July 01, 2011 FSW Applicants_MI 3

[westpoint]

Ministerial Instruction 3 (MI 3)Takes effect July 01, 2011. What's New?

 

[westpoint]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2011/2011-06-24a.asp

Changes to economic immigration programs will help further reduce backlogs and improve wait times

Ottawa, June 24, 2011 — Canada is adjusting its intake of applications from economic immigrants to further reduce the backlog and improve wait times while meeting the country’s labour market needs, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“The backlog of federal skilled worker applications is now half of what it was when we announced the Action Plan for Faster Immigration in 2008,” said Minister Kenney. “These measures will help us to continue that progress.”

Canada receives many more immigration applications than can be accepted every year. As part of ongoing efforts to better align application intake with priorities for immigration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is limiting the number of new applications it will consider in certain categories of the federal economic immigration stream.

Effective July 1, 2011, the changes will affect new applicants to the federal Skilled Worker, federal Immigrant Investor and federal Entrepreneur programs. The changes will not affect the number of permanent resident admissions in 2011 in these three categories.

“Canada continues to welcome historically high numbers of new immigrants each year, but the Government continues to receive applications that far exceed this number,” said Minister Kenney. “If we don't keep putting reasonable limits on new applications, backlogs and wait times will grow.”

In November 2008, the government first took steps to identify for processing those federal skilled worker applications that responded to Canada’s labour needs, such as applicants with arranged employment offers from Canadian employers or with experience in an occupation in high demand. In June 2010, the government released an updated list of 29 priority occupations and introduced a global cap of 20,000 for federal skilled workers, as well as a sub-cap of 1,000 under each occupation. Over the past year, CIC has received approximately 13,800 federal skilled worker applications under the priority occupations list (figure accurate as of June 24, 2011).

Now, for applicants who do not have an offer of employment in Canada, the government will further limit the number of new federal skilled worker applications that are considered for processing to 10,000 a year, beginning July 1. This limit will help better align the number of applications with labour market demand. Within the 10,000 limit, a maximum of 500 new applications in each of the current 29 priority occupations will be considered.

In addition, the Minister is introducing a cap of 700 on new federal investor applications. Although last year, CIC made changes that raised the minimum net worth and investment requirements, it continues to receive applications in excess of what is required. An annual cap on new applications will allow for progress on backlog reduction while ensuring that the Department has a sufficient volume of new files to meet its commitments.

The Minister is also introducing a temporary moratorium on new federal entrepreneur applications. Wait times for this program currently stretch to eight years in some visa offices. By ceasing to accept new applications as of July 1, the government will prevent further processing delays. The federal Entrepreneur Program will undergo a review in the coming months to ensure that Canada is better able to attract and retain innovative entrepreneurs.

The authority for these changes, which are being introduced through ministerial instructions, comes from amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act approved by Parliament in 2008 as part of the Action Plan for Faster Immigration. The instructions are meant to be a flexible tool that allows the government to align the intake of immigration applications with priorities for immigration.

Since these changes were implemented in November 2008, the backlog of pre-2008 federal skilled worker applicants has decreased by 50 percent. As well, priority applications are being processed in a period of months rather than years, as was the case prior to the 2008 changes.

The CIC website will be updated on July 1, 2011, with details on application requirements and procedures for affected programs.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada

For further information:

Kasra Nejatian
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Ontario Region
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

 

[westpoint]

5 days to go and we will find out the new requirements and its difference with the previous ministerial instruction.

Anyone with news regarding this, please do not hesitate to share, thank you.

 

[westpoint]

Tomorrow will be 01 July 2011, the most anticipated date. We shall find out what's new with the ministerial instruction ;D What we only know so far is that only 500 cap is allocated for each occupations as before. Same 29 in demand occupations.

 

[jnathan]

I will come back to this thread tomorrow..

 

[westpoint]

Skilled workers and professionals: Who can apply—Proof of funds

The Government of Canada does not provide financial support to new skilled worker immigrants.

You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada. You cannot borrow this money from another person. You must be able to use this money to support the costs of living for your family.

You will need to provide proof of your funds to the Canadian visa office in your home country when you submit your application for immigration.

The amount of money you need to support your family is determined by the size of your family. These amounts are updated every year.
Number of

Family Members Funds Required
(in Canadian dollars)

1 $11,115
2 $13,837
3 $17,011
4 $20,654
5 $23,425
6 $26,419
7 or more $29,414

You do not have to show that you have these funds if you have arranged employment in Canada.
How much money should you bring?

Find out how much it costs to live where you are planning to settle in Canada.

Bring as much money as possible to make moving and finding a home in Canada easier.
Disclosure of funds

If you are carrying more than C$10,000, tell a Canadian official when you arrive in Canada. If you do not tell an official, you may be fined or put in prison. These funds could be in the form of:

cash
securities in bearer form (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills) or
negotiable instruments in bearer form (for example, bankers' drafts, cheques, travellers' cheques or money orders).

 

[westpoint]

Skilled workers and professionals: Who can apply—Six selection factors and pass mark
Will you qualify?

If you are eligible to apply as a skilled worker, you will be assessed on six selection factors and a point system. Learn more about each factor by clicking on it.
Selection Factor Points
Education Maximum 25 points
Proficiency in English and/or French Maximum 24 points
Experience Maximum 21 points
Age Maximum 10 points
Arranged employment in Canada Maximum 10 points
Adaptability Maximum 10 points
Total Maximum 100 points
Pass mark 67 points

You can also assess your qualifications using our skilled worker self-assessment test.

If your score is the same or higher than the pass mark, then you may qualify to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker.

If your score is lower than the pass mark, you are not likely to qualify to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. We recommend that you do not apply at this time.

However, you can still apply if you believe other factors would show that you are able to establish yourself in Canada and support your dependants. Send a detailed letter with your application explaining why you think you are able to become economically established in Canada. Include any documents that support your claim.

 

[westpoint]

Eligibility criteria for federal skilled worker applications as of July 1, 2011

Under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, federal skilled worker applications are assessed for eligibility according to the criteria listed below. Note: This does not apply to applicants intending to live in the province of Quebec.

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after July 1, 2011. If your application was received before July 1, 2011, it will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

Note: If you are applying under one of the 29 eligible occupations, as of July 1, 2011, a maximum of 10,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing in the following 12 months. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 federal skilled worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing each year.

These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment.
Is my application eligible for processing?

For your application to be eligible for processing, you must include the results of your official language proficiency test, and either:

have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR
be a skilled worker who has had one year of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time paid work experience in at least one of the following eligible occupations within the last ten years:

0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers
0811 Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists
2151 Architects
3111 Specialist Physicians
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3113 Dentists
3131 Pharmacists
3142 Physiotherapists
3152 Registered Nurses
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses
4151 Psychologists
4152 Social Workers
6241 Chefs
6242 Cooks
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)
7242 Industrial Electricians
7251 Plumbers
7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
7371 Crane Operators
7372 Drillers & Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

NOTE: the occupations above are all Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

If you are not sure if you should apply as a skilled worker, you can use the eligibility tool to get an idea of whether your application would be eligible for processing.

If you apply and do not meet the above criteria, you will be informed of this and your processing fee will be refunded.

 

[westpoint]

Skilled workers and professionals:

Who can apply

Skilled workers are people who are selected as permanent residents based on their ability to become economically established in Canada.

Federal skilled worker applications are assessed for eligibility according to the criteria set out below.

For your application to be eligible for processing, you must:

include the results of your official language proficiency test, AND
have a valid offer of arranged employment, OR
have one year of continuous full-time paid work experience in at least one of the occupations listed here.

Work experience minimum requirements

If your application is eligible for processing, it will then be assessed against minimum requirements.

Your work experience must be:

for at least one year, continuous, and paid (full-time or the equivalent in part-time), AND
Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) list, AND
within the last 10 years.

If you meet the above minimum requirements, your application will be processed according to the six selection factors in the skilled worker points grid , which are:

your education
your abilities in English and/or French, Canada’s two official languages
your work experience
your age
whether you have arranged employment in Canada, and
your adaptability.

You must also show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada.

Note: If you are applying under one of the 29 eligible occupations, as of July 1, 2011, a maximum of 10,000 federal skilled worker applications will be considered for processing in the following 12 months. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing each year.

These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment.

 

[westpoint]

Total complete applications received since July 1, 2011

On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.

Between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a maximum of 10,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.

These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).

Applications received toward the overall cap: 0 of 10,000 as of July 1, 2011
Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation

(by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code) Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers -
0811 Primary Production Managers (except Agriculture) -
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management -
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners -
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists -
2151 Architects -
3111 Specialist Physicians -
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians -
3113 Dentists -
3131 Pharmacists -
3142 Physiotherapists -
3152 Registered Nurses -
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists -
3222 Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists -
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses -
4151 Psychologists -
4152 Social Workers -
6241 Chefs -
6242 Cooks -
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades -
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades -
7241 Electricians (except Industrial and Power System) -
7242 Industrial Electricians -
7251 Plumbers -
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators -
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics -
7371 Crane Operators -
7372 Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction -
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service -

*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of July 1, 2011 is approximate.

**Once the cap has been reached, we can only accept applications for this occupation from people with an existing offer of arranged employment.

NOTE: Because application intake fluctuates, these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap.

 

[westpoint]

Applying as a skilled worker?

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/skilled.asp

 

[SmGrGe]

The Eligibility Tool for checking eligibility for immigrating as FSW still shows the old caps.. when I tried NOC number 1122.. they say the cap is full. Does this mean that the changes are still being made and we should wait it out a bit for the rest of the changes to appear ..?

 

[SmGrGe]

OO I read on the CIC website now that


Applications received toward the overall cap: 0 of 10,000 as of July 1, 2011, so the caps are all 0 for all occupations as of now..

But it also states, On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.

What is this change??

 

[SmGrGe]

There is no clear update on any pass mark change or change in points calculation....

 

[westpoint]

OO I read on the CIC website now that


Applications received toward the overall cap: 0 of 10,000 as of July 1, 2011, so the caps are all 0 for all occupations as of now..

But it also states, On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.

What is this change??

yes cap is 0 beginning july 01, 2011.

when i read it, so far the only change that i hve seen or read is the 500 cap from 1000 only. with regards to pt system, it is still the same, although i think there was a slight change in proof of fund:


BEFORE JULY 01 EFFECTIVE JULY 01

Number of family members Funds required

1 $11,086 1 $11,115
2 $13,801 2 $13,837
3 $16,967 3 $17,011
4 $20,599 4 $20,654
5 $ 23,364 5 $23,425
6 $ 26,350 6 $26,419
7 or more $ 29,337 7 or more $29,414

So far, this is the other change that i have read...anyone who can contribute as far as "change" is concerned kindly share it, big thanks ! ;D