As the Omicron variant continues to spread, everyone’s eyes are on the border restrictions and immigration policies.
Nations all throughout the world have taken a more uncompromising stance, focusing inward on their inhabitants rather than abroad. However, one country has continuously taken a more welcoming stance on immigration.
Despite the pandemic, Canada’s immigration news remains positive, with the country topping different rankings of immigration-friendly countries. It’s no surprise, then, that students from all over the world see Canada as a great place to study.
As part of its Immigration Levels Plan, the country has set a goal of welcoming 411,000 new permanent residents this year. When the federal government announces its new level plans, this amount could be altered.
According to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, this figure could potentially rise to fulfil labour market needs. More changes are on the way in 2022.
Immigration Rules For International Students in 2022
Express Entry is a web-based system designed to manage Canada’s immigration applications, replacing the conventional “first-come, first-served” system. Applicants can use this method to submit an online profile known as an expression of interest (EOI) to the Express Entry Pool.
The profiles will then be ranked against one another using a point-based system. The candidates with the highest scores will then be chosen to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence, which must be submitted within 60 days.
Only Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates were invited to apply in 2021 for Express Entry draws, i.e., skilled workers and graduates who were already in the country.
This is likely to change in 2022, as the government works to clear the backlog of applications accumulated as a result of the pandemic in order to invite qualified individuals from all over the world.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has written to the immigration minister stating for the introduction of more permanent residency pathways for overseas students through Express Entry, implying that they will have more possibilities to live in Canada post-graduation.
New Policies To Promote Immigration
In addition to Express Entry, Canada is planning to create a new Municipal Nominee Program. This varies from the mainstream Provincial Nominee Program in that it seeks to stimulate immigration into Canada’s smaller provinces and territories.
Currently, the majority of PNP candidates are settling in large urban areas, which raises the cost of living. MNP is intended to attract skilled professionals and graduates to smaller and mid-sized cities. This will aid in meeting the country’s demographic and labour market needs.
Although the MNP is still in the planning stages, it has been confirmed that at least 5,000 new permanent residence spaces will be committed to the program.
A number of key goals were emphasized by the PM in the new immigration mandate letter, including:
- Reducing the time required to process immigration petitions, especially eliminating Covid-19-related delays
- Waiving application fees for Canadian citizenship
- Figuring out how to legalize the status of unauthorized workers in Canada
- Putting in place measures to improve the process of employing temporary foreign employees, such as making work visa renewals easier and establishing an employer hotline
- Encouraging family reunification through electronic applications and programs that temporarily lodge wives and children overseas while their permanent residency applications are processed
- Meeting Canada’s target of resettling 40,000 Afghan refugees.
These aims demonstrate that Canada welcomes people from all over the world to settle in the country for long. The PM has a history to support immigration, characterizing it as Canada’s greatest advantage over other countries.
“Being able to get the top talent and draw on big pools of well-educated, ambitious, forward-thinking and diverse [people] is a hell of a competitive advantage that I don’t see the US matching anytime soon,” Trudeau said in 2018.
“Canada needs immigration to create jobs and drive our economic recovery,” added Immigration Minister Fraser. “It’s not just that one in three Canadian businesses are owned by an immigrant, but also that newcomers are helping to tackle labour shortages.”
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