In the first quarter (Q1) of 2021 (January to March), IRCC has been focusing on in-Canada applicants, shuffling between Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry draws and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draws. Recognizing the persistent impact of the pandemic on immigration (travel restrictions, border measures, visa centre closures etc.), IRCC has mainly focused on inviting CEC candidates due to due to provincial labour market needs, or because the candidates are likely living in Canada at the moment. IRCC estimates that about 90 per cent of CEC candidates are likely already in Canada.
Between January and March, 2021, a total of 44,124 candidates were invited to apply for PR; Compared to the same period in 2020, only 22,600 candidates were invited to apply for PR – 21,524 less candidates. In Q1 2021, there was a total of 10 Express Entry draws – 6 PNP draws -2,416 candidates and 4 CEC draws - 41,708 candidates.
Why such a high number for the CEC draw?
IRCC held a historic draw on Saturday, February 13, 2021 which saw a total of 27,332 candidates invited to apply for PR. This was the largest draw ever held by IRCC. In comparison, the largest draw held before this saw just 5,000 candidates invited to apply for PR.
Only CEC candidates were invited in this “special” record-breaking draw, and the minimum CRS score required was just 75 to receive an invitation — the lowest CRS requirement ever. CRS scores cut-offs have typically been in the 400s range prior to this draw.
This special draw came about as a result of the pandemic as IRCC is looking to make up for the 2020 immigration shortfall.
Why the increase in the number of candidates being invited to apply for PR?
IRCC had a target to welcome 341,000 new immigrants in 2020 but the impact of the pandemic (travel restrictions, border measures, visa centre closures etc.) led to Canada welcoming a lot less immigrants than expected – only 184,370 new immigrants came to Canada in 2020, making for the weakest year for Canadian immigration since 1998. Consequently, IRCC is looking to make up for its immigration shortfall in 2020.
To make up for the 2020 short fall, IRCC announced the most ambitious immigration levels targets in Canadian history. Over the next 3 years, Canada will seek to welcome over 1.2 million new immigrants - 401,000 immigrants in 2021; 411,000 in 2022; and 421,000 in 2023.
Express Entry will account for roughly one-fourth of the 401,000 new arrivals in 2021.
IRCC releases a new Immigration Levels Plan every year which it uses to guide its operations.
What other special measures have been announced?
Asides from the special draws mentioned above, provinces such as Alberta, British Columbia (B.C.), Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan have still been issuing provincial nominations to Express Entry candidates under their respective Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) so far this year.
Other new measures announced in the frist quarter are:
IRCC:
·On March 5, 2021, it was announced that Canada is expanding the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia in an attempt to process more applications and reunite families faster.
According to the news release IRCC will obtain a new office space and would be able to hire 62 additional employees who will primarily work on family class overseas applications. With these new resources, IRCC expects to process more applications and shorten the processing times that have been extended during the pandemic.
·On March 18, 2021, 5,000 Express Entry candidates were invited to apply for PR. Invited candidates needed to be eligible for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and have a score of at least 449 in order to receive an Invitation to Apply.
Ontario:
Ontario is set to introduce a new Expression of Interest system for 5 of its economic-class immigration streams in the coming weeks. Ontario previously had a first-come-first-served model in place, but will be moving to an Expression of Interest (EOI) system, a points-based system that ranks candidates based on human capital and labour market factors. Several other PNPs make use this type of system already.
The new EOI system will apply to the following streams:
· Employer Job Offer Category streams:
§ Foreign Worker,
§ International Student,
§ In-Demand Skills;
· Masters Graduate stream; and
· Ph.D. Graduate stream.
These streams are currently closed to new applicants for the duration of the system change and will reopen when the new EOI system launches in the coming weeks. The new EOI system is stated to be fairer and more predictable, and would be more user-friendly than the current intake process.
· On January 13, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates in the French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) and Skilled Trades streams. The FSSW stream is for Express Entry candidates who speak English and French. Candidates had to have a CRS score between 456 and 460, as well as meet the eligibility requirements of the Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Worker Program; The Skilled Trades Stream is for candidates currently residing in Ontario who have a minimum of one-year full-time work experience, or the equivalent in part-time work, in a skilled trade listed in Minor Group 633 or Major Group 72, 73, or 82 under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC). Candidates had to have a CRS score between 434 and 460.
· On March 2, 2021, Ontario invited 754 Express Entry candidates to apply for the provincial nomination if they had work experience in one of the following 10 occupations:
1. Banking, credit and other investment managers (NOC 0122);
2. Advertising, marketing and public relations managers (NOC 0124);
3. Other business services managers (NOC 0125);
4. Corporate sales managers (NOC 0601);
5. Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 1111);
6. Financial and investment analysts (NOC 1112);
7. Human resources professionals (NOC 1121);
8. Professional occupations in business management consulting (NOC 1122);
9. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012); and
10. Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants (NOC 4163).
· On March 3, 2021, Ontario held another French-speaking Express Entry draw. 126 candidates through the French-Speaking Skilled Worker (FSSW) stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). Invited candidates were required to have a profile in the Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score between 455 and 467. So far in 2021, Ontario has invited 271 candidates to apply for PR through this stream.
Quebec:
·On March 24, 2021, Quebec officially started accepting applications for the food processing workers pilot program, which provides a pathway to permanent immigration for temporary foreign workers who hold eligible jobs in the food processing sector.
· On March 31, 2021, a second permanent immigration pilot program launched - the Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Orderlies. The pilot program, which will run for up to five years, will select up to 550 principal applicants who work as orderlies annually. This program is intended to help Quebec address the critical shortage of health care workers in the province. The application intake period for the pilot program opened on March 31, 2021 and runs through October 31, 2021.
· A third pilot program for workers in the artificial intelligence, information technology and visual effects sectors is expected to be launched by Quebec on April 22, 2021.
British Columbia:
· On February 2, 2021, B.C. announced that international graduates from B.C. now only need to have completed at least 50 per cent of their studies from within Canada to be eligible for the international student immigration categories under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), which means that international graduates can complete up to half of their studies from their home country and may still be eligible to immigrate to the province.
· On March 24, 2021, B.C. announced that it was extending the Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot until March 31, 2024.The pilot was launched in early 2019, and allows B.C. to work in partnership with regional communities of less than 75,000 people to welcome approved immigrant entrepreneurs who want to open a new business.
Alberta:
· On January 27, 2021, Alberta launched a new immigration pathway for qualified international graduates from outside Canada called the Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream under the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). In order to be eligible for the Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Stream (FGSVS), candidates must have graduated from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada within the last 2 years and have an educational credential equivalent to a Canadian degree.
Nova Scotia:
· On March 29, 2021, Nova Scotia invited 329 French-speaking candidates through its Express Entry-linked Labour Market Priorities stream. Letters of Interest were issued to candidates who had selected French as their first official language, with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 9 or higher in all French language abilities (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
Candidates were also required to have a CLB score of at least 7 or higher in English in all four language abilities, as well as either a bachelor’s degree or completed a program of three years or more at a university, college, trade or technical school.
New Brunswick:
· On February 9, 2021, New Brunswick announced that until April 30, 2021, temporary workers working in Labourer occupations (jobs classified as NOC skill-level D) will be able to apply for New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program.
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A lot has happened with immigration in Q1, there will be more to come! Stay tuned, share and follow us on all social media platforms @infoplacecanada .