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12/01/2020

Manitoba invites 186 candidates in first Expression of Interest draw of 2020
The province at the heart of Canada also sent out invitations to 24 Express Entry candidates
International student graduates and skilled workers both in Manitoba and abroad were invited in the latest Expression of Interest draw on January 2.

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) released details of the draw yesterday. They issued a total of 186 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to candidates in the following three streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba; Skilled Workers Overseas; and the International Education Stream.

Invitations were distributed as follows:

Skilled workers in Manitoba: 122
Skilled Workers Overseas: 42
International Education: 22
This is Manitoba’s 80th EOI draw since the program began in April 2014.

Express Entry candidates invited
Out of the 186 LAAs issued in Manitoba’s latest draw, 24 went to candidates who had a profile in the Express Entry pool.

The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main Economic-Class immigration categories: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry candidates are given a score based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that measures human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language ability. The highest-scoring candidates are invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the Express Entry pool.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantee an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent federal Express Entry draw.

To be considered for a provincial nomination from Manitoba, Express Entry candidates must have eligible work experience in one of Manitoba’s in-demand occupations, among other requirements.

They must also submit a separate Expression of Interest to the MPNP.

Expression of Interest
In order to be invited for a provincial nomination from Manitoba through both the Skilled Worker in Manitoba and Skilled Worker Overseas categories, candidates need to register an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the MPNP.

An EOI is an online profile that is ranked out of a score of 1,000. Points are awarded for a candidate’s education, work experience, connections to Manitoba and proficiency in English or French, among other factors.

A set number of the highest-scoring candidates receive an LAA, allowing them to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence from Manitoba.

In the latest draw, the lowest-ranked candidate invited under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream had a score of 534.

The lowest-ranked candidate invited from the Skilled Worker Overseas Stream had a score of 708.

Skilled Worker Overseas and Skilled Worker in Manitoba
The MPNP’s Skilled Worker Overseas Category allows the MPNP to select and nominate skilled foreign workers who can help support Manitoba’s labour market.

Candidates must have an established connection to Manitoba such as close family or friends, previous education or work experience in the province, or an invitation through one of the MPNP’s Strategic Recruitment Initiatives, among other requirements.

They do not need to be in Manitoba at the time of application in order to qualify.

The 42 candidates invited through the Skilled Worker Overseas Stream were invited directly by the MPNP under a Strategic Recruitment Initiative.

Candidates invited through the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Category must be working in Manitoba and have a full-time, permanent job offer from their employer, among other criteria.

International Education Stream
Manitoba graduates with in-demand skills may be invited under the International Education Stream.

This stream includes three sub-categories: Career Employment Pathway, Graduate Internship Pathway, and the Student Entrepreneur Pathway.

11/01/2020

Saskatchewan invites 308 candidates in latest Express Entry, Occupations In-Demand draw
Candidates who had submitted an Expression of Interest to Saskatchewan were invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence

Saskatchewan invited 308 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest draw on January 9.

This is the first draw of the year for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Invitations went to candidates in both the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams.

Candidates did not need a job offer to be invited for a provincial nomination in this draw. However, they did need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP. They also needed one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Once EOI profiles are submitted, the SINP assesses them on factors such as age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan. They are then awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued invitations to apply through regular draws.

In both categories, candidates needed a minimum score of 69 in order to be invited in the latest SINP selection round.

Express Entry sub-category
The SINP issued 142 invitations to candidates who had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool.

Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

If candidates in the federal Express Entry pool also filled out an EOI for Saskatchewan, and they scored 69 on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid they may have been selected in the latest invitation round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at the federal level, and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Occupations In-demand sub-category
The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have a federal Express Entry profile.

There were 166 Occupations In-Demand candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a provincial score of 69 in order to be chosen.

The SINP uses an Excluded Occupations List rather than a list of in-demand occupations. This is to allow for more flexibility in responding to the changing demands of the province’s labour market.

The January 9 draw issued invitations to candidates in 82 occupations. Some of these in-demand occupations include managers in agriculture, administrative officers, and electronic service technicians for household and business equipment.

For a complete list of the occupations that were included in this draw, consult the draw page.

11/01/2020

Saskatchewan invites 308 candidates in latest Express Entry, Occupations In-Demand draw
Candidates who had submitted an Expression of Interest to Saskatchewan were invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence
Saskatchewan invited 308 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest draw on January 9.

This is the first draw of the year for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Invitations went to candidates in both the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams.

Candidates did not need a job offer to be invited for a provincial nomination in this draw. However, they did need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP. They also needed one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Once EOI profiles are submitted, the SINP assesses them on factors such as age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan. They are then awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued invitations to apply through regular draws.

In both categories, candidates needed a minimum score of 69 in order to be invited in the latest SINP selection round.

Express Entry sub-category
The SINP issued 142 invitations to candidates who had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool.

Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

If candidates in the federal Express Entry pool also filled out an EOI for Saskatchewan, and they scored 69 on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid they may have been selected in the latest invitation round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at the federal level, and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Occupations In-demand sub-category
The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have a federal Express Entry profile.

There were 166 Occupations In-Demand candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a provincial score of 69 in order to be chosen.

The SINP uses an Excluded Occupations List rather than a list of in-demand occupations. This is to allow for more flexibility in responding to the changing demands of the province’s labour market.

The January 9 draw issued invitations to candidates in 82 occupations. Some of these in-demand occupations include managers in agriculture, administrative officers, and electronic service technicians for household and business equipment.

For a complete list of the occupations that were included in this draw, consult the draw page.

11/01/2020

Australia rejects visa-free immigration deal with the UK
he Australian government has turned down the UK’s offer of a post-Brexit trade agreement that included visa-free work and travel between the two countries.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said full free movement would not be accepted because it could cause an exodus of highly trained workers to the UK and an influx of unskilled British workers to Sydney and Melbourne. Last year, ministers in New Zealand voiced similar fears of a brain drain.

Last September, international trade secretary Liz Truss, on a visit to Australia, announced that a plan to allow British citizens to live and work in the country visa-free could be just months away.

She said: “We’ve been clear on the fact we want to adopt the Australian-based points system in terms of our new immigration system as we leave the European Union… our two countries have a special link and a historic relationship, and it’s certainly something that we will be looking at as part of our free-trade negotiations.”

But even then, Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison, said the visa-free arrangement with New Zealand was not something that would be extended to other countries.

Birmingham said yesterday: “Negotiations for an FTA [free trade agreement] between Australia and the UK will prioritize enhancing trade with a market that is already our eighth-largest trading partner.

“Work and visa settings may also form part of discussions but it is important to appreciate that there is a huge spectrum of grey between the black and white of no movement or unfettered movement.

“Once talks are launched with the UK we will work through all of these issues in the usual way,” he said.

Under existing arrangements, Australians can visit the UK for six months as a tourist without a visa.

A visa, however, is required to do paid or unpaid work for those born after 1983 and don’t have a parent who is a UK citizen (or was a UK citizen at the time of the traveler’s birth).

Chetal Patel, a partner at City law firm Bates Wells, said the rejection of the UK proposal was a setback for the UK government: “Although bilateral trade discussions are ongoing, the news that the Australian government has rejected a visa-free arrangement serves as another stark reminder of the challenges the UK faces post-Brexit. It’s also a significant rebuke for the new administration considering the introduction of visa-free arrangements seemed to be almost a foregone conclusion just a few weeks ago.

“Surely work visas and other visas should be decided separately from the UK’s trade negotiations?

“This development ultimately begs several questions. What kind of approach will the government take in negotiations with other states given that the Home Office may now be completely restructured? Is the liberalization of free movement as previously mooted by Boris Johnson and free marketeers going to be the guiding principle of immigration policy? Or does this episode suggest that preferential arrangements with certain other nation-states will no longer be pursued?”

Patel said it would be interesting to see the impact of the Morrison government decision on the Australian-style immigration points-based system to be implemented in the UK. “We’re expecting the Migration Advisory Committee’s report to be published at the end of this month, so we may know more about what’s in store very shortly,” she said.

About 120,000 people born in Australia are UK residents, with the largest concentration being in south-west London. About 2,000 Australians work in the NHS.

11/01/2020

2019 was a banner year for Canada’s Express Entry-linked PNP streams
Nomination streams in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia had a big year
Perhaps the best news to come out of Canada’s Express Entry system in 2019 was the amount of activity among Express Entry-linked provincial nomination streams.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows participating provinces and territories to nominate a set number of skilled workers and other economic immigration candidates for permanent residence.

Each of the nine provinces and two territories that take part in the PNP has at least one so-called “enhanced” nomination stream that is linked to the Express Entry system and allows them to nominate candidates with a profile in the Express Entry pool.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence, or ITA.

Many enhanced nomination streams have a low or even no CRS requirement and, as a result, provide opportunities to selected Express Entry candidates who may not otherwise have the minimum required score to obtain an ITA.

Candidates selected through these streams generally have work experience that is needed in the province, among other requirements.

Some of the most notable activity in 2019 took place in enhanced nomination streams operated by the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.

Ontario
Ontario’s three Express Entry-linked nomination streams – Human Capital Priorities, French-Speaking Skilled Worker and Skilled Trades – issued a combined 8,906 invitations to Express Entry candidates in 2019.

Of that total, 6,958 were issued through the Human Capital Priorities Stream over the course of five draws in 2019.

All three streams allow the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to search the Express Entry pool for candidates who appear to match the respective requirements for each pathway.

A key innovation introduced by Ontario in 2019 were dedicated Tech Draws that targeted Express Entry candidates with work experience in one of six tech-related occupations. These focused invitation rounds accounted for two of the draws conducted through the Human Capital Priorities Stream in 2019 and resulted in 3,396 invitations to Express Entry candidates.

Alberta
One of the big stories of 2019 was the emergence of the Alberta Express Entry Stream as one of Canada’s most active PNP pathways.

The stream allows the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) to search the Express Entry pool for candidates “who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta or who can help support the government’s economic development and diversification priorities.”

The AINP invited 6,884 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination over the course of 31 selection rounds in 2019. Five of these selection rounds had a minimum CRS score requirement of 300 and none had a minimum CRS score requirement higher than 400.

Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category also turned heads in 2019, issuing more than 5,000 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence to Express Entry candidates.

In order to be considered for this immigration pathway, Express Entry candidates must register a separate Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program and have work experience in an eligible occupation related to their field of study.

A key development in this pathway was the switch from an In-Demand Occupation List to an Excluded Occupation List in September. This move expanded the number of eligible occupations from 19 to more than 200 and sparked a flurry of EOI selection rounds that saw just over 3,800 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence between September 25 and December 20.

In total, the SINP invited 4,836 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in 2019.

Nova Scotia
On Canada’s Atlantic coast, the province of Nova Scotia also made regular use of its Labour Market Priorities Stream to invite candidates in the Express Entry pool.

The stream allows the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) to search the pool for candidates with work experience in occupations facing labour shortages in the province.

The NSNP used the Labour Market Priorities Stream on eight occasions in 2019 to invite a range of professionals from the Express Entry pool including financial auditors and accountants, registered nurses, social workers, early childhood educators and candidates with work experience in advertising, marketing or public relations.

11/01/2020

Saskatchewan invites 308 candidates in latest Express Entry, Occupations In-Demand draw
Candidates who had submitted an Expression of Interest to Saskatchewan were invited to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence
Saskatchewan invited 308 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest draw on January 9.

This is the first draw of the year for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Invitations went to candidates in both the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams.

Candidates did not need a job offer to be invited for a provincial nomination in this draw. However, they did need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP. They also needed one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Once EOI profiles are submitted, the SINP assesses them on factors such as age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan. They are then awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued invitations to apply through regular draws.

In both categories, candidates needed a minimum score of 69 in order to be invited in the latest SINP selection round.

Express Entry sub-category
The SINP issued 142 invitations to candidates who had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool.

Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

If candidates in the federal Express Entry pool also filled out an EOI for Saskatchewan, and they scored 69 on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid they may have been selected in the latest invitation round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at the federal level, and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Occupations In-demand sub-category
The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have a federal Express Entry profile.

There were 166 Occupations In-Demand candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a provincial score of 69 in order to be chosen.

The SINP uses an Excluded Occupations List rather than a list of in-demand occupations. This is to allow for more flexibility in responding to the changing demands of the province’s labour market.

The January 9 draw issued invitations to candidates in 82 occupations. Some of these in-demand occupations include managers in agriculture, administrative officers, and electronic service technicians for household and business equipment.

11/01/2020

First Express Entry draw of 2020 issues 3,400 invitations to apply for permanent residence
Minimum CRS score rises to 473
Canada’s first Express Entry draw of 2020 has issued 3,400 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required to receive an invitation in the January 8 draw was 473.

The Express Entry system is Canada’s primary source of skilled foreign workers. It was introduced in 2015 to manage the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s three federal high-skilled immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates for each program are issued a score under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which awards points for factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

While a job offer is not required in order to be eligible under the Express Entry system, the CRS does award additional points to candidates who have one.

A set number of the highest-scoring candidates are issued an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence (ITA) through regular draws from the pool, which typically take place every two weeks.

The Government of Canada has a processing standard of six months for permanent residence applications filed through the Express Entry system.

Canada has higher admissions targets for 2020 and 2021 for the various programs managed by the Express Entry system.

The target for new permanent resident admissions through the three federal high-skilled programs is slated to rise to 85,800 this year and 88,800 in 2021.
The target for Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), a portion of which is also managed by the Express Entry system, is set to rise to 67,800 in 2020 and 71,300 in 2021.

Nine Canadian provinces and two territories have what are known as “enhanced” PNP streams that are linked to the Express Entry system.

These streams — many of which have lower or even no CRS score requirement — allow participating provinces and territories to select Express Entry candidates and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

Express Entry candidates who obtain a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an ITA.

Today’s draw was slightly larger than the previous invitation round held on December 19, which issued 3,200 ITAs. The minimum CRS score was also up compared to the December 19 draw, which had a cut-off score of 469.

The higher minimum score in today’s draw could be explained by the fact a total of 20 days elapsed between these invitation rounds. When more than two weeks pass between draws, the minimum score has a tendency to rise.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie-break time and date of December 27, 2019, at 13:35:09 UTC in this draw. This means that all candidates with a score of 473 who submitted their profile before this date and time received an ITA.

Who’s invited?
The following are hypothetical examples of candidates who would have obtained an ITA in today’s draw:

Ahmed is 30-years-old, holds a master’s degree, and has been working as an IT analyst for three years. He wrote his IELTS and scored an 8 in each category. While Ahmed has never worked or studied in Canada, his CRS of 473 would have been high enough for him to obtain an ITA in the January 8 Express Entry draw.

Joe and Christelle are married and are 35 and 29-years-old respectively. They each hold bachelor’s degrees, speak French at an advanced level, and have been working as accountants for four years. While neither has ever worked or studied in Canada, Christelle has a sister who is a Canadian permanent resident residing in Ontario. They entered the pool with Christelle as the principal applicant and their CRS score of 473 would have been high enough to obtain an ITA during the January 8 Express Entry draw.

11/01/2020

Four years ago Tareq Hadhad came to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, as a Syrian refugee, and next week he will officially become a Canadian citizen— something he calls “a great honour.”

The ceremony will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 15— a two-hour drive from where the Hadhad family set up their now-successful chocolate company, Peace by Chocolate.

The company that started out as a home-kitchen operation now has 64 specialty vendors across Canada and their products are available in big-name grocery stores like Sobeys, Foodland and Safeway.

Hadhad is not only the CEO of Peace by Chocolate but he sits on the board of directors for Invest Nova Scotia and is a professional speaker who has travelled to several countries in Europe, Jamaica, the U.S. and almost every Canadian province.

Becoming a Canadian citizen feels like a natural progression for Hadhad, who said he always felt Canadian since the moment he landed.

“Now I can travel around the world and I am part of this big amazing [Canadian] family that is doing great things in the world,” he told CIC News.

His story started in Damascus, the capital of Syria. After war broke out in 2011, the Hadhad family’s chocolate business was destroyed and they were forced to flee to Lebanon.

In a TEDx Talk at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Hadhad recounted what he told a worker at the refugee camp who called him by his number: “I’m not a number,” he said. “When I was in Syria I had dreams.”

Hadhad said that he was on track to be a physician, and his father owned the second-largest chocolate company in the Middle East when they lost everything to the war.

“When I landed in Antigonish in December 2015, I had nothing but a set of goals that we would live our lives in the service of others and be a service for our community,” he said.

When they arrived in Canada they came with only the clothes in their suitcases. Hadhad was the first to arrive, followed by his father, mother, and three siblings.

At the time, Hadhad recalled how their main concern was starting from scratch. It took them 20 years to build the chocolate company in Damascus and they did not know how they would do it in Canada.

None of them spoke English at a high enough level to conduct business. Furthermore, the family’s religion forbids them from paying interest on loans, limiting their sources of start-up funds.

Hadhad said the family also had to overcome the culture shock of going from the huge metropolis of Damascus to the rural community of Antigonish, a university town with a population of around 5,000 people.

“We expected that this can be a really difficult challenge for our family,” he said. “When we arrived here, then we realized all it takes is having faith and making sure we make lots of connections.”

“If it’s not working, go networking”
The community of Antigonish got their first taste of the Hadhad’s chocolate at a community potluck where they ate them up within 10 minutes.

From there the momentum built. The Hadhads started selling their chocolate in a local market and eventually decided they would need to buy special equipment, called a chocolate wheel, in order to make a feasible business.

They would need a storefront and a factory, all without a bank loan.

“We don’t deal with interest so the community stepped up, actually,” Hadhad said. “They had funds raised internally that was going to be paid in six months… we paid it off in one month.”

With the help of about 30 to 35 volunteers in the community, they built their storefront and opened up shop.

Peace by Chocolate officially opened in 2016, and would eventually make national news. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave them a shout out and shared their story at the Leaders Summit on Refugees at the United Nations in New York.

Today, Peace by Chocolate donates a percentage of its profits to peacebuilding projects around the world. They also have a partnership supporting a community program called “Nitap” that hosts culturally specific activities in Paqtnkek First Nation. A portion of the profits from the “Nitap Bar” goes towards their programming.

“He does connect with the community,” said Karla Stevens, one of the coordinators for Nitap, “He is such a very kind person. He is very open and honest and that goes very well with our people.”

Hadhad also plans to hire 50 Syrian refugees across Canada by 2022 and to create a mentorship program for 10 startups run by Syrian refugees in Canada.

Though part of Hadhad’s job as CEO is ensuring the sustainability of the business, he says Peace by Chocolate had a bigger goal than just to turn a profit.

“It is not a business, it is a message— another way to send our mission and vision for peace in Canada and around the world,” Hadhad said.
From refugee to entrepreneur to Canadian citizen
How a Syrian refugee came to Canada and grew a social enterprise with help from a small Nova Scotia town