Everything To Know About Recent Immigration Changes

With the recent change in the Canadian Government that saw the Liberal Party come in to power, there are a lot of changes that are going to be taking place in the immigration landscape as well.  Some of these changes have already been implemented, while others are on the agenda. The government is working relatively quickly in delivering its promises to make the changes they have promised a reality. Read about what you can expect below.

1. Express Entry sends out a record number of Invitations to Apply (ITA) for Permanent Residence (PR) at the lowest score on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

In the most recent round of invitations for PR through the Express Entry system, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) issued a record number of 3664 invitations to potential applicants. What’s more intriguing is that the minimum CRS score required to have received an invitation was just 447, out of a total potential 1200 points.  The Express Entry system has never seen such a low score receive an ITA before.  The moral of the story: If you are planning to get PR in Canada, submit your online Express Entry Profile ASAP so that you can get maximum exposure and have the best chances of get an ITA.

2. The Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship application process implements new changes

In the past, if you were going to sponsor your parents or grandparents you basically had to complete the application and hire a courier service to make sure that your application was received at the CIC office as soon as possible on January 3rd of every year.  This is because, the program has been capped at a certain number of applicants and that cap is usually met really quickly as soon as the program re-opens every year.

As of this year however, CIC has announced a new process for the parent and grandparent sponsorship program. You will now need to complete an online form which basically demonstrates your intention to apply for parent/grandparent sponsorship and submit it online.  The government will then select applicants at random to submit their sponsorship applications. Gone are the days of scrambling to get your sponsorship application in to the CIC office before it’s too late.

3. Changes expected to come for foreign students looking to secure PR status in Canada

Prior to the Express Entry system, students who successfully graduated from a Designated Learning Institution in Canada, could get a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). Using the PGWP they could gain skilled working experience and then apply for PR in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class.

With the implementation of Express Entry, student graduates were no longer guaranteed to get PR. This is because they would now have to enter the Express Entry pool and only the top qualified candidates would get an ITA for PR (based on their CRS score). This led many student graduates to stay in the pool for long periods of time and not get selected for PR, leaving them with an expired work permit and out of options.

Recently the liberal government has stated that they will be introducing a new pathway program for foreign student graduates that have gained skilled experience to secure PR status. There are not many details about this program however it is in the works. The government realizes the need to retain talented student graduates with skilled experience. This also helps them fill any labour market gaps that may exist in many different industries.

These are some of the changes that the immigration industry in Canada will see. There are numerous other programs that are also in the works. Like us on Facebook and follow our page so that we can keep you up to date with all the changes that are coming!

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