IRCC back to 12-month processing for spousal sponsorship applications
After the pandemic slowed IRCC operations, spousal sponsorship is back to service standard, the government says.
In January 2022, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced that Canada’s spousal sponsorship has returned to its 12-month processing standard for new applicants. According to a government media release, efforts to modernize the Canadian immigration system have allowed Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to get back on track. IRCC also launched a portal where spousal and child sponsorship applicants can track their immigration applications online.
The service standard of 12 months is the same whether spouses are applying as inland or outland applicants. In both cases, the processing time includes the time required for applicants to give biometrics, for IRCC to assess the sponsor and the person being sponsored, as well as the time needed to ensure applicants meet eligibility requirements.
Eligibility for Spousal Sponsorship
Canadians may be eligible to sponsor if they:
• are at least 18 years old;
• are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or they are an Indigenous person registered under the Canadian Indian Act;
• demonstrate they are not receiving social assistance unless they have a disability; and
• can provide for the financial needs of the sponsored person.
Eligibility to be Sponsored
The person being sponsored needs to meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Spouse: They must have been legally married to the sponsor at an in-person ceremony.
• Common-law partner: They must have lived with the sponsor for at least 12 straight months.
• Conjugal partner: They must have been in a relationship with the sponsor for at least one year, live outside of Canada, and cannot live with the sponsor in their country or marry them due to significant legal or immigration causes. For example, they live in a country where same-sex marriage or divorce is not allowed.
Sponsors need to prove to IRCC that could not live together or get married in their partner’s country.
Foreign nationals must be at least 18 years old to be sponsored for immigration under all of these categories.
Also, foreign nationals must pass a health, security, and criminality screening and therefore be considered admissible to Canada.
Steps to submit a Sponsorship Application
Applicants will submit two applications together. One is for sponsorship and the other is a permanent residence application.
Step 1: Get an application package from IRCC.
Step 2: Pay the application fees to IRCC, which include processing fees, a right of permanent residence fee, and a biometrics fee. These fees need to be paid on IRCC’s website.
Step 3: Mail the completed application to IRCC.
IRCC’s processing standard is 12 months.
Book Free Consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters!
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Why Canada is the Ideal Choice to Study?
The world is so big, why choose Canada?
The Canadian government respects multiculturalism; encourages young people to study in colleges and universities; and attracts talent from all over the world to settle in Canada and develop Canada's economy. According to a report from a 2019 survey, many foreigners are willing to live in Canada. Canada lived up to expectations and was shortlisted in the Top 10, ranking 9th with a happiness index of 7.27. In the 2019 annual ranking of the world's best countries, Canada ranked third, behind Switzerland and Japan. And in terms of quality of life, it is ranked first in the world! In terms of national treatment, cultural influence, mobility, economic openness, strength, and quality of life, it also demonstrated excellent performance. In the "Global Education Quality" list published by the US "News and World Report", Canada ranked first, successfully surpassing the United States. In the QS TOP100 Best Global Studying Cities in 2019, 5 cities in Canada were shortlisted as well: Montreal (6), Toronto (11), Vancouver (16), Ottawa (45), and Quebec (115).
The education system in Canadian is ranked among the best in the world. The best countries are ranked for education based on certain conceptualized global surveys that are based on the compilation of data from equally educationally developed countries where the system of public education is well developed, the people would consider attending universities and that provides the best quality education. For the quality of life, Canada is also ranked first place and overall it is considered the third-best country in the world.
Blend of Different Cultures
Canada attracts talent from all nooks and corners of the world and because it affords special emphasis on multiculturalism, incoming students find it at home while pursuing their courses at Canadian universities. With encouraging professors, friendly communities, and students from diverse communities, you interact and get to know many different cultures and customs. Further, it aids you in developing your ideas, how to better interpret your own beliefs. Studying abroad is a difficult journey, no doubt, but when amidst such a unique environment, you have all the tools to make it the best experience of your life.
Canada has two official languages, French and English. In that respect, students can take advantage of learning French through vernacular means. Though studies can generally be undertaken in both languages, by regularly interacting with your friends, colleagues, your local shops, neighbors, you can learn an additional language, in most cases, French. In particular, the province of Quebec is considered the hub of French natives
Calgary University is one with innovative plans for this generation. This university in Canada keeps in mind providing the students with the newest form of technology to learn and teach.
The education system in Canadian is ranked among the best in the world. The best countries are ranked for education based on certain conceptualized global surveys that are based on the compilation of data from equally educationally developed countries where the system of public education is well developed, the people would consider attending universities and that provides the best quality education. For the quality of life, Canada is also ranked first place and overall it is considered the third-best country in the world.
Blend of Different Cultures
Canada attracts talent from all nooks and corners of the world and because it affords special emphasis on multiculturalism, incoming students find it at home while pursuing their courses at Canadian universities. With encouraging professors, friendly communities, and students from diverse communities, you interact and get to know many different cultures and customs. Further, it aids you in developing your ideas, how to better interpret your own beliefs. Studying abroad is a difficult journey, no doubt, but when amidst such a unique environment, you have all the tools to make it the best experience of your life.
Multilingual Campus, City, and Country
Canada has two official languages, French and English. In that respect, students can take advantage of learning French through vernacular means. Though studies can generally be undertaken in both languages, by regularly interacting with your friends, colleagues, your local shops, neighbors, you can learn an additional language, in most cases, French. In particular, the province of Quebec is considered the hub of French natives
Some Famous Places of Study In Canada
The University of Toronto is known for contributing to the world economy with amazing concepts. It is the best and most talked about institute of research in Canada.
University de Montreal is a very popular university that is ranked 5th in the whole world. Languages such as English and French are used as a mode of communication.
The University of Waterloo can be said as just the other name of innovation, it is always the first to bring and introduce something new.
The University of British Columbia is best for providing students with the best research and analysis support with excellent faculty.
McMaster University in Hamilton is a world-class center for public research and has fed inquiry and curiosity for over a century.
The University of Alberta is famous for its excellent performance in the fields of science, arts as well as social science subjects.
Calgary University is one with innovative plans for this generation. This university in Canada keeps in mind providing the students with the newest form of technology to learn and teach.
Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters!
Like, share, and subscribe for more Immigration Updates!
Instagram: vconnectimmigration
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
One of the eligibility criteria to become a Canadian citizen is that you need to have been physically present in Canada for three out of the last five years.
Among other criteria, if you are age 18 and older, you need to have been in Canada for at least 1,095 days out of the five years immediately before you apply for citizenship. The first thing to note when calculating your citizenship eligibility is that you need to have been a permanent resident for at least two years in order to meet the physical presence requirement. After you become a permanent resident, each day in Canada counts as one full day toward your citizenship application.
Each day you were physically in Canada as a temporary resident before you became a permanent resident counts as half a day, up to a maximum of 365 days. So, if you were a temporary resident who did not leave Canada for three years, it would only count for 365 days. Again, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) consider only five years immediately before the date of your application for the physical presence requirement. If you have been physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for the past five years, for example, then the time you spent in Canada as a temporary resident does not count. If you were not a temporary resident before you got permanent residence, then you need to have spent at least 1,095 days, or three years, in Canada.
Other Eligibility Criteria For Canadian Citizenship:
In addition to the physical presence requirement, here are some of the other eligibility criteria for Canadian citizenship:
• You need to be able to speak either English or French well enough to communicate in Canadian society. If you are between ages 18 and 54 you have to submit proof of language proficiency.
• You cannot have a criminal history that prohibits the granting of citizenship, as decided by IRCC.
• You must be aware of the rights and responsibilities of citizens and have basic knowledge of Canada’s geography, political system, and history.
• You may need to file taxes in Canada for at least three years during the five years before the date you apply.
• Also, you must submit a formal application to IRCC and pay a government processing fee, and right of citizenship fee.
Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. Then once approved, applicants between ages 18 and 54 will have to take a citizenship test. Then you must attend a citizenship ceremony receive a certificate of Canadian citizenship, and take the Oath of Citizenship. After that, you officially become a Canadian citizen.
Know your Eligibility and be ready for suitable options with the help of Vconnect Immigration Inc. to Get Permanent in Canada
Book your Consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters.
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration.
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
Now is a great time to submit your Proof of Canadian Citizenship application. Canadian citizenship is becoming even more valuable amid growing uncertainty around the world. The pandemic has disrupted all facets of our lives and there is great political uncertainty in developed and developing countries alike.
Enter Canadian Citizenship
Acquiring Canadian citizenship offers a variety of benefits including being able to live and work in one of the world’s best and most stable countries. You are able to raise your family in a country that offers universal healthcare, high-quality education, a stable political and financial environment, great job opportunities, among a host of many other benefits. Being a citizen gives you access to a Canadian passport which allows you to pursue visa-free travel to 185 countries.
It is for these reasons that Canadians seek to pass their citizenship status to their children that were born abroad. Similarly, children with Canadian parents often go on to apply for Canadian citizenship themselves.
An experienced Canadian immigration lawyer can help you apply for Proof of Citizenship, also known as a Canadian citizenship certificate. Prior to the pandemic, it took the Canadian government about five months to process an application but this is now taking longer due to delays caused by the pandemic. Hence, it is beneficial to go ahead with the application process now so you can enjoy the benefits of Canadian citizenship as quickly as possible. One of the major benefits of hiring an experienced lawyer is they can help you avoid mistakes and unnecessary delays by ensuring you submit the strongest possible Proof of Citizenship application possible.
Process of Applying for Canadian Citizenship Certificate
Generally speaking, Proof of Citizenship applications are submitted by adults who had a parent born in Canada who thought they were eligible for Canadian citizenship but were never sure. In addition, such applications are submitted by Canadian parents on behalf of their children that were born abroad, or submitted by the children themselves.
IRCC requires evidence that at least one biological or legal parent was a Canadian citizen when the child was born. Examples of evidence include the parent’s birth certificate, citizenship card, or citizenship certificate.
The total Canadian government application fee is $75 CAD.
IRCC will then review it to make sure it is complete. You will then receive an “acknowledgment of receipt”. If your case is complicated, IRCC may need to contact you to get more information or documents. IRCC may also need more time to process complicated cases.
Once IRCC approves your application, they will send you a Canadian citizenship certificate.
Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters!
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are off to a strong start in 2022 with more than 4,500 invitations to apply for provincial nomination issued last month. The PNP is an immigration program jointly administered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. It offers Canadian provinces and territories the opportunity to create their own immigration streams to better meet their labor market needs and economic development objectives.
Today, the PNP accounts for a significant share of economic immigration to most provinces and territories in Canada. In fact, many smaller Canadian provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan depend on this program to meet their demographic and labor force needs. Between now and 2023, PNPs alone are expected to result in more than 80,000 immigrants per year being admitted as permanent residents.
Express Entry-linked PNPs
Most participating provinces and territories have at least one PNP stream that is aligned with the federal Express Entry system, which is Canada’s management system for three immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Express Entry-linked PNP streams, also known as “enhanced” PNPs, allow a province to select candidates who have profiles in the Express Entry pool and invite them to apply for a provincial nomination.
In January, IRCC held two draws and invited 1,428 PNP candidates in total under Express Entry. The latest draw, held on January 19, issued a record of 1,032 Invitations to Apply to provincial nominee candidates.
Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters.
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
IRCC's snapshot of the Express Entry pool shows most candidates are eligible for FSWP. CEC candidates also increasing due to a pause in draws. The number of Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates in the Express Entry pool has swelled due to a lack of draws targeting these candidates.
These figures come the day before the first Express Entry draw of the year when IRCC invited Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates only. Out of nearly 194,000 candidates, more than 154,000 were FSWP candidates, about 38,000 were CEC candidates, 577 were Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) candidates, and the remaining 344 PNP candidates were invited to apply for permanent residence the following day.WHAT TO WATCH IN 2022
This year, we are expecting Canada to increase immigration levels targets. In the previous Immigration Levels Plan, Canada expected to admit 411,000 newcomers in 2022. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has to announce the new targets by February 10.
While announcing that the Atlantic Immigration Pilot would become a permanent program in 2022, Fraser said Canada would move back to admit a mix of immigrants from both in Canada and abroad.
“I anticipate as we go forward we are going to have a healthy mix of people who are here with some experience in Canada now and other employees who may not yet be here that will come to Canada through a program such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, as the public health situation allows,” Fraser told reporters.
IRCC has said in a September internal memo that it wants to cut the Express Entry backlog in half in order to meet the processing standard of six months before resuming draws for categories other than the PNP. As of December, the Express Entry backlog was down to about 119,000 people waiting for decisions, compared to October when it was at nearly 138,000.
Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters.
Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters.
Like, share, and subscribe for more Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration
Tiktok : vconnectimmigration
Manitoba has now invited 758 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in 2022. Manitoba released details of a new immigration draw held on January 27.
The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) invited candidates across three Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Here are the number of invitations issued for each program as well as the minimum score cut-off according to the province’s Expression of Interest (EOI) system:
• Skilled Workers in Manitoba — 212 invitations with a minimum score of 609;
• Skilled Workers Overseas — 63 invitations with a minimum score of 703; and
• International Education Stream — 40 invitations with no score requirement.
Among these invitations, 69 were issued to candidates in the Express Entry system.
About Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s application management system for three federal high-skilled immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Immigration candidates who submit a profile to the Express Entry system are ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Points are awarded for factors like age, work experience, education, and language skills among others. The highest-scoring candidates receive invitations to apply for permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.
It is possible to receive a permanent residence invitation by applying directly through Express Entry. However, a provincial nomination gives candidates an additional 600 CRS points, which effectively guarantees they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
Manitoba Immigration Programs
Manitoba manages its immigration programs through the MPNP, which supports immigration applications to the federal government. Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out permanent residency status, but they can help an application along by issuing provincial nominations. If you want a nomination from Manitoba, you need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. This puts you in a position to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams. Manitoba then ranks candidates out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province.
In case you are the next one to apply for Permanent Residency then Book your consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters.
Like, share, and subscribe for more Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
Ontario nominated 9,000 immigration applicants for permanent residence in 2021, hundreds more than planned. Last May, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) announced that it was allowed to welcome 8,600 newcomers in 2021. Of these, 250 could be working in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C occupations, which generally require a high school education or specific job training. Before the end of the year, Ontario got an additional 400 nominations from the federal government through an in-year reallocation.
This is not the first time Ontario exceeded its original allocation. In 2020, Ontario nominated 8,054 principal applicants to apply for Canadian permanent residence even though it was originally allowed to enter Canada was 7,350.
Ontario immigration for Express Entry candidates
To get a provincial nomination through an enhanced (aka Express Entry-linked) immigration stream, you need to first be eligible for an Express Entry-managed program. There are three:
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Express Entry is an online immigration application management system. Eligible candidates get a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The top-scoring candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. With this invitation, candidates can then apply for Canadian immigration.
If you receive a provincial nomination as an Express Entry candidate, you get 600 points automatically added to your CRS score, and you apply for immigration through the Provincial Nominee Class. This award pushes you to the top of the pool and allows you to be eligible for a PNP-specific Express Entry draw.
Here is the number of invitations Ontario issued through each EOI stream in 2021:
• Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker stream – 2,866
• Employer Job Offer: International Student stream – 2,290
• Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Skills stream – 238
• Masters Graduate stream – 1,834
• Ph.D. Graduate stream – 204
Book your Consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc. related to your Immigration Matters!
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
The Foreign Worker stream is an Immigration stream under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
To qualify under the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream, you must have a job offer in Ontario from an employer that meets the following criteria:
1. Full time and Permanent: The job offer must be full-time and on a permanent basis. To refer full time includes at least a minimum of 1560 hours a year and a Minimum of 30 hours in a week.
2. Eligible Occupation: The Job Offered must be in a skilled occupation under Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC).
3. Median Wage Level: The pay of the offered job must meet or be higher than the Median wage level standards, for that occupation, in the specific region of Ontario where you will be working in the future.
4. Necessary Position to Employer Business: The position you have been offered must be urgently necessary to your Employer's business which refers that the given job offer should be aligned with your Employer existing business activities and the position must be urgently needed to maintain or grow the ongoing business.
5. Work Based in Ontario: The work you do while in the given position of the job offer must occur primarily in Ontario.
Don’t get misled by the wrong documentation or false representation of your case. Give value to your Time and Money. Always trust the Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant in order to submit a successful application or improve an existing one.
Book your Consultation with VConnect Immigration Inc related to your Immigration Matters.
Like, share, and subscribe for More Immigration Updates!
Instagram: @vconnectimmigration.
Tiktok: vconnectimmigration
