Canadian Immigration News

A 29-year-old man from South Sudan, Jonathan Elia Nicola, has been detained by Canadian authorities after it was found that he had included false information about his age on his application for a Canadian study permit.

Mark your calendars — the date for the full implementation of Canada's new pre-screening system for visa-exempt visitors has been announced. As of September 29, 2016, travellers to Canada from certain countries must have an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through Canada. Exceptions include U.S. citizens and persons with a valid Canadian visa.

Technical issues that had put a halt to the application process under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program 'have been fixed,' according to a notice that appeared today on the government of Canada's website.

Multiple technical issues affecting the application process for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program have been causing frustration among individuals wishing to come to Canada through the program.

The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that, as of May 1, 2016, application fees for the Skilled Worker and Express Entry Skilled Worker categories will increase to $250 CAD per application. These categories form part of the Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP).

The Canadian province of Manitoba issued 150 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) between January 5, 2016 and April 20, 2016 under the Business Investor Stream of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), equivalent to 10 LAAs per week over the period in question. The majority of LAAs were issued to candidates from China.

The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) will be hosting a series of Express Entry information sessions for employers next week. The sessions will be run by the Office of Immigration and Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning, in conjunction with the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC).

The number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required in order for candidates in the Express Entry pool to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence has dropped in the latest draw from the Express Entry pool, which was conducted the morning of April 20, 2016. A total of 1,018 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to candidates with 468 or more CRS points, representing a slight decrease from the two previous draws, both of which selected candidates with 470 or more CRS points.

In what opposition parties have labeled a government backtrack, Quebec's Immigration Minister, Kathleen Weil, has said that the the province will maintain its current immigration levels of 50,000 for the next couple of years. Last month, the government of Quebec announced a proposal for a new immigration framework called 'Ensemble, nous sommes le Québec' (Together, We Are Quebec), with the government proposing that overall immigration levels could reach 60,000.

The number of Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points required in order for candidates in the Express Entry pool to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence has remained at 470. The latest draw from the pool was conducted the morning of April 6, 2016, with 954 candidates for immigration to Canada receiving Invitations to Apply (ITAs).