News & Blog

2019 International Experience Canada Season Starts Tomorrow

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that the 2019 International Experience Canada (IEC) Season will start tomorrow. Depending upon your country of citizenship, you can choose from up to three different types of work permit categories. See the options in our table below! 

Country of Citizenship

Age Limit

Working Holiday

Young Professionals

International Co-Op (Internship)

Australia

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Austria

18 - 30

Yes

Yes

Yes

Belgium

18 - 30

Yes

No

No

Chile

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Costa Rica

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Croatia

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Czech Republic

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Denmark

18 - 35

Yes

No

No

Estonia

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

France

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Germany

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Greece

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Hong Kong SAR

18 - 30

Yes

No

No

Ireland

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Italy

18 - 35

Yes

No

No

Japan

18 - 30

Yes

No

No

Korea, Republic

18 - 30

Yes

No

No

Latvia Republic

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Lithuania

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Mexico

18 - 29

Yes

Yes

Yes

Netherlands

18 - 30

Yes

Yes

No

New Zealand

18 - 35

Yes

No

No

Norway

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Poland

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Portugal

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

San Marino

18 - 35

Yes

No

No

Slovakia

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Slovenia

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Spain

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sweden

18 - 30

Yes

Yes

Yes

Switzerland

18 - 35

No

Yes

Yes

Taiwan

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ukraine

18 - 35

Yes

Yes

Yes

United Kingdom

18 - 30

Yes

No

No

Express Entry Draw - November 28, 2018

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 3,900 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence under the Express Entry System today. The lowest score to receive an ITA today was 445 which is 2 points lower than the previous Express Entry Draw. 

Express Entry Draw - November 15, 2018

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 3,900 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence under the Express Entry System today. The lowest score to receive an ITA today was 449 which is 7 points higher than the previous Express Entry Draw. 

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Reaches Cap for 2018

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is part of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program that allows provinces to nominate a specific number of candidates for Canadian permanent residence every year. The OINP recently announced that it has reached its nomination allocation for 2018. Therefore, all pending and new applications, except for those under the Masters Graduate stream, submitted to the OINP will be considered under the nomination allocation for 2019.

Program Delivery Update: International Experience Canada

Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its program delivery instructions with respect to the International Experience Canada (IEC) program as follows:

  • Australia: Australian citizens who are 18 to 35 years of age (inclusive) will now be eligible to participate in all three categories (working holiday, young professionals, and international co-op) of the IEC program;
  • Denmark: Danish citizens who reside in Greenland and the Faroe Islands will now be eligible to participate in the working holiday category of the IEC program; and
  • Portugal: Portuguese citizens will now be eligible to participate in all three categories (working holiday, young professionals, and international co-op) of the IEC program.

We anticipate that the 2019 IEC Season will commence imminently. Therefore, if you want to participate in the IEC program in 2019, you should be prepared to submit your IEC profile as soon as the IEC pool re-opens, particularly if you are a citizen of a country which is subject to quotas.

Changes to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program

On November 1, 2018, the Government of Alberta announced some changes to the Alberta Opportunity Stream under the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) effective immediately. Specifically, the Government of Alberta removed the minimum income requirement for all candidates and adjusted the official language proficiency requirement. 

2018 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Tabled

2018 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Tabled

On October 31, 2018, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) tabled the 2018 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration. This Report indicates that the Minister has revised Canada's immigration targets for 2019 and 2020 and announced new immigration targets for 2021.

Remarkably, it appears that Canada is on track to admit over 300,000 new immigrants in 2018, a level of immigration not seen in this country since 1913. Further, the Government of Canada plans to admit 350,000 new immigrants, representing approximately 1% of Canada's population, in 2021.

Processing Delays for Labour Market Impact Assessment Applications

Processing Delays for Labour Market Impact Assessment Applications

On October 29, 2018, Employment and Social Development Canada (Service Canada) announced what we had long suspected... they are experiencing delays in the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications.

Unfortunately, Service Canada does not publish its current processing times online. However, based on our recent experiences and those of some of our colleagues, the current processing times for LMIA applications could be as long as the following...

Express Entry Draw - October 29, 2018

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued 3,900 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canadian permanent residence under the Express Entry System today. The lowest score to receive an ITA today was 442 which is 2 points higher than the previous Express Entry Draw. 

New Instructions for the Processing of Study Permit Applications for Saudi Arabian Nationals

On August 5, 2018, the Government of Saudi Arabia announced that it was cancelling the funding of its scholarship programs in Canada effective August 31, 2018 and all Saudi students in Canada were to leave the country by September 22, 2018.

Since this announcement, the Saudi Ministry of Education has confirmed that the following students are eligible for, and will receive, new financial scholarships issued by the Saudi Cultural Bureau:

  • Medical trainees, including physicians, dentists, and nurses;
  • Graduate students, including Masters and PhD students, in all academic disciplines; and
  • Undergraduate scholarship students in the final year of their Bachelor programs.

In light of this information, IRCC will now only consider financial sponsorship certificates from the Saudi Cultural Bureau as valid proof of funds for study permit applications from the above-listed students.

All other Saudi students are now required to provide additional proof of funds in their study permit application. If no additional proof of funds is provided, their application may be refused.