NEWS
Find the latest news articles related to Canada’s immigration programs, advocacy work, immigrant culture, employment trends, and much more!
New Immigration Measures Boost British Columbia Construction Industry
December 28th 2023
By including 25 new occupations in the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP), starting November 16, the Western Canadian province is boosting its construction sector.
The occupations in question include a variety of trades, such as welders, plumbers, and electricians. These new additions are a welcome addition to BC’s other focal areas, such as early childhood educators, tech, healthcare occupations, veterinarians, animal health technologists, and vet technicians.
The policy change is a testament to the province’s response to the immediate need for skilled labour in the construction industry, as per ConstructConnect’s Journal of Commerce (JOC).
The sector is the top employer in the provincial goods sector and accounts for 10.3 percent ($27 billion) of its GDP, but it has been facing a severe labour shortage in recent times, with an eight percent drop in tradespeople over three years, with the average company size shrinking by 10 percent to 6.24 workers.
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) reported this, in combination with outdated regulations about paying contractors on time, being the potential cause of a major slowdown in the booming business.
The advantages of applying for your study permit this December
December 19th 2023
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently made impactful announcements regarding international students in Canada, many of which will come into effect January 1st, 2024.
Considering these announcements, students hoping to apply for their Canadian study permit may find some advantages in taking a simple step: submitting their study permit application in December 2023. Read on to learn what advantages applying for your study permit this month can yield.
On December 7th, IRCC announced that it would be raising the cost-of-living requirement for international students in Canada, from $10,000 CAD to $20,635 CAD. The change comes in response to the rising cost-of-living in the country. In fact, the previous $10,000 figure was set in the early 2000s and has not been adjusted to reflect inflation since that time. Note that regardless of when students apply, they will have to demonstrate they have funds corresponding to the cost-of-living criteria amount, in addition to proof that their first year of tuition, and travel costs are already paid—in order to be eligible for a study permit.
This change to the cost-of-living requirement, however, is only set to come into effect on January 1st, 2024. Those who apply for a study permit before that deadline, even if they begin their studies later in 2024, will only have to pass a $10,000 cost of living requirement.
B.C. says 578 foreign-educated nurses registered in 2023, doubling intake
December 19th 2023
The number of foreign-educated nurses newly registered in British Columbia this year has more than doubled from last year, as the province makes progress on a $1-billion, multi-year plan to attract more health-care workers..
The first yearly update on B.C.'s health human resources strategy says 578 internationally educated nurses became fully registered in the province in 2023 compared with 288 in 2022.
Staffing shortfalls have been blamed for a series of health-care woes across the province, including emergency room closures, overcrowding and hundreds of thousands of people going without a family doctor.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province needs to "dramatically" increase the number of family doctors and other health-care professionals to keep up with expected population growth and close gaps in the system.
Easier method coming for authenticating international documents
December 19th 2023
B.C. residents will soon have a quicker, less costly option to authenticate public documents for use in 125 countries, as a new method will launch in January 2024.
In May 2023, Canada joined the Apostille Convention, which will come into force country-wide on Jan. 11, 2024. B.C. residents who need B.C. public documents authenticated for use in a country that is part of the convention will soon need to obtain only a single certificate, called an apostille, from the B.C. Authentication Program.
People with documents for member countries will no longer be required to send these documents to a consulate or embassy for the additional step of legalization.
“Those who have needed public documents authenticated before know that the process can be daunting,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “People often have tight timelines to get documents authenticated locally before sending off to an international consulate, and we know that submitting late can impact job or study opportunities. I’m pleased Canada has joined the Apostille Convention. Now this process will be easier and less stressful for all B.C. residents.”
Since an apostille certificate is internationally recognized, having documents authenticated this way increases the probability that the documents will be accepted as valid by other member countries.
Revised requirements to better protect international students
December 14th 2023
Canada is a top destination for international students, thanks to our high-quality educational institutions; our welcoming, diverse society; and the opportunities for some to work or immigrate permanently after graduation. While international students have contributed to life on campuses and innovation across the country, they have also experienced some serious challenges, such as finding adequate housing, as they pursue their studies in Canada.
The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced today that starting January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised so that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the low-income cut-off (LICO). LICO represents the minimum income necessary to ensure that an individual does not have to spend a greater than average portion of income on necessities.
The cost-of-living requirement for study permit applicants has not changed since the early 2000s, when it was set at $10,000 for a single applicant. As such, the financial requirement hasn’t kept up with the cost of living over time, resulting in students arriving in Canada only to learn that their funds aren’t adequate. For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. This change will apply to new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.
Online survey of newcomers to Canada
December 10th 2023
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is conducting an online survey of newcomers to Canada on their resettlement, settlement and integration experiences. The survey will help IRCC understand which settlement and resettlement services are working well, and what needs improvement. This will help IRCC strengthen its Settlement Program to better meet the needs of newcomers to Canada.
About the survey
Participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential. IRCC will only use the information from the survey to help improve the department’s programs and services. Participants’ answers won’t affect any past, current or future applications with IRCC.
Beginning the week of November 27, 2023, an invitation to take the survey will be sent by email to all immigrants to Canada who became permanent residents in the years 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, and who are now at least 18 years old.
The online survey takes about 20 minutes to complete.
It’s available in multiple languages: English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Pashto, and Farsi.
The deadline to complete the survey is January 7, 2024.
Province supports allied health workforce, improves patient care
December 10th 2023
The Province continues to put people first by launching the new Allied Health Strategic Plan (AHSP), which focuses on recruitment, retention, training and redesigning of the allied health workforce, to ensure people have access to the health-care providers they need.
“Nearly everyone has received care from an allied health professional at some point in their life,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Whether it is getting a blood sample collected by a medical laboratory assistant, seeing a physiotherapist for rehabilitation after surgery or talking about mental-health resources and community supports with a social worker, allied health professionals are a vital part of team-based health care that people in B.C. rely on. By taking action to support our allied health professionals and grow this workforce, we are ensuring that people in B.C. have access to the health-care provider they need when they need it.”
The AHSP is a multi-year road map that is part of and funded through B.C.’s Health Human Resources (HHR) Strategy, which was announced on Sept. 29, 2022. The strategy outlines 70 actions that focus on four cornerstones: retain, redesign, recruit and train. The AHSP highlights 42 actions in the HHR Strategy and introduces 15 new initiatives, for a total of 57 actions, that will directly affect and benefit the allied health workforce across the province. Investing in the allied health workforce means investing in the health and well-being of all people in British Columbia.
How IRCC plans to support communities
November 29th, 2023
On October 31st, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to improve Canada’s immigration system. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has consulted with stakeholders and the public throughout the year to help guide reforms and build a stronger immigration system.
IRCC has been incorporating this feedback to implement its new immigration strategy, called An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.
The strategy provides guidelines that include better aligning the needs of the labour market with the immigration system, modernizing the system to allow newcomers to easily submit and track their applications, improving IRCC’s service standard, promoting francophone immigration in communities across Canada and helping smaller communities attract and retain newcomers.
Part of the strategy involves considering the support and services required by newcomers and Canadians alike, include housing and healthcare. Further, the strategy states that the key to an effective newcomer plan is ensuring that the benefits of immigration are spread across the country and into various smaller communities.
Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 addresses housing and healthcare
November 23rd, 2023
On November 1st Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released the Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026.
The sets the target for the number of permanent resident admissions to Canada for the next three years.
Canada will admit 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 annually in both each of 2024 and 2025.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that the plan would stabilize the number of newcomers arriving in Canada, which has been a matter of concern for many Canadians.
A recent report by the Environics Institute found that Canadians are voicing less support for elevated levels of immigration than they have in previous years. The report found that those who had withdrawn their support said they were worried about affordability in Canada, particularly housing.
Canada’s immigration levels will need to rise in the future
November 19th, 2023
On November 1st, Canada announced that it would be keeping immigration levels constant, hoping to welcome roughly 500,000 immigrants a year, in 2025 and 2026.
While Canada’s current immigration levels are already at record-breaking highs, a recent report from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) suggests that immigration levels will likely need to rise again soon; further stating that Canada’s immigration rates, as they currently stand, will simply not be enough to uphold the country’s population and meet domestic labour market demand.
Canada needs immigration for several reasons—most pressingly to address concerns around the country’s demography and labour market.
Canada has one of the world’s oldest populations, combined with a low-fertility rate (1.40 births per woman) that has come to currently typify many countries in the west. This combination of factors makes it impossible for Canada to replenish its population with just natural-born Canadians—making immigration crucial. Connected to this problem are further demands that Canada’s economy (the ninth largest in the world by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)) has on its labour market—which is impacted by the same replenishment problem that Canada’s population faces.
Automation to speed up processing of International Experience Canada work permits
November 19th, 2023
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is improving how it processes International Experience Canada (IEC) work permits by expanding the use of automation technology. A new tool will help process IEC work permit applications by triaging applications based on their complexity and approving eligibility for routine applications. This will improve efficiency by making decisions faster for some applicants. It will also support the growth of IEC and facilitate work and travel for international youth in Canada.
Automated tools are part of IRCC’s commitment to using technology responsibly to build a stronger immigration system for all of our clients. IRCC reviews the tools regularly so they work as intended and results are consistent with applications that receive a full human review.
The triage function of the IEC work permit tool takes on most clerical and repetitive tasks related to sorting applications, allowing officers to focus their attention on assessing applications and making final decisions. The tool triages applications using rules developed by experienced IRCC officers, based on the legislative and regulatory criteria of the program. Files are directed to officers for further processing based on office capabilities and officer expertise.
Burnaby Board of Trade Praises Positive Step Forward on Foreign Credential Recognition
November 15th, 2023
After years of advocacy efforts, the Burnaby Board of Trade — one of the province’s largest chambers of commerce/boards of trade — is applauding the introduction of the International Credentials Recognition Act by the provincial government today and its focus on accelerating the recognition of internationally credentials.
The Burnaby Board of Trade has been the leading chamber of commerce voice on this issue for many years, recognizing the negative impact it was having on labour force development. Working through its Pacific Gateway Committee, the Burnaby Board of Trade has been advocating for an expedited, efficient process that quickly recognizes the foreign credentials of recent immigrants. In 2020, the Burnaby Board of Trade’s policy on expanding and expediting foreign credential recognition was endorsed and adopted by the BC Chamber of Commerce as a formal provincial position.
New act streamlines credential recognition for internationally trained professionals
November 15th, 2023
British Columbians will soon benefit from internationally trained professionals having an easier path to working in their chosen careers and filling crucial skills shortages as the International Credentials Recognition Act received royal assent on Nov. 8, 2023.
“Skilled professionals from around the world move to B.C. hoping to put their skills to good use, but instead face huge obstacles and an often-confusing process to get their credentials recognized,” said Premier David Eby. “With the skills shortage we have in this province, we cannot afford to leave anyone on the sidelines. That’s why we’re taking action to close the gaps in the system so people can get to work faster, fill in-demand jobs and provide much-needed services to people in B.C.”
The act will increase fairness, efficiency, transparency and accountability in the credential recognition process. It will require 18 regulatory bodies to remove barriers in 29 professions and make it easier and quicker for qualified professionals to seek credential recognition, regardless of where they were trained. The professions include engineers, social workers, veterinarians, paramedics, early childhood educators, teachers, biologists, land surveyors, architects and more.
Support for immigration in Canada has dropped since last year
October 30, 2023
The Environics Institute, a Canadian research agency that conducts public opinion surveys and collects data on government, social and economic issues, has released its annual study on Canadian public opinion on immigration.