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Category Archives: PNP

OINP : Employer Job Offer Stream is opening on July 21, 2020

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) will start accepting applications to the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream on July 21, 2020. OINP is expecting a high volume of applications any place users in a priority queue. The online portal will automatically prevent further registrations once the intake limit has been met. Candidates applying under this stream must access the OINP’s e-Filing Portal. OINP is not recommending using a mobile device to access the e-Filing system.

Earlier this year, the foreign worker stream opened on March 03 and closed on the same day after a brief pause in intake due to technical issues.

Important changes in employer form

Applicant’s  must submit the most recent version of the Employer Form, which must be completed and dated no earlier than July 21st, 2020. Including an Employer Form completed and dated prior to July 21st, 2020 will result in the application being returned as incomplete. Applicant’s will have 14 days to complete and submit the application after registration.

OINP has revised the Regulatory Compliance Information of the employer to indicate whether the employer’s business is currently compliant (i.e. has no outstanding orders) under the Ontario Employment Standards Act 2000 and the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.

How to contact OINP in case of technical difficulties?

OINP can be contacted directly at [email protected] and include a screen shot showing the time and date stamp and include details about how the error occurred during registration.

OINP Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream

This stream is for foreign workers with a job offer in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada.

 Requirements

 Job Offer requirements

  • The candidate must have a full-time and permanent job offer. Full-time means the job must be a minimum of 1,560 hours a year and a minimum of 30 hours of paid work per week. Permanent means the job must have no end date (also known as an indeterminate duration).
  • The job offered must be in a skilled occupation at Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupation Classification (NOC).
  • Salary in the job offered must meet or be higher than the median wage level, for that occupation.
  • The position offered must be necessary to the employer’s business. This means that the job offer must align with the employer’s existing business activities and the position must be needed to maintain or grow ongoing business activity.
  • The job duties for the position of the job offer must occur primarily in Ontario.

 Applicant Requirements 

  • Applicant must have at least 2 years of paid full-time (or the equivalent in part-time) work experience (within the 5 years prior to submitting the application) in the same occupation (same NOC code) as in job offer.
  • The applicant must intend to live in Ontario after becoming permanent residence.
  • The applicant must have legal status (a visitor record, study permit, or work permit) at the time of the application and should maintain that status until the time of nomination.

 Employer requirements 

  • The employer must be in active business in Ontario for at least three years prior submitting the application.
  • The employer must have a minimum of $1,000,000 in total gross annual revenue for a job offer based in Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, and Peel regions) and $500,000 for a job offer based outside of the Greater Toronto Area.
  • The employer must have at least 5 full-time employees (Canadian citizens or permanent residents) for GTA region and 3 full-time employees for a job offer based outside of the Greater Toronto Area.

Document requirements 

EmployerApplicant

 Cost to apply 

  • $1,500 CAD: if the job offer is outside of the Greater Toronto Area
  • $2,000 CAD: if the job offer is within the Greater Toronto Area (City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York, and Peel regions)

 Need help in applying for OINP!

 Please contact us for free consultation and assessment!

Major changes to help international students

Canada aims to attract more international students as they contribute to economic and social development of the country. Canada hosted over 640,000 international students prior to the start of COVID-19 pandemic.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has stated that it will help international students with the following reforms:

  • IRCC will prioritize study permit processing for students who have submitted a completed application online.
  • In the light of COVID-19 pandemic, they have launched a temporary 2 stage approval process for international students, who wish to begin their Canadian education program online this fall and, cannot submit a completed study permit application by September 2020.
  • IRCC is also allowing international students to begin their Canadian studies online while they are in their home country and will consider that time count towards their Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)eligibility, only if they have submitted a study permit application and if at least 50 per cent of the program is completed in Canada.

Reason to help international students

Canada covets international students and IRCC acknowledges that COVID-19 pandemic is creating uncertainty for international students to begin their programs for the Fall 2020 academic year, so they are rolling out measures to facilitate study permit process. These measures will assist students to commence their studies this fall at a Canadian designated learning institute.

How to get a pre-approval for a study permit?

IRCC will provide an approval-in-principle for study permits if students pass the first stage. The two-stage assessment process will be applied to applicants at all levels of study whose program is starting in the fall semester or earlier and who submit, or have already submitted, a study permit application online on or before September 15, 2020.

At the initial eligibility stage, officers will assess:

For the admissibility stage, before a final decision is made, officers will review the following:

After receiving final approval for their study permit, students will be able to travel to Canada.

Mutual benefits

IRCC has made several temporary policy changes to support and reassure international students as international student attraction is beneficial to both, the students and to the Canadian economy.

International students attain world class education in Canadian learning institutes, with hands on academic learning and a highly dynamic approach. After completing education, students can gain a PGWP and gain work experience which will help to obtain permanent residency through Express EntryProvincial Nominee Program (PNP), and many other pathways.

According to IRCC, in year 2018 Canada accommodated over 650,000 international students at the post-secondary education level in the year 2019 and over 60,000 former international students become immigrants each year.

International students contribute $22 billion annually to support the Canadian economy which in turn facilitates 170,000 jobs in Canada.

How Can-X can help?

  • Each study program has different set of requirements. We help clients in selecting suitable courses and/or programs based on their educational background, interest and long-term goals.
  • We help clients in getting a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada.
  • We prepare and submit the student visa application on the behalf o the client.

Want help in student visa application process! Please contact us for assessment & more information.

Canada’s immigration in second half of 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Canada’s immigration system where immigrants were affected by numerous disruptions like difficulties in accessing language testing, credentialing services, biometrics, or other government services while immigration professionals have also been working hard around the clock to adjust to all the policy changes related to immigration.

However, things are continuing to improve in the second half of 2020 such as

  • Immigration candidates can now book and complete an English language test, and obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
  • IRCC is giving candidates more time to submit their documentation, and are not refusing anyone if they are unable to submit a complete application due to COVID-19 interruptions
  • Canada is as committed as ever to welcoming immigrants to support its economy

But there are some of the major issues we should look out for in the remaining six months of 2020.

Travel Restrictions

The biggest issue is when the travel restrictions will be lifted with the U.S. and the rest of the world. Certainly, no one knows. It depends on how successful Canada and other countries will be in containing COVID-19. However, as soon as pandemic will be under control Canada can exempt more immigrants and lift the restrictions.

International Students

Another major issue is whether Canada will accommodate international students in time for the fall 2020 semester. Although IRCC is processing study permits but under current travel restrictions, international students who did not have a valid study permit prior to March 18 are unable to come to Canada. It is anticipated Canada may exempt new study permit holders who wish to begin their studies in Canada by September later this summer.

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)

Since the start of the pandemic, however, express entry draws have only focused on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates since they are less likely to experience coronavirus disruptions than overseas candidates. However, there are few important points to note:

  • Some of the CEC and PNP candidates now receiving ITAs are also overseas
  • By the time that successful candidates submit their permanent residency applications and they are processed by IRCC, we will be in 2021. At that point, hopefully, Canada’s border rules will have been eased
  • Why should FSWP and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates—some of whom are currently in Canada—be excluded from EE draw
  • It is more likely IRCC may include FSWP in EE draws

Family Class

Yet another important question right now is whether IRCC will renew the Open Work Permit Pilot before it expires on July 31. The pilot gives an open work permit to spouses and partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are waiting for their spousal sponsorship application to be processed. Given how beneficial this pilot is to Canadian families and the economy, we should expect it to be renewed.

Also, Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) has been delayed due to its improvement by IRCC and the onset of COVID-19. However, IRCC may announce details about the program’s launch later in 2020.

Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023

Another biggest story in the next six months will be 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan announcement by the Government. By November 1st, we will know the extent to which COVID-19 is going to impact Canada’s short- and medium-term immigration goals.

Altogether, COVID-19 has not impacted Canada’s need for immigration, so there is a strong chance immigration levels will remain high in 2021 and beyond.

Need help staying in Canada!

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to challenging times in Canada and around the world. Many people are under distress and anxiety. We understand! Can-X is here to help you figure it out, so you can have peace of mind. You could be an international student, worker, or visitor looking to extend your stay in Canada. You may be seeking a pathway to permanent immigration. Or you may be looking to reunite with a loved one. Whatever the reason, contact us to discuss your immigration needs, and we’ll provide our insights and help as much as we can during these difficult times.

We Care!

Ontario’s is re-opening and expanding its in-demand skills stream

Ontario is re-opening and expanding one of its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams (in-demand skills stream). The in-demand skills stream is currently closed but will re-open on July 6, 2020. As of July 06, job offer from 13 additional positions located outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be accepted under the program. The purpose of the stream is to enhance responsiveness to program priorities and address labour shortages in specific in-demand occupations (e.g. agriculture, construction, trucking, and other low-to-semi-skilled NOC C or D occupations). This stream is open to foreign workers in and outside of Canada.

Program Requirements

Job Offer

Candidate must have a full-time and permanent job offer (i.e. a minimum of 1,560 hours in a year and no end date of the position). The job offer must be in an eligible occupation inside or outside of the GTA.

Eligible Occupation(s): The job offer must fall under following National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill level C or D codes:

  1. NOC 3413 – nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
  2. NOC 4412 – home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers
  3. NOC 7441 – residential and commercial installers and servicers
  4. NOC 7511 – transport truck drivers
  5. NOC 7521 – heavy equipment operators (except crane)
  6. NOC 7611 – construction trades helpers and labourers
  7. NOC 8431 – general farm workers
  8. NOC 8432 – nursery and greenhouse workers
  9. NOC 8611 – harvesting labourers
  10. NOC 9462 – industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers

Expanded occupations: As of July 6, a job offers under the following  13 NOC codes (also levels C or D) will be valid for this stream:

  1. NOC 9411 – machine operators, mineral and metal processing
  2. NOC 9416 – metalworking and forging machine operators
  3. NOC 9417 – machining tool operators
  4. NOC 9418 – other metal products machine operators
  5. NOC 9421 – chemical plant machine operators
  6. NOC 9422 – plastics processing machine operators
  7. NOC 9437 – woodworking machine operators
  8. NOC 9446 – industrial sewing machine operators
  9. NOC 9461 – process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing
  10. NOC 9523 – electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors, and testers
  11. NOC 9526 – mechanical assemblers and inspectors
  12. NOC 9536 – industrial painters, coaters, and metal finishing process operators
  13. NOC 9537 – other products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors

Wage/Salary

The wage/salary of the job offer must be equal or higher than the median wage level, for that occupation, in the specific region of Ontario where the worker is/will be working.

Work experience

Candidate must have at least 9 months of cumulative paid full-time work experience (or the equivalent in part-time work) in Ontario, in the same in-demand occupation (same NOC code) as the job offer. The candidate must have gained this work experience within the three years prior to submitting the application while legally living and working in Ontario.

Language

The candidate must be able to understand, read, write and speak either English or French at a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.

Education

The candidate must have a Canadian secondary school (high school) diploma or credential, or its equivalent in another country. The candidate need to get an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for overseas education from one of the following organizations, designated by IRCC:

Contact us for consultation and assessment.

Express Entry Year – End Report 2019

Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for the Federal Skilled Worker, the Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. The 2019 year-end report provides an overview of Express Entry and presents data from across all stages of the Express Entry continuum, including profile submissions, invitations to apply, applications, processing times, and admissions.  In 2019, 332,331 express entry profiles were submitted through the system, which represents an increase of nearly 20% from 2018 and more than 30% since 2017.

Highlights of the report

Nearly 110,000 new permanent residents were admitted through Express Entry

A total of 109,595 principal applicants and their family members were granted permanent residence through express entry in 2019, compared to 92,229 in 2018. This represents a year over year increase of 19%. Federal Skilled Worker Program candidates represented the largest proportion of all individuals admitted in 2019 with 58,173 admissions, followed by candidates in Canadian Experience Class (30,230) Provincial Nominee Program (20,014) and Federal Skilled Trades (1,178).

Most common primary occupations

Software engineers and designers were the most common primary occupation with 6,529 invited to apply for permanent residence. The most common arranged employment occupations went to computer programmers and interactive media developers.

Locations

Most people who received an invitation were already in Canada. Of all foreign countries India was the most common place to be issued ITAs, then the United States., Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. India was also the most common country of citizenship for ITA recipients. Then it was Nigeria, China, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

Most popular province of destination

About 62% of principal applicants choose Ontario as the province of their destination, slightly less than 2018 when 65% indicated the same. Interest increased considerably in Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, and Prince Edward Island.

Increase in median cut off scores

The CRS cut off ranged from 438 to 475 in 2019, making an average score of 461. In 2018 the average score was 442. This increase in average CRS cut-off score demonstrates that the express entry pool became more competitive last year. This increase was partially due to a larger pool size, as well as the increased number of candidates selected through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). PNP recipients automatically receive an additional 600 CRS points toward their overall score.

Female candidates in the express entry pool

The express entry pool in 2019 was made up of about 41% female candidates, up from 38% in 2018. However, profiles submitted by females were more often eligible for at least one program than those submitted by men. Of all the submissions by female candidates, 76% were eligible for at least one program compared to 69 per cent of those submitted by men. Most female candidates who received ITAs had administrative assistant listed as their primary occupation. Food service supervisors were the most common arranged employment occupation for female candidates. Female candidates made up 48% of those who were invited by French language proficiency and 47% of those invited to apply by siblings.

Overall, the most common primary occupations among female candidates who were invited to apply for permanent residence included more low-skilled occupations, in comparison to the most common primary occupations among men. Of all the applications for permanent residence through express entry in 2019, 43 per cent came from women.

How express entry works? 

  1. The Express Entry system manages applications for permanent residence in two steps. First, individuals express their interest in immigrating to Canada by completing an online profile, which is screened electronically to determine if the individual is eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for at least one of these programs are placed in the Express Entry pool and assigned a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which is determined by comparing information in their profile to a transparent scoring criteria. Candidates in the pool are ranked against one another according to their CRS score.

The CRS is the backbone of the Express Entry application management system. A CRS score comprises two components: core points and additional points. A candidate without an accompanying spouse can receive a maximum of 600 points under the core component, depending on the person’s human capital characteristics (e.g., age, education, official language proficiency, work experience). These factors help predict candidates’ potential for success in the Canadian labour market. 6 Under the additional points component, a candidate can receive points for having a provincial/territorial nomination (600 points), arranged employment (50 or 200 points), Canadian post-secondary education credentials (15 or 30 points), French language proficiency (15 or 30 points), or a sibling in Canada (15 points). With the exception of points awarded for a provincial/territorial nomination, which is high enough to virtually guarantee a candidate an ITA in the following round that includes the Provincial Nominee Program, additional points increase the probability that a given candidate will receive an ITA without guaranteeing that outcome. The maximum CRS score a candidate can achieve is capped at 1,200 points—600 points under the core component and 600 points under the additional points component. All information provided at the profile stage for the purpose of generating a CRS score is self-reported and must be supported with appropriate documentation from the candidate at the application stage or the application could be refused.

  1. Ministerial Instructions are regularly published specifying the number of invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence that will be sent to candidates in the Express Entry pool on a specific date. The Ministerial Instruction also specifies the economic program(s) for which the Express Entry ITA round will apply. For each round, invitations are issued to candidates, in descending CRS score rank order, until the maximum number of invitations specified in the associated Ministerial Instruction is met. The profiles of candidates who do not receive an ITA, or decline an ITA, remain in the pool for up to 12 months. Candidates that receive an ITA have 60 days to either decline the invitation or submit an online application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Candidates who receive an ITA but take no action within the 60-day period are withdrawn from the pool.
  1. Upon submission, an immigration officer assesses the application to verify the applicant’s CRS score, program eligibility, and admissibility. If the immigration officer is satisfied that all conditions have been met and that the applicants are not inadmissible, they are approved for a permanent resident visa. Applicants and their accompanying family members become permanent residents when they are admitted to Canada.
  1. The processing standard for applications sourced via express entry is six months for 80% of cases. Processing time is measured from the day a complete application is received until a final decision is made by an immigration officer.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has elicited unprecedented challenges for the country throughout the spring of 2020, the IRCC is monitoring express entry and exploring ways the system could be used to ensure that Canada continues to derive maximum benefit from economic immigration in a rapidly evolving environment.

How Can-X can help?

  • We make sure client qualifies for Express Entry (EE) program based on comprehensive assessment.
  • We help is creating Express Entry (EE) profile.
  • We review the documents and submit the final Permanent Residence application.
  • We track the application throughout the process while communicating with the government on client’s behalf.

Contact us for consultation and assessment.