International Experience Canada (IEC) Sees Major Changes

Posted on December 12, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

Toronto, Canada
Photo by Daniel Novykov on Unsplash

The International Experience Canada (IEC) is a program run by Immigration and Citizenship Canada (CIC) aimed at young adults wishing to work while visiting Canada. It is the simplest visa to get for a working holiday and this makes it very popular. IEC is geared towards the 19 to 35 age group coming from certain countries that have an agreement with Canada. Potential candidates must be aware of the major change the CIC recently announced.

The International Experience Canada (IEC) is seeing a major change as of November 21, 2015. No longer will the program process applications chronologically, instead, a candidate will create a profile and enter into a pool with other applicants. There will be one pool of candidates per country with two categories: one for international Co-op and young professionals and one for those desiring to work while on holiday. To give a brief overview of the process for applying:

Potential candidates must complete a survey, Come to Canada, to determine eligibility. It is a brief survey and shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to complete.
If the candidate is found to be eligible, they will then need to create a MyCIC account and create an IEC profile. Information provided in the profile will determine the candidate’s eligibility for the categories. Applicants may submit to one or more of the pools.
A candidate that is selected will receive an Invitation to Apply and will be eligible to apply for a work permit. Note: an invitation does not mean a guaranteed work permit.

It is in the candidate’s best interest that while you are waiting for the invitation you prepare yourself by gathering all the supporting documents you may need. Once you accept the invitation you will only have 20 days to submit supporting documents. If, however, an applicant does not receive an Invitation to Apply, they can keep their profile active in the pool for up to 12 months.

Canada’s Process to Resettle 25,000 Syrian Refugees

Posted on December 10, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

Akre Camp for Syrian refugees from Rojava in Akre (Aqre) town, Dohuk Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Working together with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and other nations, Canada is looking for registered individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada. An emphasis is placed on candidates deemed vulnerable, with highest priority going to: complete families, women at risk, and members of the LGBTI community. Refugees who are being privately sponsored are already identified with their information and applications in the hands of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Since November 17, 2015, the UNHCR has been contacting selected individuals who may be interested in resettling in Canada. If interested, they will be directed to go to the nearest UNHCR office where their identity will be verified. Their identity will be verified by their photo registration card and by an iris scan to ensure against fraud. After the individual’s identity has been verified they’ll proceed with an information session, followed by scheduling an interview with a Canadian visa officer.

From there refugees will be sent to one of two processing centers in Amman or Beirut for additional screening. Immigration offices in Turkey will also see an increase in their visa processing capabilities. Over 500 government officials have been sent to assist in the processing. Since the immigration processing will be completed entirely overseas, it requires very in-depth screening such as:

Security screening by comparing the individual’s biographical and biometric information with immigration, law enforcement, and security databases.
Full medical exam including screening for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.
Criminal history screening in collaboration with Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA).

After successfully completing the screening process, selected refugees will be granted permanent resident visas. They will have to confirm their identity prior to leaving for Canada by the CBSA and again by Border Services Officers once they enter.

Quebec Skilled Worker second intake will start on January 18, 2016

Posted on December 10, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

View of downtown Montreal from Mont Royal Park

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program has received the maximum number of applications for the first intake period.

The Skilled Worker Program is a Canadian immigration program aimed toward highly-skilled and trained workers. There is an extra step for those planning on applying to this program who intend to live and work in Québec. The government of Québec has a special agreement with Canada’s federal immigration service, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). An applicant must be selected by Quebec’s immigration authority, Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI) and receive a Quebec Certificat de Sélection (CSQ) to file an application with the CIC for permanent residency.

The maximum number of applications for the Québec Skilled Worker Program has been met as of November 10, 2015. The first application intake period, which started on November 4th, was set to receive a maximum of 3,500 applications. The second intake period will start on January 18, 2016 and run through March 31, 2016. This second intake period will be open for a maximum of 2,800 applications, which must be submitted online.

Though, the maximum limit has been met with applications you may still apply. Either by mail up until December 31, 2015, or online as of January 5, 2016 if one of the following applies to you:

You have an Ministére approved job offer or;

You are currently a temporary resident and qualify for the Certificat de sélection du Québec.

Breaking: The date for the controvercial citizenship rules change has been announced: June 11th

Posted on June 6, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

jason-alexander-citizenship-rule-changes

Immigration Miniser, Chris Alexander announces that June 11th the remaining citizenship rules will come into effect.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced the date the citizenship rule changes will come into effect.

One of the most contentious changes will be:

Adult applicants must declare their intent to reside in Canada once they become citizens and meet their personal income tax obligations in order to be eligible for citizenship.

The wording is loose and some think the rule changes may also apply to after one becomes a citizen.

This raises questions:

Can you be deemed not eligible for citizenship if you’re not showing enough intention and bond with Canada?
What are the standards and meaning of intention?
Are you breaking the rules that you signed up for and have your citizenship revoked if you don’t meet the standard?

It will be interesting to see if debates and the coming election in autumn will make this controversial and vague rule change more clear.

Here is a clip with CIC Minister Chris Alexander in the Senate committee meeting on June 12 2014 trying to respond to the concern of the wording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMoa1vbxRWk

Upcoming Changes to the Canadian Citizenship Rules in 2015

Posted on May 26, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

Angelica Detablan, 7, is handed her citizenship certificate and a Canadian flag by RCMP Const. Gerri Beardy at a ceremony at Charleswood School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In June of 2015, it is expected that a few new rules and regulations will be implemented into the Canadian Citizenship Rules and the processing of applications. Majority of changes have received negative feedback from immigrants and several civil rights organization which accuse the government of creating a two-tier citizenship system.

Below is a list of some of the biggest changes:

Residency –

Current rules	New changes
One must show physical residency in Canada for 3 out of 4 years	4 out of 6 years and must show that you were physically present in Canada for at least 183 days per year for each of those four years.

Residency before becoming Permanent Resident –

Current rules	New changes
Any time spent in Canada before becoming a Permanent Resident could be used towards residency.	No time before becoming a Permanent Resident can be used towards calculating your days in Canada for citizenship.

Intent to reside –

Current rules	New changes
No such rule.	Applicants must now declare their intent to reside in Canada during the application and indicate that they plan to make Canada their permanent home.

Proof of language –

Current rules	New changes
Applicants between 18 – 54 must submit proof of language proficiency in English or French	The required age will be changed to 14 – 64

Taxes –

Current rules	New changes
Not required to file taxes.	Must file taxes.

On top of the above, a few more changes that we should be expecting are stricter offences and penalties for fraud and misrepresentations and new grounds and process for revoking citizenship.

It is highly recommended that anyone who is eligible for citizenship now to apply before the rules are implemented.

Only 26% of Canadian immigrants acquired Canadian Citizenship

Posted on March 28, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

A decreasing number of immigrants are wanting to become Canadian citizens.

The number of immigrants wanting to become citizens in Canada have dropped to a whopping 26 percent from a previous 79 percent from the period 2000 and 2008, former citizenship director-general Andrew Griffith said. He attributed the decline to government’s recent rules and fees regarding citizenship.

“These changes have made it harder and prohibitive for some to acquire citizenship, turning Canada into a country where an increasing percentage of immigrants are likely to remain non-citizens, without the ability to engage in the Canadian political process,” Griffith said, noting that in the past, citizenship was viewed as a stepping stone to immigrant integration. “So it must be done earlier on.”

In 2008, only 26 percent of permanent residents who settled in Canada acquired Canadian citizenship. A year before it was 44 percent, and in the year 2000, it was 79 percent.

webgraph

The current residency rules say that you must be a resident in Canada for at least three out of four year. Come this June, that will be changed to four out of six years and they will also raise the age of exemption from language and citizenship tests to 65, from 55.

Regulations have become stringent since 2010. Among the changes include a citizenship test that measures applicants’ knowledge of Canadian history, culture and values. The required score to pass is 75 percent, from the previous 60 percent. Applicants must pass 15 out of 20 multiple choice questions.

The new passing rate, Griffith said, immediately impacted the citizenship numbers. Observing the passing rates of various communities 3 years before and after the new citizenship test was implemented, he said the immigrants from the Caribbean saw their pass rate go down by almost 20 per cent, while those from the South Asian, Southern and East African communities all experienced a decline of more than 15 per cent.

The new citizenship test, Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesperson Johanne Nadeau said, was just the same for all applicants. The test is neither too easy nor too difficult. What’s just needed is that “new Canadians have a comprehensive understanding of Canada’s history, identity and values.”

The matter on application fees is also another issue deterring immigrants to pursue Canadian citizenship. In 2014, the government increased the fees from $100 per adult, to $300 in February and $530 in December to become citizens. This does not include the $100 “Right of Citizenship” fee successful candidates must also pay to become citizens. “When you make it more difficult for some communities to become citizens, you are going to create issues with their engagement, attachment and identity of Canada,” Griffith said.

“I understand the rationale behind these government changes,” said Griffith, who worked for the government as the reforms were developed and rolled out, and retired in 2013.

“But I’m on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion. We need to make sure those who apply for citizenship take it seriously, but we don’t want to inadvertently create excessive barriers and shift the relationship of some of the communities with the country.”

Express Entry Update: First non-LMIA/LMO, non-PNP Nomination Invitations have been Released

Posted on March 24, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

Close to three months after the new Express Entry system started, and after four invitations, the first set of instructions have been released, where some of the invitees did not have LMIA/LMO’s or PNP nominations.

On March 20th, 2015, Express Entry system, round #5 was released. The number of invitees totalled 1620. The minimum score of those invited is 481.

This is great news for the majority of applicants in the Express Entry pool as many have started to feel discouraged by the high number of points in the previous four invitations.

What do the Experts think?

As licensed immigration consultant Alex Khadempour points out, there is no need to panic: “This is just the start. Immigration Canada did not want to open the floodgates by inviting a high number of people at the beginning. This is why only those with PNP nominations or LMOs/LIMAs were invited at first to make sure the system works. You will now see the minimum score start to go down.”

Immigration Canada accepts over 160,000 applicants a year under the economic programs such as Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades and some PNP programs. Only a small fraction of these applicants have LMOs/LMIAs or PNP nominations.

Tips for Applicants

Alex Khadempour adds: “Calculated patience is always necessary when it comes to dealing with immigration, especially when a new program or system is launched. You should keep your eyes on the minimum scores and see how close you are. At the same time, if there is an opportunity for you to receive a provincial nomination or an LMIA, which guarantee that you will be selected and invited, you should take advantage of that opportunity.It’s also very important to approach this process with caution and precision. One tiny mistake in one of the steps can ruin your chances in the future.”

Be sure to go over all the guidelines, regulations and seek professional help, if necessary, to make sure you don’t make any errors in how you submit your information and approach the multi-step application process.

779 candidates have been selected under the Express Entry system

Posted on February 10, 2015 by CICS Immigration Team

express-entry-cics

The 779 candidates who were selected, have two months to submit a complete application for permanent residence after receiving a letter, requesting that they submit a full application. This is the first draw from the Express Entry pool where candidates who are qualified under one the economic immigration programs, which consist of Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades and a portion of nominated applicant through the provincial programs.

This draw indicates that the new Express Entry system is working and that submitting a profile can truly lead to permanent residence.

Canada has purposely kept the first draw small as this is the first time where Immigraiton Canada can fix any potential glitches or problems and to test and make sure that the process moves forward without issues.

Candidates in the Express Entry pool are ranked according to a Ranking System (CRS) based on a number of factors and only top ranked candidates are invited to apply. For this first draw, the candidates selected had relatively high scores. The candidates all had either a provincial nomination or an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment – Qualifying job offer), which guarantees that you will have enough points to be selected under Express Entry.

CIC has indicated its intention to conduct up to 25 draws this year and plans on meeting its immigration targets 285,000 under the 2015 immigration plan. Of that, it is expected that over 180,000 will be selected under the Express Entry system. Future draws are expected to occur more frequently and the government is expected to issue a much greater number of invitations to apply to a wider array of candidates in the Express Entry pool.

CIC expects that a significant proportion of invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence will be issued to people without job offers from Canadian employers as there simply are not enough people with validated job offers or provincial nominations to fill the need for skilled immigrants.

Alex Khadempour, senior immigration consultant at CICS Immigration Consulting Inc. advises: “If you’re planning to apply under Express Entry, do it as soon as you can show that you are qualified for one of the economic programs. This includes having your IELTS test score, and if trying to qualify under Federal Skilled Worker, your Education Credential Assessment. However, it’s important that you don’t rush into the first step of the process, as this is where you need to make sure that you are able to present the best possible and strongest application with your work experience as the focal point. Mistakes at the beginning of the process can severely damage your following plans.”

Express Entry – How It Works and the Ranking System

Posted on December 4, 2014 by CICS Immigration Team

Express Entry will manage applications for permanent residence under these federal economic immigration programs:

Provinces and territories will also be able to recruit candidates from the Express Entry system through their Provincial Nominee Programs to meet local labour market needs.

Ministerial Instructions set out the rules for governing the Express Entry application management system.

The Express Entry system has two steps:

Step 1) Potential candidates complete an online Express Entry profile

Potential candidates will complete an online Express Entry profile. This is a secure form that they will use to provide information about their:

skills,
work experience,
language ability,
education, and
other details that will help us assess them.

Those who meet the criteria of one of the federal immigration programs listed above will be accepted into a pool of candidates.

Anyone who does not already have a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) (if you need one), or a nomination from a province or territory, must register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Job Bank. Job Bank will help connect Express Entry candidates with eligible employers in Canada.

Candidates are also encouraged to promote themselves to employers in other ways, such as using job boards, recruiters etc.

In most cases when there is a job being offered to a candidate, employers will need an LMIA from ESDC. The LMIA process ensures employers have made an effort to hire Canadians for available jobs. There will be no LMIA fee for permanent resident applications.

Step 2) The highest-ranking candidates in the pool will be invited to apply for permanent residence

Candidates will be ranked against others in the pool using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Points are awarded using the information in their profile.

Candidates with the highest scores in the pool will be issued an Invitation to Apply. Candidates will be awarded points for:

a job offer, and/or
a nomination from a province or territory, and/or
skills and experience factors.

A candidate can get additional points for:

a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or
a nomination by a province or territory

These additional points will make a candidate rank high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible draw of candidates.

If someone is invited to apply, they will have 60 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will process the majority of complete applications (meaning those with all the necessary supporting documents) in six months or less.

Candidates can stay in the pool for up to 12 months. If they do not get an Invitation to Apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, they may submit a new profile. If they still meet the criteria, they can re-enter the pool. This will prevent backlogs and ensure quick processing times.

Express Entry – Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) criteria

**A) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
A. Core / human capital factors	Points per factor – With a spouse or common-law partner	Points per factor – Without a spouse or common-law partner
Age	100	110
Level of education	140	150
Official languages proficiency	150	160
Canadian work experience	70	80

**B) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	Maximum 40 points
Level of education	10
Official language proficiency	20
Canadian Work Experience	10
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors	Maximum 500 points (with a spouse or common-law partner)	Maximum 500 points (without a spouse or common-law partner)

**C) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
C. Skill Transferability factors	Maximum 100 points
Education	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a post-secondary degree	50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	50
Foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and foreign work experience	50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience	50
Certificate of qualification (for people in trade occupations)	Maximum 50 points
With good/strong official languages proficiency and a certificate of qualification	50
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Transferability factors	Maximum 600 points

**D) Summary of points per factor for Express Entry candidates**
D. Additional points	(maximum 600)
Arranged employment	600
PN nomination	600
A. Core/human capital + B. Spouse or common-law partner factors + C. Transferability factors + D. = Grand total – 1,200

CRS – Core factors

Core / human capital factors	With a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 460 points)	Without a spouse or common-law partner (Maximum 500 points)
Age	Number of points (100 maximum)	Number of points (110 maximum)
17 years of age or less	0	0
18 years of age	90	99
19 years of age	95	105
20 to 29 years of age	100	110
30 years of age	95	105
31 years of age	90	99
32 years of age	85	94
33 years of age	80	88
34 years of age	75	83
35 years of age	70	77
36 years of age	65	72
37 years of age	60	66
38 years of age	55	61
39 years of age	50	55
40 years of age	45	50
41 years of age	35	39
42 years of age	25	28
43 years of age	15	17
44 years of age	5	6
45 years of age or more	0	0
Level of Education	With a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (140 maximum)	Without a spouse or common-law partner – Number of points (150 maximum)
Less than Secondary school (high school) credential	0	0
Secondary school (high school) credential	28	30
One-year post-secondary program credential	84	90
Two-year post-secondary program credential	91	98
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer	112	120
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	119	128
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required.	126	135
University-level credential at the Doctoral level	140	150
Official languages proficiency – first official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability: 32 with a spouse or common-law partner 34 without a spouse or common-law partner	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 128 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 136 points
For each ability	32	34
Less than CLB 4	0	0
CLB 4 or 5	6	6
CLB 6	8	9
CLB 7	16	17
CLB 8	22	23
CLB 9	29	31
CLB 10 or more	32	34
Official languages proficiency – second official language Reading, writing, speaking and listening total points for each ability: 5.5 with a spouse or common-law partner 6 without a spouse or common-law partner	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 22 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 24 points
For each ability	6	6
CLB 4 or less	0	0
CLB 5 or 6	1	1
CLB 7 or 8	3	3
CLB 9 or more	6	6
Canadian work experience	With a spouse or common-law partnerMaximum 70 points	Without a spouse or common-law partner Maximum 80 points
None or less than a year	0	0
1 year	35	40
2 years	46	53
3 years	56	64
4 years	63	72
5 years or more	70	80
Subtotal – Core / human capital factors	Out of 460 points	Out of 500 points

CRS – Spouse or common-law partner factors (if applicable)

Spouse or common-law partner factors	With spouse or common-law partner – number of points per factor	Without spouse or common-law partner (0 points – does not apply)
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education	10	0
Less than secondary school (high school) credential	0
Secondary school (high school) credential	2
One-year post-secondary program credential	6
Two-year post-secondary program credential	7
Post-secondary program credential of three years or longer	8
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer	9
University-level credential at the Master’s level OR an entry-to-practice professional degree. CIC only accepts as an entry-to-practice professional degree, those degrees issued in relation to an occupation listed at NOC Skill level A and for which licensing by a provincial regulatory body is required.	10
University-level credential at the Doctoral level	10
Spouse’s or common-law partner’s official languages proficiency – first official languageReading, writing, speaking and listening– total points for each ability	Maximum 20 points	0 (does not apply)
For each ability	5
CLB 4 or less	0
CLB 5 or 6	1
CLB 7 or 8	3
CLB 9 or more	5
Canadian work experience	Maximum 10 points	0 (does not apply)
None or less than a year	0
1 year	5
2 years	7
3 years	8
4 years	9
5 years or more	10
Subtotal – Core / human capital + Spouse or common-law partner factors	500	500

CRS – Skill transferability factors

Skill Transferability factors	Maximum 100 points for this section
Education	Maximum 50 points for Education
With good official language proficiency and a post-secondary degree	Maximum 50 points
	Points for CLB 7 or more on all first official language abilities, one or more under 9	Points for CLB 9 or more on all four first official language abilities
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2)	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5)	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8)	25	50
With Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree	Maximum 50 points
	Points for education + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for education + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
Secondary school (high school) credential or less (levels 1 & 2)	0	0
Post-secondary program credential of one year or longer (levels 3,4 & 5)	13	25
Two or more post-secondary program credentials AND at least one of these credentials was issued on completion of a post-secondary program of three years or longer (levels 6,7 & 8)	25	50
Foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points for Foreign work experience
With good official language proficiency and foreign work experience	50 points
	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 7 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 9	Points for foreign work experience + CLB 9 or more on all four first OL abilities
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50
With Canadian work experience and foreign work experience	Maximum 50 points
	Points for foreign work experience + 1 year of Canadian work experience	Points for foreign work experience + 2 years or more of Canadian work experience
No foreign work experience	0	0
1 or 2 years of foreign work experience	13	25
3 years or more of foreign work experience	25	50
Certificate of qualification (trade occupations)	Maximum 50 points for this section
With good official language proficiency and a certificate of qualification	Maximum 50 points
	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 5 or more on all first OL abilities, one or more under 7	Points for certificate of qualification + CLB 7 or more on all four first OL abilities
With a certificate of qualification	25	50
Subtotal: A. Core + B. Spouse or common-law partner + C. Skill transferability factors	600
Additional points	Maximum 600 points
1) Arranged employment OR	600
2) Provincial or territorial nomination	600
Grand total	Maximum 1,200 points