Immigration Minister Meets With Provinces to Speed Up Immigration
Ministers Discuss Increasing Permanent Residence Admissions, Fast-Tracking Processing Times
On July 28, Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino, had a virtual meeting with the Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration to develop a plan to fast-track immigration processing times and increase the number of new permanent residents post-pandemic.
“Today, we had productive discussions with the provinces and territories on how to better and more evenly spread the benefits of immigration across the country,” said Mendicino. “Our ongoing collaboration, further strengthened today, has contributed to valuable initiatives that will help support population growth and a modern immigration system."
According to Canada Immigration News, the forum discussed how to ensure the success of Provincial Nominee Programs and how to strengthen Francophone immigration outside of Quebec. Other topics discussed included economic immigration, settlement services for permanent and temporary residents, and regional distribution of immigration.
The forum also reviewed the measures undertaken this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such measures include virtual services and adjusting programming for provincial nominees and international students.
In July 2020, the Strategic Plan for Immigration was approved. The ministers discussed the progress that was made on the plan's policy priorities, including:
- Immigration levels planning
- Strengthening regional economic immigration programs
- Supporting communities
- Meeting labour market needs
“Immigration has never been more critical as we navigate the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and work towards economic recovery and prosperity in all regions of Canada,” said Arlene Dunn, New Brunswick’s minister of immigration and co-chair of the Forum of Ministers responsible for Immigration.
“Today, we recommitted to meaningful partnership and collaboration between provinces, territories and the federal government to achieve flexible and responsive immigration programming that supports our diverse and evolving labour market and population growth needs and priorities."
The Forum of Ministers Responsible for Immigration is a decision-making body that works towards the goal of building a flexible, timely, and effective Canadian immigration system. It is compiled of Canada's provincial and territorial immigration ministers.
In 2020, the forum created its official mission and vision for Canada's immigration system, which is "to advance joint immigration priorities and enhance Canada’s immigration policies and programs."
Survey Finds That Canada is the Most Popular Destination For International Students
International Students Report Being Impressed By How Canada Handled the COVID-19 Pandemic
As Canada slowly begins lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions, data shows that the demand for a Canadian education is surging amongst prospective international students.
This data was gathered through a poll conducted by education consulting firm IDP Connect, which surveyed over 6,000 international students who were either already studying at or were interested in studying at 527 colleges and universities across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Canada was found to be the most popular, with most respondents indicating that they would prefer to study in Canada or Australia.
The majority of respondents were from India (38%), followed by the Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and China.
Half of the people surveyed indicated that they had been accepted into at least one college or university, or had a pending offer. Meanwhile, 18 percent said that they had already begun their studies, and 20 percent had not yet applied. The remaining 12% had put their education on hold.
Why Canada Is So Popular
So, why is Canada the most desirable country to study in right now? According to an article by Canada Immigration News, one reason could be how well Canada is perceived to have handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
The article reported that a separate survey of international students conducted by Navitas in May 2020 found that students looking to study abroad felt that Canada handled the global pandemic very well. Additionally, many respondents reported that Canada’s concern for the welfare of international students, its policies for international students, and Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) opportunities were reasons they would prefer to study in Canada over other countries.
“Findings from that initial survey showed that Canada’s reputation as a study destination had been enhanced by its government’s handling of the pandemic," said Jon Chew, head of strategic insights and analytics at Navitas. "At that time, New Zealand, Australia and Canada were leading the pack.”
Navitas conducted the same survey several months later in September 2020, and found that attitudes towards Canada and its handling of the pandemic remained the same. One example of how Canada managed the COVID-19 pandemic concerning international students was allowing students to study online without having to travel, without having to risk losing their study permits, or lose out on the opportunity to obtain a PGWP.
“Globally, many students (43%) are willing to start online if they know they can transfer to face-to-face as soon as campuses open to in-person learning, and a significant proportion plan to defer (31%). But these proportions change – in a positive way – for Canada,” stated IDP Connect on its website.
It's also interesting to note that 20% of the international student respondents from the IDP survey found obtaining a Canadian study permit to be difficult, which is higher than in any other country. Other hurdles to studying abroad cited by the report included affordability and travel restrictions.
Second TR-to-PR Immigration Pathway Fills Up
English-Speaking Essential Workers Pathway Reaches Limit
One of Canada’s temporary streams for immigrants will no longer accept applicants, as it has reached its limit.
The immigration stream for English-speaking essential workers in non-healthcare roles reached its limit of 30,000 people. This number was met on July 16 – just over two months after the temporary stream program was launched in early May.
Specifically, these temporary residence to permanent residence (TR to PR) pathways were introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to make immigration easier – particularly for international graduates and essential workers.
This is the second stream to reach full capacity of the six that were introduced in May. The first was the international graduates stream, which filled its 40,000 application limit quickly upon launch.
These are the remaining pathways with open applications:
- Healthcare workers in Canada (Max: 20,000 applications)
- French-speaking healthcare workers (No maximum)
- French-speaking essential non-healthcare workers (No maximum)
- French-speaking international graduates (No maximum)
These programs will close on November 5, or when the slots fill up.
Recently, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced that a new bridging open work permit would launch for TR to PR applicants who are already in Canada. This also applies to international graduates of a Canadian institution. The new option will allow applicants seeking permanent residence to continue to work while they wait for the decision to be made on their application.
“Our new path to permanent residence for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates is a major step forward—the size, speed and scope of which is unprecedented,” he said in a news release. “This new open work permit ensures that those who have been playing critical roles throughout the pandemic can continue their extraordinary service.”
The healthcare worker stream has only received a few thousand applications out of its 20,000 applicant limit. IRCC’s goal is to have 401,000 new immigrants in Canada in 2021 – and they hope to see 40,000 applications from the pathway's program contribute to this number. Most of IRCC’s focus has been on applicants already living in Canada – with COVID-19 complications considered, it is easier to go from temporary to permanent residence than it is to bring new immigrants to the country.
70% of Humanitarian & Compassionate Grounds Applications Were Rejected in 2021
Data Shows Alarming Increase in H&C Application Refusals
Canada is rejecting more and more permanent residency applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, according to recent data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The data became available following an order paper question from NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan this past spring.
The data shows that the rate of refusal of Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds applications rose from 35 per cent in 2019 to nearly 70 per cent in early 2021. This does not include withdrawn applications.
"These decisions were done quietly behind closed doors and there is little public accountability in this opaque and discretionary process,” said Kwan. “The Liberal government must provide answers to why there is such a significant jump in refusals and take immediate action to rectify this."
For those who are unfamiliar, Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds is a way for immigrants who do not fit within the criteria for permanent residency to apply by presenting compelling and compassionate reasons for why they should be granted permanent residency. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with factors taken into consideration such as:
- How long the applicant has been living in Canada and their establishment in Canada
- Their ties to the community
- The best interests of any children involved
- The negative consequences that would result from them being sent back to their country of origin
Often, this route is a last resort option for undocumented migrants who have been living and working in Canada and have developed close ties to their communities. Without this permanent residency pathway, they would not have access to healthcare and education, or have the ability to become citizens.
Syed Hussan, executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, told the Canadian Press that he is unsure of why so many Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds applications are being rejected. He does not believe that slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is the cause, since the number of applications being processed has increased.
“We don’t know what’s happening. We don’t know why it’s happening. There has been no policy change, no public announcement, no change in legal cases, but rejection rates have increased,” Hussan told the Canadian Press. “It’s on the federal government to explain.”
Seven New Countries Approved for Fast-Tracked Canadian Study Permits
Fourteen Countries Now Eligible for Student Direct Stream
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will fast-track Student Direct Stream (SDS) study permit applications for applicants from seven different countries. The list of countries includes:
- Brazil
- Columbia
- Peru
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Costa Rica
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
This announcement will enable SDS study permit applicants from these countries to have their permits processed within just 20 days. Typically, it takes several months to process study permits.
“The global pandemic has caused disruptions and distress for everyone, including international students. By expanding the Student Direct Stream to a more diverse range of prospective students, we have great optimism that international education will recover, and indeed flourish, as Canada emerges from the pandemic,” said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino in a press release.
Canada has already been expediting SDS permit applications for seven other countries. In total, the number of countries eligible for expedited applications is 14. Along with the countries listed above, applicants from the following countries will also continue having their applications fast-tracked:
- Philippines
- China
- India
- Vietnam
- Pakistan
- Morocco
- Senegal
How the SDS Application Process Works
Applicants must be a citizen of one of the 14 countries previously listed in this article and must be living in that country when the application is submitted.
Before applying for a Canadian study permit, applicants must apply and get accepted into a Canadian University (also known as a designated learning institution (DLI)).
Once you've been accepted and have received an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA), you can then apply for the SDS and obtain all the required documentation. You will also need to prove that you are sufficient in English or French and can pay your first year of tuition in full. If you have lived or travelled to certain countries within the past six months, you must also undergo a medical exam.
If your application is successful, you will be issued a Point of Entry (POE) letter of introduction and a temporary resident visa that gives you the ability to enter Canada.