March 2021

Last month, I told you about a historical draw from the Express Entry pool, where 27,332 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applicants were invited to apply for permanent residence.

Unsurprisingly, thousands of people have submitted Express Entry profiles in the past weeks, hopeful that another large draw would occur.  162,120 individuals were in the pool in mid-March; only 152,714 were in the pool prior to the February draw. 

February 2021

In an unprecedented and shocking move, the Canadian government has just invited 27,332 individuals who qualified for the Canadian Experience Class to apply for permanent residency in Canada.  The comprehensive ranking system score of the lowest-ranked candidate was 75.    You read that right, seventy-five.

January 2021

Lockdowns and the overall economic downturn due to COVID-19 have forced many employers to lay off employees, or at minimum place positions on hold. International students have been significantly impacted by these measures, as they only have a certain amount of time to obtain Canadian skilled work experience to be eligible to apply for permanent residence. Their time on the post-graduate work permit is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and if squandered, they have no choice but to return home. Due to the pandemic’s impact on employment opportunities, many international students who have worked hard to line up jobs have been unable to obtain the needed work experience.

December 2020

Applications are now being accepted for the Health-care workers permanent residence pathway.  This temporary program will grant permanent resident status to refugee claimants who worked in front-line health care positions between March and August 2020.  The purpose of the program is to recognize the contributions of refugee claimants working in the health-care sector during the pandemic.  The program was originally announced in August 2020.