Immigration Tales

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has invited more candidates to apply for permanent residence (PR) through the Express Entry system. The department issued 1,470 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a general draw for candidates from all Express Entry programs. Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 534. Today's draw follows three others that occurred between February 13-16th. On February 13th IRCC held its second general draw of the month, inviting 1,490 candidates who had a minimum CRS of 535. These were followed by two targeted draws for healthcare and agriculture and agri-food occupations, which required candidates to have a CRS of at least 422 and 437 respectively. IRCC says category-based selection not changing in 2024 In May 2023, the department introduced category-based selection rounds of invitations for candidates who can demonstrate that they met the criteria for one of six new Express Entry draw categories: Healthcare occupa...

Authorities in Canada and Quebec underestimated the effect temporary immigration would have on housing and public services over the past decade, a new study suggests. Quebec’s temporary resident population soared 46 per cent last year to 528,034, according to a report published Monday by the Institut du Québec non-profit think tank, which compiled Statistics Canada data. Quebec had 167,435 temporary work permit holders in 2023, almost four times as many as in 2015, as well as 117,745 foreign students — most of whom have the right to work here — and asylum seekers. Surging immigration numbers have become a hot-button issue in Quebec, with Premier François Legault calling on Ottawa to cut the number of asylum seekers arriving in the province because not enough of them speak French. Some of the issues surrounding immigration can be traced back to an easing of regulations in 2022 that accelerated the delivery of temporary work permits in Quebec, IDQ economists write in their report. “There...

Today Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new immigration pathway for families impacted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The department confirmed that starting February 27th, 2024, it would accept up to 3,250 applications from single applicants or families. This is a new family sponsorship pathway that will grant successful applicants permanent residence (PR). IRCC has confirmed it will waive the right of permanent residence fee and provide free settlement services to individuals who successfully receive PR through this pathway. Who Can Apply Under This New Pathway? To be eligible for this pathway applicants must: Have been living in Sudan on April 15th, 2023; Not have another country to return to other than Sudan or Canada; Be the child (of any age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of an eligible anchor* Provide a statutory declaration from their anchor stating that: They plan to support you and any family members accompanying you for one year; a...

The $118bn bipartisan immigration bill that the US Senate introduced on Sunday is already facing steep opposition, despite a strong statement of support from Joe Biden. The 370-page measure, which also would provide additional aid to Israel and Ukraine, has drawn the ire of both Democrats and Republicans over its proposed asylum and border laws. But privacy, immigration and digital liberties experts are also concerned over another aspect of the bill: more than $400m in funding for additional border surveillance and data-gathering tools. The lion’s share of that funding will go to two main tools: $170m for additional autonomous surveillance towers and $204m for “expenses related to the analysis of DNA samples”, which includes those collected from migrants detained by border patrol, according to the text of the bill. “This combination of money for surveillance and surveillance technology, along with the included gutting of asylum, would transform our system and hyper-amplify what’s alrea...

The EB2 NIW visa, or Employment-Based Second Preference National Interest Waiver, is a pathway for foreign nationals to obtain a U.S. green card based on their exceptional abilities and the national interest they bring to the United States. Embarking on the journey to secure a U.S. green card through the EB2 NIW (Employment-Based Second Preference National Interest Waiver) visa is a significant endeavor, particularly for Pakistani professionals seeking to make a lasting impact in their respective fields. The EB2 NIW visa is a distinctive avenue that combines recognition of exceptional abilities with a commitment to advancing the national interest of the United States. For Pakistani applicants, comprehending the intricate requirements, navigating the application process diligently, and being aware of the current priority dates and wait times are pivotal. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the nuances of the EB2 NIW visa, providing valuable insights into its prerequisit...

Prince Edward Island has conducted a new provincial draw, issuing invitations to apply to 122 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates. The February 15 draw saw invitations issued through the Labour Impact, Express Entry and Business Impact Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) streams. It saw 121 invites issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates working for a PEI employer with a minimum score of 65. Business Impact candidates received 1 invitation, requiring a minimum score of 105 points. PEI PNP Immigration Draw Date Category Invites Issued Minimum Score 15-02-2024 Labour Impact/Express Entry 121 65 Business Impact 1 105 PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018, and has made monthly draws ever since, with some disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic. PEI issued 2,423 invites in 2023, up from 1,853 during 2022. Of the 2023 invites, 2,359 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the re...

Australia’s universities are reporting historically high applications from international students to study in 2024. However, the numbers of students coming into Australia is expected to drop due to visa approval rate for students hitting a record low. For the past 15 years, the student visa application approval rate ran at well over 90 per cent, but last year it fell to 82 per cent, and for vocational education the rate dropped to a low of 70 per cent in the six months to December 2023, according to new government data.  The government is trying to reduce a dramatic increase in migrants since the country’s borders were opened in November 2021, post-Covid and is clamping down on entry by ‘non-genuine’ students. A raft of new regulations in relation to student visas was introduced by the government late last year. They include the capping of the hours a student can work to 48 hours a fortnight and increasing the amount of savings to A$24,000 a student needs to show before getting a v...

Australia’s new migration strategy – announced in late 2023 and in effect now – has led to significant confusion and disruption in the international education sector as it is disproportionately affecting prospective students from key sending markets. From sharply increased visa rejection rates to slow visa processing to – in some cases – rescinded offers from Australian institutions, international students are feeling the impact of Australia’s strategy to reduce migration levels. More than a third of South Asian students refused As many as 1 in 5 international students had their visa applications rejected in the last two quarters of 2023, rising to more than a third for Pakistani and Indian applications and over half for Nepalese students. “Australia is on track for a steep fall in net migration after federal officials turned away thousands of overseas students who applied to start courses this month, bringing student visa grants down by 20% in the biggest shift in two decades,” report...

When acquiring or merging with a Canadian-based company, whether or not the target company currently employees foreign workers can trigger additional considerations during the due diligence phase. Depending on the proposed transaction’s structure, a change of ownership or ownership structure may interrupt and/or invalidate work permits of foreign workers employed by the Canadian company being purchased. If invalidated, the applicable work permits could need to be re-applied for and re-issued prior to any further work being completed in Canada by the impacted employee(s). For the new employers, this can cause disruptions to operations or result in the loss of valuable employees. Such consequences are usually not anticipated or intended when the transaction was initially greenlit. In order to avoid these unintended consequences, MLT Aikins lawyers have found that it is prudent for a potential purchaser to request information on a company’s foreign workers during the due diligence phase o...

As of June 2021, Australia had a significant population of 95,980 individuals born in Pakistan, marking a substantial increase from the 34,150 Pakistani-born residents recorded in June 2011. This demographic constitutes the nineteenth-largest migrant community in Australia, making up 1.3% of the country's overseas-born population and 0.4% of the total population. In terms of demographics for Australia's Pakistani-born migrants: The median age stands at 32.9 years, which is 5.4 years below the general population's median age. The gender distribution indicates that males make up 59.4%, outnumbering females who constitute 40.6% of the Pakistani-born population in Australia. Australian Permanent Immigration Australia's Permanent Migration Program, a crucial facet of the Australian immigration system, serves as the primary channel for individuals aspiring to attain permanent residence. This program incorporates economic and family migrat...