Here Are The Changes That Lie Ahead For Canada Immigration In 2018
Canada has always had some of the most migrant-friendly immigration and visa policies to attract and retain international talent from all over the world. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has already vamped up quite a few visa rules in 2017 to ensure easy and smooth migration to Canada. Some of the visa changes that are bound to have a big impact on Canadian immigration in 2018 include –
- The targets for immigration categories are changed. While the overall immigration target is set at similar levels of last year at 300,000, the immigration for economic categories has been increased by 7% to 172,500.
- Changes are made to the CRS Ranking System.
- Up to 30 additional CRS points awarded for Canadian educational credentials if a candidate applies through Express Entry System.
- Candidates claiming a job offer will be granted either 200 or 50 CRS points depending on the occupational NOC code.
- Open work permit pilot is extended till December 2018 Spouse Sponsorship Visa will be processed within 12 months in 2018
- A lottery system for Parent and Grandparent sponsorship Visa, which will also accept 10,000 applications in 2018
- Four-in Four-out regulation revoked for Temporary Foreign Workers
Some other changes are announced or under consideration and might come into effect sometime in 2017. The expected amendments include –
- CRS Ranking System may be further refined. Candidates with siblings in Canada may get an advantage with additional CRS points awarded. IRCC is also considering awarding bonus points to French-speaking candidates with strong English proficiency.
- One can expect changes in some types of work permit under Global Skills Strategy. The Canadian government has committed to processing visas and work permits within two-weeks for low-risk and high-skill talent for companies in Canada. They are also looking to introduce a new work permit exemption for less than 30 days stay in a year, or even brief academic stays.
- IRCC is considering removing the conditional Permanent Residence(PR) cohabitation rule which currently prevails which mandates the spouses, common-law and conjugal partners who are in a relationship for 2 years or more without any children to live together for at least 2 years to retain their PR status
- The dependent child definition will be restored to under 22 years of age.
- The federal government is looking to create a federal program under Express Entry for semi-skilled workers for Permanent Residency
- More changes can be expected for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which has received 21 recommendations by the standing committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development in September 2017.
Canadian immigration and visa laws constantly evolve to imbibe the best, most friendly and easy to administer policies to keep expanding the program and include a lot more aspiring migrants in an eligibility gamut. Keep a look out for the new changes in the Canadian Immigration policies which may also open a new door for a brand new life for you.
If you too are dreaming to migrate to Canada is your dream, take our free assessment to determine your visa eligibility.
All You Need To Know About Australian Skilled Immigration Visa
Australia is an exceptionally popular destination for migrants for reasons including better opportunities and living standards among-st others. There are various routes to apply for an Australian visa, including Work Visa, Business Visa, and Family Visa etc, which one can choose from, to migrate to Australia – the land of dream opportunities.
Skilled Immigration Visa is a popular option for aspirants who cannot access other visa routes. The program allows a skilled worker to apply and gain a permanent Australian Visa basis their qualifications, work experience, language proficiency, etc. In 2015-16, there were around 128,500 places open and available under the General Skilled Migration Program, also known as Skill Select.
Skilled Immigration Program is classified under five sub-classes. Here are the features and Entitlements
Additionally, a Life-partner, Dependent Children and Dependent Parents can be included in the application under all the above sub classes.
Also, Priority processing arrangements applies to the visa applications received under this category. They determine the order in which the visa department considers the application, irrespective of when they are submitted.
Things you need for Visa Application under Skill Select:
- One needs an invitation to apply
- Applicant’s age should be >18 years and < than 45 years
- Applicant should nominate an occupation basis his or her own skills and qualifications. It must be selected as per the occupations mentioned on the Skilled Occupation List(SOL)
- Applicants need to get their skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority as per their nominated occupation
- Applicants need a competent English Proficiency Test accreditation (IELTS)
- A minimum of 60 points on the Point system are required to apply for a Visa
- proper health assessment by an empanelled doctor as well as a good character assessment is required.
