Significant Changes to Quebec Immigration

Posted on April 7, 2018 by CICS Immigration Team

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”
-Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

On March 28 2018, Quebec has announced significant changes to the Quebec immigration program.

Quebec Revamping their Intake System for Skilled Workers

The Quebec Government has unveiled plans to revamp their intake system for skilled workers and will be modeled similarly to the federal Express Entry system. The new Expression of Interest (Déclaration d’intérêt) system will manage profiles for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) and will replace the previous first-come, first-served application process.

Similar to Express Entry, candidates who are eligible for the QSWP will have to submit anExpression of Interest (Déclaration d’intérêt) as a first step and their profile will be valid for up to 12 months. It is expected that candidates will then receive a different score, similar to the CRS score, and candidates who meet or exceed a specified cut-off score will be invited to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). They will then have 90 days to submit their complete application.

Major Changes to the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program

The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is the only passive investment program in Canada offering permanent residence.

The Quebec Government plans on increasing the QIIP investment threshold from $800,000 to $1.2 million and the minimum net worth requirement from $1.6 million to $2 million. All remaining requirements will remain the same.

We expect the walk-away investment will increase from $220,000 to around $350,000.

The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program has been suspended from April 1^st to August 15^th, 2018 and it is projected that these significant changes will come into effect in August.

More details about these significant changes will be announced in the near future. Please make sure to visit our website for up-to-date information.

The Citizenship Rules Have Changed!… Sort of.

Posted on June 19, 2017 by CICS Immigration Team

The Canadian Passport is finally within reach for many Permanent Residents.

Bill C-6, an Act to amend the Citizenship Act received Royal Assent. The Citizenship Rules will take effect at different stages, in the next 6 months.

Changes That Will Happen Now

As of now, applicants are no longer required to intend to continue to live in Canada once granted citizenship.

Changes That Will Happen in ‘Late Fall’

We will finally see the reduction of physical presence in Canada of three out of five years (3 out of 5), from four out of six years (4 out of 6).

Applicants can also count up to a year of residency while they were a temporary resident, towards their physical presence requirement for citizenship.

The age range for people to meet the language and knowledge requirement for citizenship will change to 18-54, from what it is now, which is 14-64.

For a more detailed information, please see Bill C-6 Backgrounder.

When will the Canada citizenship rules be updated?

Posted on June 12, 2017 by CICS Immigration Team

New Canadians take the oath of citizenship at a ceremony in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

It’s been some time since the promised changes in the citizenship rules started on its path towards becoming law. Bill C-6 has been working its way through the legislature since February of 2016.

These are the steps C-6 has taken:

House of Commons

First Reading – Introduction and First Reading – 2016-02-25
Second Reading – Second Reading and Referral to Committee – 2016-03-21

Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration

Committee Reporting the Bill with Amendments – 2016-05-05
Report Stage – Concurrence at Report Stage – 2016-05-17
Third Reading – Third Reading – 2016-06-17

Senate

First Reading – 2016-06-17
Second Reading – 2016-12-15
Referral to Committee – 2016-12-15

Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Committee Report Presented without Amendment – 2017-03-07
Third Reading – 2017-05-03
Bill passed by the Senate with amendments – 2017-05-03

So here we are – What now?

The Senate passed the bill, but introduced three amendments, which means the bill gets sent back to the House of Commons, where Liberals will decide whether to accept the changes or not. If they don’t, it goes back to the Senate again. Government House leader Bardish Chagger’s office said Wednesday amendments will be brought to the floor for debate “in due course.”

What are these amendments?

The bill’s sponsor, independent Sen. Ratna Omidvar, championed in particular an amendment, introduced by independent Sen. Elaine McCoy, that improves due process for people who are facing revocation of their citizenship due to fraud or misrepresentation.

After the Conservatives’ Bill C-24, revocation processes were streamlined such that people weren’t automatically granted a right to defend themselves if their citizenship was about to be taken away. The Liberal Bill C-6 didn’t reverse this change.

“Without this amendment,” said a statement from Omidvar’s office, “Canadians face an unjust administrative process and fewer safeguards than anyone wishing to challenge a parking ticket.”

Previous immigration minister John McCallum had told senators Liberals would “welcome” an amendment addressing this, but new minister Ahmed Hussen has not indicated support one way or the other.

The other two amendments:

1) Change language proficiency requirement to 60, from 55, proposed by the Liberals. (It’s at 64 now)
2) Minors can apply for citizenship, separate from parents and guardians.

It has been a long time coming, but we are cautiously optimistic that the Liberal governments will accept the three amendment, so the citizenship bill C-6 can finally become law.

Express Entry update

Posted on December 22, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

Today, we’re discussing the new changes in the express entry scoring system.

My name is Alex Khadempour – Let’s talk Canadian Immigration!

On November 19th, the changes in the express entry system were implemented. Things moved quickly between the announcement and the implementation of the points, which is a change compared to what we have seen in the past from immigration Canada when it came to bringing in updates. As expected, there are some questions and issues, which should be resolved in due time.

There are a few Express Entry updates, but the main ones that I’ll touch on are on the points received for job offers and international students who have graduated in Canada.

There have been many discussions about giving students who have graduated in Canada some incentive in their immigration application process. It was either going to be a new stream for graduating students, or extra points in the express entry pool, and of course, the latter was chosen.

Here is how Canadian graduates can receive points:

For those with one or two year post secondary education with a certificate/diploma – they will receive 15 points extra

For those who have graduated with a three year or longer education OR a master’s, or PhD of at least one academic year: 30 points will be added to their Express Entry points

And there were also changes made in how a person can receive points under a job offer:

Before the changes, someone with an LMIA, and a permanent job offer would receive 600 points, which guaranteed selection from the Express Entry pool. However, those points have now been reduced. At the same time, points for job offers also include applicants with “qualifying offer of arranged employment”, providing the person has at least one year of work experience with the same employer who has provided the job offer. In other words, the name of the employer must be on your work permit and you must have worked for that employer for at least a year, in order to be eligible to get the extra points. Since post graduate work permits and most IEC work permits, like working holiday visa, are open work permits, they do not qualify for extra points.

Here is how those with work permits can receive points:

Those under skill levels 0, A or B, would receive 50 points and those under skill level 00, such as executives, would receive 200 points.

These changes and updates will make a difference in many applicants’ immigration plans, especially those who relied on the magical 600 points they would have received under LMIA. Due to that change, we will see a gravitation towards provincial programs and Provincial Nominations, which still give applicants 600 points under Express Entry.

We will all be looking at the minimum threshold in points in Express Entry, which have not gone below 470 for some time now. The next few rounds of invitations should give us a good indication of how much of an effect these changes will have and what the minimum invited points will be.

My recommendation to anyone with an Express Entry profile is to go into it or get their representative to do so, and update the information. Be sure to save the profile. Your points should update, eventually.

There are still some issues with how points are being tallied in the online application. If you notice issues with your total score, then click on ‘Report a Technical Issue’ under the Express Entry profile. It’s not unusual to come across problems when something is first implemented. These will be fixed as time goes by.

Please stay tuned for our next podcast for more information on Canadian Immigration where we continue to cover a variety of topics and questions. As always, you can visit cicsimmigration.com to get even more information.

I’m Alex. Until next time!

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers -TFWP- in Numbers

Posted on September 17, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

In 2014, more than 360,000 people had their temporary work permit take effect, a 64 per cent increase compared with 2004. An additional 212,000 international students had their study permit take effect, with many of them eligible to work in Canada temporarily.

Ahead of a major parliamentary committee report on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) set for release this month, a new report by Conference Board of Canada’s National Immigration Centre provides a comprehensive overview of the state of Canada’s foreign worker population.

The report, A Primer on Canada’s Foreign Workers, suggests that while Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program population has declined in recent years, Canada’s overall foreign worker population is rising and may continue to increase.

“Workers entering Canada under the TFWP make up only a slice of Canada’s diverse foreign worker population, which includes International Mobility Program workers, international students, those awaiting permanent residence in Canada, and refugee claimants. All these individuals are able to work in Canada on a temporary basis,” said Michael Bloom, Vice-President, Industry and Business Strategy, The Conference Board of Canada. “Ensuring that foreign worker programs benefit Canada is a matter of reconciling the needs of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, industry, and Canadians and foreign workers.”

Highlights

In 2014, more than 360,000 people had their temporary work permit take effect, a 64 per cent increase compared with 2004. An additional 212,000 international students had their study permit take effect, with many of them eligible to work in Canada temporarily.
The TFWP accounted for one-quarter of individuals who were granted a temporary work permit in 2014.
Canada could see its foreign worker population continue to rise as a result of more international students entering the country and recently negotiated free trade agreements.

In 2014, more than 360,000 people had their temporary work permit take effect, a 64 per cent increase compared with 2004. Most temporary work permits signed between 2004 and 2014 were exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the test used by the federal government to determine what effect the hiring of a foreign national might have on the Canadian labour market. The number of TFWP permits signed has declined over the past two years likely due to a combination of Canada’s economic conditions and TFWP policy reforms.

TFWP accounted for only 26 per cent of individuals who were granted a temporary work permit in 2014. Despite possible reforms to the TFWP, Canada could still see its overall foreign worker population increase in the future due to rising levels of international students arriving to Canada. International students make up a significant share of foreign workers eligible to participate in the Canadian labour market. In 2014, close to 212,000 international students had their study permit signed compared with just over 126,000 in 2004. This number could increase further as federal, provincial, and territorial governments encourage more foreign nationals to study in Canada.

Recently negotiated free trade agreements by Canada could also up the number of foreign nationals eligible to work in Canada under the International Mobility Program, which does not have LMIA requirements. The Canada and European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) both contain labour mobility provisions. If ratified, they could result in more Canadians working abroad, and more foreign workers arriving to Canada.

“Balance is the key to a well-designed and well-executed TFWP,” said Dr. Bloom. “The government has a legitimate role to monitor the TFWP to ensure domestic workers are given priority in the labour market. Employers across Canada would like enough flexibility to fill their temporary employment needs when domestic workers are unavailable to do the job. The Canadian public wants assurance that foreign workers are supplementing, rather than supplanting domestic workers. And protections must be in place to ensure temporary foreign workers are treated fairly by employers.”

The report also highlights the need for more complete information on the Canadian labour market to support evidence-based policy decisions on Canada’s foreign worker programs. While certain sectors, such as agriculture, face genuine labour shortages, as shown by federal government data, and require TFWs to fill labour market vacancies, it is difficult to determine whether other sectors are facing similar labour shortages due to limitations in Canada’s labour market data.

Canadian Immigration Minister Wants to “Substantially” Increase Immigration

Posted on September 5, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

Immigration Minister John McCallum says that before he can ‘substantially increase’ Canada’s immigration levels beyond record levels, he will have to take his plan to cabinet and convince Canadians it’s the right thing to do.

If Immigration Minister John McCallum gets his way, Canada will significantly increase immigration beyond its current record level as a IRiway to fill the country’s labour needs.

Pointing to an aging population and looming labour shortages, McCallum made the pitch in Manila during a speech to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines on Friday.

“So why not substantially increase the number of immigrants coming to Canada? And that is, I think, I hope, what we are about to do,” McCallum said, according to a transcript of his remarks obtained by CBC News.

Earlier in the week, McCallum was in Beijing, where he sought to open more offices where Chinese can apply for visas, in the hope of attracting more high-skilled workers.

The Trudeau government is already seeking to admit between 280,000 and 305,000 new permanent residents in 2016 — a record increase from the 260,000 to 285,000 newcomers the previous Conservative government had planned to welcome by the end of 2015.

Key to the Liberal government’s larger plan to promote innovation and grow the economy is McCallum’s three-year immigration plan, which he intends to unveil this fall.

McCallum said no final decision on immigration has been made and that he has to get his cabinet colleagues on board with his new plan and convince Canadians it’s the right thing to do.

“But the direction in which I would like to go is to increase substantially the number of immigrants,” McCallum said Friday.

Reducing ‘barriers’ to immigration

The express entry system launched under the previous Conservative government promised transformative changes to Canada’s economic immigration policy.

McCallum will ease some of the rules to make it easier for international students to come to Canada and become permanent residents.

He is also reviewing what is known as a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) — a document all employers need to hire foreign nationals over Canadian workers — and could do away with it in some instances.

Businesses have said it is the biggest flaw with express entry, a requirement the previous government borrowed from the temporary foreign worker program.

“So we’re going to make it easier for international students, we’re going to reduce some of the barriers in our immigration system … we don’t think that every immigrant needs to go through what we call a labour market impact assessment process. We think it can be simplified. We think there are some rules which are no longer necessary,” McCallum said.

“Now, we have to convince Canadians of this. But I think it’s a good idea.”

Review to come on TFW program

The Liberal government also tasked a parliamentary committee with a review of the controversial foreign worker program, but Parliament adjourned before the report was tabled. It will now be made public in the fall.

McCallum, who worked as a chief economist at one of Canada’s Big Five banks and a professor of economics before he entered politics, also acknowledged he has his work cut out for him.

“Not every Canadian will agree. But I think with our mindset of welcoming newcomers in the beginning, with the facts of the labour shortages, aging population, we have a good case to make, and I think we will be able to convince a higher proportion of Canadians that this is the right way for Canada to go.”

Philippines is currently the top source country for permanent residents in Canada, according to data published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as of May 31.

The immigration minister also said that processing times for reuniting families from the Philippines has dropped “dramatically” to 12 months, “cut in half in just a year.”

The Liberal government promised during last fall’s federal election campaign to reduce processing wait times in all categories.

Source: Susana Mas, CBC News

When will the new Citizenship rules be implemented?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

Since the announcement by the Liberal government in regards to the changes in the Citizenship rules, many have been waiting for the changes to be implemented.

Some of the highlights of these changes are:

Repealing citizenship revocation and intent to reside provision
3 out of 5 years residency requirement (from 4 out of 6)
Allowing time before Permanent Residency to be counted
Return the language requirement age back to 18-54

Bill C-6 was introduced on June 17th, 2016 by the Immigration Minister, however, in order for the changes to be implemented, they must first be passed by the senate. It was the government’s intention to do this by July 1st, 2016, however, it was not enough time and we hit the (extra long) summer holidays for our government.

So when will their holidays be done?

The senate is to return to work on September 19th, 2016 and we expect this bill to be finalized and implemented soon after.

An overview of proposed changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act

Posted on March 3, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

mccallum_cic_IRCC

Proposed changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act was introduced on February 25, 2016. The changes in the legislation would provide greater flexibility for applicants trying to meet the requirements for citizenship, and help immigrants obtain citizenship faster. They would also repeal provisions of the Citizenship Act that allow citizenship to be revoked from dual citizens who engage in certain acts against the national interest. Additional changes are also proposed to further enhance program integrity.

Repealing the national interest grounds for citizenship revocation

Legislative changes that came into effect in May 2015 created a new ground for citizenship revocation that allowed citizenship to be taken away from dual citizens for certain acts against the national interest of Canada. These grounds include convictions of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying offences, depending on the sentence received, or for membership in an armed force or organized armed group engaged in armed conflict with Canada. The Bill repeals these new grounds. All Canadians who commit crimes should face the consequences of their actions through the Canadian justice system.

The ability to revoke citizenship where it was obtained by false representation, by fraud or by knowingly concealing material circumstances will remain in place. The Minister would continue to have authority to revoke citizenship in basic fraud cases, such as identity and residence fraud (which constitute the majority of cases), and the Federal Court would continue to have authority to revoke citizenship in cases where the fraud is in relation to concealing serious inadmissibilities concerning security, human or international rights violations, war crimes, and organized criminality.

Repealing the intent to reside provision

Since June 2015, adult applicants must declare on their citizenship applications that they intend to continue to reside in Canada if granted citizenship. The provision created concern among some new Canadians, who feared their citizenship could be revoked in the future if they moved outside of Canada. The Government is proposing to repeal this provision. All Canadians are free to move outside Canada. This is a right guaranteed in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Reducing the length of time someone must be physically present in Canada to qualify for Citizenship

To help immigrants achieve citizenship more quickly, the Government is proposing to reduce the time required to be spent in Canada for citizenship for adults to three years (1095 days) within the five years before applying for citizenship. This will mean applicants can apply one year sooner than they can now. This offers greater flexibility for immigrants who may need to travel outside of Canada for various personal or work reasons.

Currently, the Citizenship Act requires applicants to be physically present in Canada for four years (1,460 days) within the six years immediately before applying for citizenship.

Allowing time in Canada before Permanent Residency to count toward the physical presence requirement

Under the Citizenship Act, people cannot count time they spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident towards meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship.

The changes in the new Bill would let non-permanent resident time count toward the new three year physical presence requirement for citizenship, for up to one year. Under this change, each day that a person is authorized to be in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident could be counted as a half-day toward meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship.

These changes support the Government’s goal of making it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, reuniting their families and contributing to the economic success of all Canadians. The time credit will also encourage skilled individuals to come to Canada to study or work, and benefits groups like protected persons and parents and grandparents on visitors’ visas.

Eliminating the 183 days of physical presence requirement

The Bill proposes to remove the supplemental physical presence requirement, as keeping it would not allow applicants to benefit from the new non-permanent resident time credit. Applicants would no longer need to be physically present for 183 days in Canada during each of four calendar years that are within the six years immediately before applying for citizenship.

Amending the age range for language and knowledge requirements

Since the first Canadian Citizenship Act in 1947, citizenship applicants have had to have an adequate knowledge of English or French, as well as knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. Previous changes to the Citizenship Act expanded the age range of applicants who must meet the language and knowledge requirements from those aged 18-54 to those aged 14-64.

The Government is proposing to return to the previous 18-54 age requirement, removing a potential barrier to citizenship for applicants in both the younger and older age groups. For younger applicants, learning English or French and having an adequate knowledge of Canada is already achieved through schooling. For the older age group, language skills and knowledge of Canada are offered through a wide range of integration services.

Adult applicants aged 18-54 would still be required to provide evidence that they understand English or French and are able to hold a short conversation about common topics, understand simple instructions, and use basic grammar. They are also required to pass a knowledge test on Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

Program Integrity Enhancements

A number of changes to further enhance program integrity are also proposed.

Conditional Sentences: Currently, the Citizenship Act prohibits a person under a probation order, on parole or incarcerated in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison from being granted citizenship or from counting that time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship. However, the provisions do not include conditional sentences (i.e. sentences served in the community with certain conditions) served in Canada. So currently, an applicant who is sentenced to a conditional sentence order could be granted citizenship or count that time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship. These amendments would change that. This change would apply to both new applications and those still being processed.

Maintaining requirements for citizenship until Oath taking: The Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act introduced a rule that would not allow applicants to take the oath of citizenship if they no longer met the requirements for citizenship after the decision was made. Before this change, there was no authority to prevent an applicant in that situation from taking the oath. The time between the decision and taking of the oath is typically two to three months. However, the rule only applies to applications received after June 11, 2015, when the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act came into force, and not to applications received before that date. The proposed change would require all applicants to continue to meet the requirements of citizenship until they take the Oath, regardless of when their application was received.

Ability to Seize Documents: Unlike existing authorities under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act, citizenship officers did not have the authority to seize fraudulent documents. This Bill would change that, giving citizenship officers authority under the Citizenship Act to seize fraudulent documents provided during the administration of the Act, including during in-person interviews and hearings. This improves the ability for Citizenship officers to carry out investigations and prevent further use of fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents.

Source: Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada

BC PNP Skilled Worker – 2016 – An overview

Posted on January 28, 2016 by CICS Immigration Team

bcpnp-2016

On January 27th, 2016, the province of British Columbia launched a new intake system for the Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

The BC PNPs new Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) is a points-based system that gives candidates a registration score that determines whether they are invited to apply. Their score is based on a number of factors that reflect an individual’s ability to succeed in the labour market and contribute to the provincial economy such as level of education, years of direct work experience and a B.C. employment offer.

For example, B.C.’s tech sector is consistently growing faster than the overall economy. For many employers their need for talent is urgent, especially in highly specialized areas. The new registration system allows employers to access skilled labour quickly to bring highly-skilled newcomers into the Province to support continued growth in the industry.

General Requirements

The following are requirements in all categories of both the Express Entry BC and the regular Skills Immigration streams:

1. Offer of employment must be indeterminate, full-time employment in an eligible occupation (Exception: Skills Immigration – International Post-Graduate and EEBC – International Post-Graduate).

2. Be qualified for the position as according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) and industry standards to determine the minimum qualifications for an occupation.

3. The wage must be competitive with B.C. wage rates for the occupation.

4. For occupations under NOC level B, C and D occupation, one must demonstrate English/French proficiency at CLB level 4. Under NOC level 0 or A occupations, its at the discretion of BC PNP and they may request it to demonstrate proficiency to perform the duties of the position. (For regular Skilled Worker program)

5. Must meet the minimum income requirements.

LICO-B.C.

6. Must not have an ownership/equity of more than 10 percent in the B.C. company.

7. Must provide economic benefit to B.C. Example:

– maintaining or creating jobs for Canadians
– transferring knowledge and skills to Canadians
– supporting the development of proprietary new products
– building the workforce for a major project

8. Have a federal Express Entry profile (For Express Entry BC PNP Skilled Worker only). In this case, the language requirement will have to match under the federal program you are qualified for.

Employer Requirement

The employer requirements will remain as before, with the major requirements being:

1. Have at least five full time employees within Metro Vancouver and three full-time employees outside of Metro Vancouver.
2. A Recruitment efforts should be made for at least 14 days

Point System

This new selection process has been adopted from the original Express Entry system (at least in Canada) started by the federal government in January of 2015.

Here is a brief rundown of the maximum points in each category:

Skill Level: 60
Wage: 50
Location: 10
Experience: 25
Education: 25
Language: 30

Each applicant has a chance to receive a guaranteed inviation if their score surpasses a minimum score designated to each category.

Process

1. Create a BCPNP Online profile and receive a registration score
2. Periodically, the BC PNP will invite the highest-scoring registrants from each category to apply
3. Once/if you are selected, you have 30 days to submit your application
4. Once/if you are accepted, you receive your nomination

Quick Facts

* The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is the Province’s only direct economic immigration tool for bringing in new British Columbians.
* B.C.’s quota of PNP nominations is set by the federal government.
* For 2015, that allocation was 5,500 and the province negotiated an additional 300 to achieve 5,800 – more than any other province.
* The 2016 PNP allocation from the federal government has yet to be confirmed.
* B.C. continues to work with the federal government to increase economic immigration and receive more PNP allocations.
* Since the 2001 inception of the program, more than 34,000 workers and entrepreneurs have been attracted to the province through the PNP.
* In 2014, 80% of B.C.’s total immigrants came to British Columbia through federal immigration streams.

BCPNP Introduces a New skilled Worker Sub Category ahead of January 2016 re-launch

Posted on December 23, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

Vancouver as seen from Grouse Mountain

While the skilled worker program under British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) is closed until early January 2016, a new sub category stream has been introduced to qualified applicants.

On September 1st, 2015, the Skilled Immigration stream stopped accepting applications. However, as of November 10, 2015, the Skilled Immigration category has seen an addition of 50 applications to attract some in demand jobs. The 50 additional spots are aimed at bringing in more high-wage ($100,000+) workers, think for example: engineers, software developers, and managers. For those out there with a pending application do not worry, the extra applications will not delay the processing time of current applications.

There is no change to the Entrepreneur Immigration stream, it will remain open for new applications, up to a maximum of 200 new applications per month.

What to expect in 2016:

The Province receives a new allocation of BC PNP nominations from the Federal government in January 2016.
At that time, the BC PNP will have a new points-based skills intake system requiring an invitation to apply.
Points will be given to applicants whose skills and experience line up with B.C.’s economic development priorities

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” -Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr