data administrators

• 0213 Computer and information systems managers

The OINP searches the Express Entry pool to find qualifying candidates who may:

1. Meet the criteria of the Human Capital Priorities Stream

2. Have work experience in one of the targeted National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes

Eligibility

The applicant must demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes. Your application may be refused if you do not demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes.

The program was developed with the growing interest of tech employers and targeted occupations in the industry. Employers provided their feedback on the requirement of labor needs and hiring practices and the program was expanded keeping those requirements as the crux of the program.

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More Employment Positions to be Added for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)

January 17, 2020

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Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), a popular immigration program for foreign workers, international students and others with skills, education and experience, would be going under some changes under the Ontario Immigration Act, to be more responsive to the labour market needs.

The OINP is the province’s economic immigration program, which works through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in partnership with the Government of Canada. This immigration program nominates people with the right skills and experience for permanent residence, and the Government of Canada does the final decision for approving the applications.

As per the latest updates, amendments are proposed to bring some changes in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, under the Ontario Immigration Act, 2015. This immigration act is the regulatory framework governing Ontario to carry the responsibilities related to immigration.

Amendments would be made for the selection criteria for the employer job offer, for various categories listed below, established under certificate of nomination under Ontario Regulation 421/17.

Foreign Worker stream – Foreign worker with a job offer category
International Student stream – International student with a job offer category
In-Demand Skills stream – In-demand skills category

Amendments to In-Demand Skills:

1. To add 13 new manufacturing related employment positions located outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) only, on National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes. The objective of In-demand Skills stream is to support the employers facing shortages in specific occupations category – agriculture, construction and other occupations that requires low to semi-skills, which includes:

9537 Other products assemblers, finishers and inspectors
9417 Machining tool operators
9536 Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
9422 Plastics processing machine operators
9446 Industrial sewing machine operators
9416 Metalworking and forging machine operators
9411 Machine operators, mineral and metal processing
9421 Chemical plant machine operators
9523 Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers
9461 Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
9437 Woodworking machine operators
9418 Other metal products machine operators
9526 Mechanical assemblers and inspectors

2. Remove the settlement funds requirement.

Amendments to International Student and Foreign Worker Streams (Employer Job Offer):

To be proportional to the size of the employer’s workforce by limiting the approval of number of applications for submission in a calendar year. (These changes will however not be applied to the In-Demand Skills stream.)

Employment position within the GTA – 1 application per 5 existing permanent and full-time employees
Employment position outside the GTA – 1 application per 3 existing permanent and full-time employees

With these changes, single workplace will not have uneven distribution of number of foreign workers. Since the manufacturing sector outside GTA does not receive significant levels of immigration, and the settlement funds are usually met through annual earnings of the applicant’s job offer, the amendments are being made to be inline with the In-Demand stream.

Let’s have a positive outlook since more jobs in the NOC codes means more opportunities for the immigrants who want to be nominated in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

Source: Ontario Canada

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The Popular Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program gets postponed to Later Date

January 3, 2020

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As per the latest update on the parents’ sponsorship program, the federal government has announced that it is pausing this immigration program for some time until next announcement is made to improve the current process and get enough time for the completion of new intake process.

Due to many criticisms and problems in the system itself, several attempts have been made to re-work on this popular program in the past few years. Previously, the parents and grandparents’ sponsorship program used to accept applications on first-come and first-serve basis, however, it was removed since many people hired couriers to place their files at the top.

The system was then moved to a lottery system, which again received several comments about being too random. In 2019, the system was launched to an online program, which was filled up in less than 9 minutes. So, the system is being reviewed again, but the decision is delayed for 2020 due to federal election.

According to the instructions provided, the parents’ sponsorship program will be re-opened at some point in 2020, latest by April 30, but the exact date is unknown until next update. The department is not accepting any new applications until the new intake management process is implemented.

Until the new intake management process is implemented, the Department will not accept any new applications. This will ensure that all interested sponsors have the same opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form, and a fair chance to be invited to apply.

Looking at the brighter side, the government wants the process to be fair for all the people such that interested sponsors have equal opportunity to be invited. So, lets keep up the hopes for the good news to come soon!

For now, it’s right time to prepare for the parents’ sponsorship by taking the Free Assessment, fill out the information, and our representative from SPS Canada will be getting back to you within 1-2 business days. Make sure you’re eligible before the big event takes place, and we are here to assist you with every doubt you might have.

Please stay tuned for further updates on the parents’ sponsorship program. We will try our best to update you with the latest news.

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The Clock’s Ticking – It’s Time to Be With Your Parents and Grandparents

December 18, 2019

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Have you been waiting down the line to sponsor your parents and grandparents? Well, the time is just right! The application spots get filled up so quick that you might just miss another chance to be with your loved ones you care the most.

According to Government of Canada, last year 27,000 submissions were accepted on first-on basis for parents and grandparents’ sponsorship program. To make sure you are right on spot, there are certain requirements you must fulfill to be eligible for the application to sponsor your parents and grandparents:

You are at least 18 years old and live in Canada
You are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, or someone who has been registered as an Indian in Canada under the act – Canadian Indian Act
You have proofs of income to support the parents or grandparents during the stay period

Requirements for Income

You must meet the minimum income level required to sponsor your parents as per the given table based on number of persons you’re looking to sponsor.

Source: Government of Canada, 2019

Before you apply, you are required to provide a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to prove that you meet the income requirements, for the past three taxation years.
For example: You do not have the Notice of Assessment for 2018 then you should be submitting the Notices of Assessment for years – 2017, 2016 and 2015. However, if you have the Notices of the Assessment for 2018, you will have to submit the Notices of Assessment for years – 2018, 2017, and 2016.
The simplest way to provide the proof of income would be by giving permission to the Government of Canada for receiving the Notices of Assessment directly from Canada Revenue Agency, on your behalf.

These are just the minimum requirements that forms the base of your application and there are other eligibility criteria from the side of your parents and grandparents that must be met to create a definite application package.

Where do I start?

The first step you can take to streamline the process is by doing an Eligibility Assessment to get an overview of your profile’s eligibility. Visit the link and go to “Family Sponsorship”, fill out the information and any questions you have including your income range, and the authorized personnel from SPS Canada, will get back to you with results in one business day.

How does the assessment works?

Once you take the free assessment, we will reply with the results on your profile. If you are eligible then SPS Canada will support by taking your responsibility to try our best chances in getting your application approved, starting with the Initial Consultation Agreement.

Most likely from January 2020, the Government of Canada will be inviting potential sponsors to submit their applications online, however, you must be aware that you must be eligible to receive the invitation. Just make sure not to miss out any important information and documents you need, to enhance your chances of receiving the sponsorship invitation. We will keep you posted with further updates on important dates and time.

We are here to take care of your precious moments you want to spend with your loved ones, so you’d never miss an opportunity like this!

Consult with our Senior Practitioner as they would be able to assess your profile and advise you in the right track. You can call (1) 905-362-9393 (Canada), +91 9586 226232 (Ahmedabad) or drop an E-mail at support@spscanada.com (Canada), support.amd@spscanada.com (Ahmedabad) for further information.

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Month End News Edition – November 2019

December 2, 2019

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01/11/2019: Quebec has introduced major changes for Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)

– Applicants who want to apply for PEQ must now have worked in an occupation on the list.

NOC 0, A, or B must have 12 months of work experience.
NOC C or D occupations on the list need 18 months of work experience.

– International students must ensure their area of training is one of the Quebec degrees listed under sections A and B of Quebec’s Area of Training list.

– From January 1, 2020, PEQ applicants have 3 options to demonstrate their language proficiency

Take a standard test
Meet the criteria set by a professional order
Complete at least 3 years of full-time studies in French at the secondary or postsecondary level.

– Main applicant and their spouse have to demonstrate a high intermediate level of French, or a CLB 7 or 8.

01/11/2019: Quebec has reopened the PEQ’s graduate stream November 1 after suspending it in July. International graduates can once again submit applications for a permanent residence while temporary foreign workers with eligible work experience in Quebec can continue applying to the PEQ as before.

01/11/2019: The processing time for applications to Canada’s Federal Self-Employed Persons Program is now down to 22 months.

04/11/2019: Investments, including mutual or pooled fund securities, are permissible for the purpose of satisfying the personal net worth criterion of the Entrepreneur Stream of OINP, but NOT for inclusion in an applicant’s minimum business investment amount. Foreign investment program or fund is not approved for permanent residence in Ontario.

12/11/2019: Saskatchewan held another Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw, invited 525 skilled workers to apply for Permanent Residence (PR).

13/11/2019: The Government of Canada invited 3,600 Express Entry candidates to apply PR in a new draw with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 472.

20/11/2019: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named Marco Mendicino as Canada’s next Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

22/11/2019: Quebec invited 162 skilled worker candidates over two Arrima draws in October 23 and 29.

22/11/2019: Manitoba invited 230 skilled foreign workers and international student graduates.

27/11/2019: The Government of Canada invited 3,600 Express Entry candidates to apply PR in a new draw with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 471.

28/11/2019: Saskatchewan held an Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand draw, invited 460 skilled workers to apply for Permanent Residence (PR).

28/11/2019: Quebec announces new regulations to protect temporary foreign workers from personnel placements and recruitment agencies, starting January 1, 2020.

If you have any queries in respect to these norms, please email us at support@spscanada.com or call us from Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm at (844) 296-3947 Ext 100

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