Canada may reconsider immigration targets

Canada’s Housing Minister and former Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, hinted that the federal government may consider changes to the country’s high immigration levels.

Fraser emphasized the need to align immigration policies with the absorptive capacity of communities, including housing, healthcare, and infrastructure.

He also suggested that the government should collaborate with other levels of government and institutions to consider immigration targets carefully.

Fraser specifically mentioned the need to review the temporary immigration programs to ensure that they operate sustainably and not in an "uncapped way" based solely on demand.

#Fraser, #immigration_levels

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canadian-government-won-t-rule-out-changing-immigration-targets-to-address-housing-challenges-fraser-says-1.6555446

Canada modified immigration legislation on Express Entry

On September 8, 2023, Canada amended section 11.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to implement the recent changes in the Express Entry and introduction of the category-based selection rounds.

IRCC has also added instructions to clarify the assessment Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, particularly about education and certificate of qualification for principal applicants invited by virtue of their membership in one of the categories.

In addition to Minimal Entry Criteria (MEC) and CRS score, in the category-based draws, officers will also verify the applicant’s eligibility to be a category member.

#Express_Entry, #CRS, #IRPA

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2023/08/canada-announces-the-first-ever-express-entry-invitations-for-newcomers-with-experience-in-the-trades.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/updates/2023-express-entry-crs-assessment.html

IRCC announced a new update for Student Direct Stream applications

On August 30, 2023, the Canadian Government updated the eligibility requirements for the Student Direct Stream (SDS) language test results.

The new requirements align with the Ministerial Instructions effective August 10, 2023.

The Government will accept additional academic tests from designated organizations and another test from a non-designated organization.

The update clarifies that banks may disburse the remaining funds of a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) in any accepted arrangement with an applicant after the initial disbursement upon arrival in Canada.

Although the Government recommended disbursing GIC funds in monthly or bimonthly instalments, this does not affect an applicant's SDS eligibility.

#Student_Direct_Stream, #SDS, #GIC, #international_students #IRCC

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/updates/2023-sds.html

Canada’s immigration system is outdated

Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller has stated that the current immigration system is outdated and needs to be modernized to reduce processing times and clear the backlog of applications.

However, a shortage of immigration staff is not the leading cause of the problem, as the department already has enough personnel to meet processing goals for the next three years.

The department currently manages over one million applications, with 802,600 reported to be in backlog, but aims to process 80% of applications within its service standards.

While it had previously reached its ideal backlog percentage of 20%, a recent increase in backlog numbers has pushed it closer to exceeding the target again.

#IRCC, #Miller, #Immigration_to_Canada, #backlog

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/08/28/canada-immigration-trudeau-policy-multiculturalism-backlash/