Life Ashore Immigration Consultancy Inc

Canada penalizes employers violating the TFWP rules Last year, Canada imposed fines totalling $2.7m on 194 employers for non-compliance with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) rules. These rules include meeting Labour Market Impact Assessment requirements and keeping records for six years. Between April 2022 and March 2023, 116 employers faced penalties of $1.54m due to non-compliance. Penalties can go up to $100,000 per violation and reach $1m annually. The average fine increased to $28,836 in 2024. In 2023, compliance was observed in over 95% of the 2,100+ inspections carried out.

The 2021 Census showed a decrease in Canada's recent immigrant naturalization rates The Census 2021 revealed a drop in naturalization rates of recent immigrants in Canada, prompting the government to prioritize citizenship. Factors impacting naturalization include family income, language proficiency, and education level. Dual citizenship restrictions by immigrant source countries also play a role, though its net effect is small. Some immigrants, considering economic benefits, keep their options open by not naturalizing. However, measures can be taken to enhance the citizenship process's efficiency and meaning. Progress has been made in moving applications online, and investment in AI for routine applications can speed up processing.

Yukon celebrates the Francophonie Day On May 15, 2024, Minister John Streicker shared a message to mark the significant cultural event of Yukon Francophonie Day, which has been recognized by the government of Yukon since 2007. He urged all Yukoners to deeply appreciate the French language and Francophone culture, which enrich the province's diverse history. Minister Streicker expressed his gratitude to the Commissioner of Yukon for supporting community events through the Yukon Francophonie Day funding program and extended his thanks to all organizations, individuals, artists, volunteers, and businesses involved in nurturing Yukon's vibrant Francophone community.

Asylum seekers receive $224 daily for food and accommodation during application processing Canada is grappling with a significant financial burden due to the record levels of asylum claimants, costing the government approximately $224 per day per claimant for necessities. This has led to criticism from Conservative MP Lianne Rood, who argues that claimants are receiving more benefits than Canadian seniors. The number of pending asylum claims currently stands at 156,032. The Trudeau government's Interim Housing Assistance Program, which provides temporary accommodations and housing to around 7,000 claimants, comes with an annual cost of $557 million. Despite the closure of the Roxham Road border crossing, the intake of irregular border crossers remains high, with 42,387 pending refugee claims by the end of 2023. Since 2017, 39,643 have been approved as official refugees, while 22,611 have been rejected.

ESDC published new LMIA processing times On May 14, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. #ESDC, #Service_Canada, #LMIA #TFWP, #Work_permit, #agricultural_workers, #work_in_canada

ESDC published new LMIA processing times On May 14, 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's important to note that the processing times have increased for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and Permanent residence Stream and decreased for the High-wage and Low-wage Streams. Global Talent Stream - 7 business days Agricultural stream - 13 business days Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10 business days (+3 days) Permanent residence Stream - 80 business days (+1 day) High-wage Stream - 43 business days (-8 days) Low-wage Stream - 46 business days (-9 days)

The BCPNP invited business candidates through the Entrepreneur Stream On May 14, 2024, British Columbia held new draws for business candidates under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). BCPNP invited five candidates in the Base Category of the Entrepreneur Stream, which is designed for experienced business people who want to start a new business or buy an existing business in British Columbia. The lowest score of this round was 116 points, one more than in the previous draw. In addition, the province invited up to five candidates in the Entrepreneur Immigration - Regional Pilot category with a minimum score of 113. The maximum points in the Entrepreneur Stream grid are 200. To be eligible under the EI Regional Pilot, qualified entrepreneurs must be referred by a participating community. Last year, British Columbia invited up to 89 entrepreneurs under the BCPNP. In 2024, the province has invited up to 30 business candidates through the Entrepreneur draws.

International students in Canada struggle to meet labour market demands Canada's international student intake does not align with labour market needs, with most focusing on business-related programs. Only a small percentage pursue health sciences, medicine, or trade and vocational programs. This mismatch is blamed on a lack of oversight and contributes to negative economic outcomes. Experts argue that immigration policies focus more on immigrant outcomes and long-term market needs. The Federal Government aims to reduce the number of new study permits, considering only a specific number of study permit applications in 2024 due to concerns about the integrity of the international student system.

British Columbia invited new candidates through the BCPNP streams On May 14, 2024, the Government of British Columbia held new invitation draws under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and issued invitations to apply to skilled candidates in the general draw and to candidates with work experience in healthcare, childcare, veterinary care and construction occupations. In the general draw, the province invited 37 candidates, each with a minimum score of 107 points. BC also issued nine ITAs to candidates who scored 90 points under the childcare-targeted draw for early childhood educators (NOC 42202). In the Healthcare-targeted draw, British Columbia invited 17 candidates with a minimum score of 100 points. The province also issued nine invitations to candidates working in the construction sector and up to five invitations to candidates working in veterinary care occupations. In total, British Columbia issued up to 77 ITAs in this draw. This year, British Columbia has already invited up to 3,097 candidates.

Canada’s Immigration Minister celebrates Citizenship Week On May 13, 2024, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller marked the start of Citizenship Week. This week invites reflection on Canadian identity, diversity, rights, and responsibilities, including the significance of Indigenous Peoples' history and role. The minister will attend citizenship ceremonies nationwide, welcoming new citizens and visiting organizations that assist newcomers. Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, Canada welcomed 393,500 new citizens, with citizenship applications now processed faster. The immigration minister invited everyone to celebrate citizenship by reflecting on what it means and getting involved in their communities. #IRCC, #Marc_Miller, #Canadian_citizenship, #Citizenship_week