Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers present Weekly News Review for the third week of October. This week’s edition provides updates on the latest immigration news and changes in Canada. Do not forget to follow our blog for the latest events on Canadian immigration.
The Government of Canada to grant citizenship to 300,000 permanent residents
The Government of Canada plans to grant citizenship to 300,000 people during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) memo details the target number of new citizens that Canada hopes to welcome by March 31, 2023. The Operations, Planning and Performance division of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) drafted a memo for a senior official. The memo recommends that IRCC processes 285,000 decisions and 300,000 new citizens by March 31, 2023.
The target means 300,000 approved applicants must take the oath of citizenship virtually or in person. 300,000 applicants for Canadian citizenship exceed the pre-pandemic targets of 2019-2020. In 2020, due to the outbreak of coronavirus, IRCC could not process most applications to grant citizenship as expected. The department was only able to process online applications. In 2019-2020, 253,000 citizenship applications were processed, while in 2021-2022, Canada welcomed 217,000 new citizens. So far, in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 116,000 new citizens have taken the oath of citizenship.
Tech professionals choose British Columbia to immigrate to Canada
Many tech workers prefer to immigrate to Canada via the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program’s (BCPNP) Tech stream. The pathway provides tech applicants in one of the eligible occupations with priority for existing BC immigration categories, as well as a next-business-day assignment of applications. In addition, BCPNP Tech offers concierge services to make the application process smoother. However, candidates must still fulfill the essential requirements of each category, including a minimal one-year job offer from a BC employer. The BCPNP Tech surpasses similar programs such as Ontario’s Tech Draws and the federal Global Talent Stream due to its lengthy list of acceptable occupations and employers’ easy accessibility.
The BCPNP Tech stream is an excellent pathway to increase the number of immigrants in a necessary field to help improve a vital part of the economy. British Columbia’s Tech program, when compared to other PNPs and the Global Talent Stream run by Federal Government, is currently one of the most direct ways for tech workers to get into Canada. The BCPNP Tech stream permits workers to come to Canada and work while their application for permanent residence is in progress, which expedites the overall process. If you are a tech worker who wants to immigrate to British Columbia, do not hesitate to contact one of our immigration lawyers to see if you are eligible for the BCPNP Tech stream.
Many private colleges in Ontario exceed provincial enrolment limits
Every year, thousands of international students are pulled in by the promise of permanent residency after completing their studies at a Canadian post-secondary school. The majority go to prestigious universities or public colleges, though about 25,000 choose private career colleges in Ontario that are affiliated with public ones. These colleges have come to rely heavily on much higher tuition fees of overseas students – which are typically four to five times more than what a domestic student would pay. They are often overcrowded and unregulated, without any concern for government regulations, student safety, or anything else besides their profits.
The Ontario auditor general’s report discovered that college recruiters often make false claims, such as “100 percent visa success,” or they guarantee a high score on an English aptitude test. The volume of foreign students coming to Canada increased rapidly 10 years ago after the Federal Government declared that the country needed more skilled immigrants. A federal advisory panel also recommended doubling the number of international students to over 450,000 by 2022. The increasing number of students coming from abroad opened opportunities for partnerships between provincial public colleges and private career colleges that led to an explosion in the number of international students.
Statistics Canada revealed the main characteristics of successful immigrants
Statistics Canada recently put out a report with data on the main characteristics that skilled foreign workers are judged by when applying for immigration to Canada. The study looked at the earnings of successful applicants from 2005-2015 to see which aspects were most predictive of success. The study found several factors influenced immigrants’ earnings in Canada over the short, medium, and long term. These factors included pre-landing Canadian work experience, proficiency in one of the official languages (English or French), education, and age.
Pre-landing Canadian work experience was found to be the most important predictor of earnings in the first year after landing. Language proficiency was the other main driver of earnings in the short term, with those who were proficient in English or French earning more than those who were not. The study’s results also show that the earnings of people who studied in Canada before immigrating are lower than those without any Canadian education. This difference is bigger in the first few years after arriving. For example, from 2012 to 2015, newcomers with 2 to 3 years of Canadian schooling earned 18% less than those without any Canadian schooling. However, over time, the earnings of those with Canadian education catch up to and surpass those who do not possess Canadian education.
North Korean escapees have been deported from Canada
Since 2018, Canada has deported 242 North Korean escapees and is in the process of deporting an additional 512. The majority of these people had already gained South Korean citizenship before coming to Canada. Most deportees are sent back to South Korea, where they first arrive after leaving North Korea and automatically receive citizenship. Usually, asylum seekers who can prove they are being persecuted in their home countries are given refugee status.
However, this protection is usually not extended to North Koreans who have found refuge in South Korea and have been granted citizenship. According to the Canadian Government, North Koreans are not considered to be refugees because they can go to South Korea. Canada does not deport people to countries where they could face torture or death. If you are an asylum seeker from North Korea who needs help, please, contact our immigration lawyers to see if you may be eligible for refugee status in Canada.
Canadian employers increased the recruitment of workers from other countries
According to the Business Council of Canada, a recent survey revealed that employers in Canada are increasingly turning to immigration as a way to meet staffing needs. This is largely due to delays or cancellations of projects’ contracted workers. The report titled “Canada’s Immigration Advantage: A Survey of Major Employers” provides detailed results from surveys sent out to 80 member companies. 80% of Canadian companies say they cannot find skilled workers, which is a testament to how severe the labour shortage is in Canada. 1.6 million people work for these entities across 20 industries.
The skills shortage is particularly apparent in the construction, healthcare, and hospitality sectors. The skilled labour shortage has become a “chronic” issue in Canada, according to the Business Council of Canada. To remain globally competitive, companies are looking to immigration to supplement their workforce. While many employers are supportive of increasing immigration levels, they also want to see the government do more to support newcomers during the integration process. Many employers believe that the current system puts too much emphasis on academic credentials and not enough on work experience.
Two members of the Liberal Party are advocating for a large increase in immigration numbers
In an open letter published in The Financial Post, Navdeep Bains, former Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and his former Chief of Staff in 2016-2017, Elder C. Marques were calling for higher immigration rates to the country. They stated that Canada should aim even higher with its current immigration targets. While serving as a federal Cabinet minister, Bains worked with the Advisory Council on Economic Growth to advocate for annual immigration numbers to be raised close to the current Immigration Levels Plan predictions for 2024.
The Government of Canada plans to let in 431,645 new permanent residents this year, 447,055 newcomers in 2023, and 451,000 immigrants in 2024, as indicated in the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan. Last year saw a record number of immigrants – 405,000 new permanent residents – and Ottawa wants to accept even more people over the next three years to reduce the labour shortage issue while growing Canada’s population. The Government of Canada will announce the next three years of Immigration Levels Plans on November 1, 2022. These plans will provide the framework for how many immigrants are allowed to come to Canada each year and break down IRCC’s projections for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers is a full-service law firm that specializes in immigration law. We provide comprehensive immigration services to individuals, families, and businesses across the world. We are dedicated to providing our clients with personalized attention and individualized solutions to their unique immigration needs. Contact Abramovich & Tchern Immigration Lawyers today. We will review your case and answer all questions you may have.
