Canada is home to many different kinds of immigrants who come for various reasons, such as reuniting with family or seeking economic opportunities.
Immigration into Canada is handled on both federal and provincial levels.
While Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) handles the Express Entry system, provinces, and territories often develop programs tailored to address local labor market needs.
1. Points-Based System
A points system is one of several methods of selecting labor migrants. While its form in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has become well-known, variants have been utilized worldwide.
Although no definitive definition exists of points systems globally, three features tend to be identified with them in policy discussions: awarding points to prospective labor migrants; reviewing these points before making admission decisions about who enters; and prioritizing political goals over substantive ones (McConnell 2010).
Points systems can select economically desirable immigrants by considering characteristics like age, education, and language skills.
Unfortunately, however, points systems do not address skill shortages quickly or prevent poor labor market outcomes for immigrants because domestic employers often undervalue schooling and work experience acquired abroad.
Furthermore, points systems may be seen as symbolic policies which prioritize political success over programmatic effectiveness (Papademetriou and Hooper 2019).
The UK’s 2021 migration plan, commonly referred to as a points-based system, provides a valuable case study of both politics and the impacts of this type of immigration policy.
Established over twenty years ago with various variations and modifications since its longevity makes it is ideal for an in-depth examination of its substantive and political functions.
The main goal of the United Kingdom’s policy is to boost the percentage of permanent residents who enter the country for economic reasons, as opposed to family reunion or sponsorship by employers.
Due to significant housing scarcity and an aging population, this governmental effort aims to entice skilled laborers to address these challenges.
2. Family Reunification
The Canadian Government remains focused on family reunification. For instance, the International Refugee Convergence Centre is striving to process 80% of new spouse sponsorship applications within twelve months, up from 75% last year.
Furthermore, more spaces have been made available for family-sponsored immigrants this year in order to reduce waiting times.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents generally can sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, children, and parents for immigration into Canada under national law.
Once in Canada, they will be given residence permits (depending on where they hail from).
On May 26th, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Minister Sean Fraser revealed a series of enhancements designed to strengthen family-class immigration.
This includes faster processing times, dedicated tools, and expanded work permit opportunities as well as extensions of existing permits.
One of the key components of family reunification is ensuring that the relationship between sponsor and applicant is genuine and loving.
Canada strictly prohibits “marriages of convenience”, in which a relationship exists solely for sponsorship under immigration laws and policies.
Hence, to ascertain their eligibility as sponsors for their family members, an evaluation of their financial capacity and personal situation is necessary.
Additionally, immigration authorities at IRCC conduct a thorough examination of their background and character to prevent potential misuse of sponsorship.
If a significant transgression that jeopardizes the integrity of the immigration system is uncovered, their sponsorship might even be revoked.
It’s important to note that responsibilities and privileges could change if they obtain refugee status or become citizens of a different country.
3. Work Permit
Work permits are an integral component of Canada’s immigration system, permitting foreign workers to fill jobs that cannot be filled by Canadians.
While all work permits must be approved with an LMIA assessment report, certain employment-based visas such as H-1B Visas, L-1 Visas, and E Treaty Trader or Investor Visas do not.
As a result, employers tend to prefer these types of visas when hiring foreign nationals – however, employers should ensure all their employees possess valid work permits or face legal action due to potential fines or legal actions from authorities.
To support economic development and ensure international students continue to access Canadian work opportunities, IRCC has implemented several work-related facilitative measures, such as expanding access to an off-campus work permit for family members of international students or graduates and the Mobilite Francophone stream.
In 2023, IRCC plans to enhance the Mobilite Francophone stream further by permitting international graduates to extend their work eligibility and stay longer in Canada and contribute further to Canada’s economy.
This would make staying longer easier for French-speaking graduates of foreign origin who come here as international graduates.
IRCC also plans to extend a temporary public policy that permits visitors in Canada to apply for employer-specific work permits, expanding access to Canadian education and work experiences before applying for permanent residence.
This would include intra-company transferees, trade agreement participants, Temporary Foreign Worker Program/International Mobility Program applicants as well as those who possess a positive LMIA report.
IRCC will also increase access to open work permits for spouses and common-law partners of those entering Canada on temporary employment visas through its Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class, making Canada more appealing as an attractive place for families looking to relocate together.
4. Business Permit
Business permits are government authorizations that grant your business permission to operate within its geographical territory and according to applicable laws.
The type of permit necessary will depend on factors like its nature and size as well as ownership structure (whether sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation).
You may require special permission if using certain materials or offering professional services which require government regulation.
Start or operate a business in Canada requires that you obtain a Business Permit, with its purpose being to ensure compliance with local, state, or federal laws.
Failing to do so could result in fines or even having your company closed down; so it is vitally important that you understand these laws within your jurisdiction in order to be successful in running your enterprise.
One way of obtaining a Business Permit is by applying for a Start-up Visa program.
This visa caters specifically to founders of innovative tech companies looking for permanent residency and citizenship status in Canada, and currently more slots have been allocated than in previous years.
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5. Permanent Residency
Attaining permanent residency in Canada holds the highest legal standing, conferring complete citizenship rights in accordance with Canadian laws, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It’s important to note, however, that permanent residency is distinct from citizenship by birth, which grants individuals not only full citizenship status but also the right to vote.
The 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan (ILP) sets a goal of admitting 410,000 to 505,000 permanent residents by 2025.
Express Entry, where candidates are selected based on their qualifications and skills for permanent residence through various federal and provincial “streams,” or occupation lists, represents a large share of these numbers.
Each province can select its own immigrants from a pool of applicants while still contributing to national economic priorities.
Quebec stands out as being unique because it has its own immigration authority that does not participate in Express Entry but rather has separate streams to recruit skilled workers.
Additionally, to Express Entry, other avenues exist for permanent residency: provincial nominee programs (PNPs) and the Canadian Experience Class.
These paths enable people to gain work experience and education within Canada in order to strengthen their permanent residency applications.
The government is also taking steps to strengthen Canada’s international engagement, including through negotiations of new Temporary Entry chapters in Canada’s Free Trade Agreements.
These chapters aim to open up opportunities for Canadian businesses seeking global talent as well as for temporary foreign workers who complete their contracts becoming permanent residents of Canada after fulfilling them.
Canada is home to many different kinds of immigrants who come for various reasons, such as reuniting with family or seeking economic opportunities.
Immigration into Canada is handled on both federal and provincial levels.
While Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) handles the Express Entry system, provinces and territories often develop programs tailored to address local labor market needs.
1. Points-Based System
A points system is one of several methods of selecting labor migrants. While its form in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has become well-known, variants have been utilized worldwide.
Although no definitive definition exists of points systems globally, three features tend to be identified with them in policy discussions: awarding points to prospective labor migrants; reviewing these points before making admission decisions about who enters; and prioritizing political goals over substantive ones (McConnell 2010).
Points systems can select economically desirable immigrants by considering characteristics like age, education, and language skills.
Unfortunately, however, points systems do not address skill shortages quickly or prevent poor labor market outcomes for immigrants because domestic employers often undervalue schooling and work experience acquired abroad.
Furthermore, points systems may be seen as symbolic policies which prioritize political success over programmatic effectiveness (Papademetriou and Hooper 2019).
The UK’s 2021 migration plan, commonly referred to as a points-based system, provides a valuable case study of both politics and the impacts of this type of immigration policy.
Established over twenty years ago with various variations and modifications since its longevity makes it is ideal for an in-depth examination of its substantive and political functions.
The United Kingdom’s primary policy objective is to increase the proportion of permanent residents – individuals who can remain indefinitely but do not acquire citizenship – who come in on economic grounds rather than family reunification or sponsorship from an employer.
Given their severe housing shortage and aging population, this government initiative seeks to attract skilled workers.
2. Family Reunification
The Canadian Government remains focused on family reunification.
For instance, the International Refugee Convergence Centre is striving to process 80% of new spouse sponsorship applications within twelve months, up from 75% last year.
Furthermore, more spaces have been made available for family-sponsored immigrants this year in order to reduce waiting times.
Canadian citizens and permanent residents generally can sponsor their spouses, common-law partners, children, and parents for immigration into Canada under national law.
Once in Canada, they will be given residence permits (depending on where they hail from).
On May 26th, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Minister Sean Fraser revealed a series of enhancements designed to strengthen family-class immigration.
This includes faster processing times, dedicated tools, and expanded work permit opportunities as well as extensions of existing permits.
One of the key components of family reunification is ensuring that the relationship between sponsor and applicant is genuine and loving.
Canada strictly prohibits “marriages of convenience”, in which a relationship exists solely for sponsorship under immigration laws and policies.
Therefore, in order to determine if they qualify as sponsors of their relative, an assessment of financial resources and personal circumstances must take place.
A comprehensive background and character review by IRCC officials also take place, in order to avoid potential sponsorship abuses; their sponsorship could even be canceled should any serious offense have taken place which compromises immigration system integrity; obligations and rights could shift should they become refugees or citizens of another nation.
3. Work Permit
Work permits are an integral component of Canada’s immigration system, permitting foreign workers to fill jobs that cannot be filled by Canadians.
While all work permits must be approved with an LMIA assessment report, certain employment-based visas such as H-1B Visas, L-1 Visas, and E Treaty Trader or Investor Visas do not.
As a result, employers tend to prefer these types of visas when hiring foreign nationals – however employers should ensure all their employees possess valid work permits or face legal action due to potential fines or legal actions from authorities.
To support economic development and ensure international students continue to access Canadian work opportunities, IRCC has implemented several work-related facilitative measures, such as expanding access to an off-campus work permit for family members of international students or graduates and the Mobilite Francophone stream.
In 2023, IRCC plans to enhance the Mobilite Francophone stream further by permitting international graduates to extend their work eligibility and stay longer in Canada and contribute further to Canada’s economy.
This would make staying longer easier for French-speaking graduates of foreign origin who come here as international graduates.
IRCC also plans to extend a temporary public policy that permits visitors in Canada to apply for employer-specific work permits, expanding access to Canadian education and work experiences before applying for permanent residence.
This would include intra-company transferees, trade agreement participants, Temporary Foreign Worker Program/International Mobility Program applicants as well as those who possess a positive LMIA report.
IRCC will also increase access to open work permits for spouses and common-law partners of those entering Canada on temporary employment visas through its Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class, making Canada more appealing as an attractive place for families looking to relocate together.
4. Business Permit
Business permits are official permissions issued by the government, allowing a business to conduct its operations within a designated geographical area while adhering to relevant legal regulations.
The specific type of permit required hinges on various factors including the business’s characteristics such as its nature, scale, and ownership structure (whether it’s a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation).
In situations involving the utilization of specific materials or the provision of professional services subject to government oversight, additional permissions might be necessary.
Start or operate a business in Canada requires that you obtain a Business Permit, with its purpose being to ensure compliance with local, state or federal laws.
Failing to do so could result in fines or even having your company closed down; so it is vitally important that you understand these laws within your jurisdiction in order to be successful in running your enterprise.
One way of obtaining a Business Permit is by applying for a Start-up Visa program.
This visa caters specifically to founders of innovative tech companies looking for permanent residency and citizenship status in Canada, and currently more slots have been allocated than in previous years.
5. Permanent Residency
Permanent residency in Canada is the highest legal status a person can attain and grants full citizenship under Canadian laws, including its Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
However, permanent residency should not be confused with citizenship by birth as that entitles an individual to full voting rights as well as full citizenship status.
The 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan (ILP) sets a goal of admitting 410,000 to 505,000 permanent residents by 2025.
Express Entry, where candidates are selected based on their qualifications and skills for permanent residence through various federal and provincial “streams,” or occupation lists, represents a large share of these numbers.
Each province can select its own immigrants from a pool of applicants while still contributing to national economic priorities.
Quebec stands out as being unique because it has its own immigration authority that does not participate in Express Entry but rather has separate streams to recruit skilled workers.
Additionally, to Express Entry, other avenues exist for permanent residency: provincial nominee programs (PNPs) and the Canadian Experience Class.
These paths enable people to gain work experience and education within Canada in order to strengthen their permanent residency applications.
The government is also taking steps to strengthen Canada’s international engagement, including through negotiations of new Temporary Entry chapters in Canada’s Free Trade Agreements.
These chapters aim to open up opportunities for Canadian businesses seeking global talent as well as for temporary foreign workers who complete their contracts becoming permanent residents of Canada after fulfilling them.
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