More clarity on Canada's 6 new immigration programs

IRCC Canada released new program guidelines on May 26, 2021, offering better clarity on the criteria for eligibility for its 6 new Canada PR programs.

IRCC launched 6 new PR streams for international graduates and essential workers on May 6, 2021.

The English-speaking International Graduate stream filled its quota on May 7, 2021. They received 40,000 applications in a day. However, Marco Mendicino, Canada’s Immigration Minister, stated that IRCC is open to exploring the prospect of adjusting the quotas under different Canada immigration streams.

The 2 streams for English-speaking essential workers received over 11,000 applications. Together, the applications under these quotas come to 50,000 in number.

The 3 streams for French-speaking candidates have significantly lower uptake. In fact, this is expected to happen as the francophone population in Canada is smaller in comparison to the English-speaking one. Also, they aren’t subject to quotas. The update is that applicants have until November 6, 2021, to make submit applications to IRCC.

The program guidelines have been posted on the website of IRCC on May 26, 2021. They are intended to help IRCC staff with the assessment of applications submitted under the 6 new permanent residence streams.

The guidelines urge the applicants to meet all of the criteria given below so that they can get approval under any of the 6 streams:

• Intent to reside outside of Quebec
• Legal entry into Canada and status as a temporary resident
• Current work experience
• Education requirements
• Legal entry into Canada and status as a temporary resident
• Qualifying work experience

IRCC wants all applicants to reside in Canada with a temporary resident status that’s valid. They must also be physically there in Canada when the PR application is received as well as when approval is granted by IRCC. Those who don’t have the status of temporary resident in Canada, aren’t eligible under the new 6 streams. These include people such as refugee claimants.

Proficiency in the official language

Essential workers must show that they have got a minimum CLB score of 4 on a language test that's designated by IRCC. The CLB score required is 5 for international graduates. The options for the test are:

English

• IELTS (General Training test only)
• CELPIP

French

• TEF Canada
• TCF Canada (in French only)

Current work experience

Applicants have to be employed to become eligible for the streams. As per the notification from IRCC the current job must:

• can be in any occupation
• be in Canada
• must be paid in wages or commission
• must be legal
• not be self-employed work unless the applicant is working for a health authority as a paid medical doctor

As per IRCC “currently employed” indicates the date of submission of the application to IRCC. Applicants have no need to be employed throughout the period of application processing. The work they are in when submitting the application can be part-time or full-time.

In the process of determining whether an applicant was an employee or self-employed, the officers at IRCC will take the following into consideration:

• the autonomy the worker had viz. the extent of control the worker had over the work, the type of work that was performed, and the time when it was performed
• whether the worker owns the tools necessary to complete the work or is providing them
• the extent to which the worker must perform the work personally and whether they were allowed to hire or subcontract additional help for the completion of the work
• if there is a financial risk that the worker assumed
• other relevant details viz. written contracts

Intention to live outside of Quebec

The 6 new programs are available to applicants who have the intention to live anywhere in Canada outside Quebec. The IRCC staff is instructed to inform an applicant of their concerns in case they aren’t convinced that the applicant is ready to live outside of Quebec.

Qualifying work experience

Essential workers must satisfy the criteria given below:

• The applicant must have work experience of at least 1,560 hours in the three years before submission of the application in an eligible NOC code
• Authorization to work in Canada is a must for the applicant
• The work the applicant had must have occurred in Canada
• The applicant was paid wages or commission
• The applicant mustn’t have been self-employed (with the exception of working as a medical doctor paid by a health authority)

Education requirements

International graduates have to meet the requirements listed below:

• The applicant must have completed the study program at a DLI Canada has
• The applicant must have completed their program not earlier than January 2017
• While enrolled at the DLI, the applicant must have had a study permit Canada issued
• The applicant must have got an eligible credential (viz., a diploma, certificate, degree, or attestation from a program that leads to occupation in a skilled trade
• One or more credentials of the applicant will meet acceptance if the combined period of study in Canada equals a 2-year credential (i.e., a minimum duration of 16 months)

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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Note:

PR – Permanent Residence/Permanent Resident

IRCC – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

CLB – Canadian Language Benchmark