El Camino Immigration Services

IRCC invited 500 Canadian Experience Class candidates under Express Entry

On October 9, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the latest Express Entry draw for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates. IRCC issued 500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates in the CEC-targeted draw. In round #317, the cut-off score was 539 points, 30 points more than the previous Express Entry draw for CEC candidates, held on September 19. The tie-breaking rule for this round was February 20, 2024, at 02:57:40 UTC. As of October 9, …

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced plans to reduce the number of Spousal Open Work Permits by more than 100,000 over the next three years. The changes will primarily affect spouses of international students and temporary foreign workers. For student spouses, eligibility will be limited to those in doctoral programs and specific master’s programs lasting at least 16 months. Only spouses of highly skilled workers in key sectors will be eligible for the temporary foreign worker category. …

Ontario has raised its minimum wage to $17.20 per hour, but questions arise about its adequacy for newcomers. Despite the increase, a full-time minimum wage worker in Ontario can expect to take home only about $29,026 annually after taxes. This falls significantly short of the estimated $40,894 yearly cost of living for a single person in Toronto, where nearly half the population consists of immigrants. Many newcomers find themselves in minimum-wage positions while awaiting credential recognition, …

A recent Statistics Canada study highlights the challenges in Canada’s immigration system, revealing a mismatch between immigrant skills and labour market demands. While designed to address skill shortages, the system often underutilizes immigrant expertise. The study found that 35% of recent immigrants work in lower-skilled jobs, nearly matching the 40% in higher-skilled occupations. Notably, immigrants are underrepresented in critical middle-skilled technical and trades roles, essential for Canada’s growing infrastructure needs. Conversely, immigrants dominate in high-skilled professions like engineering and IT. …

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the data on immigration inventories and backlogs. According to the last update, there were 2,420,800 applications for permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship approvals in all IRCC inventories. According to the update, 55.4% of applications in the inventory are within service standards. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within their service standard, though some complex cases may require a comprehensive assessment. Currently, 53% of temporary residence requests – …

The Canadian government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), focusing on the High Wage Stream. This review, announced on September 18, 2024, could lead to significant changes in work permit issuance within the next 90 days. The move follows recent limitations placed on the Low Wage Stream and aims to ensure that only employers with genuine labour market needs can access the program. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) stated that the review might affect existing Labour Market Impact Assessment applications and potentially result in the refusal to process certain applications, …

On September 13, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held a new Express Entry draw for French language proficiency candidates. In round #314, IRCC issued 1,000 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to francophone candidates. The cut-off score of this draw was 446 points, 52 points more than the previous draw for this category, held on August 15, 2024. The tie-breaking rule for this round was August 28, 2024, at 17:07:19 UTC. As of September 9, …

On September 11, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, this update provides a view of the current average LMIA processing times. It is important to note that the processing times have decreased for all streams except the Permanent Residence stream.

Global Talent Stream – 7 business days (-1 day)
Agricultural stream –

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Three Canadian cities have secured top spots in a global ranking of the best destinations for solo travellers. According to a recent report by Kayak and OpenTable, Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto have been ranked second, third, and seventh, respectively, among the world’s top 20 cities for solo travel. This recognition highlights Canada’s appeal to independent adventurers, with each city offering unique experiences. The ranking considered factors such as safety, hotel satisfaction, cultural richness, and overall welcoming atmosphere. …

On August 30, 2024, the Government of Saskatchewan unveiled two new talent pathways under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) to address workforce shortages in agriculture and healthcare. As labour shortages challenge businesses nationwide, these new provincial immigration pathways will help Saskatchewan employers access the skilled workers necessary for growth. The Agriculture Talent Pathway will empower producers to recruit the expertise needed to sustain food production, enhance export value, and leverage innovations in agriculture. This initiative is designed to meet the rising demand for skilled labour in established and emerging industry roles. …

Blog

IRCC invited 500 Canadian Experience Class candidates under Express Entry

Canada to reduce spousal open work permits by over 100,000

Ontario raises minimum wage, but concerns persist for newcomers’ financial stability

Canada’s immigration system faces skills mismatch challenge

Canada experiences a minor increase in immigration application backlogs

Canada Reviews High Wage Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Ottawa invited a thousand Francophone candidates under Express Entry

ESDC updated LMIA processing times

Canadian cities excel in global solo travel rankings

Saskatchewan launches new immigration streams to boost agriculture and healthcare workforce