APRIL 2020

April 2020

 Temporary foreign workers, some international students and approved permanent residents who haven’t yet landed are now able to enter Canada.

The travel restriction exemptions that were announced are now in place. If you’re exempt, you can now travel to Canada.

If you’re travelling by air, you need to pass a health check conducted by airlines before you’re allowed to board your flight. Anyone who shows symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed to enter Canada by air.

When you arrive in Canada, we’ll assess your health before you leave the port of entry. You must have a plan to quarantine for 14 days when you arrive in Canada. This is mandatory, even if you have no symptoms. If you don’t have a plan, you’ll be quarantined in a facility designated by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.

Only people who provide essential services, for example truck drivers who regularly cross the border to maintain the flow of goods, are exempt from the quarantine requirements.

Mandatory quarantine

The Government of Canada has put in place emergency measures to slow the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in Canada. You MUST quarantine for 14 days and monitor yourself for symptoms subject to the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to COVID-19 in Canada Order (Mandatory Isolation) No. 2.

Your compliance with this Order is subject to monitoring, verification and enforcement. Those in violation may face detention in a quarantine facility as well as fines and/or imprisonment.

You must quarantine without delay

• Go directly to your place of quarantine without delay and stay there for 14 days from the date you arrived in Canada, or longer if you develop signs and symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to another person subject to the Order who has signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
• Do not quarantine in a place where you have contact with vulnerable individuals, including those who have an underlying medical condition, compromised immune system from a medical condition or treatment, or are 65 years of age or older.
• Ensure you have a suitable place of quarantine that has the necessities of life.
• Ensure you wear an appropriate mask or facial covering, especially while in transit.
• Practise physical distancing at all times.
• Use private transportation such as a private vehicle if possible.
• Do not make any stops on your way to place of quarantine.
• Avoid contact with others while in transit:
  • Remain in the vehicle as much as possible;
  • Do not stay at a hotel;
  • If you need gas, pay at the pump;
  • If you need food, use a drive through;
  • If you need to use a rest area put on your mask and be mindful of physical distancing and good hygiene practices.

You must monitor your health for 14 days

• Fever
• Cough
• Difficulty Breathing

If you start having symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, shortness of breath, or fever equal to or greater than 38°C, or signs of fever e.g. shivering, flushed skin, excessive sweating):

• Isolate yourself from others.
• Immediately call the public health authority and describe your symptoms and travel history, and follow their instructions.

While in quarantine

It is very important that you:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Cover your mouth and nose with your arm when coughing or sneezing.
• Limit contact with others within the place of quarantine, including children and those who have not travelled nor been exposed to the virus.

You MUST:

• Stay at your place of quarantine.
• Not leave your place of quarantine unless it is to seek medical attention.
• Not use public transportation (e.g. buses, taxis).
• Not have visitors.
• Not go to school, work or any other public areas.
• Arrange for the necessities of life (e.g. food, medications, cleaning supplies) to be delivered to your place of quarantine.

Follow the instructions provided and online: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How to self-isolate at home when you may have been exposed and have no symptoms

Special provisions

• Exceptions have been made for certain individuals or certain types of workers who provide essential services.
• Workers in these sectors should contact their employer for specific instructions, maintain a distance of 2 metres from others at all times, closely self-monitor for symptoms, and follow the instructions provided above should they have symptoms.

March 12, 2020

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is pleased to release details on the Government of Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2020-2022. Canada will welcome 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020, 351,000 in 2021, and 361,000 in 2022.

Canada will welcome more than one million new permanent residents in the next three years.

Whereas Canada welcomed 320,000 newcomers in 2018, and 341,000 immigrants in 2019, it is again targeting the admissions of 341,000 immigrants in 2020.

The most significant revelation from the announcement is Canada’s target for 2022 since today is the first time such information has become publicly available.

Summary of adjustments to levels targets in 2020,  2021 and 2022 

March 04, 2020

Today’s minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score stands at 471 with an increase of one point over the previous Express entry draw held on February 19, which had cut-off score 470.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now issued a total of 18,700 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2020 through the Express Entry system.

Canada has higher admissions targets for 2020 and 2021 for the various programs managed by the Express Entry system.The target for new permanent resident admissions through the three federal high-skilled programs is slated to rise to 85,800 this year and 88,800 in 2021.

March 04, 2020

Ontario opened applications for two streams under its Employer Job Offer category, yesterday. After experiencing technical difficulties and a short application period, both streams have reached their intake limit and have been closed.

On March 3, the OINP released a statement opening up applications to the International Student Stream. Intake was quickly paused due to “technical issues,” according to the OINP webpage.

It was later re-opened along with the Foreign Worker Stream, but shortly after applications to both streams had reached their intake limits and were closed.

The OINP received 1,322 successful registrations during the application intake window. Those who were successfully registered and received a file number have 14 days to submit an application, which takes about three hours on the OINP web portal.

“Demand for the streams was extremely high, so not all who wished to register were able to do so,” According to the OINP website, The OINP will continue to monitor intake of applications across all streams to determine when the Employer Job Offer: International Student and Foreign Worker streams will reopen in 2020.”

The Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills Stream remains open to applications at this time

February 19, 2020

4, 500 candidates invided to apply for Permanent residence

The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score in this latest invitation round was 470, a decrease of 2 points over the previous draw held February 5.

Eligible candidates for each program are issued a score under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

A job offer is not required in order to be eligible for an Express Entry Invitation to Apply (ITA), though additional CRS points are awarded if a candidate has one.

The Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main skilled labour immigration categories — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

February 05, 2020

January 22, 2020

3,400 Express Candidates invited to apply for permanent residence

Today’s minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score stands at 471 with the reduction of 2 points over the previous Express entry draw.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now issued a total of 6,800 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in 2020 through the Express Entry system.

Canada has higher admissions targets for 2020 and 2021 for the various programs managed by the Express Entry system.The target for new permanent resident admissions through the three federal high-skilled programs is slated to rise to 85,800 this year and 88,800 in 2021.

January 16, 2020

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) issued targeted Notifications of Interest (NOIs) to candidates who may qualify for Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities (HCP) Stream. 

The OINP targeted candidates with a CRS between 460 and 472, and work experience in the following NOC codes:

• 2173 Software engineers and designers
• 2174 Computer programmer and interactive media developers
• 2147 Computer engineers
• 2175 Web designers and developers
• 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
• 0213 Computer and information systems managers

To be eligible for nomination, applicants must demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes. Your application may be refused if you do not demonstrate work experience in one of the eligible NOC codes.

Through this dedicated approach, Ontario helping to make it easier for businesses in the technology sector to recruit top talent from around the world.

For more information on this initiative, please visit the OINP Tech Draw page.

January 09, 2020

3,400 aspirants invited to apply for permanent residence

Canada’s first Express Entry draw of 2020 has issued 3,400 invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Today’s minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score stands at 473.

Eligible candidates for each program are issued a score under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) for factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French.

A set number of the highest-scoring candidates are issued an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence (ITA) through regular draws from the pool, which typically take place every two weeks. The Government of Canada has a processing standard of six months for permanent residence applications filed through the Express Entry system.

December 31, 2019

 To ensure that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has sufficient time to complete the development of a new intake process for the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Program, the reopening of the program will be postponed until Ministerial Instructions are issued.

This means that the opportunity to express interest in sponsoring a parent or grandparent will not take place on January 1, 2020. Further information about the expected launch date and 2020 intake process will be available in the new year. This will give all interested sponsors the same opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form and a fair chance to be invited to apply.

December 21, 2019

The Ontario communities of Chatham-Kent, Cornwall and Belleville/Quinte West have been selected to participate in the province’s new Regional Immigration Pilot, which will launch in early 2020.

The two-year pilot is the newest addition to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which allows the province to nominate a set number of Economic-Class immigration candidates for permanent residence each year.

The Government of Ontario said the The Regional Immigration Pilot will help fill labour market needs of businesses in small and rural communities that are not currently being met locally.

The vast majority of immigrants to Ontario currently settle in and around the Greater Toronto Area and only 20 per cent settle in other parts of the province. Ontario’s Regional Immigration Pilot is the product of feedback from stakeholders in several small and rural Ontario communities, including municipal governments, businesses, economic development organizations, settlement organizations, universities and colleges.

“Communities were chosen based on their specific skilled labour challenges, the ability to help newcomers get settled and interest from community stakeholders,” the ministry said.

“Outcomes of the pilot will help inform further efforts to regionalize economic immigration in Ontario.”

The pilot will also include a set-aside of approximately 150 nominations under the OINP Employer Job Offer Category streams, which will be reserved for applicants with job offers in the pilot communities.

The OINP advises immigration candidates to explore opportunities to move or work in three communities by visiting their websites:

·         Municipality of Chatham-Kent

·         Cities of Belleville and Quinte West

·         City of Cornwall

More information about the Regional Immigration Pilot can be found here.

December 06, 2019

Alberta latest Express Entry Draw- Effective December 05, 2019

Alberta issued 132 invitations to candidates in the federal Express Entry pool in a draw held December 5.

The cut-off score of 400 in this latest invitation round is significantly lower than the cut-off scores for draws conducted through the Express Entry system itself this year. The lowest score drawn so far in 2019 in an Express Entry draw involving all three of the programs it manages was 438.

The invitations, or Notifications of Interest (NOIs), went to Express Entry candidates with (CRS) scores of 400 and up.

Express Entry manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main Economic-Class immigration programs — the Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination from Alberta receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence in a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.

While a job offers or previous work in Alberta is not required in order to be eligible, the AINP says it may give priority to candidates with:

·         a job offers and/or work experience in Alberta;

·         a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or

·         a parent, child or sibling already living in Alberta.

December 06, 2019

 People from around the globe have declared Canada as one of the best countries to invest and immigrate in the world. This year Canada is ranked third out of 50 countries on the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index, up from fifth place overall in 2018 after Germany and France. The rankings were based on 20,035 online interviews conducted with adults over the age of 18 in 20 countries.

Canada placed first in three of the six individual categories that were used to rank the 50 countries -

1.      1. Immigration and investment

2.    2. People and governance

3.    3. Governance, culture and tourism

This is the second year in a row that Canada ranked first for immigration and investment, which considers a country’s power to attract people to live, work or study as well as perceptions of its quality of life and business environment.

The immigration and investment score are based on five “composite attributes” — work and live, quality of life, educational qualifications, invest in business, and equality in society.

 “The Immigration and Investment Index evaluates a country’s power to attract talent and capital,” the statement read. “It is measured not only by whether people would consider studying, working, or living in that country, but also by perceptions of the country’s economic prosperity, equality of opportunity, and ultimately whether it is perceived to be a place with a high quality of life.”

Canada was considered friendly by 39 per cent of correspondents, trustworthy by 30 per cent, happy by 29 per cent, and generous by 19 per cent.

 “Seldom does a nation earn a ranking within the top five on the overall [National Brand Index] without consistency in its image.”

December 04, 2019

NEW BIOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS- DECEMBER 2019

Service centres across Canada are now open to take biometrics for foreign nationals applying to stay in the Canada.

In a statement, Canada’s new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco Mendicino, said the expanded biometrics program “will enhance the efficiency and integrity” of Canada’s immigration system.

Effective December 3, 2019, biometrics are now required for those who are applying from within Canada for:

·         a work permit (including extensions)

·         a study permit (including extensions)

·         a visitor visa (including extensions)

·         permanent residence

Biometrics must also be submitted if the application is for extending a permit or visa in Canada and the applicant does not have biometrics that are still valid.

The list of 58 designated service centres in Canada is available on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s website. 

Who needs to give biometrics?

Canada has collected biometrics on most foreign nationals applying for temporary or permanent residence since December 31, 2018.

IRCC provides an online tool where users may fill information to determine if they need to give their biometrics for an application. 

Those between age 14 and 79 years old need to give fingerprints and photos for all permanent resident applications in the family class, economic class, and refugee class.

Canadian citizens and existing permanent residents do not need to give their biometrics.

September 04, 2019

 We provide free pick-up service for our clients from Toronto Pearson Airport, Toronto for the 2020 intake students. Please call us and book the appointment today.

June 18, 2019

 Canada’s new caregiver immigration pilots now open

Interim Pathway for Caregivers will also reopen July 8 for 3 months

Canada is now accepting applications to its two new caregiver immigration pilots. The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot replace the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots and provide eligible caregivers with a pathway to permanent residence once they’ve acquired two years of Canadian work experience.

Applications filed to the Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots before June 18 will still be processed, but applications will no longer be accepted through these pilots after that date.

The new Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots only provide work permits to caregivers who have a job offer in Canada and who meet the following criteria:

·         Language tests results showing a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 5 in English or French;

·         One year of Canadian post-secondary education or the foreign equivalent; and

·         Admissible to Canada.

Caregivers already working in Canada on a work permit who meet these criteria can also apply for permanent residence through the new pilots.

Caregivers with work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) 4411 (excluding foster parents) are eligible for permanent residence through the Home Child Care Provider Pilot.

Caregivers with work experience in NOC 4412 (excluding housekeepers) are eligible for permanent residence through the Home Support Worker Pilot.

IRCC said the new pilots have a 12-month processing standard for work permit applications and a six-month processing standard for applications for permanent residence from those who meet the work experience requirement.

Major changes from the outgoing Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs pilots include:

·         Occupation-specific work permits instead of employer-specific work permits. This change will allow caregivers to change employers;

·         Caregiver’s immediate family will also be entitled to open work permits and/or study permits;

·         Employers will no longer need a LMIA before hiring a caregiver from overseas.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said the new pilots will ensure “a clear transition from temporary to permanent status” for caregivers and their families once a caregiver has accumulated the required two years of Canadian work experience.

The work experience must be acquired in the 36 months before a candidate applies for permanent residence.

“Canada is caring for our caregivers. We made a commitment to improve the lives of caregivers and their families who come from around the world to care for our loved ones and with these new pilots, were are doing exactly that,” Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, said in a news release.

The new pilots have a maximum of 2,750 principal applicants per year, for a total of 5,500 principal applicants, plus their immediate family.

“These pilots offer important updates like occupation-specific work permits and open work permits and study permits for family members that will give caregivers the support they need while putting in the hours toward Canadian permanent residence,” said David Cohen, senior partner with the Campbell, Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal.

Interim Pathway for Caregivers extended

IRCC also announced that it will reopen its Interim Pathway for Caregivers to new applications for three months starting July 8.

This pathway is for individuals who have acquired work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, as a home childcare provider, home support worker or a combination of both through Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Work experience must match the initial description and list of main duties for Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) Group 4411 or 4412.

The Interim Pathway for Caregivers will reopen to those who intend to reside outside of Quebec and who have:

·         authorization to work in Canada on a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) work permit (at the time of applying); or

·         applied for a renewal of a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit; or

·         applied and is eligible for restoration of status, and held a work permit other than a Live-in Caregiver Program work permit as their most recent work permit; and

·         language skills of at least a CLB/NCLC 5 in English or French; and

·         12 months of full-time work experience in Canada since November 30, 2014, in a relevant occupation; and

·         a minimum of a Canadian high school diploma or non-Canadian educational diploma, certificate or credential that’s equal to a Canadian high school diploma.

·         Foreign credentials will require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) — issued within five years before the date of application by an approved organization — that indicates that the foreign diploma, certificate or credential is equivalent to a completed Canadian secondary school diploma.

June 24, 2019

JUNE 2018

 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada today announced a new Student Direct Stream that promises streamlined processing of Canadian study permit applications for ‘legal residents’ of China, India, Vietnam and Philippines.

Previously, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) had different programs to serve individuals applying to study in Canada from these countries.

IRCC has now merged those separate programs into the SDS to ensure consistency in processing and requirements for all study permit applicants.

IRCC is also planning to expand the program to Africa in 2019 with a focus on potential French-speaking students in countries like Senegal.

“IRCC recognizes the tremendous economic, cultural and social benefits that international students bring to Canada,” Canada’s Immigration Minister, Ahmed Hussen, said in a statement.

“We are committed to improving client service for all applicants, including students, as we continue to find new and efficient ways to reduce processing times.”

To benefit from faster Canadian study permit processing through the SDS program, potential international students to Canada must meet additional language requirements.

After getting accepted at a Designated Learning Institite(DLI), international student applicants must also show proof of:

1. tuition payment for the first year of study at a designated learning institution in Canada;
2. purchase of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate of $10,000;
3. completion of an upfront medical examination;
4. a qualifying score of at least 6 for English (IELTS), or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens score of 7 for French (TEF), or graduation from a Canadian-curriculum high school.

IRCC says that citizens of these four countries who are residing elsewhere when submitting an application will be processed under regular study permit conditions. T

The Government of Canada says it is committed to making study in Canada easier and will evaluate the success of the program before expanding it in 2019.

2018

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Increase in immigration numbers appears to be the largest in more than a century

More than 320,000 new permanent residents settled in Canada in the past year, the highest total number for many decades. In the period from July, 2015 to July, 2016, a total of 320,932 new immigrants landed in the country as permanent residents. That is an increase of more than one third over the previous year, when 240,844 immigrants came to Canada, representing the fastest growth in nearly three decades. Moreover, the government of Canada is planning to welcome even more newcomers over the coming years.

Statistics Canada (Statscan) revealed these latest figures this week in its annual population count. Though earlier data are not strictly comparable, the latest Canadian immigration numbers appear to be the largest in more than a century at least 1971, when comparable records began, according to Statscan.

Under the current data-gathering methodology, the previous record for new immigrants was set in 2009-2010, when 270,581 people arrived in Canada.

According to the Statscan report, the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) are becoming more popular destinations than ever before. In the past year, 27.9 per cent of new immigrants settled in one of these provinces. Alberta, which received 57,384 people, ranked as the second most popular destination for newcomers of all the provinces. Manitoba (17,238) and Saskatchewan (15,006) also boosted their immigration numbers.

Ontario remained the most popular destination province, with 199,647 newcomers landing in the province in the past year, representing 37.3 percent of the total. Meanwhile, Quebec welcomed 55,164 new immigrants. More than half (54.4 percent) of all new immigrants to Canada landed in Ontario or Quebec.

Not only did all provinces welcome more immigrants, six provinces actually took in record numbers of immigrants in 2015-16. In Eastern Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador (1,406), Nova Scotia (5,390), and New Brunswick (4,435) all took in record numbers, as did Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

British Columbia received 42,832 newcomers, while Prince Edward Island (2,008) and the Territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, 512 in total) also continued to welcome new immigrants.

Reduction in processing times

In the 12-month period under review, processing times for all permanent residence programs together decreased by a massive 42 percent. The shortest average processing times are for applications submitted under one of the federal economic programs managed through the Express Entry selection system: The Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class, and the Canadian Experience Class. Complete applications submitted under one of these programs are typically processed to in 3-5 months. Express Entry allows the government to select which individuals are able to submit an application through a federal economic program. As a result, the government can manage supply, and therefore reduce processing times.

In addition, the government continued to work through a backlog of applications that were submitted before Express Entry came into operation. It was also revealed that processing times on these applications were reduced.

Other reductions occurred in Quebec Skilled Worker application processing times, which are down by 28 percent year-over-year for the federal stage, as well as Family Class applications, which have seen an overall reduction in processing times of 15 percent.

The programs that come under Canada’s Humanitarian immigration category saw a reduction in processing times of 38 percent. Canada’s refugee settlement programs come under this category.

Reasons for the increase in immigration numbers
Express Entry and the backlog

Since Express Entry was first launched in January, 2015, the government has processed applications through the new system, in addition to working through a backlog of applications submitted before Express Entry came into operation. The period under review in the report runs from July, 2015 to July, 2016, and we know that far more newcomers who submitted applications through Express Entry landed in the second half of 2015 than the first half of 2015. Throughout 2016, the government has continued to issue Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to candidates in the pool.

Provincial Nominee Programs

Over the past year or two, Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)have become more dynamic, with an increasing number of applications being submitted under these programs. When the government revealed its 2016 Immigration Plan in March, it set a target of up to 48,000 for new arrivals through the PNPs this year alone. Provincial governments have also been active in lobbying the federal government for larger allocations for the PNPs; Nova Scotia and British Columbia, in particular, have been successful in this regard.

Most provinces and territories have at least one PNP dedicated to attracting Express Entry candidates for immigration to Canada, with more categories being introduced on an ongoing basis. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination certificate through one of these enhances PNP categories benefit from quick processing times.

Syrian refugees

One of the first signature acts of Canada’s new Liberal government was the arrival of Syrian refugees, which began in November, 2015. This spike in refugee immigrants partly explains the overall increase. At last count, Canada had welcomed 30,862 refugees, with thousands more still to be processed.

New government

The Liberal government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has been vocal in its support of immigration and immigrants across all categories. The government has recognized that Canada faces demographic and labour challenges, and that immigration is an important part of solutions to these challenges. Moreover, the Liberal Party has traditionally embraced multiculturalism and is generally perceived as a pro-immigration party.

Government wants to “substantially increase” immigration

Over the summer months, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, John McCallum, stated his intention to “substantially increase” the number of new immigrants to Canada in order to fill labour shortages and confront the demographic challenges of an aging population.

Speaking in August, 2016, McCallum said, “Why not substantially increase the number of immigrants coming to Canada? The direction in which I would like to go is to increase substantially the number of immigrants.

“We’re going to reduce some of the barriers in our immigration system . . . we think it can be simplified. We think there are some rules which are no longer necessary,” added McCallum.

The Liberal government, which took office less than one year ago, plans on unveiling its overall immigration strategy in the near future, with a three-year plan expected to be released in November of this year.

An optimistic vision for Canada

“Though it is still relatively early days in the life of this government, its work on the immigration front has been positive. The government has approached immigration in a realistic way, while retaining an optimistic vision for the country,” says Attorney David Cohen.

“While other countries increasingly look inward from the world, Canada is actually going out there and laying out the welcome mat for an increasing number of newcomers from around the globe. This includes professionals, families, international graduates, relations of current Canadian permanent residents and citizens, and those fleeing hardship.

“We can expect future figures to show not only that Canada is increasing immigration numbers, but ultimately that newcomers are building successful lives in Canada for themselves and their families. Canada has a government that is prepared to invest in the country, its people, and its immigrants.”