IRCC News Archives

April 3, 2024

Canada’s Permanent Residence Fees

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that, as of 9:00:00 AM Eastern Time on April 30, 2024, the department will be increasing certain permanent residence (PR) fees.

IRCC notes that this fee increase is being introduced according to Canada’s Immigrant and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), calculated “in accordance with the cumulative percentage increase to the Consumer Price Index for Canada, published by Statistics Canada.”

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Changes to PR fees

The following fee increases, which are marked as applicable to the period between April 2024 and March 2026, apply as follows:

Program	Applicants	Current fees (April 2022– March 2024)	New fees (April 2024–March 2026)
Right of Permanent Residence Fee3	Principal applicant and accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$515	$575
Federal Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most economic pilots (Rural, Agri-Food)	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$850	$950
Federal Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most economic pilots (Rural, Agri-Food)	Principal applicant	$850	$950
Federal Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec Skilled Workers, Atlantic Immigration Class and most economic pilots (Rural, Agri-Food)	Accompanying dependent child	$230	$260
Live-in Caregiver Program and caregivers pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot)	Accompanying dependent child	$155	$175
Live-in Caregiver Program and caregivers pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot)	Principal applicant	$570	$635
Live-in Caregiver Program and caregivers pilots (Home Child Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot)	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$570	$635
Business (federal and Quebec)	Accompanying dependent child	$230	$260
Business (federal and Quebec)	Principal applicant	$1,625	$1,810
Business (federal and Quebec)	Accompanying spouse or common-law partner	$850	$950
Family reunification (spouses, partners and children; parents and grandparents; and other relatives)	Sponsorship fee	$75	$85

Notes from IRCC

IRCC notes that, in addition to dependent children and protected persons (including principal applicants and all accompanying family members), the following groups of applicants are exempt from paying the department’s Right of Permanent Residence (RPR) Fee:

· Sponsored child (of a principal applicant under the family reunification class) – the child must be under 22 years old and not have a spouse/partner

· Principal applicants under the humanitarian and compassionate consideration and public policy classes

Note: This fee is normally paid by all permanent residence applicants (except for dependent children and protected persons). Principal applicants in the “humanitarian and compassionate consideration” and “public policy” categories are only exempt from the RPR fee under certain circumstances.

Additionally, IRCC clarifies that “permit holder” class permanent residence applicants are not eligible to include accompanying family members as part of their PR applications. Instead, all individuals eligible for PR through this class must submit their own applications for Canadian PR as a principal applicant.

March 18, 2024

Building A Resume for Job Hunting in Canada

By Admin Canada Life

Are you a newcomer to Canada, looking to start your job hunt on a strong note?

As you navigate the exciting path of job hunting, one of the important tools you will need is a well-crafted resume. In this article, we’ll explore the key elements of building a strong resume tailored to the Canadian job market.

Understanding the Types of Resumes

Before diving into the details, let’s go through the different types of resumes commonly used in Canada. The two primary formats are:

Chronological Resume: This format highlights your work history, listing your most recent job first and going backward. It’s ideal for those with a strong and continuous work history.
Functional Resume: This format emphasizes your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. It’s suitable for those with employment gaps or a diverse skill set.

Useful Tips to Build a Strong Resume

1. Style and Personal Details

Ensure your resume is well-organized and visually appealing for prospective Canadian employers. To do this, be sure to use a clean and professional font, and include essential personal details, front and centre including your name, contact information, and LinkedIn^®profile (if applicable).

2. Adapt Your Resume for Each Role

In Canada, one resume does not fit all job applications. Canadian employers give preference to resumes that are tailored to align with specific requirements of the job posting. To do this, take care to highlight the skills, experiences, and accomplishments you have that directly relate to the position to which you are applying

3. Mind the Length

Keep your resume concise and focused. Ideally, limit it to one or two pages. Highlight the most relevant and timely information that highlights your qualifications for the position advertised.

4. Include Volunteer Work

Highlighting your volunteer experiences can demonstrate valuable skills and a commitment to your community. This is particularly beneficial for newcomers with limited Canadian work experience.

5. Use Social Media

Canadian employers widely use LinkedIn to assess candidates. Ensure your profile is complete, professional, and aligned with your resume. Consider including a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume.

6. Format Carefully

Pay attention to the overall formatting of your resume. Be sure to use some bullet points (but not too many) for easy readability and to maintain a consistent format throughout. Be mindful of the use of fonts, spacing, and section headings.

7. Use Keywords

It’s also recommended to identify keywords and phrases used by the employer in the job posting and incorporate them into your resume. This will enhance your chances of passing through applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by many companies – and making it to the next stage of the hiring process.

8. Proofread Your Resume

Before submitting your resume, be sure to carefully proofread it for spelling and grammatical errors. Consider asking a friend or mentor to review it as well, as a fresh pair of eyes can catch mistakes you might have missed.

March 12, 2024

IRCC invites 975 Express Entry candidates in first transport occupation draw of 2024

By Admin Immigration

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued invitations to candidates in the second Express Entry draw this week.

The department issued 975 invitations to apply (ITAs) in a category-based draw for transport occupations.

Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 430.

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IRCC also issued ITAs on March 12. It was a general draw inviting 2,850 candidates. A general draw considers candidates from all three Express Entry managed programs and uses the CRS as the main eligibility criteria.

Candidates required a minimum CRS of 525, a decrease of nine CRS points from the previous general draw on February 28 and the lowest minimum CRS for a general draw so far this year.

There were six draws throughout February inviting 16,110 candidates. The month opened and closed with category-based selection draws for individuals with strong French language proficiency. The first was on February 1 and invited 7,000 candidates with a minimum CRS score of 365. The other took place on February 29 and invited 2,500 candidates with a minimum score of 336, the lowest CRS score in any draw so far this year.

The remaining four draws saw two additional category-based draws. One took place on February 14 and invited 3,500 candidates in healthcare occupations with a minimum CRS of 422. The other was on February 16 and invited 150 candidates in agriculture and agri-food occupations. They required a minimum score of 437.

Finally, IRCC held two general Express Entry draws in February. On February 13, the department invited 1,490 candidates with a minimum score of 535 and 1,470 candidates on February 28. These candidates had a minimum CRS score of 534.

Date	Draw Type	Number of ITAs	Minimum CRS
March 13	Transport occupations	975	430
March 12	General	2,850	525
February 29	French language proficiency	2,500	336
February 28	General	1,470	534
February 16	Agriculture and agri-food occupations	150	437
February 14	Healthcare occupations	3,500	422
February 13	General	1,490	535
February 1	French language proficiency	7,000	365
January 31	General	730	541
January 23	General	1,040	543
January 10	General	1,510	546

What is category-based selection?

Unlike a general draw, in which candidates are considered from all Express Entry managed programs based solely on their CRS score, category-based selection draws target Express Entry candidates who have specific in-demand attributes.

This type of draw was introduced in May 2023 to help with labour shortages within critical sectors of Canada’s workforce. There are six categories through which eligible Express Entry candidates may receive an ITA:

Healthcare occupations
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
Trades occupations, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors
Transport occupations
Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Strong French proficiency

These draws may act as an advantage for candidates who are already in the Express Entry application pool. So far this year, the average CRS score in category-based draws has been lower than it is for general draws.

For example, of the four category-based selection draws, the highest minimum CRS score was 437, and the lowest was 336.

In contrast, no general draw so far in 2024 has had a minimum CRS lower than 534.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system for three of Canada’s most prominent economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Candidates who self-evaluate that they are eligible for one of these programs can then upload a profile to the IRCC website and receive their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS assigns scores for human capital attributes such as work experience, education, occupation, language ability and age.

Candidates in the Express Entry application pool are ranked against each other according to CRS scores. Those with the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent resident status.

Once a candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit their final application to IRCC.

February 24, 2024

Who received ITAs in the recent general Express Entry draw?

By Admin Immigration

Last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 1,490 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in an all-program/general Express Entry draw.

This draw, which took place on February 13, issued ITAs to eligible candidates from all three Express Entry-managed programs* who had a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 535.

Express Entry is the application management system used by Canada’s federal government to manage immigration applications for three economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

While IRCC issued over 1,400 ITAs in its latest general draw, the variance in the cut-off CRS score used for each draw means that many candidates who did not receive an ITA from this draw are left wondering what would have made their profiles strong enough to receive an ITA from IRCC.

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Using fictional examples, the following will illustrate how candidates with different Express Entry profiles would have made themselves eligible to receive an ITA during IRCC’s draw on February 13, 2024.

Eligibility for general Express Entry draws

Before assessing the hypothetical Express Entry profiles below, it is worth noting that all Express Entry candidates must self-verify their eligibility for any of the three programs managed under Express Entry.

These dedicated webpages can help you understand more about the eligibility requirements for each Express Entry-managed program:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

Only after verifying their eligibility for one of these programs will candidates be able to create an Express Entry profile and potentially receive an ITA for PR in Canada.

Example profiles of successful ITA recipients

The following showcases Express Entry profiles for three fictional FSWP candidates to illustrate profiles that would have been strong enough to receive an ITA during IRCC’s latest all-program draw.

Elena from Poland

This is what Elena’s Express Entry profile looked like when she entered the candidate pool at 28 years old.

Age:28
Highest Level of Completed Education:Post-secondary credential of three or more years
2nd Post-Secondary Credential:Yes
Study in Canada:No
English Proficiency:Eight for all abilities
French Proficiency:Four for all abilities
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years:Two years
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years:One year
Years Worked In Canada During the Last Three Years:One to Three years
Marriage/Common-Law Partnership:No
Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old):Yes
Trades Certificate of Qualification:No
Provincial Nomination:No
Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer:Yes
Job Offer for Senior Managerial Position:Yes
Full-Time Job Offer for Minimum One Year:Yes
Job Offer Supported by Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA):Yes

Result: With this profile, Elena’s CRS score was 661. Therefore, Elena’s Express Entry profile was strong enough to earn her an ITA in IRCC’s most recent all-program/general draw.

Joel from the United States of America

Joel entered the Express Entry candidate pool with this profile:

Age:32
Highest Level of Completed Education:Secondary School credential
2nd Post-Secondary Credential:No
Study in Canada:No
English Proficiency:10 for all abilities
French Proficiency:Less than three for all abilities
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years:Six or more years
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years:None
Marriage/Common-Law Partnership:Yes
Spouse’s Highest Level of Completed Education:Post-secondary credential of three or more years
Spouse’s Study in Canada:No
Spouse’s Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years:None
Spouse’s English Proficiency:10 for all abilities
Spouse’s French Proficiency:Less than three for all abilities
Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old):No
“Close Family Member” in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old):No
Trades Certificate of Qualification:No
Provincial Nomination:Yes
Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer:No

Result: This profile helped Joel earn an ITA from IRCC on February 13 with a CRS score of 919.

Nadine from South Africa

Nadine entered the Express Entry candidate pool when she was 24 years old. The rest of her profile looked like this:

Age:24
Highest Level of Completed Education:Post-secondary credential of three or more years
2nd Post-Secondary Credential:No
Study in Canada:No
English Proficiency:10 for all abilities
French Proficiency:Seven for all abilities
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Outside Canada within the last 10 years:Two years
Full-Time Skilled Work Experience Inside Canada within the last 10 years:None
Marriage/Common-Law Partnership:No
Sibling in Canada (Citizen or Permanent Resident, living in Canada, 18+ years old): Yes
Trades Certificate of Qualification:No
Provincial Nomination:No
Skilled Job Offer from Canadian Employer:Yes
Job Offer for Senior Managerial Position:No
Full-Time Job Offer for Minimum One Year:Yes
Job Offer Supported by LMIA:Yes

Result: With the above profile, Nadine earned a CRS score of 543 and was issued an ITA from IRCC during their latest all-program draw.

February 19, 2024

(IRCC) has officially confirmed to continue Express Entry Canada categories

By Admin Immigration

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially confirmed that it will continue using the six categories currently eligible for category-based selection in Express Entry draws in 2024.

In an email alert from IRCC, the department said that it will continue selecting candidates with, “particular qualifications such as education, work experience, or language skills to support identified economic needs and priorities.”

The six categories target candidates with:

1. French language proficiency

2. Work experience in healthcare occupations

3. Work experience in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations

4. Work experience in trade occupations

5. Work experience in transport occupations

6. Work experience in agriculture and agri-food occup ations

Category-based selection draws for Express Entry candidates were introduced in May 2023 as a method of helping Canada to meet its economic goals.

The categories were chosen in 2023 following public consultations with provinces and territories and other stakeholders such as unions, employers, settlement service provider organizations, worker advocacy groups and immigration researchers.

By singling out Express Entry candidates who meet the criteria for these categories, IRCC aims to invite newcomers who can help fill urgent gaps in Canada’s workforce, in sectors that are critical to the economy and well-being of Canadians as well as meet its mandate to promote the French language outside of Quebec.

When the categories were introduced, IRCC noted that they would be reviewed each year as part of IRCC’s yearly report to parliament and amended as necessary.

Category-based selection in 2023

The first category-based selection draw took place on June 28, 2023, and invited 1,500 Express Entry candidates in eligible healthcare occupations.

Throughout the rest of the year, IRCC invited more than 16,000 Express Entry candidates through category-based selection over 17 separate draws. So far in 2024, there has been one category-based selection draw inviting 7,000 candidates with French language proficiency.

Who is eligible for category-based selection?

The first category-based selection draw took place on June 28, 2023, and invited 1,500 Express Entry candidates in eligible healthcare occupations.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an application management system that oversees three prominent economic immigration programs in Canada: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

All three programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assign scores to candidates based on their human capital attributes. These include work experience, age, language ability, occupation and age, and others.

Each factor is scored and added together for a total that becomes a candidate’s overall CRS score. The CRS score is then ranked against other candidate’s scores and those who have the highest scores are the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) in an upcoming Express Entry round of invitations.

Once a candidate receives an ITA, they have 60 days to submit their final application for permanent residency to IRCC.

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Tag Archives: IRCC News

Canada’s Permanent Residence Fees

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Building A Resume for Job Hunting in Canada

Understanding the Types of Resumes

Useful Tips to Build a Strong Resume

IRCC invites 975 Express Entry candidates in first transport occupation draw of 2024

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

What is category-based selection?

What is Express Entry?

Who received ITAs in the recent general Express Entry draw?

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

Eligibility for general Express Entry draws

Example profiles of successful ITA recipients

Elena from Poland

Joel from the United States of America

Nadine from South Africa

(IRCC) has officially confirmed to continue Express Entry Canada categories

Category-based selection in 2023

Who is eligible for category-based selection?

What is Express Entry?