Kylin Immigration Consulting Service Inc.

08/29/2024

A year of change

Multiple polls in the last year have shown that support for immigration dropped in 2023, with the main influencing factors being increased pressure on housing stock and general affordability.

To address these concerns, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already taken actions to reduce the number of temporary residents (those on a work/study permit, or a visitor visa/electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)) to Canada, including the historic addition of temporary resident levels to the upcoming Immigration Levels Plan.

In support of this goal, the immigration department has already Implemented a cap on study permits for international students;
Declared their intention to hold more “domestic” permanent residence draws; and
Limited the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate above 6%.

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12/23/2022

Canada marks record-breaking year for processing immigration applications

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reports an overall reduction of nearly half a million applications since August this year. This is almost double the number of applications processed over the same period in 2021 when the department processed 2.5 million.

The progress comes as IRCC is on track to admit a record breaking 431,000 new permanent residents to Canada by the end of 2022.

The largest number of applications processed falls under the temporary residence category. IRCC processed nearly 700,000 work permits and 670,000 study permits in 2022. Canada also welcomed approximately 251,000 new citizens between April and November.

The Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 aims to invite admit over 500,000 new permanent residents to Canada each year by the end of 2025.

08/03/2022

IRCC has approved new language test for Canadian immigration

IRCC has recently approved the designation-in-principle of a new language test for economic class immigration applicants.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) anticipates the test will be implemented by early to mid-2023.

The name of the new language test was redacted in a May 10 briefing note obtained by CIC News through an access to information request. There are currently only four designated organizations; IELTS and CELPIP for English, then TEF and TCF for French.

Who needs a language test?

Most of Canada’s economic class immigration programs require that candidates complete a designated language test in English or French. The rationale behind testing language competency is that Canadian government research shows language proficiency is a major determinant of an immigrant’s ability to establish in Canada’s economy.

Family and refugee class immigrants do not need to complete a language test since they are admitted to Canada for social and humanitarian purposes.

Upon applying for Canadian citizenship, individuals between the ages of 18 and 54 need to demonstrate their English or French language competency. They may submit the results of a language test, or demonstrate their proficiency in other ways approved by IRCC.

While temporary foreign workers do not need to demonstrate their language proficiency, international students must do so to provide evidence they will be able to flourish in Canadian academic settings. Rules for demonstrating language proficiency vary by each Canadian designated learning institution, but the Canadian government has its own rules on which language tests it accepts as part of the study permit approval process.

12/25/2021

Canada breaks all-time immigration record by landing 401,000 immigrants in 2021

IRCC achieved the goal by focusing on transitioning temporary residents living in Canada during the pandemic to permanent resident status.

Prior to the pandemic, Canada set a goal of welcoming 341,000 new immigrants in 2020. It only landed 184,000 last year due to the pandemic. However, it doubled down on immigration to support its post-pandemic economic recovery by announcing it would target the arrival of 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021.

Before the pandemic, about 30 per cent of new economic-class immigrants were already in the country when they got permanent residency, while about 70 per cent moved from abroad. In 2021, this has been reversed with some 70 per cent landing from within Canada and about 30 per cent arriving from overseas.

09/21/2021

What to do if you receive a Parents and Grandparents Program 2021 invitation?

Canada intends to hold its Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2021 lottery this week, and as soon as beginning today.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) plans to draw some 30,000 candidates from the lottery over a two-week period. IRCC will only consider those who submitted an Interest to Sponsor form on its website between noon Eastern Time on October 13, 2020 and noon Eastern Time on November 3, 2020.

Please check the email account used to submit your Interest to Sponsor form frequently over the next two weeks to see if you receive an invitation. Make sure to also check your spam/junk folders for messages from IRCC. Sponsors and applicants who receive an invitation to sponsor will have only 60 days to submit a complete immigration application including supporting documents (e.g., income tax records, civil status documents, and other material information).

Receiving an invitation may prove to be a once in a lifetime opportunity to obtain permanent residence for your loved ones. It is therefore important that you act quickly.

09/05/2021

What are PNPs?

PNPs allow Canadian provinces and territories to nominate individuals for permanent immigration.

There are two types of PNPs: base and enhanced.

Base nomination streams work outside of the Express Entry system, as they are managed by the provinces themselves. These types of nominations are subject to particular PNP streams and processing standards. In order to go from a successful base nomination to permanent residency, candidates will generally have to go through a two-step process. First, candidates determine that they meet the criteria for a PNP pathway, apply, and if successful, receive a nomination certificate. Once they have this certificate, they will be can apply for permanent resident status with the federal government.

Enhanced nomination streams, on the other hand, are linked with the Express Entry system. They allow provincial immigration officials to search the Express Entry pool of candidates for principal applicants who match specific criteria. The provinces then invite these candidates to apply for a provincial nomination.
The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three main federal-level economic immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

If candidates get a provincial nomination through enhanced provincial streams, they are awarded an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This practically guarantees that they will receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

09/05/2021

An overview of Canada’s PNP immigration results for August 2021

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) issued over 3,400 invitations to apply for provincial nomination during the month of August.

Nearly every Canadian province and territory, except Quebec and Nunavut, operates its own Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). Having their own immigration programs allows provincial governments to select the most suitable people to meet their local labour market needs and to manage the regional settlement of the immigrant population within their jurisdiction. Each province adopts its own criteria for selecting foreign workers eligible for Canadian permanent residence under its respective PNP.

Since its launch in 1998, the PNP has become the second most important route to permanent residence in Canada. Between now and 2023, PNPs alone are expected to result in more than 80,000 immigrants per year being admitted as permanent residents.

06/29/2021

What vaccinated travelers need to know before entering Canada?

As part of Canada’s phased approach to easing border measures, fully vaccinated travelers who are exempt from travel restrictions will not need to quarantine nor will they need to take a COVID-19 test on day-8, beginning on July 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Canadians, permanent residents and their family members as well as some temporary foreign workers and international students who attend an educational institution with a COVID-19 readiness plan are exempt from the travel restrictions. In addition, holders of a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) are now also exempt, and may travel to Canada.

To be considered fully vaccinated in Canada, you must have received vaccines approved by the Canadian government. This means you should have received two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines, or one dose of the Janssen vaccine, or approved combinations, at least 14 days before entering Canada.

09/25/2020

Canada to speed up spousal sponsorship application processing.

Canada aims to process 6,000 spousal sponsorship applications per month between October and December 2020.

This major news has just been announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

IRCC has increased the number of staff that will review spousal sponsorship applications by 66 per cent in order to reduce wait times and process applications more quickly.

In all, this will result in 49,000 applications receiving decisions by the end of this year.

IRCC noted that the coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainty for Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to sponsor their spouse. It will continue to seek innovative and compassionate ways to bring families together.

09/23/2020

The province of Prince Edward Island has invited 345 economic immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in a draw held September 17.

After issuing the largest number invitations to Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates on August 20, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) distributed yet another record-breaking number of 345 invitations to candidates in all streams on September 17.

A total of 313 candidates in Prince Edward Island (PEI)’s Express Entry and Labour Impact categories received invitations in the latest draw.

Another 32 entrepreneur candidates were invited through PEI’s Business Impact: Work Permit Stream.

07/13/2020

LGBTQ2+ couples can now pass down Canadian citizenship to their foreign-born children.

Foreign-born children whose Canadian parents are not biologically related to them now have the same right to citizenship as children birthed by Canadians.

Before the Superior Court of Quebec’s ruling today, July 9, the Citizenship Act only allowed for foreign-born children to be automatically recognized as citizens if they shared a genetic link to a Canadian parent. This archaic definition of “parent” made it difficult for the children of LGBTQ2+ couples and couples with fertility issues to get Canadian citizenship status.