Ontario launches a new permanent residency pathway aimed at addressing regional labour shortages and boosting local economies.  The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has unveiled its latest pilot program, the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot. This pathway will run from January 2, 2025, to December 31, 2025, and is designed to attract highly skilled immigrants to rural and northern communities in Ontario, enhancing the province’s capacity to welcome new residents. The REDI pilot will prioritize the economic development of four specific regions in the province by allocating up to 800 nominations for skilled newcomers. The participating regions are: Lanark County (geographic boundaries) Leeds and Grenville (United Counties) (geographic boundaries) Sarnia-Lambton (geographic boundaries) City of Thunder Bay (geographic boundaries) Successful applicants will receive a provincial no...

In a shocking revelation, close to 50,000 international students who were issued study permits to pursue higher education in Canada were reported as “no-shows” by the colleges and universities where they were supposed to be enrolled, according to government data from spring 2024. This figure, representing 6.9% of all international students tracked by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), highlights an alarming trend that has sparked nationwide discussions about the effectiveness of Canada’s international student compliance system. The Scope of the Problem In March and April 2024, Canadian universities and colleges submitted compliance reports to IRCC, revealing that tens of thousands of international students failed to adhere to the terms of their study permits. Additionally, the status of 23,514 students—3.3% of the total—remains unreported, raising concerns about accountability within the syst...

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced sweeping changes to the eligibility criteria for Open Work Permits (OWPs) for family members of international students and foreign workers. These changes, set to begin effecting January 21, 2025, aim to streamline the temporary resident programs, aligning them more closely with the Canadian economic objectives and current labour market demands. New Criteria for Canada Spousal Open Work Permits For Spouses of International Students: 🍁 Master’s Programs: Spouses can apply for an OWP only if their partner is enrolled in a master’s program with a minimum duration of 16 months. 🍁 Doctoral Programs: Eligibility extends to spouses of students pursuing doctoral degrees. 🍁 Professional Programs: A select group of professional programs will also qualify, but specifics on these programs are yet to be detailed, with full disclosure scheduled for January 21, 2025. For Spouses of Foreign Workers:...

First CEC Express Entry Draw Of 2025 Sent 1,350 PR Invitations First CEC Express Entry Draw of 2025 Issues 1,350 Invitations for Permanent Residence On January 8, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted its first draw under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Express Entry program, inviting 1,350 candidates to apply for permanent residence (PR). This marks the beginning of another promising year for skilled immigrants in Canada. This draw set a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 542, an increase of 3 points over the last CEC-specific draw held on November 19, 2024, which had a cut-off score of 539. Below, we dive into the details of this draw and what it means for Express Entry candidates. Details of the first CEC Express Entry draw in 2025 Program: Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Number of invitations issued: 1,350 Rank required to be invited to apply: 1,350 or higher Date and time of draw: J...

Canada has conducted its first Express Entry draw of 2025 exclusively for provincial nominees. The draw issued 471 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) for permanent residence (PR), marking the first invitation round of the new year. The latest draw had a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) cut-off score of 793, an increase of 66 points over the previous PNP-only draw. Full Details of the Express Entry Draw Today Specifics December 3 Category Provincial Nominee Program Invitations 471 CRS Cutoff 793 Tie-breaking rule November 25, 2024 at 16:57:27 UTC Distribution of CRS Points in the Pool as of January 7, 2025 The following table shows the distribution of candidates in the Express Entry pool, broken down by CRS score range: CRS score range Number of candidates 601-1200 633 501-600 23,021 451-500 65,492...

New PGWP Changes 2024: The Canadian Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program has been a crucial pathway for international students to gain work experience in Canada after completing their studies. However, significant changes to PGWP eligibility were announced on September 18 and are set to come into effect starting November 1, 2024. Full details of the eligibility criteria were not shared at the time of announcement, but now IRCC has released a full list of study programs that will be eligible for PGWP after November 1. These new requirements are designed to streamline the process and ensure that only students with specific qualifications can benefit from this work permit. In this article, we will break down the upcoming changes, explain what remains the same, and provide a comprehensive list of eligible programs for PGWP after November 1, 2024. All the New PGWP Changes 2024 What Hasn’t Changed For many international students,...