CanadaVisa News Briefs for early March, 2016

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that have taken place over the past couple of weeks.

Our Canadian immigration news briefs bring you the latest news as it happens. When published, these articles are posted across our social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program Faces Review by Government of Canada

A full-scale review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill labour shortages in Canada, appears imminent. MaryAnn Mihychuk, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour in the Liberal government of Canada, has said that she will ask a parliamentary committee for proposals to optimize the program. >>Read More

• Government of Canada Plans to Make Changes to Canadian Citizenship Act

The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum, has said that Ottawa is looking to make changes to how immigrants to Canada may become citizens. "We are in general trying to reduce the barriers people have to overcome to become a citizen," stated McCallum. >>Read More

• Multiple-Entry Visas for Entry to Canada Promoted by IRCC

The department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued a program delivery update concerning temporary entry to Canada. This update notes that multiple-entry visas should now be considered the standard, and any single-entry visa issuance requires officers to provide an explanation recorded in the application notes. >>Read More

• Latest Express Entry Draw for Immigration to Canada sees CRS Point Requirement Decrease

The latest draw from the Express Entry pool has seen a total of 1,484 candidates being issued Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence. The 28th draw took place on February 24, 2016, and each candidate who received an ITA had 453 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This latest draw is good news to prospective applicants, as it marks the second time this year that the CRS point requirement has been as low as 453. >>Read More

• Government of Canada to Repeal Bill C-24 on Citizenship

Major changes to the Canadian Citizenship Act are expected to be announced over the coming days, with Canada's Immigration Minister stating that the Liberal government will soon follow through on its election pledge to repeal the controversial Bill C-24, which was brought in by the previous Conservative government. >>Read More

• Major Changes to be Made to Canadian Citizenship Legislation as Government Plans to Repeal Parts of C-24

As expected, the Liberal government of Canada has introduced a bill that would repeal many parts of the former Conservative government’s citizenship legislation, known as Bill C-24. With a majority government in place, significant amendments to the Citizenship Act are widely expected to come into force in the near future. >>Read More

• Quebec Immigration Minister Announces June Dates for Online QSWP Applications

Quebec's Minister of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusiveness, Kathleen Weil, has announced that online applications for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) will be suspended until June 13, 2016. >>Read More

• Intake Cap for Parent and Grandparent Program for Immigration to Canada Formally Raised to 10,000

As has been widely expected, the number of applications to be accepted annually for the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) has been doubled from 5,000 to 10,000. Through the PGP, Canadian citizens and permanent residents may sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada permanently. >>Read More

• Canada Officially Reaches Target of Resettling 25,000 Syrian Refugees

The 25,000th Syrian refugee to land in Canada since the current government took office in November touched down in Montreal on February 27, 2016 — two days ahead of schedule. This important milestone represents a key success for the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC), and its Minister, John McCallum. >>Read More

• Government of Canada Plans to Remove Conditional Permanent Residence Provision for Sponsored Spouses and Partners

The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC, formerly known as CIC), John McCallum, has stated that the government of Canada is planning on introducing changes in the “next couple of months” that will grant permanent resident status to all sponsored spouses of Canadians immediately upon arriving in Canada. >>Read More

• Canadian Immigration Minister Says Department Will Apply Lessons to Reduce Processing Times

Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum, has stated that his department aims to speed up processing times for family class immigration, economic immigrants and refugee claimants by applying the lessons it learned from bringing 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada over recent months. >>Read More

• Canada Postpones Full Implementation of Electronic Travel Authorization

The government of Canada is delaying until the fall (autumn) the enforcement of a new electronic travel authorization (eTA) system for individuals exempt from the requirement to obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) before they may enter Canada. The system was scheduled to be mandatory from March 15, 2016. >>Read More