Recent months have seen a consistent trend of Express Entry draws occurring every two weeks on Wednesday morning. Following the previous draw on May 31, 2017, candidates in the Express Entry pool may have expected a further draw on the morning of June 14. As of the time of writing, no such draw has occurred — but candidates may be encouraged by the explanation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as to why the next draw may occur later than candidates may have expected.   On June 6, 2017, IRCC introduced further improvements to the Comprehensive Rank...

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia (BC), and Alberta have all seen significant activity in their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) in recent weeks, as more than 2,500 individuals have either submitted an application for a provincial nomination certificate, or have been invited to do so.   The past month has seen the following PNP events take place.   After two months of inactivity in its Skilled Worker categories, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) recently issued more than 600 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAA) for provincial nomination to in...

The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a fast-track stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), has launched as of June 12, establishing a two-week standard for the processing of work permit applications for highly skilled occupations. The two categories of the GTS target high-growth companies, and workers in identified in-demand occupations.   As part of Canada’s Global Skills Strategy, the Global Talent Stream enables prioritized processing of applications for work permits in high-demand occupations requiring the specialized talent of global workers. The governmen...

Candidates in the Express Entry pool with tied scores under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) are now ranked according to the precise date and time they submitted their profiles. This new approach is one of various recent changes to the CRS introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on June 6, 2017. A candidate’s CRS score is still the primary factor in determining his or her ranking in the pool. In the case of candidates with tied CRS scores, profiles are ranked according to the date and time of submission. Older profiles are ranked higher than more recently...

As of June 6, 2017, candidates in the Express Entry pool who have a sibling in Canada may obtain additional points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Another change involves additional points being awarded to candidates with proven French ability. These improvements to Express Entry are the latest to come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), with a more dynamic Express Entry system now the main driver of economic immigration to Canada.   In addition to the changes to the CRS, registration in the Canada Job Bank is no longer mandatory for ...

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made registration in the Job Bank voluntary for all Express Entry candidates. For nearly two-and-a-half years, this had been a mandatory step for candidates without a qualifying job offer or a provincial nomination.   Until June 6, 2017, the profiles of such candidates who did not register with Job Bank within 30 days expired. Individuals without a job offer or a provincial nomination, and who had not yet registered in Job Bank, were ineligible for selection during IRCC’s draws from the pool. However, as of June 6, this is no lon...

It’s an exciting time for Canadian immigration — so far in 2017 we’ve seen heightened activity in the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), improvements to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), announcements of upcoming improvements to Canada’s immigration system, and more. There’s one place to go to get the latest breaking news when it matters — the CanadaVisa Social community.   We bring you the latest updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as well as tips on immigrating to Canada, finding a job, and settling in your new home. If you or your friend...

Canadians celebrated the nation's 150th anniversary with fireworks and poutine — here are the photos: