Manitoba invites another 221 foreign workers and international student graduates to apply for provincial nomination
Manitoba has invited 221 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) held the draw on December 6, inviting candidates in the Skilled Worker in Manitoba, Skilled Worker Overseas categories and the International Education Stream.
The invitations, also called Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), were distributed as follows:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 165
- Skilled Workers Overseas: 23
- International Education Stream: 33
This brings the number of LAAs issued by the MPNP to 7,362 this year.
Express Entry candidates also invited
Out of the 221 candidates invited in the December 6 draw, 18 had a profile in the Express Entry pool.
Alberta Draw Invites 132 Express Entry Candidates
In the latest draw of Alberta province held on 5th December 2019, there were 132 Express Entry candidates invited. The invitation was sent to the candidates who score the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 400 points. The cut off of 400 points in the latest draw is significantly lower than the cut off asked in other draws.
The Alberta Express Entry stream is linked to the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP). So far, the lowest score in an express entry draw on 2019 in all the programs of Alberta province was 438 points.
Nova Scotia draws Social and Community Service Workers from Express Entry Pool
The Labour Market Priorities Stream allows the Nova Scotia’s immigrant nominee program, the NSNP, to search the federal Express Entry pool for candidates with specific work experience and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.
The December 5 draw was the NSNP’s sixth through the Labour Market Priorities Stream in 2019. Previous draws this year have targeted Express Entry candidates with eligible work experience as nurses, carpenters, financial auditors and accountants, among others.
The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class, which are three of Canada’s main Economic Class immigration programs.
Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their ranking score and, as a result, are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.
Five Years Later: Is Canada’s Express Entry Immigration System Living up to Expectations?
The launch of the Express Entry system in January 2015 marked a significant departure from Canada’s previous approach to managing applications to its main Economic Class immigration programs.
Prior to Express Entry’s launch, Canada processed applications to the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) on a first-come, first-served basis.
This approach meant that all candidates were guaranteed to have their applications reviewed, and those that met the requirements received permanent residence — provided they passed an admissibility check (for health, security, and criminality).
Under Express Entry, eligible candidates for the FSWC, FSTC and CEC programs as well as a portion of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are ranked based on a score awarded under what is known as the Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRS.
The CRS considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French and only the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws.
Foreign Nationals now need Biometrics to Apply for Permanent Residence from within Canada
Prior to December 3, only immigration candidates applying from outside of Canada had to submit their fingerprints and photo.
Unless they are exempt, biometrics are now required for those who are applying from within Canada for:
- Skilled Workers in Manitoba: 165
- Skilled Workers Overseas: 23
- International Education Stream: 33
Biometrics must also be submitted if the application is for extending a permit or visa in Canada and the applicant does not have biometrics that are still valid. To check the status of their biometrics, they can do so here.
This applies even to those who gave their biometrics in the past in order to support a visitor visa, study or work permit application, or a different permanent resident application.
Canadian citizens and existing permanent residents do not need to give their biometrics.
Nova Scotia’s Latest Draw Invites Social and Community Service Workers
Nova Scotia recently held a draw on December 6, 2019, under Social and Community Service Workers with NOC code (4212) and issued invitations to candidates. Nova Scotia province nominates the candidates for a provincial nomination who meet the need and requirement of the province and whose profile fits in the Federal Express Entry System. The candidates with CLB 7 or above in the French or English language test receive approval from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and are invited by the province to apply for Nova Scotia PNP.
Requirements of Nova Scotia PNP:
The candidates must have a bachelor’s degree or completed a course of at least three years or above at a University, trade, college, technical school or other institutes. b) Candidates who got their expression of interest (EOI) submitted on or after December 6, 2018, will be considered in this round of invitations. In addition to that, candidates have to provide a letter of reference from employers. c) Candidates need to show that they have at least two or more years of work experience as a social worker or community service worker in the last five years herald the application.
Queensland is Accepting Applications Under Subclass 190 and Subclass 491 Visa
Queensland State Nomination Program has opened its process of accepting the nomination applications from November 25, 2019, under the two main skilled visa categories – Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190 and New Skilled Work Regional Visa Subclass 491.
Candidates who are interested in applying for state nomination can check their eligibility based on the eligibility criteria and lodge expression of interest (EOI) respectively. Queensland, a popular Australian state provides the best environment for candidates to live, work and settle.
How to Apply for Australia Country Visa Subclass 189?
Under the Business and Skilled Migration Queensland (BSMQ), the Australian state is eligible to select the International migrants and give them an opportunity to be a part of the Queensland community and be a valuable asset for the economy of the state. The Queensland state nominates the skilled workers having their occupation in demand in the state for both temporary and permanent residency visa that allows the applicant to live and work in Queensland.
Requirements to apply for Queensland Nomination
To be eligible to apply for Queensland nomination, the candidate needs to meet the eligibility criteria of both the Department of Home Affairs and BSMQ (Business and Skilled Migration Queensland). As per the DHA, the candidate needs to :
1. Score atleast 65 points or above.
2. Have a positive skill assessment done in the nominated occupation.
3. Meet english language requirements as per the state’s eligibility criteria.
4. Submit additional documents if he/she is invited to apply for Subclass 491 Visa or Subclass 190 Visa.
Five Years Later: Is Canada’s Express Entry immigration System Living up to Expectations?
The launch of the Express Entry system in January 2015 marked a significant departure from Canada’s previous approach to managing applications to its main Economic Class immigration programs. Prior to Express Entry’s launch, Canada processed applications to the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSWC), Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) on a first-come, first-served basis.
This approach meant that all candidates were guaranteed to have their applications reviewed, and those that met the requirements received permanent residence — provided they passed an admissibility check (for health, security, and criminality).
Under Express Entry, eligible candidates for the FSWC, FSTC and CEC programs, as well as a portion of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), are ranked based on a score awarded under what is known as the Comprehensive Ranking System, or CRS.
The CRS considers factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French and only the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws.
Saskatchewan Creates New Immigration Category for Graduate Entrepreneurs
The new category is for international graduates of full-time, post-secondary degree or diploma programs of at least two years in length.
Those who are approved will have to operate and manage a business in Saskatchewan for at least one year and own at least one-third of the equity in a qualified business in order to be eligible for a provincial nomination for permanent residence.
Who is Eligible?
Candidates for the SINP’s International Graduate Entrepreneur Category must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be atleast 21 years old.
- Have completed a fulltime Saskatchewan post-secondary degree or diploma of at least two years in length from an eligible institution.
- Have a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) with at least two years of eligibility remaining.
- Resided in Saskatchewan for the duration of their academic program.
- Have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7.
- Graduated from a post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan that is listed as a designated learning institution by Canada’s federal government.
Distant learning programs and accelerated academic programs are not eligible.
Who Needs to Give Biometrics?
Canada has collected biometrics on most foreign nationals applying for temporary or permanent residence since December 31, 2018. IRCC provides an online tool where users fill out a questionnaire to determine if they need to give their biometrics for an application. Those between age 14 and 79 years old need to give fingerprints and photos for all permanent resident applications in the family class, economic class, and refugee class.
This applies even to those who gave their biometrics in the past in order to support a visitor visa, study or work permit application, or a different permanent resident application. Canadian citizens and existing permanent residents do not need to give their biometrics.
Canada Conducts its Latest Express Entry Draw
The Canada Government has conducted the Express Entry draw on November 27, 2019, and issued a total of 3,600 invitations to express Entry candidates with CRS as low as 471 to apply for permanent residence in Canada. In comparison to the previous draw which held on November 13, 2019, there is a reduction of one point in this latest draw.
Canada Express Entry System:
Canada’s Express Entry system is considered as the source of overseas labor that helps in enhancing and maintaining the economy of the nation. Express Entry system operates the pool of candidates for the three main economic Immigration categories – Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canada Experience Class. Candidates who apply under the Express Entry system are given a score based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, and English/French proficiency.
There is no requirement of a Job offer to receive invitation to apply (ITA) from the IRCC, though having a job offer adds additional points to their overall score. Every fortnight the Canadian government conducts draws to invite skilled overseas workers.
Manitoba Opened its Latest Expression of Interest (EOI) Draw
Manitoba conducted its Latest Expression of Interest (EOI) Draw on November 21, 2019, and issued 230 invitations to skilled workers to apply for a provincial nomination for Canada permanent residence. This Draw issued invitations to candidates through Manitoba Provincial Nomination program immigration streams: Skilled Worker in Manitoba Category, Skilled Worker Overseas category, and International Education.
Out of 230 Letter of Advice to Apply (LAAs), a total of 185 LAAs went to candidates under Skilled Worker in Manitoba Category, 16 went to Skilled Worker Overseas candidates, remaining, 29 LAAs were issued to candidates under International Education Stream.
Skilled Worker Overseas and in Manitoba:
Under the Skilled Worker Overseas category, the MPNP chooses and nominate International skilled workers who can support the province economically. Also, candidates must have an established connection to Manitoba such as friends or close family, past education or work experience in Manitoba, or invitation through one of the MPNP’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives.
Candidates who get invitation under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Category should be working in the province, and have a full-time and permanent job offer from their employer, among other eligibility criteria.
Quebec Announces New Regulations to Protect Temporary Foreign Workers
The Government of Quebec has announced new regulations to protect temporary foreign workers from questionable practices by recruiters and personnel placement agencies and employers.
Under the new measures, personnel placement and recruitment agencies for temporary foreign workers will need a permit to operate. Agencies that already offer services will now have to apply to the provincial commission responsible for labour standards in the province, the CNESST, for a permit between January 1 and February 14, 2020, to legally continue their activities.
The CNESST will manage the permit system and monitor the actions of recruiters and employers to make sure they comply with the regulation.
“These new rules will ensure that agency workers and temporary foreign workers are entitled to fair and equitable working conditions that allow them to enjoy a positive work experience,” said Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity at a press conference announcing the new measures.
Licenses could be suspended or revoked if an agency fails to comply with the new rules, which include conditions such as:
- Providing foreign workers with a document detailing their working conditions applicable within the client company
- Ensuring that its employees or any person who advises, assists or represents another person in an immigration application has the required accreditation.
In addition to these obligations, recruitment agencies and client companies will become jointly liable for temporary foreign workers.
Agencies will be required to provide a $15,000 security deposit that will be used to compensate workers in the event of non-payment of amounts due to them by their employer under Quebec’s labour standards Act.
As of January 1, recruitment agencies will also be prohibited from paying workers a lower salary than that of the staff of the client company, insofar as they perform the same tasks in the same establishment.
The employer will be able to take into account the worker’s experience and skills to determine the wage, but disparity based solely on employment status will no longer be accepted.
Job Vacancies Remain at Historic Highs in Canada
Canada’s private sector continued to experience historically high job vacancies in the third quarter of 2019, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports. The federation’s latest Help Wanted Report shows that roughly 433,000 private-sector jobs went unfulfilled in the third quarter 0f 2019, around 1,500 more than the second quarter, and 15,000 more than the same period last year.
“This is now the fifth consecutive quarter in which we’re seeing a record high vacancy rate,” said Ted Mallett, CFIB’s chief economist, in a statement. “The smallest of firms, those with fewer than five employees, are having the hardest time recruiting workers, with a vacancy rate as high as 5.4 percent.”
Job Vacancies by Province
Quebec, once again, had the tightest labour market in the country with a four per cent vacancy rate. British Columbia also held its second-place position, maintaining an above-average vacancy rate of 3.8 per cent. Ontario remained at the national average of 3.2 per cent.
Vacancy rates in the Prairies and in Newfoundland and Labrador went up slightly, though they still remain under the national average.