Latest Express Entry Draw-5000 candidates received ITAs for permanent residency

 

EXPRESS ENTRY DRAW #168: November 25, 2020

Canada conducted another Express Entry Draw just at a gap of one week on November 25.

The highest-ever 5000 Invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residency, were issued to immigration candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Score of 469.

The CRS cut-off threshold dipped below 470 for the first time in an all-program draw this year.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied the tie-breaking rule and the time-stamp used was October 15, 2020, at 08:50:10 UTC. This means the candidates who had a CRS score of 469 or more, who had submitted their Express Entry profile before this time and date, received an invitation in this draw.

The Express Entry system is Canada’s primary source of skilled foreign workers. It manages the profiles of candidates under three Federal High Skilled economic class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class and Canadian Experience Class.

Eligible candidates enter the Express Entry pool, where they are issued a CRS score based on their age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French, among other factors.

A set number of highest-ranked candidates are then invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through regular draws from the pool.

The new draw brings the total number of ITAs issued so far in 2020 to 97,350, which put Canada on the track to surpass 100,000 ITAs issued in 2020 – the highest ever in one year.

The highest-ever number of ITAs issued in last two Express Entry invitation rounds, are in line with Canada’s commitment to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants in 2021. More than 100,000 of these immigrants will come through the Express Entry system.

 Know your chances to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry!!

To find out if you’re eligible to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry, simply complete our FREE ASSESSMENT FORM! A member of the WWICS team will review your eligibility and contact you to discuss your options!

Prince Edward Island invited 211 immigration candidates for provincial nomination

 Prince Edward Island (PEI) has released details of its recent Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw that took place on October 15, 2020.

A total of 211 invitations were issued to immigration candidates under the Express Entry, Labour Impact and Business Impact categories of PEI PNP.

BREAKTHROUGH OF INVITATIONS

Majority of the invitations issued in this draw- 184 went to Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates. However, the PEI PNP did not provide a breakdown of how many Express Entry and Labour Impact candidates were invited, nor the minimum EOI score required for each category.

While the remaining 27 invites were issued to Business Impact candidates who had a minimum point threshold of 97.

Express Entry & Labour Impact  Invitations	Business Work Permit Entrepreneur Invitations	Minimum Point Threshold for Business Invitations
184	27	97

PEI EXPRESS ENTRY CATEGORY

PEI PNP’s Express Entry Category is for candidates with a profile in the federal Express Entry system.

Express Entry candidates, who would like to be considered for a provincial nomination from the province, need to create a separate EOI profile with the PEI PNP.

These profiles are given a score on the basis of information provided in their EOI based on factors such as education, work experience and proficiency in English or French. The highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for a provincial nomination through regular draws.

LABOUR IMPACT CATEGORY

PEI PNP’s Labour Impact Category is not aligned with the Express Entry system and is designed for foreign nationals with a valid job offer in the province and support from a PEI employer.

Candidates in this category may fall under three possible streams: Skilled Worker (in PEI and outside Canada), Critical Worker and International Graduate.

BUSINESS IMPACT: WORK PERMIT STREAM

PEI’s Entrepreneur: Work Permit Stream is for individuals who are interested in owning and operating a business in the province.

Candidates, who want to apply through this Stream, need to first apply for a letter of support from the PEI PNP for a temporary work permit. Those candidates who accomplish the terms and conditions of their business performance agreement are then awarded a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence from PEI.

Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration!!

To find out if you’re eligible for immigration to Canada, simply complete our FREE ASSESSMENT FORM ! A member of the WWICS team will review your eligibility and contact you to discuss your options to immigrate to Canada!

6 Reasons why you should consider Investing in a Second Passport

Second citizenships or passports are becoming ever more valuable in today’s global world. And investing under a legitimate citizenship by investment program is one of the quickest and best pathways to obtain one!!

Citizenship by investment programs enable high net-worth individuals to obtain a second citizenship and passport by investing in the economy of the host country. These economic investment programs legally grant citizenship or secondary passport faster than traditional immigration processes and that to be without requiring investors to visit or putting their lives on hold.

In order to attract much-needed foreign direct investment, there are many countries around the globe that offer citizenship by investment programs including Antigua and Barbuda, Portugal, Dominica, Grenada, Malta, St Kitts and Nevis and many more.

There are many reasons to invest in a second citizenship from personal safety to increased global mobility. Here, we have outlined the six major considerations.

1. Security
A second passport/citizenship from a stable, peaceful country provides security against political and economic instability in one’s home country.
2. Improved Global Mobility
A second passport can offer individuals increased global mobility by offering visa-free or visa on arrival travel. Being able to avoid costly and time consuming visa applications and act on travel plans very quickly is a major benefit of investing under such programs.
3. Business opportunities
Economic citizenship opens up a world of new business opportunities to high net worth investors & entrepreneurs as they can now do business in the host country. This also enables them to travel freely to favoured destinations for business expansion and explore new opportunities and technologies.
4. Tax Management
Second citizenship allows investors considerable benefits in tax planning. Majority of countries offering Citizenship investment immigration programs only tax income earned from that country and do not subject capital gains to taxes either. This allows investors to manage their wealth more efficiently by protecting their assets against excessive taxation.
5. Secure a better future for your Family
Most of citizenship by investment programs allows the main applicant to include their family members in the application. This means that investors can secure a better future for their spouse and children by getting access to world-class health care, education and an improved lifestyle.
6. Access to Quality Education for Your Children

Education of children is top priority for parents worldwide. By investing in a second citizenship parents are able to ensure that their children can have access to the top educational institutions at considerably reduced tuition fees.

Explore Citizenship-by-Investment options | Contact WWICS – World’s largest Immigration Group

WWICS is one of the largest Immigration Group with over 25 offices spread across India, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Kenya and Morocco. Our presence across the globe allows you to easily reach us no matter what part of the world you may be in.

Established in 1993, WWICS has global expertise in Citizenship-by-Investment programs. We have highly experienced and licensed Immigrations Practitioners, Lawyers, Financial Advisors, and Investment Consultants who work closely with our clients to strategize and construct an action plan best suited to their needs.

If you would like to explore your options to invest under Citizenship-by-Investment programs, please get in touch with our expert business immigration lawyers by filling your details  here

CRS drops to 431 in latest Express Entry Draw conducted on June 25

EXPRESS ENTRY DRAW (CEC) #154: June 25, 2020

Canada invited 3,508 immigration candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residence in latest round of Express Entry invitations held on June 25.

The draw, which was restricted to Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program candidates only, had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) threshold of just 431. It was also a decrease of 6 points from the previous Express Entry – CEC draw, which was conducted on June 11 and had a minimum score of 437.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applied a tie break in this draw and the time stamp used was April 3, 2020 at 12:56:32 UTC. That means all CEC candidates with a CRS score of at least 431 who submitted their profile before this date & time received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in this round.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is an immigration category for foreign workers who have completed at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada within the last three years and who wish to become permanent residents.

It is an ideal route to Canadian permanent residency for temporary foreign workers including international students. Having obtained Canadian work experience, these individuals get a “head start” against other candidates in the Express Entry pool as it is a highly-valued factor under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

The government of Canada has now issued total 49,900 ITAs to Express Entry candidates so far in 2020.

Invited CEC candidates now have 60 days to submit their complete applications for Canadian permanent residence to IRCC. 

Know your chances to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry!!

To find out if you’re eligible to immigrate to Canada under Express Entry, simply complete our FREE ASSESSMENT FORM ! A member of the WWICS team will review your eligibility and contact you to discuss your options!

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WWICS Review - Customer Reviews and Feedback: WWICS Review WWICS Group Reviews @ WWICS Mohali Re...: WWICS helped me a lot in getting what I dreamt off.  The counselors at WWICS were very informative and helpful.  My overall experienc...

WAYS TO ENHANCE CRS SCORE FOR CANADA EXPRESS ENTRY IN 2019

It is quite evident from recent Express Entry draws that the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has not been lenient on applicants, when it comes to reducing the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score requirements.

Therefore, applicants have been left with no other option but to improve their CRS score to obtain an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for Canadian permanent residency.

 If you too are looking to find ways to improve CRS Score for Canada Express Entry 2019, here are few ways to do the same.   

Tips to Improve Your CRS Score  

Express Entry is a point based system, thus, in order to increase your CRS score, you need to enhance your points for key selection factors, i.e. language skills, experience, etc.

1.       Increase your language proficiency level

One of the easiest ways to raise your CRS score is to focus on the language scores in English and/or French. Although, the minimum language proficiency level to apply under Express entry is CLB 7 but you can get up to 136 direct points under the language section if you are able to score a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 9 in the language test. 

The better a candidate`s language skills, the higher the score, so you should keep retaking the tests until you achieved a higher CLB level. Besides, you can also earn up to additional 24 points by appearing for a language test in French as well.

2.      Secure a LMIA-approved job offer

Another way to increase your CRS score and get 50/600 points is to secure a job offer, recognized by the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from a Canadian employer. This will make a candidate from the Express Entry pool more eligible to receive an ITA.

3.      Get a provincial nomination

Another way to enhance your CRS score is applying under an Express Entry aligned Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). If you apply and get selected for provincial nomination through express entry stream of a PNP, you can receive additional 600 points towards your CRS scores. 

Different provinces have different priority occupations, which keep changing most of the time. Often they open and close their categories in a matter of just few days; therefore, candidates should have their applications up to date and ready to send.

4.      Increase your work experience

Federal Skilled Worker Class candidates must have at least one year of continuous, skilled work experience in order to enter the Express Entry pool.  However, they can get maximum points if they have a work experience of or above 3 years. Therefore, if you have less than three years of full-time work experience, it is ideal to continue working. The more the work experience; the better would be your score.

5.      Spouse/Common-law factor

Your spouse/Common-law partner’s language ability can get you with 20 CRS points, while their education level can award with additional 10 CRS points other than their Canadian work experience.

In other cases, if the candidate’s spouse/Common-law partner has a higher CRS score than in comparison to the candidate, then its best to select them as the primary applicant in the application for permanent residence. However, this change can only be done before submitting the application.

Are you interested in migrating to Canada under Express Entry?

Choose WWICS – The World’s Largest Immigration Group 

With over 25 years of vast experience, WWICS is one of the world’s largest immigration groups and has helped thousands and thousands of people immigrate to the Canada!

All applications for Canadian visas are dealt by our in-house team of experienced global resettlement experts under the expert guidance of legal counsel comprising of ICCRC MEMBERS, SOLICITORS AND OTHER PARALEGALS, therefore, ensuring best guidance on assessment, visa filling and processing resulting in Canadian PR.

Invitations to Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination on the rise

According to new data from the Government of Canada, invitations issued to Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination for permanent residence are up this year.

Out of 62,500 Express Entry candidates invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence between January and September, 12 per cent had a provincial nomination.

During the same period in 2017, Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued to Express Entry candidates nominated by a Canadian province, stood at just over 9 per cent of all invitations issued.

Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) works to spread the benefits of immigration more evenly across Canada by allowing participating provinces and territories to nominate a set number of economic immigration candidates for permanent residence each year.

Every province and territory with an immigrant nominee program now has at least one immigration stream that is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s 3 main economic immigration programs – The Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and the Canadian Experience Class.

The rising number of candidates in the Express Entry pool with a provincial nomination and the 600 points may be partly responsible for the increase that has been seen in the Express Entry minimum scores in 2018, which haven’t gone below 440.

If the trend continues, obtaining a provincial nomination may now be one of the best bets for receiving an ITA for Express Entry candidates with scores below 440.

Exponentially growing PNP

The increase in ITAs issued to provincial nominees reflects the growing importance of the PNP to the federal government’s overall immigration strategy.

Canada’s new multi-year immigration level plan has admissions through the PNP set to rise by 6,000 next year, to 61,000.

By 2021, these admissions are expected to reach 71,300 – an increase of nearly 30 per cent over 2018’s target of 55,000.

In its 2018 report to Parliament, IRCC noted that the PNP has grown ‘exponentially’ since its implementation in 1996 – from 233 admissions in 1996 to 49,724 in 2017.

Of the nearly 50,000 new permanent residents admitted through the PNP in 2017, 13,531 were Express Entry candidates and their family members. IRCC said this was an increase of 73 per cent over Express Entry admissions in 2016.

Canada’s Unemployed Rate Down To 40-Year Low

November 2018 was a historic month for Canada’s labour force as unemployment fell to its lowest monthly rate since 1976, according to Statistics Canada’s monthly Labour Force Survey. 

The unemployment rate, which can be defined as the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, plunged to 5.6 per cent last month — a number that hasn’t been reached in over 40 years.

Around 19 million people were employed in Canada in November, an increase of 0.5 per cent over the previous month of October.

Ø  Employment boost in six provinces

Six Canadian provinces witnessed employment increase in November, with Quebec and Alberta received the highest gains.

In Quebec, the number of employed swelled by 26,000 in November, mainly as the result of full-time work. Over four million people in Quebec were employed in November and the province’s unemployment rate positioned at 5.4 per cent, a little below the national rate of 5.6 per cent.

While talking about Alberta, employment rose by 24,000 in the province, all thanks to gains in full-time work. Apart from it, Ontario also noticed employment rise, with 20,000 more people employed in November here.

Employment also increased in British Columbia in November, as 16,000 more people employed than the previous month. Regardless of a slight increase in November, the province’s unemployment rate (4.4 per cent) remained among the lowest in Canada.

The Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba also saw employment gains in November of 5,500 and 2,600, respectively.

Ø  Industries in focus

In terms of industries, Statistics Canada stated that the most momentous employment gains in November occurred in professional, scientific and technical services, which recorded an increase of 26,000, with most of the growth in Ontario and Quebec.

Many of the employment gains in November 2018 were thanks to increases in the construction, transport and warehousing sectors as a total of 24,000 extra jobs were created across these three sectors. Besides, employment in health care and social assistance also rose in November, with a gain of 19,000.

Top 5 European Countries to Look For Investment Opportunities

Europe is a very attractive continent for foreign investors thanks to the variety offered by each country as well as the European Union block which offers unity, stability and easy access to other markets. But when being required to choose the best country to invest in Europe, what does one choose?

Here is a list of top 5 countries in Europe that offer investors excellent strategic business investment opportunities.

1.       Greece

Greece offers attractive investment opportunities to investors in a wide variety of sectors. The country’s

massive reform efforts are opening new investment frontiers that not only reward first movers but established players as well. Greece is expected to see sustained growth in tourism, energy, ICT, food, logistics, beverage and agriculture, and life sciences in coming decade. The country’s newly designed investment framework supports the creation of new businesses, new synergies and new partnerships, which make it a perfect destination for investors.

2.       Portugal

In recent years, Portugal has taken great strides to boost growth by increasing its competitiveness and easing the process of investing and doing business in the country. Recent reforms in competition law and country’s positive approach towards international business has made it much easier to invest in Portugal. The country offers a strategic location, easy access to key markets, skilled human resources, competitive costs and top infrastructures, which are the top qualities investors generally look for.

3.       Cyprus

Cyprus has become increasingly popular to overseas investors in recent years. With an aim to incentivize more foreign investment, the Cypriot government has introduced a citizenship by investment scheme, where investors can obtain Cypriot citizenship. Apart from it, the country’s location has also been a key factor that is attracting investors. Due to its unique location, Cyprus has been an important hub for trade for many decades.

4.       Spain

Spain is one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. Factors improving Spain’s economic situation include the labor market and the banking sector. Adaptability and flexibility are Spain’s two strongest points when it comes to welcoming foreign investors. There are no strict restrictions applied to foreign investors/citizens coming to establish businesses in Spain. Moreover, they get benefit from the same conditions for opening a company in Spain as any other local businesses.

5.       Malta

Malta is one of the best countries in Europe to invest. There are a plethora of reasons for investing in this emerging economy. Despite being one of the smallest countries in the world and in Europe, Malta has one of the greatest densities in population. Although there are cheaper foreign direct investment locations, Malta offers definite advantages to investors  in terms of quality, product turnover, specialized production runs, product development as well as sales and marketing into Europe and North Africa.

New immigration pathway opens for international graduates in Manitoba

A new immigration pathway for international graduates of post-secondary institutions in Manitoba is open to Expressions of Interest from eligible candidates.

To become eligible for the Career Employment Pathway, candidates must have graduated from a full-time program of at least one year / two semesters and should be living in the province at the time they submit their 

Expression of Interest (EOI).

Among other criteria, candidates must also have:

·         a full-time job offer from an eligible current employer in an occupation in-demand in Manitoba and is consistent with their training and education;

OR

·         completed a bridging program and passed the initial stage of certification as determined by the relevant regulatory body.

Interested international students can apply immediately after completing graduation and must be living in Canada.

The pathway’s opening on 30 November, 2018 brings the number of immigration options for international students in Manitoba to three under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)’s new International 

Education Stream.

The other two pathways – the Graduate Internship Pathway and International Student Entrepreneur Pathway were unveiled on November 1.

The MPNP stated that attracting and retaining international graduates from Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions along with training to support innovation has been a key element of the MPNP’s renewal program.

New Brunswick reopens its Express Entry Labour Market Stream

The province of New Brunswick has reopened its Express Entry Labour Market Stream under the New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (the NBPNP) on November 28 to eligible Express Entry candidates after closing it temporarily in September.

The Express Entry Labour Market stream allows province to nominate eligible candidates in the federal Express Entry system for Canadian permanent residence.

The federal Express Entry system manages the pool of candidates for Canada’s three major Federal High Skilled economic immigration programs:  the Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination from New Brunswick receive an additional 600 points toward their comprehensive ranking score, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.

The New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) set five important criteria that Express Entry candidates must meet to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) during this latest opening and submissions that do not meet all five criteria will be rejected. These include:

·         The applicant must have an Express Entry profile and a valid Express Entry profile number and Job Seeker validation code;

·         The candidates should currently be living and working in New Brunswick, and needs to submit a letter of employment from the employer along with his/her EOI;

·         The National Occupational Classification code for their current job must be for an occupation rated NOC Level 0, A, or B, and this code must be included with the EOI;

·         The applicant must have valid language test scores (IELTS, CELPIP, or TEF Canada) equivalent to CLB 7 in all four language competencies and he/she must submit a copy of these test results with the EOI;

·         The candidates must have a valid Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) that attests to a minimum equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma.

The recent NBPNP’s update did not indicate work experience in a priority occupation, which was an important requirement in previous Express Entry openings.

The New Brunswick’s Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) is one of Canada’s popular Provincial Nominee Programs, through which provinces nominate individuals for Canadian permanent residence.

Applicants must score at least 67 points under the Express Entry Labour Market Stream points grid to enter into the EOI pool of candidates.