Canada is focusing on federal systems, like Express Entry, to find dedicated and experienced skilled workers who can build up the country’s economy.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced these changes on the 31st of October, 2018 heralding a new wave of immigration program creations and a booming economy. The Express Entry system is not the only way for immigrants to make Canada their home. Thanks to the new Canada immigration plan, more people can choose to immigrate through programs like family sponsorships, family reunification, economic streams, Skilled Federal Trades, international students and more.

The country has also put more emphasis on humanitarian programs and aim to be more accommodating to refugees and those wishing to start a new life in Canada. The country has also boosted its Canada immigration goals up to 330,800 for 2019 and even increased its goals for 2020 to 341,000!

Ahmed Hussen, the Canadian Minister of IRCC stated, “under this plan, Canada will welcome more talented workers with the skills and expertise our economy needs.”

Economic Programs

As we mentioned earlier, the Express Entry system is one of the most popular immigration options. Around 25% of all immigrants will qualify under the following programs through the Express Entry system:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program;
• Federal Trades Worker Class;
• Canadian Experience Class; and
• Certain Provincial Nomination Programs

To put it into perspective, Canada aims to accept around 82,700 people under Express Entry in 2019 and approximately 85,250 people by 2020!

And with the new Canada immigration goals, 350,000 people will be invited to apply as permanent residents of Canada by the end of the 2021!

PNPs

If you are looking to be nominated by a province to apply for permanent residence (PR) in Canada, then you can try to apply for one of the many Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs ) of the 13 provinces and territories in Canada. According to the new immigration plan, over 255,100 immigrants will be offered Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to the province letting them become permanent residents of this wonderful country in the next four years.

With the increasing numbers of retiring workers and job gaps in the labour market, Canada has been increasing the number of PNP programs and even in some cases lowering the requirements in language skills and including more occupations to help cope with labour demands.

According to the new immigration goals, 18% of applicants accepted in Canada this year came from PNPs and Canada plans to increase this number up to 22.2% by 2021.

Quebec is one of the few provinces that haven’t published their immigration goals for the future due to their recent elections. The new plans will come out later after the new government has settled in.

Family Class

Canada has boosted the number of programs focusing on helping families stay together in Canada. From 2017 to Canada’s new immigration goal in 2021 the number of family class program candidates has increased by 8.7% and that number just keeps on growing each year.

The country is focusing on sponsorship programs to assist with reunifications of family members. Canada also has programs specifically designed to help with bringing your grandparents over as well and the number of applicants for this program is set to increase to 21,000 by 2021.

With over 70 immigration programs in Canada and so many choices to choose from, do you know the best way to go forward? Our professional team of RCICs make it easy for you. Simply sign up for our services and we will get started on your move to Canada.

As 2018 comes to a close, record breaking Canadian immigration draws pile up. Not only are more applicants being issued invitations to apply (ITAs), the minimum cut off points are also hitting record lows. The prairie province of Saskatchewan is no different. On 1 November, 2018 Saskatchewan held its largest Occupation In-Demand and Express Entry draw of this year! Learn how you can make this picturesque province your home below.

Canadian Immigration to Saskatchewan is Booming!

The Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand draws together saw the issue of 926 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence. This is by far the largest draw for Saskatchewan so far. Of the 926 invitations, 671 was for the Occupation In-Demand subcategory and the remaining 255 was for Saskatchewan Express Entry linked Provincial Nominee Program.

Saskatchewan Occupation In-Demand Subcategory

The draw of 1 November saw a record high of 671 invitations to apply being issued to eligible candidates and that is not the only news to celebrate. What made this draw particularly special is that the lowest ranked candidate had a score of 61 points, which is the lowest score we have seen in 2018. Remember this score is not your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Rather, it refers to your score based off of Saskatchewan’s point assessment grid. This grid is specific to Saskatchewan and looks at the following selection factors.

Selection Factor	Maximum Points
Education and training	23
Skilled work experience	15
Language ability	20
Age	12
Connection to Saskatchewan labour market	30

The minimum pass mark for the point assessment grid is 60. In addition to meeting this requirement, you must also have at least one year of work experience in one of the province’s In-Demand occupations during the past 10 years. If you would like to immigrate to Canada easily, Saskatchewan’s In-Demand subcategory may be your best Canadian immigration option because you don’t need a job offer to qualify!

Saskatchewan Express Entry Subcategory

The Saskatchewan Express Entry draw also broke a record for the lowest-ranked candidate. The latest draw issued 225 invitations to apply and the minimum cut-off mark was 60 points on the points assessment grid. Candidates must have at least 60 points to qualify for the subcategory, meaning this draw saw that every person who qualified received an ITA. This subcategory is linked to the Federal Express Entry system. The Express Entry system has become the most popular route to Canada because it enjoys a fast average processing time of six months. Candidates who receive a provincial nomination are awarded 600 points towards their CRS score essentially guaranteeing them a spot in the next Express Entry draw.

You need to meet the following requirements to qualify for this subcategory
You must be entered into the Express Entry pool with an Express Entry profile number and job seeker validation code.
You must Score at least 60 points on the points assessment grid.
You must provide language test results that match what was entered on your Express Entry profile.
You must have a tertiary qualification that meets Canadian standards.
You must have work experience in a highly skilled in occupation that is in-demand in Saskatchewan.
You must have enough money to settle in the province.

How Does the Expression of Interest System Work?

In July of 2018, Saskatchewan introduced an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Before you can be selected during a draw, you must create an EOI profile. The profile requires of you to answer some basic questions about yourself. You are assigned a points assessment grid score based off of your answers and then ranked against other candidates in Saskatchewan’s EOI pool. Those with the highest scores are most likely to be selected in the next draw. You have 60 days to submit your application once you receive an ITA. If you would like to make Canada your home, now is the perfect time to apply. Canada is set to welcome over 1,3 million newcomers into the country by the year 2021. Take charge of this opportunity while there are still many spots available. There are over 70 Canadian immigration programs to choose from so let us handle your application today.