April 22, 2022: In a major announcement made by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) today, they have announced that IRCC, will resume the draws for the federal high-skilled streams, which include the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program.
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This is great news for all the applicants who eagerly awaiting the announcement of when these draws will resume. Applicants have been waiting for this announcement for quite some time.
The IRCC also announced that they will be announcing a special temporary policy that will allow holders of Post Graduate Work Permits to extend their permits for 18 months if their permits are due to expire between January and December 2022.
IRCC has not issued invitations for candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) since December 2020 and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) since September 2021. However, to help with the shortage of labour and increase the number of immigrants even during the travel restrictions in Canada, the IRCC decided to focus on inviting candidates for the CEC.
Other than that, IRCC decided to focus on inviting candidates for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to assist with the goals of provincial immigration. This resulted in backlogs in the immigration system and labour shortages in Canada.
As per IRCC, candidates for CEC are mostly former international students in Canada who obtained a post-graduate work permit (PGWP). However, candidates for CEC lose the status of their work permit because of IRCC’s lack of invitations to apply for Express Entry while waiting for their permanent residency status, which hinders them from applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).
Now, the Minister of IRCC, Mr. Sean Fraser, announced on April 22, 2022, that the invitations for candidates to CEC, FSWP, and FSTP will resume in early July for permanent residency. Most of the new applications for these draws will be processed within the six-month service standard. Also, it was announced that there would be an extension for PGWPs. According to IRCC, they are currently working on a simplified process for the PGWP extension, which will be announced in the coming weeks. There are 95,000 PGWs that will expire this year, and an estimated 50,000 PGWPs can benefit from the new open work permit.
Here is a summary of the major announcements made by IRCC today:
IRCC will resume Express Entry draws to invite qualified candidates to the Canadian Economic Class, Federal Skilled Worker Class, and Federal Skilled Trade Class for permanent residency from July 2022.
IRCC will try to process the new applications within the 6-month service standards
International Students may be able to extend their Post Graduate Work Permits for 18 months
International students in Canada whose post-graduate work permits expire or are about to expire between January and December 2022 will be able to apply for an additional open work permit lasting up to 18 months beginning in mid-June.
Changes to policy affecting applicants who are waiting for approval of their Permanent residence applications applied under the Temporary to Permanent Residency (TR to PR) Pathway 2021
Permanent residency applicants no longer need to stay in Canada while they wait for their permanent residency status.
Applicants who apply for an Open Work Permit while waiting for their permanent residency status will be given work permits that are valid until 2024 to ensure the finalization of their application before they apply or extend their temporary status again.
Family members outside of Canada who are included in a permanent residence application will be able to obtain open work permits to support family reunification.
The Canadian Immigration system Express Entry is designed for those seeking permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program. This is a major announcement for those who have been waiting for the opportunity to apply for permanent residency in Canada.
Do you want to get permanent residency status and achieve your Canadian dream life? Or do you need help extending your post-graduate work permit?
Here at Chitra & Associates, we are happy to assist you in achieving your Canadian dreams! Book a consultation with us or give us a call at +1-604-484-9474 to get started with the process. Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) will help you with an assessment of your profile to determine your eligibility for a permanent residence application and a PGWP extension and draft a strategy for your immigration to Canada.
A Cautionary Note: The foregoing provides only an overview and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are cautioned against making any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, specific legal advice should be obtained, and the readers are asked to refer to the government website for the most updated information.
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