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Tag Archives: Education

Can X Immigration  /  Education
20 Sep 2021
Students in Canada

Canada: An Educational Hotspot for students

Categories immigration news, Abroad Study, Blog, canada, immigration, International Students, IRCC, Permanent Immigration, PR Applicants, Student Permit, students, Study Permit

In our life, the drive to experience new things makes us step out of our comfort zones. One such experience is to study in a foreign country. Studying abroad has become increasingly popular among students around the world, and the reasons range from better education, job opportunities or experiencing a different culture.

Few countries like the USA, Australia and the UK are popular amongst students, but it should come as no surprise that Canada is becoming increasingly popular especially amongst the students from Asia.

According to a research conducted by Financial services provider Remitly using Google search data, Canada is the most desirable place to live on Earth. People from 29 countries wish to immigrate to the true North, due to friendly locals, beautiful scenery, safety, low unemployment, and high immigration options. Despite travel restrictions causing severe disruption in international mobility, hopeful immigrants do not seem to be reconsidering their immigration plans and timelines.

The influx of students into Canada has tripled in the last 10 years and currently there are 642,000 individuals on study permits in Canada ranking it 3rd in the world, after the USA and Australia in terms of foreign student population.

The students who choose Canada receive world-class education, tremendous growth and career opportunities and a shot to settle in a developed country, but what does Canada receive in return? Students pay hefty fees to come and study in Canada directly benefiting the colleges/ universities. These international students contribute approximately $22 billion into the Canadian economy by paying taxes, fees and fill about 170,000 part-time and full-time positions.

Source: IRCC, Government of Canada

Students from around the globe choose Canada as their preferred destination but Canada is particularly popular amongst the students from India and China, and the principal cause is the large middle-class population in these countries. Studies show that 2 out of 5 students coming to Canada are Indians. In 2019 an all-time high of around 175,000 study permit applications were received form India, while in the first half of 2021 around 90,000 applications have already been received and it is expected to rise as the world adapts to the new normal after COVID-19.

Closed biometric and VFS centers made it difficult for international students to begin or continue their study abroad journeys in 2020 and early 2021. However, as travel restrictions eased and government offices reopened in mid-2021, study permit processing times continued to improve. We expect the prolonged processing delays to become less common, barring any significant difficulties due to COVID-19 variant outbreaks.

Tips to follow for Shorter Processing Times

  • Take assistance from licensed RCIC consultants to ensure letters of acceptance and other documents can be collected quickly.
  • Make sure that all necessary documents are included with the study permit application at time of submission.
  • Look for current study permit processing times and gain a better understanding of processing delays.
  • Check your email for any communication from the IRCC about missing or additionally required documents.

Canada needs international students as their impact on the Canadian economy is profound; they support the economy and meet the necessary labor market needs in terms of workforce availability. With latest policies like TR to PR pathway, it is clear that Immigrant-focused financial recovery plan is at the forefront of Canada’s post-pandemic goals.

At Can X we assist our clients throughout their immigration journey starting from obtaining a study permit to settling in Canada. If you want professional help from licensed RCIC consultant, contact us.

22 Jan 2021
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The Impact of Processing Delays on Canadian Businesses

Categories News, canada, Coronavirus, COVID-19, express entry, immigration, immigration news, International Students, IRCC, Permanent Immigration, Permanent Residence, Semi Skilled Worker, Skilled Worker, Spouse, Study Permit, Work Permit

Canada is facing a growing skilled labor crunch and industries are struggling to find qualified workers. The increased processing times of immigration pathways is a problem that is closing doors to new growth and leaving employers open to risk.

According to a survey conducted by The Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC), “Unless addressed, increasing processing times are likely to have a negative impact on business operations within the next year.”

A total of 26 organizations that rely on access to international talent to meet talent needs and fill skills gaps were surveyed. Participating organizations were from technology, manufacturing, government /health care/ education, natural resources, and construction/engineering services. 44 % of participating organizations report using economic immigration programs to access temporary residence workers.

Primarily, 74% of participating companies used Express Entry and CUSMA professional pathways to hire foreign nationals while 67% used PNP immigration pathways. All participating organizations agreed to the importance of international talent to their businesses, while 70% strongly agreed to their contributions.

In the survey, as an impact of processing impediments 83 % of organizations stated that canceled and or delayed projects are the most common consequence of the delays, almost two-thirds expect the delays to result in lost revenues and 30% stated they had to face penalties for not meeting contractual obligations. The unprecedented labor shortage is forcing organizations to hire ill-suited candidates, resulting in foregone opportunities that impede businesses’ ability to compete.

This lack of skilled labor and halt in the international mobility of temporary foreign workers is increasing the labor market gap, businesses are facing a labor shortage and the demand for skills across many sectors is on the rise. The survey sheds light on global talent access via immigration and international mobility programs, the top three skills accessed are 93% of skilled workers, 85 % executive management, and 67 % engineering staff. Nonetheless, the demand for non-degreed professionals and technical staff is growing, though the lack of education makes it difficult to access their talent.

The survey also highlighted that apart from ongoing challenges faced by IRCC, the continued closure of Consulates, High Commissions and VAC abroad has had a great impact as temporary foreign workers cannot complete biometrics in their home country.

With a dearth of new talent pools and retiring workforce, Canada should take actions to expedite processing of applications. The survey questioned respondents if they would pay an additional fee for expedited processing of applications and 89% of respondents said they would be willing to pay between 10% and 25% above current processing fees for expedited processing as for Skilled labor shortage has become the most pressing need of their organizations.

23 Dec 2020
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Canadian immigration policy ranked fourth in the world

Categories News, canada, Citizenship, immigration, immigration news, Permanent Immigration

The Migration Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) released its international scorecard, which ranks the immigration policy performance of 52 countries across five continents, after measuring eight areas of integration policies through categorical Principal Component Analysis. The top five countries hitting the international benchmark are Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Canada, and New Zealand.

Canada stood fourth and received a score of 80, in recognition of its comprehensive, immigrant-friendly policies that emphasize equal rights, opportunities, and security for the newcomer’s future. Canada ranked sixth overall in the last MIPEX index held in 2015. Due to improvements in access to healthcare for asylum seekers and improvements to the 2017 Citizenship Act, the overall score of Canada increased by two points.

According to MIPEX research report, integration policies come into view as one of the strongest factors shaping both the public’s willingness to accept and interact with immigrants and the immigrants own behavior, sense of belonging, participation in the job market, and educational opportunities.

Anti-discrimination policies are the greatest strength of Canada according to the report. This is because Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom encompasses multiculturalism supportive policies, and world-leading laws which result in high level of awareness, trust, and discrimination reporting.

Canada gained points as permanent residents can have the opportunity to attain citizenship, and gain voting rights faster than other countries. However, lack of permanent resident representatives in policy-setting bodies led to deduction in points as people without citizenship status, such as permanent residents, have limited opportunity for political participation at the local or national level. The report also states that Canada is less experimental in local democracy consultative structures.

The report mentions Canada’s family reunification policies as “favorable” and highlights that greater obstacles are faced by adult children, parents, and grandparents to reunite in Canada as opposed to top ten countries.

Canada’s Labor market mobility has room for improvement and potential to learn from other countries, as limited health care facilities can be availed by migrants without legal documents. Canada also lost points as permanent residency pathway is lengthy and frustrating process for most of the temporary foreign workers.

Canadian education system fetched points for its multicultural education policies that ensure safety, security, and equality in academic institutes. Canada faced limitations as better representation is needed across the curriculum, teaching profession, and higher education.

11 Dec 2020
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New online PR confirmation portal expedites process for newcomers

Categories News, canada, immigration, immigration news, Permanent Immigration

In the interest of public safety during the coronavirus pandemic, Canada is using a new online portal to confirm permanent resident status. This new electronic process was introduced in October on a trial run, to expedite the landing process for new permanent residents.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited developed this new, secure portal for Canada. This portal is different from an IRCC account and applicants can access the portal using supported browsers like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

This secure portal offers services to share personal information, declare that applicant is in Canada, confirm address, submit recent photo for PR card, and access proof of permanent resident (PR) status. This portal does not offer services to check the status of application.

In this new electronic portal, everyone has their own separate account profile, with distinctive username and passwords. This portal can be accessed only by the applicant, representatives cannot use the portal on behalf of the applicant. 

Working of the portal

Step 1 

If an application is approved by IRCC, they contact the applicant via email to invite the applicant to use the new online portal. The principal applicant needs to submit their own email address and all email addresses of other members in the application.

Step 2

After receiving these details, IRCC will create an account for the applicant as the portal does not allow applicants to create a profile for themselves.

Step 3

Then the applicant will confirm the details mentioned in the account. Later IRCC will send another email with a link to the portal and guidelines on how to sign in the account, with a unique username and temporary password.

Step 4

Applicants can now login for the first time and create their own password. Applicants could confirm that they are currently in Canada, update home or postal address, and upload digital/ scanned photos.

Step 5

IRCC will review and accept the photo if it meets the requirements. Applicants can check if the photo is accepted or not on the portal. If the photo is returned, the applicant can resubmit a new photo into the portal. Common reasons for photos to be returned are dark pictures, flare, improper visibility of facial features, and wrong format.

Step 6

Once the photo is accepted, applicants will receive a Permanent Resident card within one week at their mailing address inside Canada.

If any issue arises throughout the PR card process, IRCC will contact the applicant directly. If the applicant is unable to login the portal, they can contact IRCC via email mentioned in the invitation message.

09 Dec 2020
Canada: Most Desirable Destination For Prospective Immigrants

Canada: Most desirable destination for prospective immigrants

Categories canada, COVID-19, immigration, immigration news, News, Permanent Immigration

Survey conducted by WES unveiled the changing interest and intention of immigrants as the pandemic unfolds. The survey confirmed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, prospective immigrants gained interest in immigrating to Canada between April and August 2020. This was evident as the number of immigrants interested in moving to Canada grew from 38% in April to 46% in August.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease itself, ranging from challenging the healthcare system to the falling economy. The study revealed that prospective immigrants expect worsening of economic conditions and the rise in unemployment in their home country to be worse than in Canada. Aggregated responses highlight that 49% of respondents are inclined to immigrate to Canada due to the economic recession in their home country, while other 32% state worsening of economic situations in their home country has no impact on their decision to immigrate.

Nearly, 80% to 81% of respondents stated that COVID-19 will negatively impact the economic conditions in their home country.  Prospective immigrants are more willing to endure an economic downturn in Canada than in their home country, as 48% of respondents indicated a recession in Canada will have no impact on their immigration choice, while interestingly 22% stated that their interest would increase in Canadian immigration irrespective of economic fallout.

According to research conducted by Financial services provider Remitly using Google search data, Canada is the most desirable place to live on Earth. People from 29 countries wish to immigrate to the true North, due to friendly locals, beautiful scenery, safety, low unemployment, and high immigration options. Despite travel restrictions causing severe disruption in international mobility, hopeful immigrants do not seem to be reconsidering their immigration plans and timelines. Additionally, the WES survey gained insights that immigrants are less likely to delay their immigration plans to Canada. Among 480,822 respondents, 32% stated delaying their immigration plan in June, while this number fell to 12% in August despite the prevalent crises.

Canadian government’s commitment to recovery and resilience can be driving immigrants towards Canada. Among all applicants who opt WES for credential evaluation, the majority are Indian citizens, followed by citizens of Nigeria, United Arab Emirates, United States, and The Philippines. Furthermore, India stands out as the top country of citizenship for immigrants who received an ITA through Express entry in 2019.

Canada needs newcomers as their impact on the Canadian economy is profound; immigrants support the economy and meet the necessary labor market needs in terms of workforce availability. Immigrant-focused financial recovery plan should be at the forefront of Canada’s post-pandemic goals to ensure long term recovery.

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