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Coming Soon: More permanent residency pathways for temporary residents in Canada

Canada may offer more permanent residence pathways to temporary residents (e.g. international students, temporary foreign workers, and asylum seekers) who are currently in the country.

In 2020, COVID-19 pandemic has turned the tables around the world, may it be developed, developing or underdeveloped economies. Every country is having a hard time keeping their economies afloat, given travel restrictions and disruption in supply chains globally.

The Coronavirus pandemic is affecting birth rates worldwide and high-income countries like Canada are expected to see declining fertility rates, resulting in a smaller population size and rapidly increased greying of Canada. Canada has been feasting on immigrants for years as they compensate for the negative economic and fiscal impact created by the aging population and decline in birth rates. This will have a strong impact on the labor market and to ensure long-term economic recovery, the federal and provincial governments need to keep immigration ️as a priority to support this decline.

COVID-19 has impacted pre-determined immigration level targets of Canada, both permanent and temporary residents have dropped significantly, along with this unemployment is prevalent and the economy is falling. To support the economy and to meet the necessary labor market needs in terms of workforce availability, Canada needs immigrants as their impact on Canadian economy is profound.

Helping temporary residents become permanent residents will address Canada’s needs to respond to COVID-19 and will benefit Canada in the long term because candidates who already have Canadian experience tend to have strong labor market outcomes. Temporary residents like international students and temporary foreign workers already possess Canadian work experience, have already settled in, and have high English or French language ability, which leads to quicker labor market integration, solving economic and labor market needs.

Canada reaffirms their ongoing commitment towards immigration especially international students and global talent as Canada continues to count online study at DLI towards eligibility for PGWP between May 2020 to April 2021. During the tenure of post-graduation work permit, international students gain necessary Canadian work experience to qualify for permanent residency through economic immigration programs.

Immigrant-focused financial recovery plans should be at the forefront of Canada’s post-pandemic goals to offset the temporary decline in immigration and to ensure long term recovery.

IRCC implements Changes in Extensions and Implied Status

COVID-19 pandemic has been impacting Canadian immigration and, IRCC understands that delay in processing time has adversely affected Temporary residents. In the light of issues faced by temporary residents on implied status, Canada has implemented changes in the processing of work permit extensions on October 20, 2020.

If a worker, visitor, or student applies to extend his or her status in Canada before that status expires, he or she may legally remain in Canada until a decision is made on the application. In such a scenario, the person has implied status. The implied status remains until the Government decides on the applicant’s new work/study permit application.

If the applicant applied for a work/study permit extension before their work/study permit expired, they can not only keep working/studying but also avail government benefits, services and other privileges until a decision is made. Applicants must stay in Canada and meet the conditions of their original work/study permit. For instance, if an applicant has an employer-specific work permit, they must still work for the employer named on that permit.

However, availing these services, sometimes becomes difficult for the applicant as they have no written proof of their application being processed by the Canadian Government. The only document they have is the receipt of fee payment and copies of their application which is generally not considered an official document to prove applicant’s status. To avoid this distress and to provide clarity, IRCC has changed the phrasing of their communication to the applicant.

As of October 20, 2020, temporary residents who submit their extension application online through IRCC portal, will receive an auto-generated Acknowledgement of Receipt Letter confirming their existing authority to work/study/stay has been officially extended to a specific date. This letter can act as a proof of authorization and can be attached to applicant’s expired work permit as a verification of their continued legal status in Canada.

It is paramount for the temporary resident to apply before expiry of their status and, applicant should remain physically in Canada during their implied status period, for receiving this Acknowledgement of Receipt Letter.

What makes Canada a great destination for immigrants?

10th largest economy in the world

Canada is a thriving country that claims the 10th largest GDP worldwide, fueled in part by its vast natural resources, significant industrial base, tourist attraction, and vibrant seafood industry. According to Statistics Canada, Canada’s economy is extremely service-oriented, with 78.9% of Canadians working in a service-related job, though it is perceived that Canada is growing due to its natural resources. Though the manufacturing sector is relatively small in comparison to the service sector, it is the cornerstone of Canadian economy, with 68% of its exports constituting merchandise exports.

World-class education system

Canada tops the list as the most educated country in the world. According to the OECD over 56 percent of adults in the Great White North have earned some education after high school. Canada’s high academic standards and rigorous quality controls assure that you will be earning a high-quality education that will open doors for your future and benefit your career over the long term. A Canadian degree, diploma or certificate is globally recognized as being equivalent to those obtained from the United States or Commonwealth countries.

The quality of education and living standards in Canada are amongst the highest in the world, but the cost of living and tuition fees for international students are generally lower than in other countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Under Canada’s highly dynamic and hands-on academic environment, you will not only acquire knowledge and skills in analysis and communication, but you will also learn how to express yourself, demonstrate your creativity, and develop your self-confidence.

Canada has world’s top universities, such as McGill University, the University of Toronto, McMaster University, and the University of British Columbia which rank among the world’s top 100 academia.

Booming tech industry

Canada’s evolution over the years as a fount of technology is mirrored by the growth of the Tech sector. Toronto and other parts of Canada have been feasting on tech talent as immigrants are diverting from the U.S. due to stringent immigration policies like temporary suspension of H1B1 Visa which facilitated immigration for thousands of skilled immigrant workers every year. Even during coronavirus outbreak, immigrants in the U.S. faced unusual threat to employment, where in the U.S. is closing doors for immigrants while Canada is attracting an impressive flow of technology jobs and investment.

Tech companies with global footprint are setting up hubs and expanding operations in Canada. The number of tech jobs in Toronto has risen steeply with an increase of 54% from about 148,000 to 228,000 in the past since 2013. Canada certainly displays compelling potential with its mix of talent, technology, and universities together with highly skilled immigrants possessing STEM degrees even before arrival into the country.

Vancouver and Calgary are booming towards clean tech innovation, while Montreal has established itself as a hub for innovation in Artificial Intelligence and game development. Overall, Canada is attempting to attract highly skilled foreign professionals through visa programs like the Global Talent Stream with fast processing time where you move to Canada as quickly as a month as well as provincial tech programs that offer an expedited immigration pathway for people with tech skills .

Multiculturalism and immigration supportive

Over several decades, multiculturalism has evolved from a humanitarian approach to an official policy which became a defining part of Canada’s national identity. Canadian Prime minister Justin Trudeau government’s mantra is “diversity is our strength” which depicts the characteristic Canadian willingness to include various ethnic groups towards the cultural enrichment of Canada.

Canada has been accepting more immigrants per capita than any other developed Western countries. Particularly 310,000 new permanent residents were welcomed by Canada in 2018 and further it is expected that Canada will welcome nearly one million immigrants over the next three years.

In Canada, multiculturalism has always been a form of integration where people respect the diversity of languages, religions, and cultures. Multiculturalism exists when people accept and encourage many cultures to thrive in a society which can be seen particularly in major cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in modern history and this is because of a unique mix of various dominant groups like the British, Irish, Indian, Chinese, Italian and smaller groups like the Dutch, Japanese and Romanians.

Most inclusive country in the world

Canadians have always prided themselves as being open and inclusive. According to Ipsos recently released research, Canada ranks 1st among 25 countries on inclusiveness. Canada stood 2nd on LGBTQ Inclusiveness Score after France as the country has strong support for the LGBTQ community which is evident as Canada became the 4th nation worldwide to legalize same-sex marriage and the first nation outside of Europe in 2015.

Canada actively promotes inclusion and respect for diversity at home and abroad. Establishing equality is a top challenge that the entire human society is facing at the moment, but Canada seems to manage this challenge efficiently in social, economic, cultural, and civic inclusion. In Canada it is apparent that women have a strong voice, along with this basic women’s rights such as voting, birth control access and abortion are long-established and safeguarded in the country.

Universal health-care system

Canada’s health care system has prominent features that distinguish it from virtually all other high-income countries providing universal health care coverage. Firstly, healthcare in Canada is delivered through the provincial and territorial systems called Medicare, which is publicly funded. Canada has one of the world’s highest life expectancy rates and stands at 18th position in the world for life expectancy.

Canadian citizens have the second highest quality of life in the world, according to The World Economic Forum ranking, which ranks countries by quality of life using criteria like access to medical care, sanitation, and shelter, as well as education, life expectancy, and personal freedoms.

Employee entitlements

Canada is exceptional as “provincial law governs annual paid leave, unless the employee falls under federal jurisdiction.” All provinces guarantee two weeks paid vacation, except for three weeks in Saskatchewan. Along with this the employees receive statutory holidays depending on the province.  Canadians also have secured access to a variety of monetary protections including Employment Insurance (EI), old age security, the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), and a federal childcare benefit.

The minimum wage in Canada ranges from $11 to $15 among different provinces and it stands among one of the highest in the world.  Canadian workers also have access to new family-friendly benefits and progressive workplace policies that allow up to 18 months of parental leave, with the mother and father able to share the leave however they choose.

Beautiful and safe place

The landscapes of Canada range from arctic tundra and BC’s snow-capped mountains, to beautifully desolate prairies and PEI’s rugged coastlines along with interesting architecture in Montreal’s historic buildings. From coast to coast to coast, the country is home to vibrant and culturally rich cities, along with incredible natural wonders.

According to the Global Peace Index of 2018, Canada was ranked the 6th most peaceful nation in the world. Be it protection of citizens on the streets, guarding them against misconduct, or even shielding them against online crime, Canada has done it all. Canada is also known for their strong gun control as they have a comparatively peaceful approach to foreign diplomacy.

Stable democratic political system

The Economist ranked Canada as third-most democratic nation according to its Democracy Index in the year 2006. Canada’s political system is a parliamentary democracy, with its own social and political institutions. Though Canadian governments shift between various liberal and conservative parties depending on the political climate; there is no moral shift as core values and ideologies like women’s and LGBT rights, environmental concerns, and immigration, are shared by the political parties.

Tips to build a strong immigration application

Do not submit an incomplete application

It is important to understand that you must submit a complete application for your immigration process as it can prove costly to have your Canadian visa application returned for minor mistakes or omissions. Incomplete application will not only waste several months time but also forfeit expensive Canadian immigration processing fees and will leave you in a situation where you have to re-submit your application to the back of the queue. Along with this having your Canadian visa application returned due to incompleteness is a frustrating experience and can have severe implications.

Many things contribute towards an incomplete application such as:

  • Following the wrong application checklist and missing necessary documents.
  • Using expired application forms.
  • Missing or incorrect fee payments including over-payments.
  • Failing to sign an application or check confirmation boxes.
  • Missing out on answering all questions in the forms.
  • Failure to upload all mandatory supporting evidence in the correct sections while applying online.
  • Failing to submit the application to the correct department/location.

Currently due to Covid-19, IRCC is not returning incomplete applications due to the public policy only if the candidate has specified that they are unable to provide the necessary document due to the pandemic.

Provide necessary evidence for your case 

While preparing your immigration application, it is of utmost importance to demonstrate that the candidate meets the required program criteria, this can be done by providing sufficient evidence in support of your documentation. This evidence will help the immigration officer to analyse your candidacy and make decisions based on the information available on your file rather than making assumptions.

There is no single checklist for immigration to Canada, so during your immigration process IRCC will provide you with a specific checklist based on your specific circumstances, the immigration program you are applying to and it is crucial for you to follow the checklist and provide evidence of necessary documents.

The evidence you submit must make a compelling argument to support your fit to the necessary program criteria and should positively nudge the decision of the immigration officer.

Some common examples of evidence:

  • Applications by Canadian common-law partners to enter Canada must include documents to verify their oral verdict that they have lived together in a conjugal relationship with their Canadian partner for more than one year.
  • Evidence of bank statements should have a clearly displayed name of the applicant on it otherwise it is impossible to determine their belonging and cannot be considered as a valid financial proof.
  • Pictures to identify a genuine relationship with a Canadian or genuineness of a marriage is an important evidence to support spousal immigration application.
  • You must prove that the candidate entered Canada legally by providing a copy of their stamped passport and/or a copy of their travel history

We suggest you review your application and ensure that you have provided the most compelling evidence to support your eligibility for your immigration program.

Reliability of the documents 

In order for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to assess your immigration application it is important that the documents submitted are reliable. Various factors are considered while measuring the reliability of documents like for reliability of your foreign degree, diploma, or certificate, you will have to submit to an Educational Credential Assessment.

Furthermore, reliability is accessed based on the source of the document, its originality, whether it is on letterhead with contact information, it is dated and signed, reason it was produced, whether better documents could have been provided to support the application and the reason behind it being not provided.

A false declaration, fraudulent document or concealment of information could result in major consequences such as rejection of an application, withdrawal of nomination, refusal to examine further application from that applicant for a specific tenure, if applicable exclusion from Canada and sometimes grounds for prosecution or removal.

Challenging refusals

It is a deception that the approval rates for most immigration programs are falling, especially if the application is complete with necessary supporting evidence. If you feel that the refusal of your application is unreasonable you can challenge it based on the reason stated in the refusal letter. However, the reason stated by IRCC is incomplete so the applicant must first apply for complete disclosure through Access to Information Act and request to obtain the internal refusal reasons.

In addition, there is also the option of simply re-submitting another application if you feel that the justification provided is correct. There is lack of statistical data to reflect the outcome of challenging a refusal, but for the majority of immigration applications, the means of challenging a refusal is by filing a Judicial Review application at the Federal Court.

When faced with a refused immigration application, there are several routes  to choose from, it is best to consult with an immigration professional to decide the best option in accordance with your case.

Survey: What Canadians think about family reunification during pandemic?

Canadian Immigration policy has been an integral component of the nation’s development, and debates in this area have consistently been framed in terms of deciding which immigrants should be included or excluded as part of expanding Canadian social framework. Over the past year a paradigmatic shift has occurred within the Canadian immigration, which has increasingly pushed for a stronger emphasis on the preferential entrance of economic migrants.

The Canadian Government is committed to keeping families together whenever possible by various generous family reunification programs like Family Class Sponsorship programs where in Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible to sponsor family class members who wish to immigrate to Canada through programs such as spousal and common-law partner sponsorship, parent and grandparent sponsorship, parent and grandparent Super Visa and dependent child sponsorship.

A survey of 1,531 Canadians was conducted by Association of Canadian Studies which reveals that amid COVID-19 large numbers of Canadians support family reunification as one of the core immigration priorities over economic immigrants and expanding the refugee program. This is evident as nearly 36% of respondents stated that priority should be given to family members of people residing in Canada.

Canadians are affirmative about the role of immigrants in the recovery of Canada’s economy, as 61% Canadians agreed that immigration will support economic development, while 22% said that it would have a negative effect and 18% Canadians were not aware about the facts and stated that they cannot decide. Coast to coast among various provinces 67% of respondents from Atlantic Canada state that immigration would benefit while on the contrary 26% of the prairie provinces respondents were of the view that immigration would have a negative effect on the country’s economy and 22% respondents did not respond.

Alberta respondents were the most supportive of family reunification followed by 42% Atlantic Canada and 36% Ontario. The least support of combined 28% was demonstrated by respondents from Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Between 2016 and 2020, Canadian respondent’s support towards prioritizing economic class immigration stayed constant at 27%, while support for refugee class witnessed a drop of 13% as it fell from 29% to 16% among these years.  Manitoba with 70.2%, Saskatchewan at 68.6% and Quebec with 67.6% recorded the biggest decline among other provinces in admission of new immigrants in the second quarter of 2019 and 2020.

Canadians feel that IRCC should focus on expanding family reunification programs rather than making efforts towards attracting and admitting economic newcomers through the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program, as well as by expanding the Provincial Nominee Programs, for investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed.

Canadians feel that the Government is not working towards family reunification, and many family members are separated due to delay in processing of applications and travel restrictions during this pandemic. They suggest the proliferation of family reunification programs, as the current immigration strategy raises questions about the fairness, equity, and direction of Canada’s current approach to immigration for building the nation. In March, Immigration level plan for 2020-2022 was announced where economic class and refugee class levels were scheduled to increase yearly, but family class immigration was settled with a target of inviting 91,000 new immigrants.

COVID-19 has negatively affected the Canadian economy and immigration has faced the worst hit. All immigration programs are facing a cut back, but family class sponsorship has faced a set down of 78% in the second quarter of 2020 as opposed to last year. Along with this refugee resettlement witnessed an exponential fall of 85% and 52% drop back was noted in economic class immigration.

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled policymakers to re-evaluate what kind of immigrant workforce the country needs, as people who were previously not considered as highly skilled or essential, are deemed as the front line workers today. Various internal and external factors should be considered when thinking about the future of Canada’s immigration system post coronavirus pandemic such as demographics, economy, labor market, politics, processing capacity and capacity to integrate newcomers.

Lately, Canada’s immigration minister stated that they viewed immigration as a crucial step to supporting the country’s post-coronavirus economic recovery after a meeting where they discussed the importance of attracting immigrants to rural Canadian communities and role of international students in Canadian economy.