CanadaVisa News Briefs for November, 2016

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian immigration and citizenship 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. Follow us across these channels to get the latest news as it occurs.

• 2,080 Candidates Invited to Apply for Express Entry Immigration to Canada in Largest Ever Draw

November 2, 2016

The largest Express Entry draw of all time has taken place, with 2,080 candidates in the pool receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA)for Canadian permanent residence on November 2, 2016. This is the first time in which the number of ITAs issued in any one draw has surpassed the two thousand mark, and draw sizes are now nearly three times what they were through the summer months. Moreover, the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off mark continues to go down; the latest draw required candidates to have 472 or more CRS points in order to receive an ITA. >>Read More

• Government of Canada Outlines Plan to Fast-Track Arrival of Global Tech Talent in Fall Economic Statement

November 2, 2016

The government of Canada has unveiled a Global Skills Strategy that will set an ambitious two-week standard for processing visas and work permits for global talent. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau outlined the proposal to Parliament while delivering his department's Fall Economic Statement. >>Read More

• Canada to Remove Visa Requirements on Romanian and Bulgarian Visitors in 2017

October 31, 2016

By the end of 2017, citizens of Romania and Bulgaria will no longer need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) in order to visit Canada. The development was referenced in the EU-Canada Summit Joint Declaration, which was released over the weekend. Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos hailed the move as “an important moment” for Romanian citizens, as well as for business people. >>Read More

• Francophone Immigration Week Highlights French-Speaking Immigration and Diversity Across Canada

October 31, 2016

From October 31 to November 5, 2016, French speakers across Canada are celebrating Francophone Immigration Week. The week-long event, now in its fourth year, was created by the Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities of Canada (Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne, or FCFA) and the Francophone Immigration Networks (Réseaux en immigration francophone, or RIF) to highlight Francophone immigration and diversity. >>Read More

• Maximum Age of Dependent Children for Immigration to Canada to be Increased to 21 Years of Age

October 31, 2016

In a move that may affect many thousands of applicants across a range of Canadian immigration programs, the government of Canada is planning to change the maximum age of dependent children accompanying their parents to less than 22 years old (i.e. 21 or under). If approved, the maximum age is expected to be increased in fall 2017. >>Read More

• Government of Canada to Repeal Cohabitation Condition for Certain Sponsored Spouses and Common-Law Partners

October 31, 2016

On October 29, 2016, the government of Canada released a draft of a change to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), which would repeal the conditional permanent residence regulatory provisions for certain sponsored spouses and common-law partners. If approved, the change is expected to come into force in spring 2017. >>Read More

• Manitoba Invites 176 Skilled Workers to Apply for Immigration to Canada Through MPNP

October 31, 2016

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) continues to be active in inviting new immigrants to the province, with the latest MPNP draw seeing a total of 176 skilled workers being issued a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) to the program. The October 28 draw, the 22nd since the Expression of Interest system in Manitoba was first launched last year, saw LAAs issued to 150 candidates in the Skilled Workers in Manitoba sub-category, each of whom had at least 654 points in the MPNP ranking system for skilled workers. >>Read More

• Quebec to Welcome 51,000 New Immigrants in 2017, Despite Opposition Calls for Reduction

October 28, 2016

The government of Quebec is sticking to its plan to bring around 51,000 new immigrants to the province in 2017. Quebec's Immigration Minister, Kathleen Weil, confirmed the figure this week, while also providing details on a plan to provide an additional $31 million to French language-training programs for newcomers. Total government spending in that area will now be $168 million a year. >>Read More

• Canada to Welcome Yazidi Refugees Within Four Months After Vote Receives Unanimous Support

October 26, 2016

Members of Parliament (MPs) in Ottawa have voted unanimously to settle within four months members of the Yazidi population who have been persecuted by ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The motion, which was brought forward by the opposition Conservative Party, also formally labels the persecution of Yazidis a genocide. >>Read More

• New Study Reveals That Canadians View Immigration Positively

October 25, 2016

Canada, it seems, is going against the grain when it comes to how its citizens view immigration policy. The anti-immigrant sentiment that has come to the fore in other regions of the world, notably in the United States and in parts of Europe, is being rejected by Canada, where eight in 10 people still believe that immigration is good for the country’s economy. >>Read More

• Occupations In-Demand Sub-Category of Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program Reopens for 700 Applications

October 24, 2016

A popular Canadian immigration option in the province of Saskatchewan has reopened for a limited number of applications. On Monday, October 24, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) announced that its International Skilled Worker – Occupations In-Demand sub-category would be accepting up to 700 applications. This marks the fifth time this SINP sub-category has had an application intake so far this year. >>Read More

• Government of Canada Publishes New Criteria for Urgent Processing of Permanent Residence Cards

October 21, 2016

The government of Canada has made public its criteria for the urgent processing of permanent residence cards. At the time of writing, an application for a permanent residence card takes an estimated 41 days to process for a new card, or 63 days for a renewal or replacement. However, there are certain urgent situations whereby an individual may have his or her application for a card expedited. >>Read More

• Biggest-Ever Express Entry Draw sees 1,804 ITAs Issued, CRS Score Requirement Decreases to 475

October 19, 2016

The Express Entry draw on October 19 — the second draw in eight days — saw a record number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to candidates in Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Express Entry pool. The previous record for the number of ITAs issued in a single draw was 1,637, on March 27, 2015. Moreover, this is only the second time in 2016 that two draws have happened within the space of a week. >>Read More